Mo Zixuan's face turned pale, pain flickering in his eyes, now tinged with jealousy. She had only been married to Mo Xiuchen for a few days, and she was already defending him? His voice was laced with bitterness as he said, "If he truly wanted to help you, he wouldn't have made you marry him and spend a lifetime as a widow."
"That was my choice!"
Wen Ran's gaze was cold and unwavering. Mo Xiuchen had not forced her—it was a decision she had made on her own.
"Ranran, how could you—"
"What I do is my own business. It has nothing to do with you."
Before Mo Zixuan could finish, Wen Ran cut him off, her voice firm. With that, she walked past him without hesitation and left.
From six to eight in the evening, within just two hours, Wen Ran—a young lady who had never lifted a finger in the kitchen—managed to cook a plate of sweet and sour ribs that looked, smelled, and tasted incredible.
Although she had no prior cooking experience, she was intelligent and quick to learn. After watching Sister Li demonstrate once, she tried it herself. At first, her movements with the spatula were awkward, and when oil splattered onto the back of her hand, she merely frowned slightly before continuing.
By the second attempt, she was noticeably more skilled. With perseverance, by the third and fourth tries, she finally succeeded in making a delicious dish of sweet and sour ribs.
When Sister Li tasted it and nodded approvingly, Wen Ran's face lit up with pure joy. Despite the sweat on her forehead and her flushed cheeks from the heat, she beamed like a child. "Really? You're not just saying that to comfort me?"
Sister Li chuckled, picking up a piece of rib and offering it to Wen Ran. "Try it yourself and see if I'm lying. If President Wen were still here, he'd probably say he should have sent you to culinary school back then. Now, a beautiful chef has been born."
At the mention of her father, Wen Ran's smile faltered slightly, and a trace of sadness flickered in her eyes. She pressed her lips together, quickly composing herself, and smiled again. "I'll make another portion and take it to my parents. Let them taste my cooking."
"Alright, I'll go with you."
Sister Li nodded. She deeply respected Wen Ran's parents, which was why, even when Wen Corporation was struggling, she never hesitated to stay and support Wen Ran.
After preparing another serving of ribs, Wen Ran stepped out of the house, just in time to see Sister Li's husband, Chen Bin, being helped out of a car by Qin Mu. Clearly, he was drunk.
Seeing Wen Ran, Qin Mu's face showed a hint of surprise. Chen Bin, despite being intoxicated, recognized her immediately and greeted her with a tipsy smile.
Qin Mu turned to Sister Li and explained, "I ran into Brother-in-law at the hotel earlier. He had too much to drink, so I brought him home. Where are you both headed?"
Wen Ran hadn't expected to run into Qin Mu. She hesitated, as she wasn't ready for Mo Xiuchen to know she was learning to cook. She wanted to master a couple more dishes tomorrow and surprise him on the weekend.
Sister Li understood her intentions and glanced at her before responding.
Qin Mu noticed their silent exchange and spoke up. "Sister Li, you should take Brother-in-law inside. I'll drive Miss Wen home."
"Qian, I have something important to tell you…"
Chen Bin pushed away from Qin Mu and staggered toward Sister Li. Wen Ran had initially planned for Sister Li to accompany her to the cemetery, but given the situation, she couldn't possibly trouble her anymore. She smiled and said, "Sister Li, you should take care of Brother Chen. It's fine if Assistant Qin takes me home."
Sister Li frowned and shot a glare at Chen Bin, but she still reached out to support him. She then instructed Qin Mu to make sure Wen Ran got home safely.
Qin Mu reassured her, "Don't worry," before turning to Wen Ran, opening the passenger door, and saying, "My brother-in-law was sitting in the back earlier, and the alcohol smell must be strong. You should sit in the front."