The cold wind howled outside, but the Jin family’s villa was warm with the heating on. Mr. Jin(Jin’s Father) changed his shoes and went to take a bath.

Afterward, he felt completely warm.

The aroma of chicken soup drifted through the air. Before the soup was served at the table, Mrs. Jin(Jin’s Mother) quickly scooped a bowl and blew on it.

Mr. Jin thought his wife had made the soup for him and was about to reach for it when his wife said, “Yao Tiao, you drink a bit first. You’ve been working hard lately, hurry up and replenish yourself.”

Mr. Jin, who was used to this kind of treatment, raised his eyebrows slowly.

Yao Tiao, with a smile, took the bowl and sipped from it.

She glanced at her father, and only then did Mrs. Jin serve soup to her husband, muttering as she did: “You don’t know, our Yao Tiao has been so busy with the company’s restaurant recently. Her face is getting thinner! I only arranged to leave work early today because I knew you were coming home. You two, father and daughter, are both so busy…”

She pushed the bowl of soup into her husband’s hands. “Yao Tiao carefully selected an old hen and simmered it for hours, adding some mushrooms and medicinal herbs. The doctor said you can eat a little ginseng now. Warm your stomach.”

The chicken soup was golden, and even the ginseng roots were simmered into the meaty fragrance.

It was soft and tender when bitten, the mushrooms sliced thinly, adding a unique fresh taste with a good chew.

Combined with the smooth, tender chicken, each bite carried the heartfelt care that had gone into making it.

Mr. Jin looked at his slender daughter with a flash of concern, but also a sense of relief.

He didn’t know when it had started, but his wife had begun to think of their daughter as another pillar of the family who needed the same nourishment with medicinal herbs as herself.

Years ago, he would never have imagined entrusting the family business to his daughter.

When he had been ill, he had been truly afraid, especially after learning that his third brother had some unsavory habits.

He feared that after his death, his daughter would be bullied by his brother.

He had never told his daughter, but that night in the study, after his brother had torn up the will he had drafted, Mr. Jin had gone back and made another one.

He had handed it to a trusted lawyer. When the news of his death reached the country, the lawyers would naturally use the will to approach Mingde.

Even after making these arrangements, he still couldn’t bring himself to accept death.

He fought to live, struggling against the anesthesia in the operating room, unwilling to lose consciousness.

He endured the pain from the surgery, pushing through all the treatments, all for this moment.

On this snowy winter day, in a warm home, a bowl of chicken soup, and a family reunion.

Yes, he needed to live for much longer.

---

This time, when Mr. Jin went to Deep City, it took quite a while.

Yao Tiao asked, “How was it over there? You were gone for so long, I thought you had run into some trouble.”

Mr. Jin picked out a mushroom slice from his bowl, chewing it with pleasure, and answered calmly, “I just needed to find the right place, so it took a bit longer.”

Mrs. Jin was puzzled. “Deep City is so big, I thought finding a place would be simple.”

Mr. Jin just smiled faintly.

Mrs. Jin thought of something and asked, “Oh, right, I remember your teacher’s family is in Deep City. They’re quite well-known, aren’t they? Did you go to meet your old classmates while you were there?”

She was referring to the Shang family in Deep City, a history well-known to the Jin family, including Yao Tiao.

Though the Jin family had been famous chefs for generations, Mr. Jin had not stayed at home when he was young.

Instead, he had been sent to the Shang family when he was a child, staying there for 15 years.

It wasn’t until he was in his twenties that he returned to inherit the family business.

Mr. Jin’s culinary skills were exceptional, and it was no surprise that he had been sent to study with the Shang family.

Both families had ancestral ties, and the two families had once been in-laws.

Mr. Jin had grown up with Mr. Shang, but they had been separated later due to historical issues.

The Shang family had always been more prestigious, with some ancestors even serving as imperial chefs.

After relocating to Deep City, the Shang family had flourished, far surpassing the current Jin family in wealth and status.

Mr. Jin’s purpose in Deep City was to conduct market research, handle business paperwork, and find a suitable location for their operations.

These tasks were not too difficult but were certainly not quick.

If he had also taken the opportunity to meet his old classmates, it would make sense.

Mr. Jin vaguely replied, “By the way, Qi Ming’s parents are back in the country. Did you know?”

Yao Tiao quickly caught on, looking at her father. Was he trying to change the subject?

But Mr. Jin was someone with a strong sense of pride. If he didn’t want to talk about something, Yao Tiao didn’t plan to press too much.

Everyone had secrets, and often, excessive concern could damage relationships.

After a moment, she decided to gather information from the assistants who had accompanied her father to Deep City.

She thought it would be a good idea to learn more about her father’s trip from them.

She casually followed her father’s lead, saying, “Really?”

Mrs. Jin slapped her forehead. “Oh, I’m so forgetful! Mrs. Shen called me the other day, talking about Yao Tiao and Qi Ming’s wedding. I wanted to mention it to you and our daughter, but that day Yao Tiao worked late, and seeing how busy she was, I didn’t bring it up. I ended up forgetting!”

Yao Tiao asked, “Wedding? What did you say?”

Mrs. Jin answered, “What could I say? I just advised her that young people should handle their own matters. But it seems she only found out recently that Qi Ming broke off the engagement. That boy, really, such a big matter and he didn’t even tell them.”

Yao Tiao wasn’t too concerned.

She had already grown accustomed to it.

She rarely interacted with Qi Ming’s parents.

Compared to her, her parents had more dealings with the Shen family since, years ago, the Shen family lived close by and would occasionally meet up due to business activities.

But she often heard about them—Qi Ming’s parents were a well-regarded couple in the public eye. Mr. Shen often attended domestic and international business events with his wife, making countless appearances in the media.

Years ago, she had been naive, curious about Qi Ming’s perfect family. But Qi Ming wasn’t interested in sharing much about it. She rarely met his parents, and many times, she only learned about important events in their lives through the news.

Whenever they returned to the country, it was always brief. Even at a wedding, they only stayed for half a day. But that day, the couple, holding hands in front of their business partners, left a deep impression on Yao Tiao.

Even Mrs. Jin later said, “Look at your in-laws, and then look at you. Same old couple, but you’re such a wooden block!”

Mr. Jin awkwardly coughed, clearly uncomfortable with his wife’s expectations.

Mrs. Jin angrily hit him and then said to Yao Tiao, “Look at such a good example. You and Qi Ming should learn from them.”

When Qi Ming had seen Mrs. Jin scolding Mr. Jin, he didn’t say anything.

---

Then, the subject of Qi Ming’s parents was mentioned again, and just as Yao Tiao turned her head, she unexpectedly ran into Mrs. Shen.

Luna called, saying she had fought with her father and was planning to leave home for a few days. She asked if she could help Yao Tiao by serving dishes at the Hidden Feast.

Yao Tiao, hearing her cry on the phone, learned that Luna had been pressured by her father to get married after her breakup. Amused, Yao Tiao, who happened to be at Mingde, invited her over and went downstairs to meet her.

It was freezing outside, but Luna, after getting out of the car, seemed not too upset. The beautiful, naive girl smiled happily when she saw Yao Tiao, chattering, “Yao Tiao, Yao Tiao, I just learned how to knit scarves! I made you a gray one, I’m halfway through, you can wear it for the New Year!”

She was holding a small bag, inside which was a ball of yarn and knitting needles. Jin Yaotiao shook out the jacket she had brought and said, “Quickly go inside, it’s freezing out here.”

Luna was about to speak when a voice came from nearby: “Yaotiao? Is that you?”

Jin Yaotiao immediately turned her head, and to her surprise, it was Shen’s mother.

Shen’s mother had just gotten out of a temporarily parked car by the roadside, followed by a few elegant women. The group seemed like they were heading out for shopping.

A lot of passersby turned their heads to look, not only at Jin Yaotiao but also at Shen’s mother.

A woman who could give birth to a son like Shen Qiming naturally didn’t need any further introduction. The media often described Shen’s father and mother as “the affectionate couple” or called Shen’s mother a “frozen-age beauty.”

The elegant ladies surrounding Shen’s mother were clearly around the same age, yet she made them look a lot older—not because they didn’t know how to take care of themselves, but because Shen’s mother exuded an aristocratic charm.

Time had been generous to her, filling even the fine lines at the corners of her eyes with an alluring beauty.

Although Jin Yaotiao didn’t interact much with her, she had a strong memory of this striking face and immediately greeted her politely: “Hello, Aunt Xu.”

Shen’s mother’s real name was Xu Wan.

She waved the ladies back into the car, then took a few steps forward.

Her gentle eyes fixed on Jin Yaotiao, and she looked hesitant, even a little sad, as though afraid to approach her. “I didn’t expect to run into you here.”

---

Not far away, in a car, Shen Qiming was on a phone call with a business partner. His eyes accidentally swept over the window, and his brows immediately furrowed.

Without hanging up the phone, he blurted out: “Stop the car!”

The driver was startled, instinctively slamming the brakes.

Everyone in the car lurched forward, and by the time they regained their balance, there was a dull sound of the car door closing.

The business partner on the phone was confused by Shen Qiming’s words, but Shen Qiming didn’t explain. He simply said, “Let’s talk later,” then looked ahead with a chilling gaze.

A few assistants who chased after him were startled when they met his eyes and stumbled in place. Shen Qiming didn’t wait for them and walked straight across the street toward the two people who were talking.

He had clearly told his parents not to disturb Jin Yaotiao.

From the past to the present, he had always done his best to keep them away from her.

The thought of these two people having any interaction with Jin Yaotiao made him feel as if something pure had been tainted by dirt.

Shen’s mother was talking to Jin Yaotiao when she caught sight of her son. She was obviously startled: “Qiming?”

Jin Yaotiao turned around and saw Shen Qiming, her brows twitching: “Mr. Shen?”

Shen Qiming stepped into the cold wind and stood directly between her and Shen’s mother, his tall figure like a mountain, exuding the familiar scent of cedar.

Jin Yaotiao was a little confused by his protective stance.

She looked up at his broad shoulders, and then heard Shen’s mother, who was behind him, stammering an explanation: “I really just happened to run into Yaotiao here and wanted to talk to her. I didn’t mean to seek her out.”

Jin Yaotiao: “?”

Shen Qiming turned his head toward the car and gestured to his mother: “Alright, you can go back now.”

Xu Wan looked at her son, opening her mouth but saying nothing. The face in front of her was so cold, just like Shen’s father’s—an expression of coldness and rigidity. They really resembled each other so much. Apart from the physical changes time had brought, both father and son had the same attitude toward everything and everyone. Sometimes, she even felt like her son was a clone of her husband.

This realization, though saddening, was also somewhat comforting.

If this cold attitude was ingrained in the Shen family’s genes, then perhaps the sacrifices she had made over the years while standing beside her husband were something every wife of a Shen man had to endure.

But at this moment, her son seemed so unfamiliar.

He was guarding against her, afraid that she might harm what he wanted to protect.

This was a side of Shen Qiming that his father had never shown, and Xu Wan was certain of that.

It turned out that men from the Shen family, too, could value things beyond power and wealth.

The cold, damp wind by the river slapped her face, and Xu Wan shivered.

In truth, she had never meant to make things difficult for Jin Yaotiao.

She had always liked her and thought she would be a good daughter-in-law.

When she saw Jin Yaotiao earlier, she got out of the car just to comfort her for a few words.

After all, she wasn’t the only one who had been unloved.

She had accompanied her husband for years through the dirty and superficial world of fame and wealth, seeing too many unpleasant examples of the same.

Marriage was the same for everyone—endure it.

At her age, she had come to terms with everything.

But at this moment, she realized her understanding might have been wrong all along.

Xu Wan took a step back, looking flustered.

She took a couple of quick breaths before trying to maintain her dignity and said to Jin Yaotiao: “Alright, Yaotiao, Auntie has some other matters to attend to, so I’ll be going now.”

Shen Qiming watched his mother leave, his gaze more like surveillance than a farewell.

It wasn’t until a soft tap on his back that he turned around.

Looking down, he saw Jin Yaotiao, raising her eyebrows and asking: “Mr. Shen, are you passing by again?”

Shen Qiming met her eyes, his eyelashes fluttering: “…Mm.”

“Alright then.” Jin Yaotiao said helplessly, “You should leave now. I need to go back to work.”

Shen Qiming looked at her slender frame, noticing she wasn’t dressed warmly enough for the cold.

He raised his hand and took the scarf his assistant had handed to him earlier, draping it over her head without saying much before walking away.

The scarf carried his warmth and scent, covering Jin Yaotiao’s face.

She squinted, and when she took it off, she saw Luna looking at her with pitiful eyes.

Luna was wearing the coat Jin Yaotiao had given her, holding a small bag with yarn and knitting needles.

Jin Yaotiao met her gaze for two seconds, then looked down at the scarf in her hands—gray, cashmere, knitted.

Luna’s eyes were watery, full of pity and ready to cry.

Jin Yaotiao: “…”

She quickly patted Luna: “I really didn’t want this, he’s just being weird. Don’t worry, I don’t want this scarf, I just want the one you’re knitting for me!”

Luna, the silly beauty: “Hehe, wait for me! I’ll finish knitting it for you quickly.”

The employees from Mingde passing by the door: “…”

Tsk, tsk, tsk. The concubines in the prince’s harem fighting for favor really make for a bloody scene.