Only then did Xia Zhaoyun turn to the man who had been by her side all along.
"Brother Hao, when did you get here? Have you eaten breakfast?"
Backstage, only the makeup area was brightly lit; the rest was steeped in a dim, yellow glow. Huo Tianhao took a step forward, pressing close to her, and his hand immediately intertwined with hers, fingers lacing together in a particularly tender and intimate gesture.
Xia Zhaoyun pressed her lips together and tried to pull her hand away, but failed. Flustered, she could only hide their joined hands behind her back. Her heart felt like it was simmering in a jar of honey, and a sweet, joyful smile colored her eyes.
"I’ve eaten," Huo Tianhao said with a low chuckle. "It was a rare early morning for us, so we took a detour to a state-owned restaurant to buy some meat buns."
"Kun polished off seven or eight by himself. When we got here, Comrade He Qingran asked him if he’d eaten and offered to make him noodles if he hadn’t. She even said she’s been learning from you for a long time and has already mastered a good part of your technique."
"Kun saw how enthusiastic and proud of her cooking she was, so he couldn’t resist lying and saying he hadn’t eaten. He even cheekily claimed he was starving, that his stomach was stuck to his spine, and ended up forcing down two more huge bowls."
"And after all that, Comrade He Qingran was still muttering that for a big, tall guy, his appetite was only about the same as the two of you combined."
"Kun is regretting it terribly. He feels his pride as a man has been challenged, and now he’s suffering in silence..."
Xia Zhaoyun couldn’t stop laughing when she heard this. It was true what they say: people in love have a negative IQ. From this, it was clear that Liu Mingkun truly cared for He Qingran.
"Have you heard about them meeting the parents, Brother Hao?"
Huo Tianhao nodded. "He told me. Kun can’t keep his mouth shut. The moment he mentioned it to his parents, they started turning the house upside down. They made such a fuss the whole residential compound knows about it now. It’s as if they’re getting ready to welcome their daughter-in-law."
Xia Zhaoyun rested her head on his shoulder. "I didn’t have many people I was close to in this world. At first, there was only Ranran. Then came the two children, and after that, you."
"I really want Ranran to have a happy and smooth life. She’s also had a difficult life," she said, tilting her head to look at him, her pretty, delicate face all scrunched up. "Brother Hao, do you think I’m... Why is it that I, you, Ranran, and the children... none of us have a mother’s love?"


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