The weather was scorching hot. Their skin brushed against each other, and from the man’s body drifted a faint scent of cologne mixed with a trace of dry warmth. The hat on Su Hao’s head was knocked loose, and her long hair spilled down. In the sunlight, her skin looked as smooth and pale as jade. She lifted her head, her gaze briefly colliding with Zhou Yang’s eyes. Then she pushed him away and barely managed to steady herself.

Su Qian froze for a second when she saw this, then hurried over and grabbed Su Hao. Su Hao adjusted her clothes and said, “Thank you.”

Zhou Yang withdrew his hand, bent down to pick up the hat from the ground, and curled his lips into a smile. “You’re welcome.”

As he spoke, he casually placed the hat back on her head. His narrow eyes swept unconsciously over her slender waist before he picked up the two baskets of strawberries, glanced at them, and said, “Mom, you’re pretty fast. What, four hands picking together?”

“Pfft. Watch your mouth,” Su Qian said. She hooked her arm around Su Hao’s as they followed behind. Su Hao stole a glance at the strawberry baskets—sure enough, Su Qian’s basket was overflowing.

Compared to that, Su Hao’s basket looked pitifully sparse. Feeling a little embarrassed, she was just about to say something when a woman’s voice suddenly rang out from not far away.

“Su Qian! You’re stealing strawberries from my place again!!!”

They turned to see a woman in a cheongsam stepping out of a car, leaning against the door and jumping up and down as she shouted. Su Qian yelped, quickened her pace, and shoved Zhou Yang’s back. “Go, hurry up—she’s spotted us…”

Zhou Yang snorted and sped up slightly. Seeing that he was still too slow, Su Qian dragged Su Hao forward instead. With strawberry fields on both sides, there was only a narrow sloped path in the middle. Su Hao had no choice but to squeeze through with Su Qian. She tried to keep as much distance from Zhou Yang as possible, but in the rush, the back of her hand brushed against his large palm.

She immediately pulled her hand back and subconsciously rubbed it against her clothes, as if to wipe it clean, before linking arms with Su Qian again.

Zhou Yang saw it.

He raised an eyebrow.

Two cars were parked ahead. One belonged to Su Qian. She opened the door and ushered Su Hao inside, then hurried to the driver’s seat. Amid Aunt Li’s indignant shouting in the distance, she quickly started the car, reversed, and sped off. Outside the window, the tall man finally reached his car, placed the two baskets of strawberries into the back seat, and walked around to the driver’s side. He didn’t rush—he lowered his head to check his phone for a moment before opening the door and getting in.

Soon, his car followed the BMW ahead and arrived at the Zhou family residence.

The temperature inside the car was worlds apart from the heat outside. After enjoying the air-conditioning for a while, Su Qian led Su Hao out of the car and into the house. It was cool inside. Su Qian pulled Su Hao down onto the sofa, set her hat aside, and slouched lazily. Su Hao poured her a cup of tea.

Su Hao had once heard her mother, Cheng Ling, talk about her friendship with Su Qian. Su Qian had always been lively, while her mother was quiet. Back in college, the two of them—one dynamic, one reserved—had complemented each other perfectly and become best friends. Despite their vastly different family backgrounds, they had stayed in touch all these years.

After so many years, Su Qian was the only friend her mother still had.

“Haohhao, you’re just as pleasant as your mother,” Su Qian said after taking a sip of tea. Su Hao’s mannerisms reminded her of Cheng Ling.

Su Hao smiled, poured herself a cup of tea, and had just lifted it to her lips when Zhou Yang came in carrying the two baskets of strawberries. Feeling warm, he tugged at his shirt collar. After setting the baskets on the cabinet, he took out a cigarette and held it loosely between his lips. He glanced at the two women on the sofa and said, “I’m going to the study.”

“Go on,” Su Qian waved him off.

Su Hao drank her tea quietly.

Zhou Yang’s figure disappeared at the stairwell.

Su Qian asked, “What do you think we should make with the strawberries?”

Su Hao glanced at the beautiful baskets, hesitated, and said, “Strawberry cake?”

“Think of another one.”

After a moment, Su Hao suddenly thought of something new. “Strawberry pancakes?”

“How do you make those?” Su Qian’s interest was piqued.

Su Hao checked the time, stood up, and said, “I’ll make them. You can watch.”

“Okay.”

Su Qian got up with her and went to grab the baskets. The housekeepers were all off for the day, so there was no one else at home. Su Hao went into the kitchen, listing the ingredients she needed one by one. Su Qian helped prepare them. Su Hao tied on an apron, stood at the counter, and cracked an egg, using only half the egg mixture.

She cooked often and was skilled at making desserts, so her movements were quick and efficient. Su Qian stood beside her with her hands on her hips, watching intently without blinking. Knowing that besides lemon chicken feet, Su Qian also loved strawberries, Su Hao prepared some for strawberry milkshakes as well. She explained the steps as she worked, the two of them chatting as they went.

Footsteps sounded from the stairs. The tall man rubbed his brow and walked into the living room. He bent down to pour himself a cup of tea, then unbuttoned his cuffs, idly fiddling with the triangular succulent on the cabinet. The aroma of tea filled the air. Zhou Yang glanced casually toward the kitchen, caught sight of the moving figures inside, and looked a few times more before downing the strong tea in one gulp.

Just as he set the cup down—

Su Qian’s voice called from inside. “Hey, hey, Zhou Yang, come in here and put these back.”

He turned and saw that Su Qian, God knows what she’d grabbed, had caused cake papers and other items to tumble out of the cabinet. Zhou Yang clicked his tongue, walked over, and headed into the kitchen.

They were missing a pastry brush. Su Qian rarely used the kitchen and rummaged around chaotically. When she opened the overhead cabinet, things immediately came raining down. Zhou Yang stepped in and lifted his rolled-up sleeve, bracing the cabinet door with his arm.

Su Qian stood on tiptoe, hurriedly stuffing things back in, piling and shoving them inside while muttering, “This is way too messy.”

Su Hao’s hands were covered in flour, leaving her unable to help. She held them up and watched blankly, only to get cake paper plastered all over her face. Seeing this, Zhou Yang scoffed. “You’re both unbelievably clumsy.”

As he spoke, he casually peeled the cake paper off Su Hao’s face. There was a bit of flour at the corner of her eye. She blinked, her eyes glistening with moisture, glanced at him briefly, then turned back to continue working the dough.

Zhou Yang: “……”

Author’s Note:
A little cutie has to go back to school, so I updated early. Zhou Yang will suffer—I can’t let this idiot fall in love with Su Hao right away. It has to be slow and carefully arranged. And when he finally does fall for her, Su Hao will already have gone cold. Just imagining that scene…
“reveals a gradually unhinged smile”

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