Gong Ning leaned close to her ear and whispered, "I upset A-Zhou. He's angry with me and won't talk to me. I thought I'd cook a few dishes, maybe he'll stop being angry with me since I'm so sincerely apologizing!"

Aunt Rong smiled upon hearing this, looking at her with a loving expression. "Miss, you're quite the joker. How could the master be angry with you? You want to learn to cook, don't you? Miss, you mustn't do that. Your hands are meant for writing or playing the piano. Cooking isn't suitable for you. Be careful not to hurt your hands! Tell Aunt Rong what you'd like to eat, and I'll make it for you."

Sensing the rejection in Aunt Rong's words, Gong Ning pouted her pink lips, her dark eyes fixed on Aunt Rong without blinking, a few moments of dejection flashing in her bright eyes, and she said nothing.

After a short while, Aunt Rong, overflowing with maternal love, sighed helplessly.

Miss, your skill at being charming and coquettish is amazing...

Really!

Aunt Rong, unwilling to give up, tried to persuade her a few more times, "Miss, cooking is tiring and not easy, and it's especially easy to get injured. Are you really sure you want to do it?"

Gong Ning's dark eyes suddenly flashed with a frightening light, and she hurriedly pushed Aunt Rong to the kitchen, "Aunt Rong, Aunt Rong is the best, Aunt Rong, I love you so much, I love you so much!"

The little girl chattered away, making Aunt Rong beam with joy.

Yan Jingzhou had already gotten up and left the moment Aunt Rong exclaimed that Gong Ning should be careful. He had barely gone downstairs when he heard the little girl chattering away, saying this and that…

His handsome face suddenly darkened, and he immediately turned and went upstairs...

Amidst Aunt Rong's fluctuating gasps, Gong Ning managed to make a decent-looking tomato and egg stir-fry, then clapped her hands contentedly and prepared to go upstairs to call Yan Jingzhou.

The phone on the coffee table in the living room suddenly rang. Gong Ning answered it, and Shen Yuchen's clear and cheerful voice came through, "Gong Ning, it's Sunday today. You have a group class tonight. Aren't you going back to school?"

Upon hearing this, Gong Ning glanced towards the kitchen, her dark eyes suddenly shifting, and she smiled, "I've already asked for leave, I won't be going back to school for the time being!"

"Oh, right. You'd better not go back to school these next few days. Your affair with Professor Yan... tsk, you're really good at keeping things under wraps!"

Gong Ning narrowed her eyes, her voice low and laced with a hint of warning, "...Miss Shen~"

A few soft laughs came through the microphone, revealing Shen Yuchen's lively mood. "It's nothing, just a few drinks. I knocked someone unconscious with a shoe, stole the guy all the girls in school had their eyes on, and now I'm one of the most well-known figures at Liang University..."

"Shen Yuchen! I have a question for you!"

"Hmm? Go ahead and ask!"

"Are you durable?"

Shen Yuchen: "..."

Gong Ning heard the phone go completely silent on the other end, and she pursed her lips smugly. "Little brat."

"Thud, bang!"

A few muffled groans suddenly came from the microphone, and the phone seemed to have been dropped to the ground with a crisp sound.

Gong Ning was taken aback and asked in confusion, "Shen Yuchen, what's wrong? What happened? Did you fall? Shen Yuchen, Shen Yuchen? Hello?"

But no one responded to her. The phone clearly rang with the sound of clothes rubbing together, followed by a loud bang.

A few sobs could be heard...

Gong Ning's heart suddenly skipped a beat, and she called out urgently, but all she heard from the phone was a busy tone after the call was disconnected.

Shen Yuchen wasn't usually this unreliable; this sudden, erratic behavior told her that something must have happened.

Gong Ning rushed upstairs, took out her laptop, and her fair fingers danced across the keyboard, pressing the call log. The phone quickly displayed coordinates and simultaneously exported a short, optimal route.

Gong Ning took her phone and left the master bedroom. She glanced at the still-closed study door and pursed her pink lips slightly.

I quickly went downstairs and ran into Aunt Rong, who was carrying dishes to the restaurant. My gaze lingered on the tomato and egg stir-fry for a few seconds.