“Team Leader Song, you brought your own food again today? Has something been going on lately?”

Song Nanyin sat down in a corner of the cafeteria with the soup she had just heated. The woman who had spoken was Zhang Jing, also from the planning department. From the “thirst for knowledge” on the other’s face, it was clear that their urge to gossip had been held back for quite a while.

“There’s nothing going on. Don’t jump to conclusions. It’s just that we recently hired an auntie to cook at home, and her cooking is pretty good.”

Song Nanyin opened her lunchbox and looked at the three delicately arranged dishes and the fluffy white rice inside. The smile at the corners of her mouth could barely be held back. She had no choice but to hurriedly lower her head and take a bite of rice, using chewing to hide her smile.

Liu Zhaoran, the so-called cooking auntie, also arrived at the company cafeteria at that very moment. Because she was a few minutes late, she didn’t get the chance to hear Song Nanyin’s “praise” of her.

She only cast a faint glance at Song Nanyin and Zhang Jing, who sat across from her, then took her own lunch and went to queue at the soup-heating station in the cafeteria.

Liu Zhaoran was well-liked in the company and rarely came to the cafeteria. Seeing her heating her own meal this time, quite a few employees moved aside for her. Liu Zhaoran shook her head, indicating she wasn’t in a hurry, and let them carry on.

Zhang Jing’s beef noodles were done, and the cafeteria auntie carried the tray over to her. She took a few bites, then couldn’t help quietly complaining to Song Nanyin, only to realize she had been talking for a while without getting any reaction from the other. She looked up and saw Song Nanyin staring blankly at the food-heating area.

“Team Leader Song? What are you looking at? I called you several times and you didn’t respond.” Most people in the company felt Song Nanyin wasn’t easy to approach, and Zhang Jing was one of the few willing to interact with Song Nanyin privately.

Actually, setting aside that particular female tendency to compare, Zhang Jing felt Song Nanyin wasn’t nearly as overbearing as the company forum claimed. At least in their interactions, Song Nanyin was perfectly normal.

“Ah? I wasn’t looking at anything. I just felt the cafeteria was a bit crowded today. What did you say just now?” Song Nanyin withdrew her gaze from Liu Zhaoran, picked up a piece of black pepper beef from her lunchbox, and bit into it. The beef was tender and juicy, with the black pepper flavor balanced just right.

Thinking of how Liu Zhaoran had looked while cooking this morning, Song Nanyin inexplicably felt that the meal seemed even more delicious. Well, it must be that she had chosen good rice. It was definitely that.

“I said, the beef noodles in our cafeteria are getting worse and worse. This beef has no flavor at all. Team Leader Song, yours looks really delicious.”

Zhang Jing looked at the black pepper beef in Song Nanyin’s lunchbox, compared it with her own tasteless beef, and stared with longing. Seeming to see that the other was a bit tempted, Song Nanyin, though reluctant in her heart, still picked up a piece and placed it on the other’s plate.

Coincidentally, Liu Zhaoran, who was walking by, happened to see this. Song Nanyin’s hand paused mid-motion, and the hand about to pick up a second piece withdrew. She silently ate on her own.

“Team Leader Song, your lunch looks delicious. Coincidentally, I also brought similar dishes today.”

Liu Zhaoran said with a smile, opening her lunchbox on another table. Apart from lacking soup, the dishes Liu Zhaoran had brought were exactly the same as Song Nanyin’s. Not knowing the truth, Zhang Jing looked at both sides and showed a silly smile.

“Really, Team Leader Song’s and Director Liu’s dishes are exactly the same. Anyone who didn’t know would think you hired the same cooking auntie.”

Zhang Jing unknowingly sold out what Song Nanyin had just said. Hearing the words “cooking auntie,” Liu Zhaoran raised an eyebrow and gave Song Nanyin a look that was half smile, half not.

“They look the same, but I feel Team Leader Song’s should be more delicious. It seems the cooking auntie at Team Leader Song’s house is better than the one I hired.” After Liu Zhaoran finished speaking, sure enough, she saw Song Nanyin, who was drinking soup, choke.

Seeing her face turn red as she hurriedly grabbed a tissue to wipe her mouth, Liu Zhaoran’s smile deepened as she picked up the black pepper beef to eat. At that moment, someone sat down beside her. Song Nanyin noticed before Liu Zhaoran did. She frowned, not understanding why Zhang Kai would appear in the cafeteria.

“General Manager Zhang, why are you here?” Liu Zhaoran’s appetite decreased by more than half at the sight of Zhang Kai. Lately, Zhang Kai had always liked to pester her. Although Liu Zhaoran had repeatedly expressed that she had no intention of dating recently, Zhang Kai was clearly pretending not to understand, deliberately engineering chance encounters with her at the company again and again.

Liu Zhaoran thought, maybe she should change to a different excuse to decline politely?

“Nothing much. I just occasionally get a whim to try what the cafeteria makes. As for you, why did you suddenly start bringing your own food?”

Zhang Kai asked with a smile, deliberately leaning closer to Liu Zhaoran. The man carried the scent of perfume, not exactly unpleasant, but at such close range, it inevitably made Liu Zhaoran uncomfortable.

She retreated a few centimeters. At that moment, from another table suddenly came the sound of chopsticks landing on the table. Liu Zhaoran turned her head and saw Song Nanyin, who had dropped her chopsticks and was getting new ones.

Song Nanyin ate with her head lowered, silent, but the eyes hidden in her hair suddenly darkened. She hadn’t expected to see this scene while eating, and countless uncomfortable feelings she couldn’t ignore rose in her heart.

Counting simply, she and Liu Zhaoran had been “living together” for over half a month now. During this period, Song Nanyin and Liu Zhaoran slept together every day, in the literal sense of sleeping, without making love.

As time passed, Song Nanyin found that she quickly got used to living with Liu Zhaoran. She had moved into Liu Zhaoran’s master bedroom, with its soft bed that was very comfortable to lie on. Liu Zhaoran’s body felt far better in her arms than any pillow.

In the morning there was breakfast prepared by Liu Zhaoran, and occasionally she would even bring lunch. In the evening, if neither was working overtime, they would leave work together and go home to cook. If one of them was working overtime, they would each handle dinner on their own.

Such days seemed ordinary and mundane, yet they had arrived so unexpectedly. For Song Nanyin, it was a life she had never imagined before. Being with Liu Zhaoran seemed to have improved her quality of life considerably. No matter how she looked at it, she was the one gaining plenty of benefits.

Habits are easy to form, like a biological clock. Given time, they form their own equation. Living together with Liu Zhaoran became Song Nanyin’s daily routine. She got used to being with Liu Zhaoran, used to her scent.

Even toward her as a person, she could no longer easily say the word “hate.” But Song Nanyin felt that Liu Zhaoran at certain times was still hateful, enough to make her want to bite her.

For example, when she occasionally teased her. Or, at this very moment.

That Zhang Kai had feelings for Liu Zhaoran was known throughout the entire company, and Song Nanyin, as a former romantic rival, knew it even better. Never for a moment had Song Nanyin found Zhang Kai so displeasing to the eye.

Every day he stuck to Liu Zhaoran like glue. The Black-Hearted Lotus had clearly rejected him several times already, yet he still shamelessly came crowding in.

The esteemed general manager of a whole company, does he really have no work to do? And what was this about suddenly wanting to eat at the cafeteria? Who was he trying to fool? Who would believe it? Clearly, it was a dog catching the scent of meat and following the smell over.

Although comparing Liu Zhaoran to a piece of meat was somewhat rude, Zhang Kai really was a dog. Or rather, comparing him to a dog was almost an insult to dogs.

Song Nanyin thought in speechless exasperation, and even the previously fragrant meal no longer tasted as good. She casually ate a few bites, then packed up her things and stood to leave directly. As she rose, Song Nanyin pushed her chair, making a loud noise.

She wished she could announce to everyone in the cafeteria that she was done eating and leaving. Yet Liu Zhaoran was still turning her head to talk with Zhang Kai, as if she hadn’t noticed the big commotion she had made at all.

Song Nanyin looked at the two of them, her anger flaring up from nowhere. She shot Liu Zhaoran a glare, didn’t greet Zhang Kai, and directly walked out of the cafeteria, her high heels going clack-clack-clack.

“Damn woman, can’t even have a peaceful lunch. Annoying as hell.”

“How did I annoy Team Leader Song?”

Song Nanyin was muttering quietly at the elevator entrance when Liu Zhaoran’s voice came from one side. Having her behind-the-back gossip heard by the person in question, Song Nanyin showed no nervousness whatsoever about being caught. Not only would she dare say it behind her back, even in front of Liu Zhaoran’s face, she would dare say it.

“Nothing. I just think your taste is pretty bad. His scent is so unpleasant, yet you’re willing to let him stick to you. Of course, when it comes to taste, I was also blind for a while before.” Song Nanyin walked into the elevator and only spoke slowly after seeing there were few people around.

Her meaning was obvious. Liu Zhaoran naturally understood that Song Nanyin was mocking Zhang Kai, but one phrase did make Liu Zhaoran somewhat concerned.

“What, you can smell a special scent on him too?” As for Song Nanyin suddenly differentiating into an Alpha, Liu Zhaoran still hadn’t found the exact cause to this day. Moreover, since the equipment in this world was relatively backward, it couldn’t detect what pheromone rank of Alpha Song Nanyin was.

This was an ordinary world; humans had not evolved into the ABO Human Species, but undeniably, there were some special people who did indeed possess trace amounts of pheromones.

Zhang Kai was one of them, only his scent was very faint, often masked by his perfume. Hearing Song Nanyin say this, Liu Zhaoran was somewhat curious whether Song Nanyin could also smell Zhang Kai’s pheromones.

“It’s not any special scent. It’s just different from the perfume he sprays. It’s a bit pungent. After smelling it, I felt very uncomfortable, and I also kind of wanted to hit him.” Song Nanyin couldn’t find a more suitable word, so she could only say it so bluntly. Liu Zhaoran laughed a little upon hearing this and followed Song Nanyin out of the elevator.

“This is the 21st floor. Why are you following me?”

“It’s still lunch break now, so of course I can go anywhere. Speaking of which, Team Leader Song still hasn’t said how I should make you stop being angry.”

“You should just stop appearing in front of me.”

“Is that so? But we live together, so that request seems a bit hard to fulfill. I’m Team Leader Song’s cooking auntie. Without me, what would Team Leader Song do when she gets hungry?”

Liu Zhaoran asked with a smile, clearly still holding a grudge over Song Nanyin calling her a cooking auntie. Hearing her bring it up, Song Nanyin was stunned for a moment, then pouted.

“Then what was I supposed to say? That you made it yourself? Wouldn’t the people at the company twist our relationship into all sorts of rumors?” Song Nanyin muttered quietly, imagining countless versions in her mind. Suddenly, her body felt light as Liu Zhaoran pulled her into the changing room beside them.

She still remembered this place. The last time she had been here, it seemed, was the last time… Back then, Liu Zhaoran had also pressed her against the door just like now.

“Damn Black-Hearted Lotus, when will you learn to announce yourself before making a move?”

“I just feel that Team Leader Song is still angry, so I want to cheer you up right away. Hey, no one will come at this hour. How about I make Team Leader Song happy?” Liu Zhaoran stood against the light, her jet-black eyes shimmering with cunning.

Song Nanyin knew her too well. Once she said something like that, she was definitely going to do something “out of line.” Especially when Liu Zhaoran’s hand slid down from her shoulder and caressed her chest through her dress, the back of Song Nanyin’s neck grew slightly hot, and fine goosebumps rose.

“Hey, don’t mess around. We’re still at the company.”

“But when we’re at home, Team Leader Song keeps avoiding me too, doesn’t she?”

“When did I avoid you? It’s not like we have to do that kind of thing every day.”

“But a few mornings ago, you got hard down there.” In the enclosed space, Liu Zhaoran’s breath flowed through the air as she murmured in a hushed whisper, as if the hot breath she exhaled carried sparks, making Song Nanyin’s ears itch and burn.

Song Nanyin was a little embarrassed. Actually, that kind of situation very rarely happened to her. That morning really had been an accident. She didn’t know what had been going on either.

“Then just treat it as that thing’s behavior. It has nothing to do with me.”

“Is that so? Then, what would make Team Leader Song stop being angry? Will this cheer you up?”

After Liu Zhaoran finished speaking, she didn’t give Song Nanyin room to speak and gently kissed her. The kiss was very light and ended quickly. Then, in Song Nanyin’s palm, which Liu Zhaoran held clasped in her own, there was one extra piece of candy.

“Team Leader Song, let’s go out. If you’re still angry, I’ll cheer you up again when we go back tonight. Think about what you want for dinner and send the menu to the cooking auntie’s WeChat.”