The man paused upon seeing her, then smiled as he changed shoes and walked over. "Finished with your classes?"

Yu Li shook her head. "Not yet. Have you finished handling school matters?"

"Mm, mostly done." Bo Jingmo placed his things on the table, leaned down to kiss her cheek, then said, "After lunch, I'll drive you back to school."

"Okay." Yu Li's peripheral vision caught what he'd brought back. "You bought cake too?"

"It's for you both." Bo Jingmo took the orange juice from her hands, poured a glass, and handed it over before whispering close, "Let that kid eat more so we can send him home after."

Preferably not staying for lunch.

Yu Li accepted the glass, blinked, then teased with a curved lip, "Uncle is so cold-hearted."

Bo Jingmo chuckled lowly. "He's taken up too much of your time already."

Yu Li laughed lightly, touching his face. "Getting jealous over a child?"

Meanwhile, the oblivious child Mu Hehe spotted his aunt's return and immediately brightened upon seeing the cake on the tray.

"Cake!!"

Yu Li pushed it toward him. "Eat first while I check your homework."

Mu Hehe answered crisply, "Okay!"

In the kitchen outside, Bo Jingmo removed his coat and rolled up his sleeves with slender fingers, revealing firm, powerful forearms.

Just as he opened the fridge, his peripheral vision caught Yu Li's phone left on the counter.

He was about to look away when the screen suddenly lit up.

His gaze instinctively fell on the notification pop-up:

[Yu Li, it's Rong Fan. Can you add me?]

Instantly, the man froze. His dark pupils reflected the screen's glow as he stared blankly at the message, his handsome face devoid of expression.

Only when the screen darkened again did he slowly look away, his unfocused gaze landing on the fridge before him.

Rong Fan...

He remembered this person.

Like Yu Jiao, he was Yu Li's former teammate.

But unlike Yu Jiao, Rong Fan had feelings for her.

Bo Jingmo's grip unconsciously tightened on the fridge door, veins rising on the back of his hand. His shadowed expression grew inscrutable, his sharp jawline turning cold.

When Yu Li hadn't regained her memories, he'd never considered Rong Fan a threat.

But now, things had changed.

If Yu Jiao could soften her heart, these teammates clearly meant something to her.

So did Rong Fan know her identity now? Why else would he message her?

Did Yu Li tell him?

Bo Jingmo's gaze fell distractedly on the phone, lost in thought.

After a long silence, he slowly reached out.

...

Morning tutoring ended with Mu Hehe devouring the entire cake. Yu Li had reminded him to save room for lunch, but the little boy patted his round belly and declared, "Auntie, I saved space! I'll still eat lunch!"

Such a tiny person with such an appetite.

Yu Li rubbed his belly, finding it not overly full, and nodded. "Play by yourself for a bit. I'll check on your uncle."

"Okay!"

Yu Li absently reached for her phone to check the time, only to grasp empty air.

Right, she'd left it in the kitchen.

She stood, carrying the empty dishes out.

Seeing her husband busy in the kitchen, she set the tableware down, walked over, tilted her head slightly, and smiled with her eyes curved.

“Director Bo, your plan fell through. That little one can eat even more than we thought…”

But when she noticed his distracted expression, she paused, blinking as she touched his face. "What's wrong? What are you thinking about?"

Bo Jingmo shook his head.

He turned to kiss her palm. "Nothing. Wait outside, sweetheart. Lunch is almost ready."

Yu Li didn't press, nodding. "Okay."

Her phone was indeed on the counter.

When she picked it up and checked the screen, the friend request stared back at her abruptly.

Her steps faltered as she studied the message pensively.

Completely missing how Bo Jingmo had turned to watch her.

Seeing her absorbed in the message, his eyes flickered. He pressed his lips into a hard line, nails digging into his palm.

...It's fine... Yu Li doesn't like Rong Fan.

It's fine...

Yet another voice whispered: "How do you know? She and Rong Fan survived life-and-death situations together. They knew Yu Li before you did—they saw her original self."

Bo Jingmo's breath hitched, eyelids trembling as his nails pressed deeper, the pain barely grounding him.

Staring at the blood on his fingertips, he recalled Xin Hao's answer from minutes ago:

Xin Hao: [Why ask about Rong Fan and Limu now? They were just normal teammates. Though I remember Rong Fan only joined because Limu saved him. We even joked she liked him, haha—she rarely intervened personally...]

Bo Jingmo hadn't registered the rest, his mind stuck on "Limu saved Rong Fan."

If Xin Hao knew, how could Bo Jingmo not? Yu Li was distant with strangers—not one for unnecessary kindness.

Even her initial interest in him... had only been because of his face.

At this thought, Bo Jingmo's hands stilled abruptly, expression blanking.

What did Rong Fan look like again...?

Feeling his control slipping, Bo Jingmo exhaled shakily, staring silently at the cooking pot.

No... he was better-looking than Rong Fan...

Yu Li still preferred him.

...

Mu Hehe ultimately stayed for lunch. It was his first time tasting his uncle's cooking, and he ate with sparkling eyes, grease smeared around his mouth.

"Mmm! So good! Uncle, you're amazing!"

Yu Li smiled faintly, handing the boy a napkin.

When she turned, her movements paused.

The praised man sat with bowed head, chopsticks untouched, clearly lost in thought.

With Mu Hehe present, she simply served Bo Jingmo vegetables. "No appetite?"

Bo Jingmo looked at the food, hurriedly snapping back. "No... just thinking. Eat too, sweetheart."

His gaze drifted irresistibly to her phone.

Had Yu Li accepted Rong Fan's request? Or ignored it?

She wouldn't accept... she disliked Deva, didn't she?

Then the screen lit up.

Bo Jingmo's heart lurched as he glanced down.

Instantly, his pupils constricted, chopsticks nearly snapping in his grip.

The screen displayed a familiar name:

Rong Fan: [Yu Li, are you free tonight? Let's meet.]