The President Comes Knocking -

Although this little interlude stirred up different thoughts in everyone’s mind and somewhat affected their mood, the event’s central figure, Chu Qianqian, showed no signs of being impacted at all. She remained oblivious to the subtle undercurrents flowing around her, focusing solely on preparing dinner for the group.

Glancing down at the neatly arranged dumplings of various shapes on the platter, a satisfied smile tugged at her lips, and she softly began to hum a tune, clearly in high spirits.

From the dumplings alone, it was evident that Mu Han’s culinary skills were heavily influenced by Madam Mu and the military chefs. The intricate pleats along the edges were not only delicate and symmetrical but also remarkably consistent in spacing-so much so that they looked as though they’d been crafted with a mold. While visually appealing, the precision inexplicably lacked a sense of homely warmth.

Compared to Mu Han’s dumplings, Chu Qianqian’s had a far more down-to-earth appearance. She was naturally adept at making the traditional ingot-shaped dumplings, but after a prior session with Madam Mu, where it was highlighted that her dumplings were not particularly attractive, she had secretly practiced a few times. By curling both ends toward the center and overlapping them, the result now genuinely looked like a tiny gold ingot.

In addition to the ingot shapes, she also made some crescent-shaped dumplings. These dumplings were perfect for steaming or pan-frying. If they couldn’t finish all the dumplings tonight, they could easily be stored in the freezer for tomorrow morning. Paired with a bowl of freshly cooked porridge, they’d make for a classic Chinese breakfast.

To keep Chu Qianqian from noticing the tension between Mu Han and Chu Ziyu, Qingyi did his best to limit their time alone in the same space as her. Gently nudging Chu Qianqian on her back, he urged her with exaggerated hunger in his voice, “We’ll clean up here. Qianqian, go and cook the dumplings, will you? And remember to make extra-I’m starving!”

Of course, he didn’t miss the chance to create a moment for Mu Han and Chu Qianqian. Seeing her amused yet helpless reaction as she headed toward the kitchen, Qingyi quickly turned his gaze to Mu Han. First, he shot him a knowing look, then used the same playful tone to prod him, “Why are you still standing there? Go on and help Qianqian!”

Mu Han couldn’t miss Qingyi’s obvious attempt at matchmaking. With a smile and a shake of his head, he didn’t bother saying anything, instead turning toward the kitchen without hesitation.

“Mu Han! Make extra dipping sauce, okay? I’ve been craving your secret recipe!”

“Got it, got it. You won’t go hungry.”

Once their figures disappeared into the kitchen, Qingyi finally turned around to study Chu Ziyu’s expression.

At some point, Chu Ziyu’s hands had already stopped moving. His head was lowered, with loose strands of hair falling around his ears, partially obscuring his face. Even so, it was clear that whatever expression lay beneath had nothing to do with happiness. The air around him wasn’t overtly heavy, but it clashed with the cheerful and relaxed atmosphere of the dining room.

It was painfully obvious now. Qingyi, filled with frustration, tapped his forehead in self-reproach, silently scolding himself for his carelessness. How had he missed Chu Ziyu’s unusual behavior? He prided himself on being Chu Ziyu’s best friend, but at this moment, he felt like he had been failing terribly in that role.

The dining room and Kitchen were connected, separated only by a single door. To ensure the two people in the Kitchen wouldn’t overhear, Qingyi lowered his voice and tentatively asked, “Ziyu, is there some kind of conflict between you and Mu Han?”

Even as the words left his mouth, Qingyi couldn’t stop himself from hoping against hope that he was wrong-that maybe it was just his overactive imagination. Deep down, he wanted to believe that everything was fine between Mu Han and Chu Ziyu.

But Chu Ziyu shattered that hope.

After staring at him for a few seconds, Chu Ziyu finally lifted his head. His eyes flashed with a myriad of emotions, moving so quickly that Qingyi couldn’t grasp any of them. Before Qingyi could read his expression, Chu Ziyu’s demeanor returned to calm-eerily calm. When he spoke, his voice was just as composed, breaking Qingyi’s last shred of hope: “You guessed right.”

Qingyi knew Chu Ziyu well enough to recognize this as a warning sign. When Chu Ziyu’s emotions reached a certain tipping point, he wouldn’t explode like most people; instead, he would grow unnervingly calm. To the casual observer, he might seem no different than usual. But there was always one giveaway: his hands.

Lowering his head, Qingyi confirmed his suspicion. Sure enough, Chu Ziyu’s hands were clenched tightly into fists. His pale skin made the veins on his hands even more pronounced, standing out so vividly it looked as though they might burst at any moment.

“Can you tell me what it’s about?” Qingyi asked cautiously. “If it’s not convenient to talk about it here, we can talk tonight in your room. We’ll take our time.”

No sooner had Qingyi finished speaking than Chu Ziyu’s voice cut in firmly: “No.”

Seeing Qingyi frown, Chu Ziyu hesitated for a moment, pressing his lips together before reluctantly sharing his thoughts. “Qingyi, there’s nothing you can do to help with this. And I don’t want you to help. This is my issue-it’s between me and Mu Han. I have to handle it myself, and I can only handle it myself.”

Without revealing any specifics, this was as much as Chu Ziyu could bring himself to say. Yet he also knew Qingyi’s personality well enough to predict that these words would almost certainly make him angry.

Sure enough, Qingyi’s brows furrowed tightly the next second, his eyes widening in anger. It was clear he was barely restraining himself from raising his voice so as not to let the two people in the Kitchen overhear. “What kind of nonsense is that? What do you mean ‘your own business’? What do you mean ‘I definitely won’t be of help’? Chu Ziyu, do you even still consider me your friend?”

“I don’t know what’s going on between you and Mu Han, but one of you is my best friend, and the other is like a brother to me. If anything happens between the two of you, do you think I’d feel okay about it?”

“You keep saying there’s no need for me to help you. What exactly are you thinking? Am I not your friend anymore…”

Looking at the puffed-up, pufferfish-like expression on Qingyi’s face, Chu Ziyu let out a weary sigh and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He didn’t even need to guess to know that Qingyi’s overactive imagination had already started crafting a dozen colorful scenarios from his earlier words. Not only did Qingyi have a naturally inquisitive nature, but he also had an unparalleled talent for dramatic overthinking at critical moments.

“Qingyi, the issue between Mu Han and me isn’t what you’re imagining. Ugh, I really can’t talk to you about it. It’s… personal. I mean it-it’s not something I can share with you. And stop glaring at me-”

Letting out another sigh, Chu Ziyu felt emotionally exhausted. “This matter… it’s been a knot in my heart for years, one I haven’t been able to untie. And now… I’ve realized that if I don’t take action, all the things I’ve been worried about, all the time I’ve spent hesitating, will have been completely meaningless. Do you understand?”

With how vague Chu Ziyu was being, there was no way Qingyi could truly understand.