Some cooked while others assisted.

The small sunroom was filled with laughter and cheerful voices.

It had been so long since the three of them had gathered together, and the joyous chatter never ceased.

Shen Mengjie sat quietly to the side, unfamiliar with the trio and feeling somewhat out of place due to her own disheveled state.

"Alright, it's time to eat!"

Hu Yuying lifted the lid of the pot and glanced at Shen Mengjie, speaking softly, "We’re making dumplings this afternoon. Would you like to join?"

Shen Mengjie paused for a moment, then looked at Long Aotian before nodding. "Sure."

"Ah~ I’m so full! Sister’s cooking is the best. Before the New Year, all the restaurants were closed, and I had to survive on instant noodles for days. Now, just the smell of them makes me sick!"

Lin Wanning sighed dramatically, her expression brimming with contentment.

Then she turned to Long Aotian. "Brother, I can’t finish this."

"If you couldn’t finish it, why did you take so much?"

"It was just so delicious—I thought I could handle it!" Lin Wanning stuck out her tongue playfully, her usual cold and elegant demeanor completely gone. She was even more coquettish than Li Qingxue now.

"Don’t do this next time!" Long Aotian scolded lightly as he held out his bowl.

Back and forth, his bowl was soon filled again.

Rubbing his stomach, Long Aotian muttered, "If I keep eating like this, my abs will disappear..."

There was no scheming, no pretense—just genuine warmth as they revealed their truest selves to one another.

After the simple yet heartwarming meal, Long Aotian took charge of washing the dishes.

"Let me help," Shen Mengjie offered quietly.

Compared to the others, she had done nothing, and she felt a little embarrassed.

"Did you eat enough?" Long Aotian didn’t let her take over.

Shen Mengjie nodded softly. "I’m full."

"Then go join them in making dumplings. Try to relax a little."

"Nothing in life is insurmountable. Sometimes, if you let go, you might find a new perspective. When your mood lifts, even temporary hardships will pass."

"My mood is fine," Shen Mengjie replied, turning her head away.

"But you’re too tense."

"It’s like riding an electric bike—if you’re too focused on rushing forward, you’ll miss the scenery around you."

"Slow down and take in the beauty along the way."

Hearing Long Aotian’s slightly lecturing tone again, Shen Mengjie chuckled faintly, but the deep sorrow in her eyes remained.

"Some things aren’t temporary. They’ll stay with me for life." Her voice was heavy with resignation.

"Still, I should thank you. If you hadn’t been willing to help me back then, I really wouldn’t have known what to do."

Long Aotian stacked the clean dishes and shook the water off his hands. "No need. If it weren’t for you that night, I might’ve ended up sleeping in the bathroom."

At the mention of that night, Shen Mengjie’s expression shifted slightly before she smiled. "Then you really should thank me."

"Otherwise, you might’ve been ‘collected’ by Ye Liangchen and his crew!"

"Ugh!" Long Aotian shuddered at the memory of Ye Liangchen and Xue Shaohua trying to pull his pants down in the restroom. "Stop—that’s too gross to think about!"

If Shen Mengjie hadn’t taken him away that night, the consequences would’ve been hard to predict.

Especially with the way Xue Shaohua had been looking at him—utterly unsettling.

Seeing Long Aotian’s disgusted expression, Shen Mengjie’s mood inexplicably lightened. "Just be careful around them. That night, I saw them book a room together. Who knows what they were up to, but it couldn’t have been anything good..."

With that hint, Long Aotian fully grasped her implication.

His expression darkened further, confirming his suspicions about their… unconventional preferences.

Satisfied that he understood, Shen Mengjie headed back to the sunroom and joined the dumpling-making.

"Mengjie, come sit closer. It’s warmer by the stove," Hu Yuying suggested, noticing how far she was sitting.

"It’s fine. The room is warm enough here." As she spoke, her hand unconsciously drifted away from her abdomen. "You all have such a great bond."

"Of course! From the moment we met, it felt like we were destined to be sisters—closer than real ones," Li Qingxue boasted proudly.

Having even one or two true friends in life is a rare and precious thing.

Time stretches long, and though they’d only just met, it felt as if they’d already spent a lifetime together.

This feeling often lingered in Li Qingxue’s heart...

"Where’s Long Aotian?" Hu Yuying asked, peering through the glass window.

"I’ll go check." Lin Wanning stood and walked outside.

She found Long Aotian cleaning the electric bike and crept up behind him.

Just as she was about to startle him, he flicked water onto her face as if he’d known she was there all along.

The weather had warmed slightly, but the water was still icy.

"Brother, I missed you."

She spread her arms, waiting for him to pull her into an embrace.

Seeing the ring on her sister’s finger filled her with envy—but she already had so much. This was enough.

"My sister can’t stand being away from you for even a second. What kind of love potion did you give her?"

Long Aotian patted her back gently. "I’m sorry we couldn’t be there for your matches. You did amazing every time."

For someone who had escaped loneliness, facing it again was never easy.

Especially for someone as sensitive as Lin Wanning.

Earlier, she hadn’t said much—just complained about surviving on instant noodles before the New Year.

But Long Aotian understood the ache of being alone.

He had felt the same when he first arrived in this world.

Hearing his words, Lin Wanning’s smile faded as she buried her face in his chest, her voice tinged with quiet complaint. "I missed you all… so, so much."

"Every time I stepped on stage, my heart was pounding..."

Long Aotian soothingly stroked her long hair.

When they returned to the sunroom, Lin Wanning’s cheeks were slightly flushed.

"Brother was washing the bike. He’ll be back soon."

...