After finishing her work that day, Qian Meng reminded Mo Qingchen that she was headed to his parent's house. He was still in the middle of a meeting, so he responded with a short 'okay,' and then went back to work.

She wasn't offended in the least. The company was on the last leg of the biggest project in the last few years. The fact that Mo Qingchen was making time for her every day and coming home, itself, was a huge testament to how much he loved her and prioritized her over his work.

He kept to his word, so she didn't bother feeling left out when he didn't respond immediately or couldn't drive her home.

Qian Meng got to Mo Qingchen's home a few minutes after she was supposed to and Mo Qingchen's mom was already there waiting for her. She scrambled out of her car as soon as she had parked and hurried over to her as her mother-in-law emerged from her SUV. The same one she had been using when Qian Meng was studying under her.

"I'm sorry I am late," Qian Meng apologized as she went to exchange a hug with her mother-in-law. "Did you have an extra lesson today?" she asked casually.

"I just got home myself. I had some students who wanted clarification on a topic taught in class," she assured Qian Meng dismissively.

"I just sent some dinner for Mo Qingchen. I lost track of time," she said sheepishly.

"Oh. How is he? He doesn't call me enough, you know," his mother complained.

"I know." She frowned. "He's just—"

"Busy. I know." The other sighed.

Qian Meng felt guilty for him. She knew her mother-in-law wished that Qingchen would spend more time with her. One of the countless things Qian Meng adored about her was the depth of love she seemed to have for her children… however misplaced her love was. Her affection radiated from her when she looked at them.

None of these kids knew how lucky they were for that. Qian Meng's mom didn't look at her like that.

Qian Meng made a mental note to tell Qingchen to call her more.

"Well, you should come to our home and stick around until he gets home," she offered. "If you want."

The professor shook her hand. "No. I don't want to intrude on your evenings together. Besides, didn't he question the authenticity of your cooking the last time I taught you to make something?"

Qian Meng smiled. She was still on her mission to make presentable food. Most of the time, she failed miserably but the food ended up tasting good. At least, she was not wreaking the kitchen any longer.

She had come over a few times to learn how to make his favorite dishes as a child. She had made some cakes and taken them home to him, but when she told him she had made them, Qingchen just laughed and said it was nice of his mother to let her take credit.

He felt really bad when he realized she had indeed cooked them herself. Of course, he had joked and known she was excited to show it to him. His teasing didn't hamper her enthusiasm.

But she had decided that she would up her cooking game. Instead of making desserts, she made whole meals. She still needed some help to contain the creative explosion, but she was impressing Mo Qingchen with each passing attempt at meal preparation.

"I already have everything we are going to need," Her mother-in-law commented as she moved to open up the door to the back seat.

"What time will father-in-law be home?" Qian Meng asked quickly. The man never really gave her a good expression. It could be said that he wasn't overly displeased, but Qian Meng liked avoiding him at all costs, especially after knowing what a piece of trash he was.

"A little after eight."

Qian Meng smiled. "Perfect."

Sometime later, Qian Meng stood at the sink, washing her hands and waiting for the sitting time for the ingredients to end. They were not ready to go into the oven yet, but they were prepared. With her mother-in-law's thorough instructions, everything was prepared without destruction.

It was nice spending time with the Professor. Aside from the help she got, Qian Meng enjoyed the process of cooking with someone. Sometimes, Mo Yize would come in and steal some pieces of food before retreating. The whole time, the only conversation she had was with Qian Meng and not her mother. They seemed to be going through a rough patch once again. What had made that happen, Qian Meng didn't know.

But still, Qian Meng could see that Mo Yize's attitude towards people was changing.

"Is everything alright?" Li Li Hua asked, looking over at Qian Meng as she dried her hands.

"What?" Qian Meng responded breathlessly, suddenly snapping out of her faze. "Everything is fine. I think the ingredients are ready."

Li Li Hua clapped her hands. "Great! They will bake quickly, so you don't want to put them in yet. We should sit and have a glass of wine while we wait on the chicken. What say you?"

Qian Meng chuckled. "I need to drive back. I'll just have something non-alcoholic," she said. Despite this, she opened a bottle of wine and poured a glass for Li Li Hua.

Her mother-in-law pulled an album of pictures and informed Qian Meng that she had found it while trying to clear some space in the house. They were mostly pictures of the kids, and Qian Meng enjoyed them immensely.

"Aw!" she cooed when Li Li Hua showed a picture of Mo Yize as a tiny baby. "She looks like a porcelain doll!"

Li Li Hua nodded. "People would tell me that about Yize all the time," she grinned. "She was a stunning baby."

Qian Meng smiled widely as she turned to another page.

"My heart," Li Li Hua sighed, placing a hand over her chest. "Here's my Xiao Chen."

Qian Meng grinned widely as she looked at the picture of a stocky little boy in the bathtub. He was on his stomach with his bare ass sticking up into the air. He looked back over his shoulder at the camera with a toothy grin.

"Oh my god. You need to show that to his girlfriend," Qian Meng said quickly.

Mo Xiao Chen had found himself a girlfriend and they had been together for a while. From what she had heard from Xiao Chen when he returned home to see her, things were heating up between them. He looked smitten.