"It seems President Yan has too little work on his plate, still finding the leisure to speculate about my affairs?" Pei Shaoze said coldly. Yan Xin knew he was in a foul mood and didn't want to be caught in the crossfire, so he made up a quick excuse and exited the office.
Su Banxia went to pick up the kids from school. The moment Su Guoguo saw her, she beamed with joy. "Mom, you finally came to get us!" "Mom's off work today. What do you two want to eat? I'll take you!" Su Banxia crouched down and asked seriously. "I want the little desserts from the food street, Uncle Zhang's hand-pulled noodles, and some snacks." Su Guoguo counted on her fingers, listing everything she craved. Su Banxia's face lit up with a constant smile. She couldn't help reaching out and affectionately tapped Guoguo's nose. "You're such a little foodie!" Then she turned to look at Su Hao, who had been silent all along. "Hao Hao, what do you want to eat?" "I want a dinner made by Mom." Su Hao looked up, his cool eyes carrying a hint of longing. "Yeah! I want Mom's cooking too. Back in France, we hardly ever got to eat mainland-style food at restaurants—it was mostly Mom's home cooking!" Su Guoguo nodded vigorously in agreement.
Hearing her two little ones' wishes, Su Banxia felt an unexpected pang of guilt. Since returning to the country, she had been paying less and less attention to them. "Alright, today Mom will cook something delicious for you herself!" The mother and three kids bought some everyday groceries at the market and headed home.
"Is Mom not going to stay at the handsome uncle's house today?" Su Guoguo blinked her big, watery eyes and asked earnestly. "That's someone else's home. Mom only stayed there yesterday because she wasn't feeling well." Su Banxia explained with a faint smile. "But brother said you and that handsome uncle are dating." Su Guoguo clung to Su Banxia, determined to get to the bottom of it. Su Banxia paused slightly, then looked over at Su Hao, who was sitting on the sofa with a cool expression. This kid was just like him in mannerisms—did he have to be so mature? "Mom isn't dating him. He's Mom's boss." Su Banxia crouched down and explained patiently. "So it's this mean uncle who won't let Mom come back to be with me and brother?" Hearing that, Su Guoguo's fondness for Pei Shaoze plummeted. Su Banxia: "..." Kids' likes and dislikes came so easily. Watching Guoguo's reaction, Su Banxia found it both amusing and exasperating. "Go sit with your brother on the sofa and watch TV. Mom needs to cook in the kitchen, or there won't be anything good to eat later!" Su Banxia shooed Su Guoguo away and busied herself efficiently in the kitchen.
When Fang Shiqing came home and caught a whiff of the fragrant aroma, she couldn't help but be surprised. "Did the sun rise from the west today?" "Rare day off, I figured I'd do something to treat you all." Su Banxia chopped vegetables without looking back. Fang Shiqing clicked her tongue. "Then I'll play the idle emperor today and wait for your dishes." After bustling in the kitchen for a while, Su Banxia brought out the finished dishes one by one. "Just some simple home-cooked meals—definitely not as good as what the chefs outside make. You'll have to make do." Su Banxia said with a gentle smile. "I'm not picky. Having food is good enough!" Fang Shiqing shrugged nonchalantly. Su Banxia served rice for everyone, unusually attentive. Just as Fang Shiqing was about to compliment her again, the doorbell suddenly rang. "I'll get it!" Fang Shiqing's eyes sparkled with barely concealed joy as she rushed to the door. Seeing her so eager, Su Banxia didn't need to guess who it was. She shook her head with a smile—truly a friend who valued romance over friendship! Fang Shiqing quickly opened the door. "Lin..." Hao Ran... The remaining two words got stuck in her throat. Fang Shiqing stared blankly at the person standing before her. "President Pei?" "Is Secretary Su here?" Pei Shaoze's face showed no extra emotion. Fang Shiqing immediately nodded. "You've come at just the right time. Banxia just cooked a whole table of delicious food." A flicker of surprise crossed Pei Shaoze's eyes.
Su Banxia sat at the dining table, watching Fang Shiqing chat happily with the person at the door without coming in, and couldn't help teasing, "Lin Haoran rarely visits—why don't you let him come in and sit down?" "You seem to be in a good mood." Pei Shaoze walked lightly to the table. Seeing him, Su Banxia was so shocked her jaw nearly dropped. "What are you doing here?" "Who else did Secretary Su think it might be?" With the kids present, Pei Shaoze toned down his usual intensity. "Handsome uncle, are you here to take Mom away?" Su Guoguo eyed Pei Shaoze warily. "Hmm?" Pei Shaoze looked at the little girl, confused. Su Guoguo mustered her courage and said in a babyish voice, "Mom hasn't spent much time with me and brother for over a month. Handsome uncle, can you give Mom back to us for a while?" Pei Shaoze took a sharp breath, then turned to scrutinize Su Banxia. "Guoguo." Su Banxia instinctively called out to her. This man Pei Shaoze was always unpredictable—who could guarantee what crazy move he might make next? Su Guoguo caught Su Banxia's signal and reluctantly lowered her head. "It seems I've been too demanding of you at work." Pei Shaoze curled his lips into a faint smile. "Since I work at Ding Sheng Group, it's only right that President Pei assigns me tasks." Su Banxia replied with a calm, light smile. Fang Shiqing, sensing the awkward atmosphere, quickly stepped in to mediate. "President Pei, what brings you here so suddenly? Any instructions?" "The 80 million loss from terminating the contract with Li Yi Company, plus the 50 million loss caused by Lin Tongze—I need Miss Su Banxia to give me a full explanation." Pei Shaoze spoke with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "This..." Fang Shiqing looked worriedly at Su Banxia. That much money—even if they sold both of themselves, they couldn't scrape it together! Su Banxia could clearly feel Pei Shaoze's provocation. She bit her lip and said calmly, "Don't worry. Since I owe this money, I'll pay it back!" "And if Miss Su quits halfway and runs off, who do I cry to for all my losses?" Pei Shaoze clearly wasn't letting her off easily. "Then, according to President Pei, what do I need to do for you to let this go?" Su Banxia struggled to keep her temper in check, asking through gritted teeth.