58: Chapter 58 Concerto of Dawn Kitchen

Last night, Su Muxue's speech, which could only be described as a "believer's manifesto," was like a thorn, deeply embedded in An Ran's heart.

Coupled with that incredibly shocking scene...

An Ran tossed and turned, barely sleeping all night.

Her mind kept replaying Su Muxue's gaze—seemingly gentle, but actually full of aggression.

And that sentence: "Instead of guarding against me, why not think of ways to please Master together?"

To hell with "together"!

Who wants to be together with her!

Huang Mao belongs to her, An Ran, alone!

Why should she have to share him with anyone else!

An unprecedented sense of crisis bubbled up inside her, like boiling water.

She couldn't wait any longer.

She couldn't keep acting like she had before, relying on her status as a childhood sweetheart, foolishly waiting for that blockhead Huang Mao to realize his feelings.

Wait for him to realize?

By then, the opportunity would have been missed eight hundred times over!

Now there were two women in the house eyeing him like tigers, and both were more sophisticated than the other.

If she didn't take the initiative now, her territory would be taken over!

An Ran bolted upright in bed and glanced at her phone.

4:30 AM.

Very good, it wasn't even dawn yet—the perfect time for a surprise attack!

She suddenly recalled yesterday morning.

She and Huang Mao had been preparing breakfast in the kitchen together, with sunlight streaming through the window and shining down on them.

That feeling...

It was like an old married couple, warm and in sync.

The corners of An Ran's mouth curled up uncontrollably.

Yes, it would start with breakfast!

Yesterday, Huang Mao had guided her, but today, she would do it all by herself!

She wanted Huang Mao to wake up to a breakfast made by her own hands, filled with love!

This move would definitely max out his affection for her!

An Ran clenched her fists and climbed out of bed, full of fighting spirit.

She was going to fire the first shot of her counterattack!

...However, the ideal was plump, but the reality was painfully bony.

When An Ran stood ambitiously in Huang Mao's open kitchen—which could only be described as a professional galley—she was a bit stunned.

The double-door refrigerator, the built-in oven and steamer, and a whole set of knives whose brands she couldn't even name.

This setup was even more exaggerated than the kitchen in her school cafeteria.

Yesterday, she had been too busy playing "newlyweds" with Huang Mao to look at any of this closely.

Now, facing it alone, An Ran felt like a noob player who had wandered into a high-level dungeon.

She pulled open the refrigerator door and looked at the dazzling array of ingredients inside.

Fresh vegetables, imported beef, and all kinds of dairy products that looked expensive at a glance.

An Ran gulped.

Her cooking skills, limited to "boiling instant noodles" and "frying an egg that barely didn't burn,"

Seemed so pale and powerless in front of these high-end ingredients.

That successful fried egg from yesterday had been taught to her by Huang Mao, step by step, hand in hand.

Let her do it herself?

She wasn't even sure she could crack an egg out of its shell in one piece.

An Ran picked up an egg, weighed it, and then carefully put it back.

She stared at the pristine frying pan and fell into deep thought.

Should she play it safe and just fry an egg?

No, that lacked sincerity. Compared to that woman Su Muxue, it would be like a public execution.

Or... should she take a risk and try something more complex?

For example, those heart-shaped fried eggs she saw online? Or making omurice?

Countless instructional videos from food bloggers flashed through An Ran's mind.

But the moment she thought about her "kitchen destroyer" level of manual ability, she instantly lost her nerve.

"Ahhh! So annoying!"

An Ran scratched her hair in frustration.

Why didn't she learn to cook more often!

She could only stare blankly when it mattered!

She really should have used the time she spent secretly doing that under the covers last night to watch some short cooking videos instead!

No...

Thinking about this now was just like getting to the exam room, seeing the paper, and regretting not using the time spent gaming to study.

It was completely useless!

Just as An Ran was having an internal battle, struggling so hard she almost stared a hole through the frying pan,

A voice, so gentle it seemed like it could drip water, rang out from behind her without warning.

"Sister An Ran, do you need any help?"

"Wah!"

An Ran was so startled she shivered and almost jumped.

She whipped her head around, her heart still pounding wildly.

She saw that Su Muxue had, at some point, silently appeared behind her.

She was wearing loungewear, her long hair draped softly over her shoulders, and her face wore that perpetually flawless, gentle smile.

The whole person looked like a perfect housewife who had walked out of a Japanese drama.

"You... why don't you make any sound when you walk!"

After seeing who it was, An Ran's tense body relaxed slightly, but her tone was full of wariness.

"No! This is breakfast I'm preparing for Huang Mao, I can do it myself!"

She refused instinctively, like a little animal guarding its food.

Su Muxue seemed to completely ignore the hostility and distance in her words.

She kept smiling, her tone so sincere that no one could find a single fault with it.

"I know, of course."

"Precisely because it is breakfast prepared for Master, it should be done as perfectly as possible, shouldn't it?"

The word "Master" was spoken so softly and lightly that it felt like a feather gently scratching An Ran's eardrum.

An Ran's cheeks instantly flushed hot.

Su Muxue took a step forward, her gaze landing on the high-end kitchenware, and said softly:

"I truly understand Sister An Ran's desire to do something for Master."

"It's just that, coincidentally, I am quite good at this."

"This is also one of the few things I can do to help everyone."

"If my insignificant skills can help you better fulfill your intentions and allow Master to enjoy a perfect breakfast, I would be very happy."

Her words were watertight.

She flattered An Ran while positioning herself as merely a "tool," keeping her posture extremely low.

Especially the part about "for Huang Mao," which accurately poked at An Ran's soft spot.

That's right, she got up so early and fussed around for so long—wasn't it all just to make Huang Mao happy?

If she insisted on doing it herself and ended up messing it up, what would be the point?

An Ran's resolve began to waver.

She snuck a glance at Su Muxue.

Even though this woman was a formidable rival, she had to admit, she made a lot of sense.

And...

A small thought popped into An Ran's mind.

I'm just... just using this woman for now!

Right! Once I learn it, I'll do it myself in the future!

Thinking this, An Ran felt much better.

She cleared her throat, still wearing that reluctant expression, but eventually nodded.

"...Then, I'll have to trouble you."

"That's wonderful."

Su Muxue's smile became even gentler.

And from an angle An Ran couldn't see, a flash of understanding passed through her eyes.

Just a moment ago, watching An Ran's helpless back in the kitchen, a brand-new idea had suddenly popped into Su Muxue's mind.

Before, she thought "serving" meant dedicating everything she had to Master.

But now, she had a higher level of realization.

In this house, she wasn't the only one who wanted to please Master.

Sister Leng Qingxuan did, and Sister An Ran did too.

Since everyone's goal was the same, why couldn't they "cooperate"?

Helping a rival sounded stupid.

But if, by helping them become more "useful," she could make Master happier and more satisfied.

And thereby make the atmosphere of the entire "home" more harmonious, letting Master live every day in happiness and satisfaction.

In itself, wasn't that a more clever, higher-level form of service?

What she wanted to do was not to monopolize Master's affection.

But to become the indispensable, most excellent "housekeeper" in this "harem."

Thinking of this, the smile at the corners of Su Muxue's mouth deepened.

"Then, Sister An Ran, let's start with the basics."

Next, a one-on-one "morning cooking lesson" officially kicked off.

Su Muxue displayed a level of professional competence and patience that could only be described as terrifying.

"Sister, when cracking the egg, relax your wrist and use your fingertips to apply force, like this, just a gentle tap..."

"The secret to scrambled eggs is adding a little bit of milk and butter, and stir-frying slowly over low heat; that's how they get tender and smooth."

"The toast needs to be toasted until the surface is golden and slightly charred, but the inside remains fluffy; this heat requires precise control."

At first, An Ran was flustered, either cracking eggshells into the bowl or almost burning the toast.

But Su Muxue was always by her side, reminding her and encouraging her in the gentlest tone.

There wasn't a hint of impatience at all.

And because the ingredients in Huang Mao's house were so abundant, it gave An Ran plenty of room for trial and error.

Gradually, An Ran went from her initial awkwardness and resistance to becoming focused.

She discovered that she seemed... actually quite talented?

Under Su Muxue's guidance, she actually managed to make hotel-quality tender scrambled eggs and even learned how to cut fruit into pretty shapes for plating.

Throughout the entire process, she studied more seriously than she ever had in physics class in middle school.

6:30 AM, the sky was fully bright.

Huang Mao walked out of his room, yawning.

Almost at the same time, the door across the hall opened with a "click."

Leng Qingxuan walked out from inside.

The two of them bumped into each other unexpectedly in the hallway.

The air instantly froze.

Huang Mao looked at her, and Leng Qingxuan looked at him.

That shameful yet stimulating scene from last night flashed back into both of their minds uncontrollably.

Leng Qingxuan's face turned red in a "whoosh," her eyes darting around, not daring to meet his gaze.

"Good... good morning." She broke the silence first, her voice as quiet as a mosquito's hum.

"...Morning." Huang Mao also replied, feeling somewhat unnatural.

Subsequently, the two of them fell into a new round of silence.

In the end, it was Huang Mao who looked away first and turned to go downstairs as if nothing had happened.

Leng Qingxuan let out a sigh of relief and followed behind him, with a gap of three or four steps between them.

Neither of them mentioned what happened last night again, as if they had reached a strange, unspoken agreement.

Some things were better left understood in their hearts; saying them out loud would only make it more awkward.

However, when they reached the first floor and were about to habitually walk toward the kitchen, their footsteps stopped simultaneously.

A rich, complex aroma of food was wafting from the direction of the kitchen.

There was the wheaty scent of toasted bread, the meaty aroma of fried bacon, and a faint smell of milk.

Huang Mao and Leng Qingxuan exchanged a glance, both seeing surprise in the other's eyes.

What's going on?

Did a fairy enter the house?

Or did Su Muxue get up early and make breakfast?

They followed the scent to the dining room, and then, they saw a shocking scene.

They saw An Ran, wearing a cartoon apron that was clearly a bit too big, humming a little tune, like a proud butterfly, placing servings of breakfast that were as exquisite as works of art onto the dining table.

Golden scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, toast toasted just right, accompanied by a vegetable salad garnished with strawberries and blueberries.

There were even three cups of steaming lattes with simple latte art.

"!!!"

Huang Mao and Leng Qingxuan's eyes widened.

This... An Ran made this?

The An Ran who had to follow the instructions on the package strictly even when boiling instant noodles?

Seeing their expressions, with their jaws almost hitting the floor, An Ran's vanity was satisfied to an unprecedented degree.

She puffed out her chest proudly, lifted her chin slightly, her face full of "Praise me, come and worship me."

She had completely forgotten.

That ninety percent of the credit for this perfect breakfast belonged to Su Muxue, who was standing behind her, smiling gently at everyone, hiding her merit and fame.