MC - Chapter 25

On Sunday, Zhang Rufan went for her routine morning run, took a shower afterward, and prepared to go out. She had invited Shen Mingjin over for dinner today and needed to go to the supermarket early to buy ingredients.

She had promised Zhang Zitong yesterday to take her to meet Shen Mingjin. The little girl was up and ready early. As soon as she saw Zhang Rufan come out of her room, she immediately put on her small backpack, scampered happily to the entrance, and put on her shoes by herself without any help.

"This girl got up so early—she's never this enthusiastic about going to school," Li Huishu said with a chuckle as she stood up. She glanced at Zhang Shengyi sitting on the sofa, who was looking at his elder daughter, clearly wanting to ask something but unable to bring himself to say it.

Li Huishu smiled and looked at Zhang Rufan, asking, "Zitong said the big brother she's meeting today lives downstairs from you?"

Zhang Rufan nodded.

"You two seem close—eating together, watching movies. Is he your... boyfriend?" Li Huishu probed tentatively.

"Not yet," Zhang Rufan paused before replying. "He hasn't agreed."

"Huh?" Li Huishu was surprised. She turned to Zhang Shengyi, unsure what to say for a moment.

Zhang Rufan also looked at Zhang Shengyi, whose expression was equally surprised, but he said nothing.

Zhang Shengyi was that kind of father. Before she turned eighteen, he disciplined her in many ways—instilling good habits, strengthening her body, and shaping her character. After she became an adult, he gave her a great deal of autonomy. Whether in studies or life, as long as what she did stayed within principle, he wouldn't interfere much or meddle.

When it came time to choose a university after her college entrance exam results came out, she was determined to go to Qingcheng, thousands of miles away. Zhang Shengpin advised her not to go so far, but Zhang Shengyi never stopped her—same with her career after graduation. So when it came to choosing a partner, unless Shen Mingjin was a criminal, she didn't need to worry about his opposition.

"I'm heading out," Zhang Rufan announced, adding that she wouldn't be back for lunch.

She took Zhang Zitong out with her, first taking the subway to OW, planning to personally choose the ingredients at the supermarket. But just as they reached the mall entrance, she changed her mind and pulled Zhang Zitong toward "Jindu."

On weekend mornings, the line at the café was shorter, but there were more customers seated inside.

Shen Mingjin was busy behind the counter when he suddenly heard a cry of "Big brother!" and turned around. He saw Zhang Rufan first, then lowered his gaze to spot Zhang Zitong, whom she was holding by the hand.

"What brings you here?"

"We’re going to the supermarket later," Zhang Rufan said, then asked, "Will you be back at the apartment for lunch?"

"I’ll be back." Shen Mingjin looked up, and the moment his eyes met Zhang Rufan's, his gaze wavered uncharacteristically. Forcing himself to stay composed, he said, "I won’t break a promise I made to you."

Zhang Rufan knew perfectly well that Shen Mingjin would keep his word. She hadn’t come here just to ask this redundant question—it was just that after a sleepless night, she couldn’t resist seeing him this morning.

Having seen him, Zhang Rufan tactfully took her leave without delaying his work further. She took Zhang Zitong’s hand and said, "I’ll message you when the food’s ready."

Shen Mingjin really wanted to accompany them to the supermarket, but with a staff member absent today and short-handed, he couldn’t leave. All he could do was nod in agreement.

Zhang Zitong was sensible too. Instead of clinging to stay, knowing Shen Mingjin was busy, she waved at him and cheerfully shouted, "Good luck!"

After they left, a regular customer teased, "Boss Shen, I haven’t been here in a while, and now you’ve got a wife and kid?"

Shen Mingjin knew it was just a joke and chuckled it off before turning back to making coffee.

Xiao Mu noticed the obvious change in his expression. Before Zhang Rufan arrived, he kept checking his watch, looking like he wanted to close up and turn customers away. Now, he was humming a tune, visibly in a good mood.

Xiao Mu clicked his tongue before reminding him, "Boss, Americano, no sugar."

…

After selecting ingredients at the supermarket, Zhang Rufan took Zhang Zitong back to Jinghua Garden.

She checked the time—there was still over an hour until lunch. Normally, that would be enough time for her to cook, but now that she had a guest, it felt a bit rushed.

Zhang Rufan first rinsed the rice and set it to steam, then took out the ingredients she’d bought to start cooking. She had finalized the menu last night, so she had a plan in mind and wouldn’t be flustered.

To make her independent early, Zhang Shengyi had taught her all kinds of life skills growing up—except cooking. She learned that from her grandmother after starting university, so the dishes she excelled at were southern cuisine, and even then, only a handful were presentable.

Her cooking was by the book, strictly following her grandmother’s instructions. When she cooked from recipes, she even measured seasonings down to the gram, earning criticism from her grandmother for failing to grasp the joy of cooking.

Zhang Rufan first washed the ribs and set them to simmer for soup, then began prepping the other ingredients. After a busy hour in the kitchen, she finally had all the planned dishes on the table.

She checked the time and texted Shen Mingjin, who promptly replied that he was downstairs and on his way up.

Zhang Rufan sighed in relief and stepped out of the kitchen, finally free to check on Zhang Zitong.

Earlier, busy with cooking, Zhang Rufan hadn’t been able to tend to Zhang Zitong. Worried the girl might be bored, she’d told her to fetch the picture books they’d bought last time. While Zhang Rufan was in the kitchen, Zhang Zitong had been well-behaved—she’d assumed the girl was reading, only to discover upon approaching that she’d somehow taken her tablet and was engrossed in a cartoon.

Modern children’s proficiency with tech was beyond Zhang Rufan’s understanding. Frowning, she asked, "Why are you watching cartoons?"

Zhang Zitong looked up, saw Zhang Rufan’s stern expression, pouted slightly as if intimidated, and silently turned off the cartoon.

"If you want to use the tablet, you should ask me first."

Zhang Rufan’s tone wasn’t harsh—measured and calm, yet carrying an air of quiet authority. Zhang Zitong hung her head, holding the tablet in both hands without a word.

Zhang Rufan sighed, took the tablet, and set it aside, gesturing, "Go wash your hands. It’s time to eat."

Zhang Zitong didn’t move, hanging her head as if wronged, on the verge of tears.

Zhang Rufan was about to say more when the doorbell rang, forcing her to answer it first.

"I could smell the deliciousness from outside," Shen Mingjin said as soon as the door opened.

Zhang Rufan pressed her lips into a faint smile and stepped aside to let him in.

This was Shen Mingjin’s second time at Zhang Rufan’s apartment. Last time, assuming she wouldn’t want much to do with him, he’d deliberately kept his distance. Who could’ve guessed their relationship would change so soon?

Once inside, Shen Mingjin heard Zhang Zitong sniffling. Turning, he saw the little girl sitting on the sofa wiping her tears.

"What’s up with the little one?" he asked, looking back.

Zhang Rufan sighed helplessly at the situation. "She took my tablet to watch cartoons. I scolded her, and now she’s sulking."

Shen Mingjin understood.

Zhang Rufan pointed to the dining table. "Have a seat first. I’ll go comfort her."

"Are you sure you know how to comfort a kid?"

"..."

Shen Mingjin chuckled. "Let me handle it."

He walked over to Zhang Zitong, crouched in front of her, and said with a smile, "Why the tears? Did you get upset because your sister scolded you?"

Zhang Zitong pouted.

Shen Mingjin rolled up his sleeves and performed another little magic trick for her—this time producing a small twist pastry.

"That star you gave me last time was really helpful. Thanks to it, my seal has been lifted."

Sure enough, Zhang Zitong’s attention was captured. Forgetting her tears momentarily, she took Shen Mingjin’s hand, examining it left and right with a puzzled look.

Shen Mingjin gave her the twist pastry, took a tissue from the box on the table, and wiped her tears. Only after she’d calmed down did he ask, "Did you ask your sister before taking the tablet to watch cartoons?"

Zhang Zitong silently shook her head.

"Then wasn’t that wrong?"

Zhang Zitong didn’t speak, but after a moment, she gave a small nod.

"Did your teacher at school teach you what to do when you’ve done something wrong?"

Zhang Zitong looked up, stealing a cautious glance at Zhang Rufan before murmuring, "Sis... sorry."

Watching Shen Mingjin soothe Zhang Zitong with just a few words, Zhang Rufan was momentarily stunned.

He was conveying the same principle, yet Shen Mingjin’s approach worked far better than hers. He was the kind of parent she’d loved as a child—not authoritarian, not just spouting cold logic. Yet growing up, she’d become an adult like Zhang Shengyi.

“What’s on your mind?” Shen Mingjin asked as he stood up.

Zhang Rufan snapped out of it. "...Nothing."

Repeating his trick, Shen Mingjin produced another twist pastry in front of Zhang Rufan, offering it to her. "The little one apologized. Forgive her."

He was treating her like a child too. Zhang Rufan couldn’t help but laugh.

Not one to nitpick with a child, she softened her tone and said to Zhang Zitong, "Go wash your hands. Time to eat."

This time, Zhang Zitong obeyed and went to the bathroom on her own.

Shen Mingjin was still holding out his hand. After a brief hesitation, Zhang Rufan took the twist pastry. Standing behind him earlier when he performed the trick for Zhang Zitong, she’d glimpsed how the magic worked.

"You always carry these... snacks with you?"

"Customers sometimes bring kids to the shop. This trick never fails to cheer them up." Shen Mingjin glanced at Zhang Rufan and added with a smile, "Works on adults sometimes too."

Zhang Rufan felt scalded by his gaze and averted her eyes. "Let’s eat... I made a few dishes. Not sure if they’ll suit your taste."

Shen Mingjin washed his hands in the kitchen and, after sitting down, surveyed the table—five dishes and a soup, all looking quite presentable.

"Looks good. Back in high school, you couldn’t even grill skewers properly," he remarked curiously.

"Hmm?"

"Second-year spring outing. Remember?"

Zhang Rufan thought back. In their second year, the class had indeed gone on a spring outing to the countryside. The teacher led everyone with fresh ingredients for a barbecue, and she’d been all thumbs, burning several skewers.

"I remember," Zhang Rufan recalled. "Didn’t you take over for me later?"

"Yep," Shen Mingjin laughed. "Afraid you’d char all the skewers."

Zhang Rufan spaced out for a second, suddenly realizing that although she and Shen Mingjin hadn’t interacted much directly in high school, their indirect encounters seemed frequent. She hadn’t noticed before, but now, thinking carefully, his presence lingered in the nooks of her memories.

She wondered if it was coincidence or deliberate.

Zhang Rufan served Shen Mingjin rice and handed him chopsticks. "Try it. See if it suits you."

Shen Mingjin took the chopsticks and picked up some food. Watching him, Zhang Rufan felt instantly nervous—even when her grandmother first evaluated her cooking, she hadn’t been this uneasy.

"How is it?"

"Tastes great," Shen Mingjin praised, then asked, "Did you take cooking classes in college?"

Zhang Rufan shook her head. "These dishes were all taught to me by my... grandma. She’s from Qingcheng."

"No wonder."

Zhang Rufan felt as if she’d passed a test, inexplicably relieved. She sat down, served Zhang Zitong rice, handed her a spoon, then picked up a piece of fish for herself, carefully removing the bones.

Shen Mingjin watched the two across from him—a grown woman and a little girl—and his gaze finally settled on Zhang Rufan as she carefully picked fish bones out of the fish for Zhang Zitong. Her brows were slightly furrowed, her whole attention focused, as if she were doing something delicate.

The scene carried a cozy, family-like warmth. Suddenly recalling the teasing remark from a customer that morning, Shen Mingjin felt his nerves ease, and his mind began to wander.

Zhang Rufan placed the deboned fish into Zhang Zitong’s bowl, noticing Shen Mingjin’s gaze. She looked up at him.

Their eyes met, and Shen Mingjin immediately snapped back to reality, pulling himself away from his daydream about the future.

He reminded himself that a wife and child were still far away—after all, she had only just taken his hand.

After the meal, Shen Mingjin offered to help Zhang Rufan clear the table, but she declined. Not wanting him to feel awkward, she entrusted Zhang Zitong to his care.

Shen Mingjin took Zhang Zitong to the living room. The little girl was very concerned about his well-being and asked, “Big brother, is your injury better now?”

“Ah...” Shen Mingjin paused for a moment, then remembered his “saving the world” persona and quickly replied, “It’s healed. Didn’t I just do some magic for you?”

“That’s great!” Zhang Zitong’s innocence shone through as she earnestly warned him, “You have to be careful next time. If you get hurt again, tell me—I’ll fold you another lucky star.”

Amused, Shen Mingjin happily nodded, “Okay.”

Zhang Zitong was fascinated by Shen Mingjin’s hero stories and kept peppering him with questions. Not wanting to disappoint her, he took on the role of Ultraman, recounting battles against monsters. What began as a simple effort to satisfy a child’s curiosity soon had him fully immersed in the storytelling.

Shen Mingjin and Zhang Zitong got along very well—one bold enough to invent stories, the other bold enough to believe them. When one exciting tale ended, both were left wanting more.

Zhang Zitong liked Shen Mingjin a lot. Sitting next to him, she looked up and asked, “Big brother, are you my sister’s boyfriend?”

Shen Mingjin glanced toward the kitchen and confidently answered, “Soon enough, I will be.”

“How soon is soon?” she asked.

He thought for a moment. “Before it snows this year.”

Zhang Zitong nodded, not fully grasping the meaning.

By the time Zhang Rufan finished washing the dishes and tidying the kitchen, Shen Mingjin and Zhang Zitong were already drawing together in the living room. Zhang Rufan briefly wondered where the art supplies had come from, then spotted Zhang Zitong’s small backpack and immediately understood.

Zhang Zitong looked up, saw Zhang Rufan, and hurriedly put down her pen and drawing, running over to her. In her rush, she accidentally knocked several picture books off the table.

Shen Mingjin bent down to pick up the books and was suddenly drawn to one lying on the floor.

“This is...” he murmured.

Zhang Rufan was surprised to see Shen Mingjin holding Anne of Green Gables. After a brief daze, she recalled that the night before, unable to sleep, she’d taken the book out and forgotten to put it back in the drawer, leaving it on the nightstand. Zhang Zitong must have grabbed it along with her picture books earlier.

Shen Mingjin naturally remembered the book—it had been in his hands five years ago.

The book had fallen open, revealing a letter inside. Shen Mingjin picked up the letter, surprised. “You kept this letter?”

Zhang Rufan had kept the letter, but not in the way he imagined. After a moment’s thought, she explained honestly, “I didn’t see this letter you gave me in high school. I only found it by chance when I came back this time.”

Shen Mingjin’s expression shifted to one of surprise, then after a pause, realization dawned.

He’d been puzzled before: if she’d mistaken his confession behind the teaching building during the pep rally for a prank, then what about the love letter tucked inside the book? Had she thought that was a joke too?

Now he understood—she had never seen the letter at all. No wonder she hadn’t reacted that day.

This also explained why, after their reunion during National Day, she had taken the initiative to get closer to him.

Was it simply because of this letter that she had become curious about him?

Characters

章入凡 (Zhāng Rùfán) – The protagonist.

沈明津 (Shěn Míngjīn) – A former classmate who wrote Zhang Rufan a love letter in high school, in her copy of Anne of Green Gables.

章胜义 (Zhāng Shèngyì) – Zhang Rufan’s father. 

李惠淑 (Lǐ Huìshū) – Zhang Rufan’s stepmother ("惠姨 Huìyí").

章梓橦 (Zhāng Zǐtóng) – Rufan’s much younger half-sister (~18 years age gap). 

章胜嫔 (Zhāng Shèngpín) – Rufan’s aunt (father’s sister). 

程怡 (Chéng Yí) – Rufan’s close friend from middle school. 

谢易韦 (Xiè Yìwéi) – High school class monitor who is getting married, prompting the reunion.

杜升 (Dù Shēng) – Someone Zhang Rufan didn't want to add as a friend on WeChat at first.

刘品媛 (Liú Pǐnyuán) – The planning department manager at OW.

孙璐 (Sūn Lù) – Zhang Rufan’s direct supervisor at OW, who goes by "Sister Lu" (璐姐, Lù Jiě).

袁霜 (Yuán Shuāng) – A friendly coworker in the planning department.

周慈 (Zhōu Cí) – Shen Mingjin’s mother

Sevyn here ~~~

Dun dun dun...