After hanging up the phone, Xu Qingqiu looked at Chu Tian with an apologetic expression and said in a downcast, gloomy tone, "I'm sorry... I didn't expect it to turn out like this."

"What's there to be sorry about? Have you forgotten that I've been by your side all along? Work is just like this, so what's there to be sad about?"

Chu Tian went over, gently wrapped his arm around Xu Qingqiu's shoulder, and let her head rest against him as he spoke soothingly.

"Mmm."

Xu Qingqiu raised her hand to embrace his waist and hid in his arms, letting out a muffled, kitten-like sound.

"Chu Tian, you're so nice... but the nicer you are, the more I want to be with you. What should I do?"

"What else can we do? Let's just be together every day, okay?"

"Mmm, okay."

As if she had received a satisfactory answer, Xu Qingqiu shifted her head to find a comfortable angle and just held Chu Tian quietly.

RUMBLE.

Unfortunately, unexpected interruptions always seem to happen during such romantic moments.

"Err... I'm hungry..."

Chu Tian looked at Xu Qingqiu, who had lifted her head to stare at him, and sheepishly rubbed his stomach.

He hadn't expected his stomach to grumble at such a tender moment.

"PFFT. You didn't eat breakfast this morning, did you? Alright, come sit down and eat."

Xu Qingqiu let out a small laugh but quickly changed the subject. The situation had been a bit embarrassing, though it also seemed somewhat cute.

"I really am hungry. I came over to cook first thing this morning and was practically drooling the whole time I was cooking."

Chu Tian quickly picked up on her cue, then sat opposite Xu Qingqiu and helped her serve some rice.

"Here, eat quickly before it gets cold."

Watching Xu Qingqiu pick up a large mouthful of food with her chopsticks, Chu Tian suddenly remembered something.

"Wait a second, aren't we forgetting something?"

"What?"

"What about your sister and the others? Aren't you going to call them?"

Chu Tian gestured to the table laden with dishes, indicating that the two of them alone couldn't finish it all.

"Oh, right! I totally forgot!"

Xu Qingqiu then remembered her sister was there too.

They were used to eating together, just the few of them usually. And after their long chat just now, she'd completely forgotten.

After saying this, she quickly put down her chopsticks and stood up. She then turned back to pop a piece of meat into her mouth before hurrying upstairs to wake them.

"Mmm, I slept so well last night!"

"Isn't that the truth? It felt even better than sleeping at school."

"What are you talking about? That's hardly surprising. Think about the beds we're sleeping on here versus those wooden planks in the dorm. It'd be a miracle if *those* were comfortable."

"Exactly! I sleep so well at home too. But sleeping in the dorm for too long makes my back hurt."

Soon after, chattering could be heard from upstairs. Chu Tian knew the girls had woken up.

"You all sure talk a lot. Well, you can keep chatting; I'm going downstairs to eat."

"Huh? Aren't you going to wash up?"

"Wash up? Why? I can wash up after eating. I can already smell the food; I can't take it anymore!"

Xu Ruyan said this and then dashed downstairs.

"Ru, slow down! Are you absolutely famished? Like you were a starving ghost in your past life?"

"Hey, Sis, I'm starved! Where did you order these dishes from? They smell amazing!"

Chu Tian turned just in time to see two beauties, one tall and one petite, coming down the stairs.

Both young women were in pajamas, but in completely different styles. Xu Qingqiu's pajamas leaned toward a mature look, focusing on simplicity and elegant lines.

Xu Ruyan's, on the other hand, were all about cuteness, featuring a little yellow duck design that made her look adorable.

Paired with her dashing down the stairs, however, she was the very image of a lively duck.

"Hey, what are you doing here? Didn't you leave last night?"

As soon as Xu Ruyan came downstairs, she saw Chu Tian sitting at the dining table and skidded to a halt.

"Ah! Don't look, I'm still in my pajamas! I haven't put on makeup yet! I'm doomed!"

Suddenly remembering something, Xu Ruyan's first instinct was to clutch at her clothes, then she quickly covered her face with her hands.

Unfortunately, with only two hands, she couldn't quite manage everything.

Seeing her antics, Xu Qingqiu, who was following behind, gritted her teeth in exasperation and gave Ruyan a light smack on the back of her head.

"What nonsense are you spouting? He's my boyfriend; what's it got to do with you! Sit down and eat."

Chu Tian couldn't help but smile wryly. Never mind that this was his sister-in-law; considering it was late autumn and her pajamas weren't form-fitting, what could possibly be seen? Besides, whether or not she had makeup on had nothing to do with him.

"Oh, yeah, you're right. I was just trying to liven up the atmosphere."

After getting smacked, Xu Ruyan settled down. She pouted, shot Chu Tian a mischievous glance, and obediently found a place to sit.

He'd never imagined Xu Ruyan had such a personality in private.

"Hurry and eat before it gets cold."

"Mhm, it's alright. I'll wait for the others. Wow, why is there so much delicious food?"

Xu Ruyan reached out to touch one of the plates on the table and, feeling its warmth, nodded. Still, she was curious why so much had been prepared.

"Chu Tian came early this morning to make all this. You should try his cooking too. I'm telling you, it's no worse than a professional chef's—it's delicious!"

"Really? Brother-in-law, you know how to cook?"

"A little. If you want to learn, I can teach you," Chu Tian said with a smile, seeing his little sister-in-law's surprised expression.

"Why would you teach me? Can't you just cook for me?"

The words were barely out of her mouth when Xu Qingqiu rapped her on the head.

"That's mine! If you're not going to eat, then get out!"

Tears welled up in Xu Ruyan's eyes from the tap, but she was laughing so hard her little nose crinkled.

Now Chu Tian understood. This sister-in-law was purely here to stir up trouble.

But her antics seemed to suddenly transform Xu Qingqiu. She went from being the ethereal goddess who had descended from the heavens, seemingly above the pleasures of the human world, to the very image of the relatable girl next door.

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