From rejecting the beautiful female CEO to becoming extremely powerful

The sound of spatulas churning in the kitchen never stopped, and the aroma of cooking oil mixed with the smell of scallions and ginger drifted into the living room.

Ye Churan tied her apron neatly, and the stove was already full of plates: braised pork ribs, stir-fried vegetables, hot and sour shredded potatoes, and finally, tomato and egg soup was ladled into a large bowl.

She carried the tray to the restaurant and placed it on the table.

After setting out the bowls and chopsticks, I glanced around the living room; it was empty.

"Cloud boat? Like smoke?"

Ye Churan called out twice, but no one answered.

She wiped her hands, walked to the guest room door, and knocked twice: "Yunzhou, dinner's ready. Is Ruyan with you?"

Inside the guest room.

Lu Yunzhou felt as if he had been struck by lightning; his whole body jolted, and blood rushed to his head.

He turned his head and stared at the doorknob, his Adam's apple bobbing, his voice trembling with panic: "The teacher's here! Get out right now!"

"What about Ruyan?"

Ye Churan called out through the door.

Lu Yunzhou's mind raced, and his tongue got tied, but he managed to squeeze out, "Sister Ruyan is in the bathroom inside. She just helped me tidy up my luggage and said she was sweating and needed to wash her face."

There was a two-second silence outside the door.

Ye Churan's voice came through, her tone relaxed: "Alright, the food's getting cold, you two hurry up."

"Okay, teacher, right away."

The footsteps were heading towards the restaurant.

Lu Yunzhou let out a long breath, his chest pounding, his palms sweating profusely.

He glanced at Liu Ruyan, whose face was still flushed. She was leaning against the edge of the bed, a smile playing on her lips, her eyes full of mockery.

"Sister Ruyan, aren't you... afraid my teacher will run into us?"

Lu Yunzhou lowered his voice.

Liu Ruyan gathered her loose curly hair with her fingertips, raised an eyebrow, glanced at him, and gestured towards the door with her lip, making it clear—you go out first.

Lu Yunzhou pursed his lips, grabbed the T-shirt from the bedside table, put it on quickly, took a deep breath to calm his racing heart, opened the door and went out.

Inside the restaurant, Ye Churan was already seated, with three sets of bowls and chopsticks neatly arranged in front of her.

Seeing Lu Yunzhou approach alone, she tilted her head and asked, "Ruyan isn't ready yet?"

"She'll be right away. She's getting ready and will be out in a bit."

Lu Yunzhou pulled out a chair and sat down, placing his hands on the table. He didn't dare to look Ye Churan in the eye, his gaze fixed on the plate of ribs.

Ye Churan didn't think much of it. She stood up, rummaged through the cabinet, took out a bottle of Moutai, put it on the table, and said with a smile, "I'm happy today, want to have a drink? I'll have Ruyan join me for a couple of drinks too."

"it is good."

Lu Yunzhou quickly responded, reaching for the wine bottle.

Ye Churan patted him down: "Don't rush, wait until Ruyan comes out before pouring. By the way, take it easy on yourself, Ruyan's alcohol tolerance is terrifying, I've never seen her drunk before in school, don't let her get you passed out."

"Sister Ruyan has such a high alcohol tolerance?"

"She's a businesswoman, honed in the ways of the world, unlike the average person."

As soon as he finished speaking, footsteps came from the other end of the corridor.

Liu Ruyan walked out slowly, her hair already tucked behind her ears. Apart from a slight blush on her face, she remained calm as if nothing had happened.

Her upturned eyes curved at the corners as she glanced at Ye Churan and Lu Yunzhou, her voice laced with laughter: "Churan, what are you talking about behind my back? My ears are sharp."

Ye Churan chuckled: "Saying you have a high alcohol tolerance is considered making things up?"

"What's so great about mine? At most, I only have three ounces. I can't compare to you young people."

Liu Ruyan sat down, picked up her chopsticks, took a piece of pork rib and put it in her mouth, and mumbled a compliment, "Chu Ran's cooking skills haven't deteriorated, it's still so delicious."

The three of them sat down, and Lu Yunzhou unscrewed the bottle cap and poured Ye Churan a small half-cup first.

"Teacher, would you like a bite?"

Ye Churan glanced at the dishes on the table, then at the two people beside her.

With the cemetery arrangements settled, life became much easier. The things that had been piling up for months were finally settled, and I could finally relax.

She nodded slightly: "Come on, it's worth having a drink today."

Lu Yunzhou smiled, poured another cup for Liu Ruyan, and finally filled his own cup.

Liu Ruyan picked up her glass and touched the rims of both of their glasses together: "Come on, have a sip first."

The three cups clinked together lightly, and each person tilted their head back and took a sip.

As the liquor slid down her throat, the spiciness spread, and a light blush immediately rose on Ye Churan's fair face, adding a touch of gentle charm to her eyes.

After finishing her drink, Liu Ruyan put down her glass, picked up some food with her chopsticks but didn't put it in her mouth, and turned her gaze to Ye Churan: "Churan, actually, the reason I came to see you this time is that there is something I want to talk to you about in person."

Ye Churan chewed her food, then looked up and asked, "What is it? Tell me."

"Our company recently undertook a charity project, acquiring a welfare home to house all the neglected children in the surrounding area. We also plan to establish preschool education programs, providing children with a proper place to grow up."

Liu Ruyan paused, looked at Ye Churan, and said, "After thinking about it, you're the first person I thought of."

Ye Churan was taken aback and put down her chopsticks: "You want me to teach at the orphanage?"

"How could I let you be an ordinary teacher?"

Liu Ruyan smiled and waved her hand, leaning forward slightly. "We'll hire someone else to teach. I want you to be in charge of the entire orphanage and become its director."

"You've been in education for so many years, you're experienced and patient, no one is more suitable than you."

Lu Yunzhou chimed in from the side, "Professor Ye, this is great. You were already planning to resign from medical school anyway, so you can still do what you love as the director of the orphanage."

Ye Churan looked troubled, rubbing the rim of her cup between two fingers: "Teaching is no problem for me, but being the dean... I've never cared about these things before. What if I mess it up and ruin those kids' future?"

"Don't be afraid."

Liu Ruyan reached out and patted the back of her hand, her tone resolute.

"After you go there, you won't have to worry about money, nor will you have to go out to socialize, put on a smiling face, and solicit sponsorships."

"The welfare home is under our group's name, and the company will cover all expenses, so you won't suffer any injustice."

"The group has already given its approval, so no one dares to make things difficult for you."

Lu Yunzhou urged, "Teacher, just agree. With the position of orphanage director behind you, and with Sister Ruyan's company backing you up, who would dare to give you a hard time in the future?"

Ye Churan kept her head down and didn't say a word, her chopsticks resting on the rim of the bowl.

The room was quiet for a few seconds.

She thought of those children without parents, and then of herself standing on the podium for so many years, and the scales in her heart slowly tipped to one side.

"Then I'll try it first."

She looked up and said softly, "If you can't do it well, you should replace someone else immediately."

"rest assured."

Liu Ruyan smiled and spoke a beat faster.

"I brought you here because I believe you can manage this."

"I've reported your situation to my superiors, and they have a very high opinion of you. The matter is settled. I'll take you there to see the place first thing tomorrow morning."

After saying that, he picked up his wine glass and raised it to the two of them: "Come on, let's have another drink. He Churan is officially taking office."

Congratulations, teacher.

Lu Yunzhou raised his glass as well.

"Thank you both."

Ye Churan's eyebrows curved into a smile, her face flushed with the aftertaste of alcohol and a long-lost relaxed smile. She raised her glass and clinked it with the two men's.

Round after round of drinks, and most of the food was eaten. All three of them had flushed cheeks and their eyes were slightly hazy with drunkenness.