I’ll Cook

Under the urging of the behind-the-scenes boss, Qin Ran, Yu Shuman's commercial shoot for her endorsement went smoothly. She even had the opportunity to go to the beach for part of the shoot. Previously, she had mentioned to Qin Ran that if she went to the beach, she'd definitely send some seafood back.

Yu Shuman didn't know where Qin Ran's employee dormitory was, so she could only send the package to the university. When Yu Shuman called to inform Qin Ran about it, Qin Ran was overjoyed. A few days later, the seafood arrived at the school. Most of the students had already gone home for the summer, and Qin Ran, braving the scorching sun, rode in Wu Tezhu's car to the university, personally lugging a large box of seafood from the school to the roadside, then into the trunk of Wu Tezhu's car.

After loading the box, Qin Ran couldn't help but adjust her glasses and wipe the sweat from her forehead.

She had been working out recently; after the New Year, Wu Tezhu had helped set up a home gym for her. But Qin Ran mostly used the treadmill, as she wasn't familiar with the other equipment and didn't want to go to a gym to hire a personal trainer.

Qin Ran was an introvert and would rather die than go to a gym and work with a trainer. She also didn't like the idea of having someone in her home for training. Even her housekeeper was like a ghost, coming in to clean and then leaving quietly.

So, she had been exercising on her own, which meant her progress wasn't as fast as it would have been with professional guidance. Still, she had gained some stamina. Before, a box this heavy would have been impossible for her to lift.

After getting into the car, Wu Tezhu handed her a towel to wipe her sweat, and upon reaching her apartment, Wu Tezhu even offered to help carry the box upstairs.

Qin Ran waved her off, "No need, I'll handle it myself." She then struggled to carry the large box from the underground parking garage to her kitchen.

After finally getting the box to the kitchen, she sat down on the floor, exhausted, and began unpacking it. The first thing she saw was a pile of abalone, which reminded her of a dish she and Yu Shuman had enjoyed together before. She had even asked the restaurant for the recipe and saved it on her phone, planning to make it for Yu Shuman and Yu's mother someday. Just as she was about to find the recipe on her phone, Yu Shuman called her via voice chat.

When she answered, Yu Shuman's lively voice came through.

"Hey, did you get the package? You should be at your dorm by now, right?"

Yu Shuman's voice was accompanied by the faint sound of the ocean breeze. Though the background noise was a bit distracting, Qin Ran still clearly heard every word. She responded with a simple, "Yes, I got it. There's a lot of abalone."

Yu Shuman laughed, "Yeah, I thought I'd try cooking it."

"You're going to cook it?" Qin Ran asked.

"Yep!" Yu Shuman's voice was filled with excitement, "But if you want some, go ahead and make it. Though I remember you don't cook, so if you can't manage it, just wait until I get back, and I'll cook for you!" She wasn't just asking Qin Ran to hold onto the seafood for her. She had bought three large boxes—one for Qin Ran, one for Yu's mother, and one for Li Jie. If she really wanted to eat it herself, she wouldn't have sent it to Qin Ran in the first place.

Yu Shuman was serious because she knew Qin Ran didn't cook.

Qin Ran, eager to spend time with Yu Shuman, asked when she'd be back. Yu Shuman said it would be soon, in a couple of days, and they'd be able to have a meal together. Their conversation was brief, as Xiao An's voice could be heard calling Yu Shuman in the background, prompting her to hurriedly end the call.

As the call ended and the screen returned to the chat interface, Qin Ran sighed.

She missed Yu Shuman.

Fortunately, Yu Shuman returned quickly. Qin Ran and Li Jie went to pick her up at the airport, and Yu Shuman was visibly excited when she saw Qin Ran.

Emerging from the VIP terminal, Yu Shuman was wearing a sun hat, sunglasses, and a mask. She was dressed in a yellow floral dress with white sandals. When she spotted Qin Ran, she hurriedly made her way over, taking Qin Ran's hand.

During her time at the beach, Yu Shuman had inevitably gotten a bit tanned despite her best efforts to protect her skin. Even so, she appeared a shade darker than Qin Ran, which was understandable since Qin Ran spent most of her time indoors, either studying, attending meetings, gaming, or sleeping, while Yu Shuman had been out in the sun every day during the shoot.

Sitting in the van, Yu Shuman couldn't help but compare her arm to Qin Ran's, feeling a bit disheartened, "I'm supposed to be a star, yet I'm darker than you. My fans would probably unfollow me if they saw this!"

"They won't. You look great with a tan," Qin Ran replied earnestly. Despite being a few shades darker, Yu Shuman was still as beautiful as ever. Her natural beauty was only enhanced by her newfound radiance. Hearing Qin Ran's words, Yu Shuman's mood improved.

Li Jie, sitting in the front, watched them with a smile and couldn't help but interject, "You've just returned, so make sure to rest up. There's a big event coming up, and you need to be in top shape. You've got to outshine everyone else."

Li Jie's comment made Yu Shuman a bit less enthusiastic, and she pouted, "Guess I really am too dark."

Qin Ran shot Li Jie a look, silently telling her to stay quiet. The boss's gaze still held some intimidation, and Li Jie quickly changed the subject, "I'll drop you off at your dorm. Tomorrow, a designer will come to take your measurements. I've ordered a dress for the upcoming event. You've got to knock everyone's socks off."

Li Jie's tone was bold, but sitting right next to her boss, she couldn't help but soften her words. Qin Ran had made it clear that Yu Shuman didn't need to put on any kind of persona—she just needed to be herself. But as a professional manager, Li Jie felt it necessary to give Yu Shuman a little nudge, especially with her drama set to air soon.

The drama had passed the review process quickly. Thanks to the efforts of the director, screenwriter, and author, the script had been refined, moving beyond simple romantic entanglements to include themes of sacrifice and resistance. The positive message had helped the drama pass the censors smoothly, and a deal had been struck with a streaming platform for its release.

With endorsement deals, events, and the upcoming drama, Yu Shuman was poised to gain a significant following.

Li Jie dropped them off at Yu Shuman's dormitory before taking off. She had plenty of other work to attend to. Normally, she wouldn't bother picking up an artist, but Qin Ran had insisted on it as an excuse to see Yu Shuman.

The van dropped off Yu Shuman's suitcase and the seafood Qin Ran had brought along, leaving the two of them to carry everything upstairs. Yu Shuman noticed the heavy bag Qin Ran was holding and instinctively reached out to take it, intending to carry it herself. But Qin Ran shook her head and refused, "You've got a big suitcase to carry. I can't let you handle this, too."

But Yu Shuman was used to taking care of Qin Ran and knew how physically weak Qin Ran was. She hesitated, "How about I take my suitcase up first and then come back down for the bag?"

Qin Ran, determined to prove herself, retorted, "Don't underestimate me! I've been working out. I can definitely carry this!"

Seeing Qin Ran's determination, Yu Shuman didn't push further, though she still planned to take the bag if Qin Ran showed any signs of struggling.

The bag was indeed heavy, filled with not only seafood and vegetables but also ice packs to keep everything fresh.

The weather was hot, and without the ice packs, the seafood would have spoiled in the trunk. To prevent that, Qin Ran had taken ice from her fridge, packed it in ziplock bags, and layered it over the seafood.

After all this time, some of the ice had melted, making the bag even more difficult to carry. Qin Ran followed Yu Shuman into the elevator, lugging the bag to the small kitchen where she placed it on the counter.

Yu Shuman, after setting down her suitcase in the living room, hurried over to help. Qin Ran, drenched in sweat, was handed a towel by Yu Shuman, who urged her to take a break while she cooked lunch.

But Qin Ran wouldn't hear of it. She insisted that Yu Shuman relax and let her handle the cooking.

Yu Shuman was taken aback, blurting out, "You know how to cook?" It wasn't unreasonable for her to ask. Qin Ran didn't seem like the type who could cook, and she didn't have much opportunity to learn.

But Qin Ran wiped her sweat with the towel, nodding confidently, "Don't always treat me like a kid. I've learned how to cook. Just wait for a delicious meal."

Yu Shuman, fresh off the plane after a hectic few days, felt Qin Ran's concern and care for her. She hesitated but finally relented, offering a half-serious, half-joking warning, "If you're not sure about anything, ask me." She then slowly left the small kitchen, trusting Qin Ran for the first time.

As soon as she was alone, Yu Shuman began prepping the seafood. Some of the more challenging seafood had already been cleaned by the housekeeper, leaving only the smaller ones for Qin Ran to prepare. Over the past two days, Qin Ran had been learning from the housekeeper, and although she hadn't mastered any gourmet dishes, she had become proficient at making a simple seafood salad.

The cleaned seafood was placed in water, boiled, and then transferred to cold water to chill. Once the seafood was cool, it was placed in a large dish. Then came the secret sauce, a recipe from the housekeeper, which Qin Ran followed meticulously, measuring each ingredient like a science experiment before pouring it over the seafood and covering the dish with plastic wrap. She placed the dish in the fridge, where it would soon transform into a delicious seafood salad.

Qin Ran then rinsed the rice, set it to cook, and prepared two simple vegetable dishes.

When Yu Shuman emerged from the bathroom, she saw Qin Ran busy in the kitchen. Despite her initial skepticism, Yu Shuman couldn't help but feel touched at the sight of Qin Ran cooking for her.

It was hard to believe, but Qin Ran had truly grown up.

Yu Shuman: My little sister is all grown up!

Qin Ran: smug Humph!