In the following days, Song Shaojie accompanied them as they explored the bustling city of Kyoto and arranged for them to stay temporarily in one of the Song family's villas.
Although he had suggested hiring several housekeepers for them, Wu Youyou politely declined.
The three of them longed to enjoy time alone and looked forward to spending their time freely at home.
One day, Wu Youyou, Yang Min, and Liu Xiaolan returned home laden with shopping bags. As soon as they stepped into the villa, they casually tossed the bags onto the sofa as if a great weight had been lifted from their shoulders, and collapsed onto the sofa, exhausted.
Yang Min sighed softly, "I'm exhausted from all this sightseeing these past few days, but the beauty of Kyoto is truly breathtaking."
Liu Xiaolan rolled over with deep feeling and said in a deep voice, "That's right, Song Shaojie is a true friend. Our trip was fantastic! It's just a pity that Teacher Shi Zhan couldn't come along. He also helped a lot in getting us into Peking University."
Yang Min couldn't help but add, "Did you and Shi Zhan have a fight?"
Wu Youyou's heart tightened, her eyes flickered, and she quickly denied it, "No, how could we have a conflict? He's probably just been busy lately."
Yang Min looked at her with a half-smile, "Really?"
Wu Youyou answered firmly, "Of course it's real! Realer than pearls!"
After saying that, Wu Youyou made an excuse to take a shower. She turned on the shower and let the warm water wash over her body.
The past few days of sightseeing had left her feeling exhausted. She and Shi Zhan had already broken up, so it was impossible for her to go shopping with him again.
While taking a bath, she kept recalling her past with Shi Zhan, trying to clear her mind.
After taking a shower, Wu Youyou returned to her room to rest, and Yang Min and Liu Xiaolan also went back to their rooms to rest.
As they drifted off to sleep, Song Shaojie and Shi Zhan arrived at the villa. Upon entering the living room, they saw the sofa piled high with a dazzling array of shopping bags.
Song Shaojie chuckled, "Looks like they went shopping today."
Shi Zhan looked around. Although the room was clean and tidy, he still felt something was off. He found an empty seat, sat down, and fell into deep thought.
Then, he turned to Song Shaojie and instructed, "Go and prepare the ingredients. I'll take charge of the cooking later."
Song Shaojie smiled and agreed, carrying two large bags of ingredients into the kitchen. In no time, he had skillfully chopped all the vegetables.
Shi Zhan then entered the kitchen, put on an apron, and began to skillfully stir-fry the dishes.
Meanwhile, Wu Youyou and the other two were still in a sweet dream.
An enticing aroma of food gradually wafted through the air, slowly awakening their consciousness.
Wu Youyou was the first to wake up. Wearing loose pajamas, she walked out of the room sleepily, curiously searching for the source of the fragrance.
She wondered if Liu Xiaolan had started cooking so early.
She yawned and said half-jokingly, "Lazybones, you're such a diligent little one, preparing our meals so early!"
However, Liu Xiaolan's voice came from behind, sounding sleepy, "I'm so sleepy I can't even keep my eyes open, how could I possibly cook?"
The sudden sound instantly snapped Wu Youyou out of her daze. She looked around in alarm and saw Shi Zhan carrying freshly cooked dishes out of the kitchen.
She could hardly believe her eyes. She rubbed them and looked again carefully. After confirming that it was true, she exclaimed and quickly ran back to her room.
Liu Xiaolan and Yang Min were also bewildered by this sudden change, and they both went downstairs to check the situation.
When they saw the same scene, they couldn't help but exclaim in surprise and quickly ran back to their rooms.
Looking at the three people's flustered backs, Song Shaojie turned to Shi Zhan, completely bewildered, and asked, "What's wrong with them?"
Shi Zhan smiled calmly, "He probably feels too ashamed to face anyone."
Song Shaojie suddenly realized what was going on and couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Soon, Wu Youyou and the other two appeared downstairs, dressed neatly. Song Shaojie couldn't help but laugh when he saw them.
He joked with a smile, "Actually, at home, everyone should be more relaxed and comfortable."
However, he didn't understand how much girls care about their image, and his statement immediately drew teasing and rebuttal from Yang Min.
"I was hoping you would call before you arrived so we could prepare. But you just barged in. What if we weren't dressed?"
Song Shaojie looked embarrassed, thinking that if he had really seen something he shouldn't have, Shi Zhan would probably gouge out his eyes.
However, he also felt somewhat aggrieved, "I actually called you, but no one answered. Besides, it's broad daylight, how was I supposed to know you were all asleep?"
"Hmph, I'll let it slide for the sake of the food. But remember, don't do it again."
Song Shaojie smiled and agreed, "Yes, yes, I'll definitely pay attention next time."
Wu Youyou walked briskly to the dining table and teased, "Oh~ Young Master Shi, weren't you said you've been incredibly busy lately? How come you still have time to cook for yourself?"
A barely perceptible hint of melancholy flashed in Shi Zhan's eyes as he looked at Wu Youyou.
Wu Youyou couldn't help but wonder, what kind of look was that?
Song Shaojie, quick-witted and agile, interjected, "Youyou, Zhanzhan has indeed been very busy these past few days. But he comes to see you whenever he has time, and even cooks for you himself—that shows his sincerity!"
After he finished speaking, he winked at Liu Xiaolan, signaling her to say a few words as well.
"Yes, yes, yes, Teacher Shi Zhan worked so hard, he even cooked delicious food for us himself. Teacher Shi Zhan is so kind!"
Yang Min also wanted to ease the tension between Wu Youyou and Shi Zhan. She believed that Wu Youyou must have had a falling out with Shi Zhan to act this way. It was truly rare for Shi Zhan to personally come to apologize and cook for her.
So she went over and took Wu Youyou's arm, saying affectionately, "Youyou, Xiaolan and I are starving! We're only able to eat Shizhan's homemade food today because of you. I can't wait, let's sit down and eat!"
After saying that, he pulled Wu Youyou to sit down.
Wu Youyou glanced at Shi Zhan, unsure of his true intentions. But she was indeed hungry and thought she should eat first.
When everyone sat down to taste Shi Zhan's culinary skills, they all praised them highly.
From the very beginning, Shi Zhan's gaze was focused on Wu Youyou. Everyone seemed to have noticed something, but they all pretended not to see it and happily ate their food.
Wu Youyou, however, seemed completely unconcerned, enjoying the food on the table and ignoring Shi Zhan's gaze.
Shi Zhan seemed to want to say something, but unsure of what to say, he blurted out, "Youyou, is the food delicious?"
"Ah~" Wu Youyou was slightly taken aback. Looking at the food that was almost finished, she blinked at Shi Zhan and slowly said, "Delicious!"
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