After the school beauty rejected me, I became her mom's number one fan!

At four o'clock on Saturday afternoon, Ning Xiuyang rang the doorbell of the Qiao family mansion, carrying two boxes of top-quality Longjing tea and a case of Lafite.

It was Qiao Jinlin who opened the door.

She was wearing a light blue floral dress, her long hair was casually tied back with a hair tie, and her face was clean and without makeup. Her bare face made her look softer than usual.

When she saw Ning Xiuyang, her eyes lit up noticeably, like sparks that had been ignited.

"You've arrived."

Qiao Feiyu's official residence is a three-story detached building located in a quiet cadre family area. It looks unremarkable from the outside, but two old osmanthus trees in the courtyard give the whole house a serene charm.

The living room is simply furnished, even somewhat plain, but the lines and textures of each piece of furniture exude a refined taste.

A framed calligraphy scroll hangs on the wall, with four large characters written in a vigorous and elegant style.

Cultivate a righteous mind and refine one's character.

Ning Xiuyang's gaze lingered on those four words for two seconds, and the corners of his mouth curled up in an almost imperceptible arc.

The signature is Qiao Jingtang.

Qiao Feiyu came out of the kitchen wearing a plaid apron and her hair was clipped behind her ear with a shark clip, revealing her smooth neck.

This demeanor was completely different from that of Secretary Qiao, who was meticulous and had a powerful presence in the office.

She saw the gift in Ning Xiuyang's hand and politely stepped forward.

"You're here, why did you bring anything?"

Her tone was just right, showing the reserve of a future mother-in-law facing her prospective son-in-law without being overly enthusiastic or distant.

"Of course, Aunt Qiao." Ning Xiuyang handed over the gift.

The moment Qiao Feiyu accepted the gift, her fingertips accidentally touched the back of Ning Xiuyang's hand. Her body stiffened slightly before returning to normal.

"Jinlin, show your senior around. Dinner will be ready soon."

"Okay!"

Qiao Jinlin grabbed Ning Xiuyang's hand and excitedly ran upstairs.

"Let me show you around my room!"

Her room was on the second floor, facing south, and bathed in sunlight. The room was cozy, with a princess bed and a huge bookshelf filled with professional books, various archery trophies, and photos of her with children at charity events.

She pulled out a slightly yellowed childhood photo from the album. The little girl in the photo was chubby and had two pigtails sticking up in the air.

"Look, I was so ugly when I was little," she said with a smile.

Ning Xiuyang looked at the photo, then at the graceful young woman in front of him.

"And now?"

Qiao Jinlin's face flushed instantly. She gently pushed him away and scolded, "Don't say that!"

The two laughed and joked as they left Qiao Jinlin's room and passed another room on the second floor.

A small wooden sign hangs on the door, which reads "Study".

"This is my mother's study. She usually works here," Qiao Jinlin casually introduced.

Just then, Qiao Jinlin's phone rang.

She glanced at the caller ID and frowned slightly: "It's a call from the foundation. It's probably about that batch of supplies. I need to take care of it."

She pointed to her room: "Wait for me in my room for a bit, or you can look around anywhere. I'll be right back."

After saying that, she took her phone and hurriedly went back to her room, closing the door behind her.

Ning Xiuyang was the only one left in the living room.

He walked slowly to the study door and gently pushed open the slightly ajar door.

The study was more dignified than the living room, with an entire wall of bookshelves and a large mahogany desk in the center.

Ning Xiuyang's gaze swept across the desk, finally landing on a small metal box.

He walked over and opened the box.

Inside the box, a black oil-based marker lay quietly.

That very night, Qiao Feiyu was in the bathroom, obeying his orders, and used the same stick he had used to write those shameful letters on his thigh.

She actually kept it.

Ning Xiuyang picked up the pen and twirled it between her fingers, as if she could still feel the dampness and trembling in her palms when she held the pen that night.

A footstep came from behind.

Qiao Feiyu walked in carrying a plate of cut fruit. When she saw that Ning Xiuyang was the only one in the study and that he was holding the box, her hand trembled uncontrollably, and she almost dropped the fruit plate.

Ning Xiuyang didn't turn around; his back was to her, and his gaze was fixed on the two osmanthus trees outside the window.

His voice was low, yet it was like an invisible command.

"Close the door."

Qiao Feiyu's back tensed instantly, like a puppet controlled by invisible strings. She took a deep breath, turned around, and gently closed the study door.

The moment the door closed, the air in the room seemed to freeze.

"Master..." Her voice was barely audible.

Ning Xiuyang turned around, put the pen back in the box, and closed it.

He walked up to her and looked at her calmly.

"At dinner," he said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "you will sit to my left."

Qiao Feiyu was taken aback.

"And another thing," he added, "you are not allowed to wear shoes the entire time."

Qiao Feiyu's breath hitched for a second. She looked up and met Ning Xiuyang's unfathomable eyes, her heart pounding wildly.

In my own home, right under my daughter's nose...

She took a deep breath, lowered her eyes, and nodded gently.

Ning Xiuyang smiled with satisfaction and reached out to open the study door.

Just then, the door to Qiao Jinlin's room opened.

The panic on Qiao Feiyu's face vanished instantly, and she returned to her dignified and gentle demeanor as the hostess. She carried the fruit platter out and called out towards Qiao Jinlin's room.

"Jinlin, are you done talking to the foundation? Wash your hands and get ready for dinner."

Dinner was quickly served.

Qiao Jinlin was the first to sit down, patted the chair next to him, and warmly greeted Ning Xiuyang, "Senior, sit here!"

However, Qiao Feiyu had already brought the last bowl of soup out of the kitchen and, as if by some strange twist of fate, naturally sat down in the seat to Ning Xiuyang's left.

Qiao Jinlin tilted his head, giving his mother a slightly puzzled look, but didn't think much of it, simply smiling and saying, "Mom, why are you sitting here today? You usually sit over there, don't you?"

"It doesn't matter where you sit, the point is to sit close so you and your boyfriend won't feel awkward."

Qiao Feiyu picked up her chopsticks nonchalantly, a polite smile on her face.

The table was set with five dishes and a soup. The braised pork ribs looked tempting, the steamed sea bass was tender and succulent, and there was also cucumber salad, garlic broccoli, and a pot of slow-cooked soup.

The dishes were simple home-style cooking, yet they were prepared to be delicious and visually appealing, far exceeding Ning Xiuyang's expectations.

Qiao Jinlin proudly placed a piece of spare rib on Ning Xiuyang's plate, boasting, "How about it? My mom's cooking is amazing, isn't it? She won an award in a cooking competition at work!"

When praised by her daughter in person, Qiao Feiyu showed a rare hint of embarrassment and glared at her daughter reproachfully.

Ning Xiuyang took a bite of the ribs and found them to be quite delicious. He sincerely praised, "Aunt Qiao's cooking is really good. We'll be in for a treat from now on."