High school students truly have boundless energy. Despite it being Saturday, Gu Zhijing didn't stay home to sleep in. Instead, he got up early to play basketball with his friends. Before leaving, Gu Zhijing made sure to mention that he'd be bringing his friends over to play video games in the afternoon.
Basketball in the morning, video games in the afternoon, and homework on Sunday - he had his weekend all planned out.
"Nanny Zhang, could you make that cake from last time? Zhijing's friends are coming over this afternoon," Nian Suian thought it would be perfect to treat the kids with cake, and she was quite keen on having some herself.
Hearing that Zhijing had friends coming over, Nanny Zhang happily agreed, "I can make a few different flavors." Then she asked Nian Suian, "Are any girls coming over?"
Nian Suian chuckled, "Nanny Zhang, aren't you getting ahead of yourself? Zhijing's only in his first year of high school." Although Nian Suian might not have been in a position to worry about such things, she didn't want Gu Zhijing to be like his father. She didn't know exactly what had happened with Gu Junxing back then, but it certainly wasn't responsible behavior, especially considering the country's legal marriage age wasn't set as a joke.
Changing the subject, she continued talking about making the cake, "I'll help you make it later. Let's get Gu Junxing to join us too."
"But... the boss has never done anything like this before."
Nian Suian didn't care, "If he's never done it, he can learn. We can't be the only ones entertaining his son's friends while he, the father, sits idle."
With that, she ran upstairs to find Gu Junxing. Recently, when he was at home, he either exercised or stayed in his study reading books or handling work matters, essentially becoming a homebody.
Reaching the study door, Nian Suian knocked, "Mr. Gu, may I come in?"
Hearing a "Come in" from inside, Nian Suian pushed open the door and entered.
After entering, Nian Suian didn't rush to speak. Instead, she wandered around the study with her hands behind her back. To the left of the entrance, an entire wall was covered with bookshelves. Nian Suian approached to take a closer look, noticing books ranging from literature to history, and even technology-related topics.
Nian Suian remained silent, and so did Gu Junxing, quietly watching her circle around the bookshelves.
"Are you busy?" Nian Suian finally asked after circling the bookshelves three times.
"Not at the moment. What's the matter?"
"Perfect, come make a cake with me." Nian Suian spoke casually, not thinking that asking Gu Junxing to make a cake was anything out of the ordinary.
Gu Junxing, however, was stunned. It seemed he had never associated himself with cake-making before.
"I don't know how," Gu Junxing answered honestly. In fact, he rarely even entered the kitchen.
"If you don't know, you can learn! You're just sitting around anyway," Nian Suian said matter-of-factly.
Gu Junxing knew that Nian Suian had been learning to make cakes from Nanny Zhang, but he hadn't expected her to drag him into learning as well.
Seeing Gu Junxing not moving, Nian Suian suspiciously asked, "Mr. Gu, you don't still believe in that old saying about gentlemen staying away from the kitchen, do you?"
Gu Junxing shook his head, "That saying itself has been misinterpreted by later generations, and I don't hold such beliefs anyway."
"Well, that settles it then." Nian Suian stepped forward, grabbing Gu Junxing's arms with both hands and pulling him up.
Gu Junxing had actually been about to stand up anyway, but seeing Nian Suian pull him, he pretended to rise with her force.
Outside the study, Nian Suian didn't let go of his arm. Gu Junxing glanced at her hand but didn't move, allowing her to lead him.
"I asked Nanny Zhang, and she said that when Zhijing brought friends home before, you were never around, right?" Nian Suian didn't wait for Gu Junxing to answer, as she had already found out the truth. She continued, "Let me tell you, Zhijing is really excited and attaches great importance to his friends coming over today. You're finally home, so you need to make a good impression as his father, understand?" Even if kids don't say it out loud, they surely hope their parents can warmly welcome their friends when they come over.
After chattering for a while without hearing Gu Junxing respond, Nian Suian couldn't help but ask, "Are you listening?"
"I'm listening," Gu Junxing replied helplessly. Since Nian Suian's arrival, that little rascal Zhijing's status at home had skyrocketed, and now even he, the father, had to take a back seat.
"Also, you need to smile more. Don't be too serious, or you'll scare the kids."
Nanny Zhang hadn't expected the madam to actually bring the boss down, let alone see them come down holding hands (or rather, wrists). To Nanny Zhang, this was as good as announcing they'd be having a second child tomorrow.
"Madam, Boss, I need to go buy some groceries. I've prepared all the ingredients, so you can start right away." With that, she left the kitchen, but not before finding Butler Su and instructing him to make sure no one approached the kitchen!
The kitchen was no longer just a kitchen in her eyes; it had clearly become a love nest for the couple!
However, the two people in question didn't see it as a love nest at all, especially Gu Junxing. Standing in the kitchen, he looked like a fish riding a bicycle or a dog wearing a hang glider... in short, he was at a complete loss.
At first, Nian Suian didn't plan to give him any difficult tasks. She handed Gu Junxing the fruits Nanny Zhang had prepared for the cake filling, "Dice these fruits into small cubes."
She herself started beating eggs for the cake base. The proportions of ingredients had all been prepared by Nanny Zhang, so she didn't have to worry about using too much or too little.
After putting the cake base in the oven, Nian Suian took a moment to check on Gu Junxing's progress with the fruit. She had prepared herself for the fruit to be cut messily, thinking it wouldn't matter since it was just for the filling anyway.
To her surprise, Gu Junxing's cutting was unexpectedly good. Apart from being a bit slow, it was almost flawless.
Nian Suian, well-versed in the art of flattery, immediately applauded and exclaimed, "Wow! That's amazing! Could you be the legendary culinary genius?"
Although Gu Junxing didn't think dicing fruit was something particularly praiseworthy, faced with Nian Suian's straightforward compliment, he couldn't help but curl up the corners of his mouth. However, he still said smugly, "It's just cutting fruit, what's so difficult about that?"
"Wrong! The seemingly simplest tasks are often the hardest to perfect. Look at how you've managed to cut the strawberries and mangoes into pieces of the same size. You're incredible! I'll leave the job of spreading cream on the cake base to you as well."
"No problem."
Under Nian Suian's praise, Gu Junxing ended up completing all the work of frosting the cake, piping decorations, and adding finishing touches by himself.
"You planned this all along, didn't you?" Gu Junxing said, not pausing in his task of adding a border to the cake.
Nian Suian just smiled without saying a word.
Shortly after they finished making the cake, Gu Zhijing returned home with three friends.
Nian Suian took their things and greeted each of them.
These kids were indeed quite intimidated by Gu Junxing, even though he was trying his best to maintain a gentle expression.
"Why don't you all go upstairs to play?" Nian Suian smiled at them, then said to Gu Zhijing, "There's cake in the kitchen. Take it upstairs to eat. Your dad made it."
Hearing this, Gu Zhijing could hardly believe it. He immediately looked at his father.
Gu Junxing cleared his throat lightly before saying to his son, "Go on and play."
Gu Zhijing was half-believing, half-doubting. It wasn't until he saw the cake that he started to believe what Nian Suian had said was true. After all, no one else in the family could make such an ugly cake.