Zong Jia's clinginess deterred Da Fu and Zhong Yuan, who promptly took their gifts and left.

Jiang Xiaoli gestured with her lip towards their retreating figures, "Look at you, you got swindled away."

Zong Jiayu lowered his head and kissed her again, "Yes, I did it on purpose."

She was so dizzy from his kisses that she felt like her soul was about to leave her body. She struggled and pushed him away, saying, "My mom's in the kitchen, be careful!"

Zong Jia sighed and hugged her tighter. "Little Pear, let's get married after you graduate, okay?"

Jiang Xiaoli patted his back with a smile, "You forgot, you handed over the responsibility of handling the wedding to my grandma and the others."

After not hearing his response for a while, Jiang Xiaoli poked his waist, "What's wrong, are you throwing a tantrum?"

"No," Zong Jiayu said softly. "I'm trying to figure out how to speed up the wedding preparations."

She chuckled and said, "Then you'll have to use your brain. My aunt mentioned it when we went to Chongqing. The wedding dress designer she hired won't finish his work until February next year, and then they can start preparing mine. The production period will be at least nine months."

Zong Jiayu had a slight heart attack, but he still said, "This should wait. Xiao Lizi deserves the most perfect wedding."

She affectionately kissed his chin, "Ayu is so sensible!"

After cuddling together for a while, Li Guizhi called out, "Someone come and try my new dish!"

Jiang Xiaoli climbed out of his arms and called out, "I'm here!"

When Jiang Xiaoli saw this dish on the kitchen island, she had to admit she was shocked again.

On a slender platter, pieces of fish of different sizes are arranged to resemble a sword, adorned with exquisitely carved food decorations.

She was about to reach out and take a look at a flower when Li Guizhi tapped on the table, startling her so much that she pulled her hand back.

"Why did Dafu and Xiaoyuan leave?"

Zong Jia replied, "Godmother, I'll call them up right away."

A few minutes later, not only Dafu and Zhong Yuan came up, but also Chang Yue, Hu Jingxin and Yan Chengcheng.

Yan Chengcheng leaned against Jiang Xiaoli, "We wanted to come find you as soon as we got home, but Brother Dafu and Brother Yuan stopped us and told us not to bother you two. Hehe, isn't absence makes the heart grow fonder?"

Jiang Xiaoli smiled and nodded at her, "Teacher Yan is right!"

Inside the restaurant, Li Guizhi explained the concept and cooking techniques behind her dish.

These laymen simply nodded repeatedly as they looked at the dish, completely oblivious to the rest.

Zong Jiayu smiled and said, "Godmother, the cooking techniques are too difficult for us, but our palates are pretty good, so let us have a taste?"

Li Guizhi chuckled, "That's true, you kids are all used to having food served to you, how would you know anything about this? Alright, let's start eating!"

The fish was warm, but the texture was just right. It took a while to warm up, but the taste was still perfect.

Li Guizhi looked at the children expectantly, "How are you feeling?"

Zhong Yuan was the first to speak, "This fish is very tender and smooth, it melts in your mouth, and the flavor is very rich. It's delicious and I like it very much!"

Jiang Xiaoli commented, "It looks like just steamed fish pieces arranged in a decorative way, but the flavor of the fish is so distinct. Mom, you're amazing!"

Others also praised the dish.

Li Guizhi frowned and asked, "Why are you only praising me? Is there anything I could have said that wasn't good enough?"

Zong Jiayu pondered for a moment before speaking, "If I had to point out a shortcoming, I would say it's the choice of ingredients. If we want to improve this dish, we need to choose fresher and plumper fish."

Li Guizhi nodded. "If there are better options, then the taste will naturally be better."

She picked up the empty plate and said with a smile, "Alright, thank you all for coming over to let me taste the food."

Zhong Yuan said with a smile, "Auntie, you must call me next time there's something like this!"

Li Guizhi nodded, "Okay! I definitely won't forget you!"

The house suddenly became lively, with several girls chattering incessantly around Jiang Xiaoli, leaving Zong Jia and the other two unable to get a word in edgewise.

Jiang Xiaoli pulled them along, "How about we sleep in the attic tonight?"

Hu Jingxin was the first to agree, "Great! I just don't know if we can see the stars in the dead of winter."

As the girls grabbed their snacks and drinks and prepared to go upstairs, they saw three boys staring at them.

Jiang Xiaoli waved to them with a smile, "It's getting late, see you tomorrow?"

Zong Jia chuckled, "Alright, then you guys shouldn't chat too late and should go to bed early. Remember to adjust your time difference."

The four girls went up to the attic and opened the roof curtain. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't very good today; all they could see was a hazy fog, and there wasn't a single star in sight.

However, the girls weren't disappointed and sat together to chat.

The girls told Jiang Xiaoli what had happened at school and at the company while she was away.

Jiang Xiaoli told them about the interesting things she encountered and the new gadgets she saw in Great Britain.

The midnight chat lasted until about 1 a.m., when Hu Jingxin rubbed her eyes and called out into the phone, "Zhiyi, we're going to sleep now!"

There was no response on the other end of the phone. Jiang Xiaoli looked at Chang Yue and Yan Chengcheng, who were already asleep, and said, "Xin Xin, it seems that we two are the champions of staying up all night."

Hu Jingxin made a circle with her hands and placed it on her head, "Here, take the champion's crown. I can't stay awake any longer, I'm going to sleep."

After saying that, she collapsed to the side, hugging Yan Chengcheng's waist and falling asleep.

Jiang Xiaoli chuckled softly, covered the three of them with blankets, and then lay down next to them and drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Li Guizhi prepared breakfast and went up to the attic to wake them up for breakfast.

The tatami mat could easily accommodate seven or eight people, but the four of them squeezed together.

Hu Jingxin's legs were draped over Jiang Xiaoli's waist, while Jiang Xiaoli's arms were around Chang Yue's neck. The most pitiful one was Chengcheng, whose legs were being pressed down and whose arms were being held by two people.

Li Guizhi covered her mouth with her hand, trying hard not to laugh out loud.

She turned around, went downstairs, grabbed her camera, and took a picture of the scene.

The click of the camera woke Chang Yue, and she immediately freed herself from the chokehold.

Jiang Xiaoli woke up because of her movement, and she laughed when she saw the scene in front of her, "Hahahaha!"

Chang Yue also realized what was happening, and she let go of Yan Chengcheng's arm and burst into laughter with Jiang Xiaoli.

Yan Chengcheng was awakened by their laughter, and she felt as if an octopus was clinging tightly to her.

She struggled to break free, and Hu Jingxin finally woke up.

Yan Chengcheng shook her arms and rubbed her legs. "Why do I feel like I've been run over by a truck after I slept?"

Li Guizhi waved the camera in her hand, "I have the answer here!"

Jiang Xiaoli got up and looked at the counter on the camera. "There's only one left, Mom. Can you take a group photo for us?"

Li Guizhi took a group photo of the four girls in their pajamas, and Jiang Xiaoli took out the film and handed it to Hu Jingxin, saying, "Here, the photographer's beloved wife is yours!"