Love in the Fast Lane - Novelbike

preferences. She thought it might be better to cook something lighter since they were older.

As soon as the dishes were served, the rice being steamed in the pot was ready too. Tang Ning grabbed a spatula to serve the rice, which left Mo Zihan speechless. Who serves rice with a spatula?

She quickly snatched the rice cooker: “You’re really clumsy. Who serves rice with a spatula? Go get the drinks, I’ll do it.”

Tang Ning’s mother came out of the kitchen carrying a plate of food and saw Tang Ning scratching his head, embarrassed, as he walked away. She scolded him fondly, “You’ve been clumsy since you were a child, never doing anything smoothly.” Then she praised Mo Zihan, “Xiaohan, you look like a diligent person. It’s true, outside food isn’t always safe; home-cooked meals are always more delicious and reassuring.”

Mo Zihan blushed. Receiving praise for being diligent, especially from someone who was truly diligent, made her a little uncomfortable.

Tang Ning grinned awkwardly, dodging Mo Zihan’s angry glare, and quickly slipped into the living room.

“We have to work in the afternoon. I said I should cook, but look at how tired you are. If you doze off at work, what will your boss say? At home, nothing matters, but at work, there are always people watching you, and you need to make as few mistakes as possible,” Tang Ning’s mother said as she took off Mo Zihan’s apron.

Mo Zihan smiled, “It’s alright. We usually… usually don’t nap at noon anyway. Since you’re here today, we’re happy and energized. I originally planned to take a few days off to spend with you and Tang Ning, but he didn’t allow it.”

Tang Ning’s mother quickly responded, “Taking leave isn’t a good idea. You need to save your leave for when you’re really sick or exhausted. We just came to see how you’re doing, there’s no need for you to entertain us.” Then she whispered to Mo Zihan, “Xiaohan, you need to tell me the truth. What has Tang Ning been up to lately? Where did he get so much money? We asked him, but he wouldn’t tell us the truth.”

Mo Zihan couldn’t help but laugh, “Auntie, don’t worry about us. We haven’t done anything illegal. Tang Ning and I work at the same company. He’s into design and doesn’t have a nine-to-five schedule. But don’t be fooled by how relaxed he seems at home; when he’s working on a design drawing, it’s normal for him to not get proper rest for several days.”

Tang Ning’s mother still wasn’t convinced, “What kind of design work? Isn’t he just an office worker? How can his salary be that high?”

Mo Zihan smiled, “He’s not an office worker. If Tang Ning goes to the company, they give him a private design studio. Besides his monthly salary, if the company decides to adopt one of his design drawings, he gets a percentage of the profits. The money from the last two times came from those design profits.”

Tang Ning’s mother finally felt relieved, “That’s good to hear. It’s just that we don’t understand these things. We used to think having a stable job, a lifetime ‘iron rice bowl,’ was the way to go. But if you prefer this, it’s alright as long as you have a legitimate job. People just want peace and stability; a harmonious family, that’s true happiness.”

She then looked outside. Seeing no one at the dining table, she pulled Mo Zihan into the kitchen and took out a card from her pocket, handing it to her, “You two seem to be planning for the future. We have nothing to say about that. But when we arrived this morning, I heard Tang Ning say you’re the only child in your family, unlike him. We haven’t used this money, so you take it and send some back to your parents later.”

Mo Zihan scratched her head, confused by the situation, wondering what was going on.

Even though she didn’t fully understand the hidden message, Mo Zihan was smart enough to know such gestures were unnecessary. She handed the card back to Tang Ning’s mother, “What are you doing? We have a monthly income that’s more than enough to live on. This money was meant to be sent back to you. Once everything is settled, we’ll make sure to take care of both families.”

After some back-and-forth, Mo Zihan finally persuaded Tang Ning’s mother to accept her decision, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

Oh dear, I’m just here to help. Why am I caught up in this?

If the heavens had the time to respond, they would have likely retorted, “It’s their responsibility and conscience at work. What does that have to do with you? Just keep quiet!”

Suddenly, Mo Zihan had a thought: “Tang Ning has asked Qi Xiaomeng, that chatty person, to help out today. What would she do in this situation?”

A shiver ran down her spine, and she felt a sudden discomfort.

For some inexplicable reason, she just felt uneasy – a kind of discomfort she couldn’t quite understand.

Meanwhile, the innocent Qi Xiaomeng was sneezing non-stop. On such a cold day, she had worn plenty of clothes when she went out, so why was she sneezing so much?

By the end of the meal, not only did Mo Zihan not feel relieved, she felt a bit lost and empty, knowing she had to head to work. The warm little rental place and the misunderstandings brought about by helping out made her realize for the first time that in this cold city, she truly needed a warm, cozy place to call her own.

The food she cooked might not be anything special, but apart from being a bit bland, there was nothing really wrong with it. The family was understanding and even advised Tang Ning to eat more lightly seasoned food in the future.

The smallest details can easily make a sensitive person feel warmth or coldness. Mo Zihan might appear to be carefree and untroubled on the outside, but deep down, she was actually a very sensitive individual, though she would never admit it.

Never before had she longed for the end of the workday as much as she did now. Usually, after work, she would go back to her little place, hug a pillow, and watch cheesy dramas without any other hobbies or plans. But today felt different. She cherished the atmosphere of that little place she had just moved into the day before – a feeling that was both strange and familiar, something she secretly looked forward to deep within her heart.

Mo Zihan had a strange feeling about the atmosphere. It felt like a completely new environment, but one she didn’t reject. Despite the current awkwardness, she was confident it would gradually fade away. This left her with a conflicting sense of wanting to remind herself that she was just helping out while also wanting to hold onto this feeling and not be satisfied with just helping.

As soon as work ended that afternoon, Mo Zihan didn’t want to think about anything. She was the first one out of the office building and rushed back to that little place that made her feel both conflicted and happy enough to embrace some changes.

Everyone was still home, but Tang Ning had gone out.

Tang Ning’s grandmother said there was only one bedroom and not enough space for everyone to sleep, so Tang Ning had gone out to book some rooms.

Mo Zihan quickly said, “I was thinking on the way back, why not squeeze in a bit tonight? The master bedroom is big enough; you can fit three people in the bed. The smaller bedroom can fit two. Tang Ning can sleep on the sofa, and I can manage in the living room.”

Tang Ning’s mother replied, “That won’t do. You still have to go to work. If you don’t get proper rest, people at work will criticize you. They won’t feel sorry for us, so we have to take care of ourselves.”

Mo Zihan couldn’t say more. She realized that it wasn’t she who had conquered this family; it was they who were slowly integrating her into their lives.

Unfortunately, such moments are always too short.

In the afternoon, the weather cleared up. When Tang Ning returned, he said he had booked the rooms and suggested going out for dinner. Mo Zihan rolled her eyes at him and headed into the kitchen to start cooking.

After dinner, seeing that it was still early and the pedestrians outside were taking their time, Tang Ning’s father suggested going for a walk. So, the whole family headed out to the street.

As they walked, Mo Zihan noticed that Tang Ning’s parents were always casting an evaluative eye over the newly rented place. At first, she didn’t quite understand. But then, a comment from Tang Ning’s mother brought tears to her eyes: “Such a good girl, we can’t let her be wronged.”

They were working together to give her a cozy little home in this city.

Hiding in the bathroom, Mo Zihan called Qi Xiaomeng, feeling a bit melancholic. “I can’t live without this feeling anymore. What should I do?” she asked.