"Ye, my dad and the others are still busy right now, so I’ll take care of you guys!"

With that,

Xuanxuan pulled out two chairs at her little dining table and invited Ye Wen and Liu Menglin over, "Ye, you sit here."

Her chubby little hand gently patted the seat cushion, signaling Ye Wen to sit down.

Oh my!

This little girl is just too sensible and sweet.

She makes everyone who sees her feel happy!

No wonder Ye Wen is eager to be her stepmother.

Just for this sensible and sweet little girl, Liu Menglin would also be willing to be the stepmother.

Of course.

This was just a joke, she would never fight her best friend for it, never...

Besides, she still had reservations about her best friend wanting to find a widowed man.

That’s right.

She never approved of it from the start.

If a first marriage is to a widower with kids, life after marriage is bound to be full of trouble.

After all, she had seen quite a few such cases.

But after seeing the beautiful, sweet, and sensible Xuanxuan, and how nice and friendly the man’s parents were, her opinion slightly swayed.

However, these were not enough to change her initial stance.

"You sit here."

Meanwhile, after seeing Xuanxuan’s actions, Ye Wen couldn’t help but smile lightly, pulling out a chair for Xuanxuan as well, politely addressing Song Cailian and her husband, "Uncle, Auntie, please sit too~"

Ye is really great, not only is she beautiful, but she is also gentle and polite to others.

She’s good to Xuanxuan too!

Good!

Really good!

Song Cailian and her husband grew more fond of her the more they looked!

Song Cailian smiled broadly, making a gesture to invite them to sit, responding, "Alright, Ye, you all sit too..."

After saying this, she signaled with her eyes to Huang Yide, asking him to go to the kitchen to have their son prepare some food.

Understanding, Huang Yide told Ye Wen and the others, then hurried to the kitchen to find Huang Tao.

Ye Wen and the others sat down.

Seeing Song Cailian go to pour water, Liu Menglin leaned over and whispered into Ye Wen’s ear, "Wen, let me see what the kid’s dad looks like?"

Ye Wen: "..."

"Come on, tell me, where is he?"

Liu Menglin looked around, finally following Huang Yide’s figure, setting her eyes on Huang Tao beside him in the kitchen, uncertainly asking, "Is it the one in the kitchen standing with Uncle?"

Ye Wen glanced towards the kitchen, and upon seeing Huang Tao, she nodded, "Hmm."

Just then, both Huang Tao and Huang Yide looked their way.

Ye Wen instinctively lowered her head, afraid Huang Tao would notice she was secretly watching him.

Liu Menglin, on the other hand, stared at Huang Tao, examining him closely.

Have to admit!

He really is handsome!

No wonder Ye Wen likes him.

To Liu Menglin, who values appearance, Huang Tao really was impeccable in terms of looks, height, and physique.

He matches Ye Wen well.

They really do seem well-matched!

She whispered softly in Ye Wen’s ear, "Old Ye, your taste is really good! So handsome!"

Ye Wen’s lips curved up, without saying a word, a slight proud smile on her face.

Of course~

Just look at who she chose!

No sooner did she start feeling happy, Liu Menglin poured a "cold bucket of water": "But, as I said, dating is fine, but you should be cautious about marriage."

Ye Wen: "..."

At this time, Song Cailian brought over some tea and handed it to Ye Wen and the others, "Ye, have some hot tea to warm up."

"Thank you, Auntie..."

Ye Wen and Liu Menglin thanked in unison.

After Song Cailian sat down, she looked at Ye Wen curiously and asked, "Ye, do you have someone suitable?"

As soon as she asked.

Xuanxuan’s pretty eyes lit up.

Although she had heard that Ye seemed not to have a boyfriend and sensed that Ye might have a little crush on her dad!

But all of this was just hearsay, merely her gut feeling.

So she wasn’t certain!

Now that grandma asked, she was suddenly energized and looked at Ye Wen full of curiosity.

A perfect little gossip enthusiast!

She perfectly demonstrated that "gossip knows no age boundaries."

Ye Wen didn’t particularly like it when others pried into her privacy.

But this question came from the mother of someone she liked, and she wanted to answer.

To let a certain someone know, by the way.

She reached out to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear and said, "No, Auntie, I’ve never been in a relationship!"

After speaking, she glanced sideways at Huang Tao in the nearby kitchen.

Xuanxuan, with her hands holding her small face, asked eagerly, "Ye, do you have someone you like?"

Ye Wen’s face turned slightly red.

Of course, she did!

But she was afraid once she said she did, she would be asked who it was!

How would she respond then!

She couldn’t just bluntly tell Xuanxuan, I like your dad, right!

She couldn’t just bluntly tell Auntie, I like your son, right!

Just thinking about it made her shy!

If Xuanxuan and Auntie couldn’t accept it right away...

Then she... would face even more embarrassment.

To avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings, she thought it’d be best not to say.

She shook her head, "No!"

Xuanxuan’s eyes sparkled, turning her head to look at her grandma.

Grandma!

Did you hear that?

Song Cailian could tell from her precious daughter’s little look that her daughter really liked Ye.

Of course, she quite liked her too.

Ye Wen noticed Song Cailian observing her with a smiling face, felt a bit embarrassed, and quickly picked up the tea on the table, took a sip to hide her shyness.

At this moment, Huang Tao and Huang Yide came over together with a tray: "Ye, you’re here. Today, we’re not so lucky; almost everything is sold out, just some braised rice left."

"It’s us who came at an awkward time." Ye Wen brushed back her hair by her ear.

Liu Menglin, upon seeing Huang Tao up close, immediately thought he looked even more handsome!

Though he just gave Huang Tao one look, his gaze quickly moved to the variety of braised rice on Huang Tao’s tray.

Wow~

This braised rice looks so tempting!

It smells wonderfully fragrant too!

Should taste pretty good!

She couldn’t help but salivate.

For years, in order to maintain her weight, she had little craving for food.

Even when dining at a Michelin three-star restaurant, facing a table full of delicacies, she could remain calm and unmoved.

But now...

Just by looking at it, just by smelling it, the greedy worm in her stomach was stirring.

This is too unbelievable...

To avoid being seen as out of control, she quickly introduced herself: "Hello, I’m Ye Wen’s friend, Liu Menglin."

Huang Tao politely responded, "Hello, I’m Huang Tao, welcome to our shop."

Immediately, he said to Xuanxuan, "Xuanxuan, go to Aunt Suqin and get two cups of mung bean milk for Ye and Aunt Menglin."

"But you’re not allowed to drink anymore!"

Hearing this, Xuanxuan pitifully begged, "Daddy, please let me drink it, just this one last time."

My dear daughter!

Do you have a bit of a misunderstanding about ’last time’?

During lunch, this little one saw grandpa and grandma drinking mung bean milk and craved it too, pleading with Huang Tao for one last drink.

Huang Tao, being soft-hearted, agreed again.

Who would have thought this little one would use her old trick again...

This left him speechless!

Xuanxuan saw her dad was silent, and looked at Ye Wen with a pitiful face asking for help, "Teacher Ye, please help me tell him, occasionally drinking an iced drink is no big deal for kids, right?"

Ye Wen gently patted Xuanxuan’s little head with a smile, "How about I share some with you?"

"Yay!"

Xuanxuan nodded eagerly, then hurried off to get the drinks.

Huang Tao chuckled, not stopping her.

There’s no issue with drinking it, he just didn’t want Xuanxuan to make a habit of it.

Ye Wen stood up, took the braised rice, and placed it on the dining table.

Xuanxuan returned with two cups of mung bean milk and a disposable small paper cup.

She sweetly said, "Teacher Ye, Aunt Menglin, these are your mung bean milks."

"Great, thank you. Teacher will pour you a cup."

Ye Wen quickly took over, poured some mung bean milk into the disposable cup for Xuanxuan, and thoughtfully inserted a straw for her.

"Teacher Ye is the best!"

Xuanxuan took a sip of the mung bean milk, her small face filled with happiness and contentment.

"Xuanxuan, would you like some rice too?"

Ye Wen asked Xuanxuan with a smile as she pulled a pair of chopsticks from the chopstick holder.

"No, no, I’ve already eaten and my belly is full."

Xuanxuan hesitated for a moment, then shook her head to decline.

Actually, she was a bit tempted, but if she ate, she wouldn’t be able to drink the beverage.

So...

She gritted her teeth and ultimately chose the drink.

"You all eat slowly, I’m going back to work."

After placing down another braised rice and nourishing fish soup, Huang Tao headed back to work.

Ye Wen watched his back as he left.

Liu Menglin watched as Ye Wen seemed like a lovestruck woman, helplessly nudged her with her elbow, trying to pull her wandering soul back from Huang Tao.

Coming back to her senses, Ye Wen looked at her best friend who seemed to be saying, "Your eyes are glued to him," and gave an embarrassed yet polite smile, "Meng Lin, try this three-in-one braised rice, it’s really good."

"Okay."

Liu Menglin picked up a small piece of pig trotter to try; if it didn’t taste good, she could quickly discard it on a napkin without being noticed, though that seemed unlikely...

Taking a bite, she was instantly surprised!

Wow~

This guy makes such delicious braised pig’s trotters?!

The skin of the pig trotter was firm while the inside was soft, and a light bite would even pull a strand from it; the tenderness was just right, and the braising sauce was flavorful, with a taste not too salty or too bland.

It was even better than the braised pig trotters she’d tasted from culinary masters!

After one piece of braised pig trotter, admiration filled her eyes.

"These braised pig trotters are so delicious! I have to say, this skill is really impressive."

Xuanxuan agreed, "Of course, my daddy is amazing!"

It’s just that!

He’s always controlling her, not letting her have drinks.

As she thought about it.

She took another sip of the mung bean milk.

Ah~

So refreshing~

Her face full of enjoyment amused everyone present.

Liu Menglin asked curiously, "Where did your dad learn to cook?"

Xuanxuan blinked her eyes and replied, "Daddy said he learned it online!"

"Oh, learned it online..."

Upon hearing this, Liu Menglin and Ye Wen were even more impressed with Huang Tao.

To learn just by going online and reach this level, that’s truly wide-ranging talent!

Please excuse me while I have another piece of braised pig trotter to ponder!

The two of them grabbed another piece of pig trotter, put it in their mouths, and then mixed it with some rice, enjoying their meal with relish.