The Taste of Love Starts in the Kitchen (GL) - Chapter 51

In an instant, Qian Qian’s curiosity was piqued, and without hesitation, she got out of bed and quietly walked over to the coffee table. She saw the screen of the phone flashing with the name “Yaoyao.”

Upon seeing the name, Qian Qian hesitated for a moment, but in the end, she gently picked up the phone from the table and handed it to Song Baili.

“Oh, thank you.”

In the past, Song Baili would have immediately answered the phone, but today, she didn’t even glance at it. With a slight frown, she decisively slipped the phone into her bag.

Qian Qian sat on the edge of the bed. Her gaze, like a fine drizzle, lightly passed over Song Baili’s face, but in the subtle moments, she caught a glimpse of something unexpected.

Her heart was filled with various speculations, and she felt like she had unintentionally uncovered a hidden secret.

“Why don’t you pick up the phone?”

“It’s late. I’ll call her back tomorrow.”

Qian Qian fell into a silent thought, her mind drifting but unable to find the right words.

She looked at the clock hanging on the wall, the hour hand pointing quietly at 9:00. She shrugged, a sense of helplessness in her posture.

When she turned to look at Song Baili, her pupils suddenly dilated, and there was a trace of astonishment in her eyes, as if she was struck by the scene before her.

Song Baili seemed to radiate a blueish, melancholic aura, creating a sense of mystery unique to her. Her eyes were as deep as the starry sky, and her demeanor was as serene as spring water, as though time itself slowed down when she was near.

Her face was like a masterpiece of art, every detail perfectly crafted. She was like an exquisite painting, drawing attention no matter where she was.

Look at her face—she could even make a frown look beautiful, and even her sadness had a touch of ethereal grace, like a frozen flower blooming in a small northern courtyard, making people want to plant a whole spring for her.

Thinking of this, Qian Qian couldn’t help but sigh quietly.

Her heart fluttered like the harsh northern wind, but if it didn’t reach the other person’s heart, it felt like petals drifting in the wind—beautiful but without a place to land.

A sense of unprecedented heaviness and frustration washed over Qian Qian. She lay back down, one hand gently supporting her chin, her eyes locked onto Song Baili’s face, a look of confusion and wonder in her gaze.

She pursed her lips, unable to suppress the disappointment in her heart, and said:

“So what if it’s your sister? If you don’t want to deal with her, just treat her like a little stone by the roadside—don’t even step on it.”

Song Baili’s face tilted slightly, her fingers lightly tapping the bedspread. The fabric was pulled taut between her fingers, creating a silent sense of anxiety. Her eyes drifted to the window, gazing at the stars, lost in quiet thought.

After a brief silence, Song Baili’s soft voice broke the stillness.

“Actually, I’m not related to the Song family by bl00d. My real father is a child adopted by the Song family.”

Qian Qian was momentarily stunned.

In that instant, her emotions were pulled in all directions, leaving her dizzy and lost, as if she had fallen into an unexpected whirlpool of feelings.

Her gaze lingered on Song Baili’s profile, as though she could see a trace of unnoticed loneliness. Her lips trembled, wanting to say something, but found her words too pale and inadequate to express the endless emotions swirling within her.

“My uncle treats me like his own daughter, but I’ve done something that wronged the Song family. I feel guilty, so I thought I’d move out to avoid making another mistake.”

Qian Qian knew Song Baili as a person who was very strict with herself, so she couldn’t understand what could possibly be such a big problem that it needed her to move out.

She focused, resting her chin in her hand, her brow furrowed slightly. Her expression changed rapidly from bright to serious, as if her face were a constantly shifting emoji.

Suddenly, she looked up at Song Baili, a playful tone in her voice as she said:

“Bai-jie, you always cherish your words and stay silent like soundproof glass, but tonight, you’ve let a few emotional bombs fly. It feels like I’m special to you.”

Song Baili’s face turned slightly, a faint blush blooming on her fair skin.

She gently brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and gave a shy smile, seeming a little more relaxed after Qian Qian’s teasing.

Qian Qian suddenly sat up straight on the bed, her posture firm like a mountain, her gaze directed at Song Baili. With a voice both firm and gentle, she said:

“These little secrets I’ll keep to myself, and as for you staying here, my lips are sealed tight like screws. So don’t worry, stay as long as you want, I’ve opened the gates for you.”

A gentle smile appeared on Song Baili’s lips, and a warm ripple seemed to spread in her eyes. Her hand tightened slightly, as though feeling touched by the gesture.

After a moment’s hesitation, she made up her mind and looked into Qian Qian’s eyes, saying:

“There’s one more thing I don’t think I should hide from you.”

One more thing?

Qian Qian raised an eyebrow without realizing, her eyes like a bright moon, rippling with curiosity.

She stared at Song Baili, her gaze so intense it felt like it could pierce through any fog. She grabbed a small pillow and hugged it to her chest, like a soft shield, protecting her from the emotional storm that might come.

Song Baili’s lips parted, ready to speak, but suddenly a thought crossed her mind. Her words shifted, returning to her heart.

Qian Qian patiently waited, seeing that Song Baili seemed like she wanted to say something but was holding back. Unable to wait any longer, she lightly kicked her with the tip of her foot, urging:

“Come on, just say it. Stop playing hide and seek. I’m not afraid of a landmine-level secret. I’m waiting for you to hit me with something earth-shattering.”

Song Baili flinched, her eyes briefly lowering, as if trying to hide the flash of surprise and teasing that passed through them.

Then, slowly, she raised her eyes, speaking lightly, her words as soft as the breeze:

“I’m married.”

Qian Qian felt as if the sky suddenly split with thunder, a lightning bolt striking her heart and shaking her soul out of place.

The sudden news hit like a heavy blow, shattering her calmness. She froze, her face turning pale, her lips trembling, as if all her strength had been drained, leaving her like a stretched-out string at its breaking point.

“Qian Qian?”

Hearing Song Baili call her name, Qian Qian snapped back to reality as if shocked.

Without hesitation, she threw the pillow aside and practically lunged at Song Baili, grabbing her shoulders tightly. Her facial muscles twitched, and an indescribable pain flowed through her eyes, her tone suddenly sharp and agitated as she said:

“Song Baili, are you really married? You’ve really become someone’s wife?”

Qian Qian stared at Song Baili’s face, her dark eyes deep like an endless universe, her gaze filled with quiet loneliness.

A deep melancholy flowed through her eyes, as if a storm was raging in them, despair tearing apart the clouds of darkness, swallowing all light.

Song Baili was startled by Qian Qian’s reaction, feeling as if her mind had suddenly pressed pause. The room fell into a brief silence.

After a moment of stunned hesitation, she swallowed nervously, opening her mouth, her voice hesitant:

“‘Dizziness’ as in fainted, our new boss is Song Qinyao. How could I not faint?”

Qian Qian stared blankly at Song Baili, her eyes wide like a cat’s, her lips moving as if trying to speak, but no words came out.

She slowly released her grip on Song Baili’s shoulders and returned to the bed, frowning slightly, her face filled with a tangle of emotions. She rubbed her temples absentmindedly, exhaustion showing in her eyes.

“What’s wrong?”

Song Baili asked with concern.

“Sigh, I’m already ‘fainting’ too.”

Suddenly, Song Baili laughed, and the somewhat serious atmosphere was blown away by the lightness of the moment, like a cheerful breeze dispersing the tension. Her laugh filled the air, and everything around them seemed lighter.

Qian Qian lay back down on the bed, her face brightening. Her eyes met Song Baili’s, and she smiled warmly, her eyes narrowing into two crescent moons of happiness.

In the early morning, the first light of dawn gently streamed into the room. Song Qinyao struggled to open her eyes.

Determined, she quickly reached for her phone, her eyes locked on the screen, her fingers moving quickly over the touchpad, her heart filled with anxious anticipation.

Suddenly, a wave of dizziness washed over her, beads of sweat forming on her forehead. The heaviness in her chest grew, and every breath felt like it was being blocked by something she couldn’t get through.

The screen in front of her blurred, and she slowly lay back down, her face pale, the weight in her chest making it hard to breathe. She absentmindedly pressed her hand against her chest.

Her consciousness slowly faded, as if she was drifting on the edge of a dream. She lost track of time, unable to tell how long she had been lying there.

In her dazed state, she felt someone quietly enter the room. She weakly called out “sister.”

After that, a warm hand gently stroked her forehead before the person hurriedly left, leaving behind silence.

Then, she heard a flurry of movement in the room. It seemed more people were rushing in, and she tried to open her eyes, wanting to understand what was happening. But her vision remained unclear.

Her eyelids grew heavy, and her consciousness slipped away, the voices and images fading into the distance until everything sank into the dark void of dreams.