Midnight Diner

Soon, Su Yang arrived at the parking lot outside the private club in the backyard. By now, the alcohol in his system had completely dissipated. He got into his car and drove toward the Qianshan Peninsula villa district.

The streets at this late hour were relatively empty. As Su Yang sped down the road in his sleek RS7, he occasionally drew envious glances from passersby.

Fifteen minutes later, he pulled up outside the gates of Qianshan Peninsula. The automatic barrier at the villa entrance rose, and Su Yang drove in slowly.

Before long, he reached Pan Ning’s villa and parked his car. From the outside, he could see that nearly every room in the house was lit up.

Su Yang looked up and muttered to himself, "Huh? Isn’t she home alone?"

"Damn, is she messing with me? Could her parents be here too? Otherwise, why’s the whole place lit up like this?"

A little puzzled, Su Yang walked up to the villa’s entrance and rang the doorbell. Although Pan Ning had given him the passcode earlier, he was worried that if her parents were home, barging in unannounced might be awkward.

Then it occurred to him that his hearing was sharp. Smirking to himself, he pressed his ear against the door and listened carefully.

From inside, he could faintly hear the sound of a TV and the faint trickle of running water. Nothing else.

"Guess I was overthinking it."

Since the door hadn’t opened yet and he could hear the water, Su Yang figured Pan Ning must be taking a shower.

Without further hesitation, he entered the passcode on the door.

Click—the door unlocked.

Su Yang stepped into the villa’s modest front yard, closing the gate behind him. He then walked briskly to the main entrance and entered another passcode.

Another click—the front door opened.

Su Yang stepped inside to find the entire first floor brightly lit. Aside from the sound of the TV in the living room, there was no sign of anyone else.

After closing the door, he glanced around. Pan Ning wasn’t downstairs.

Standing in the living room, he could now hear the sound of running water from upstairs much more clearly.

"She really is showering," he chuckled to himself, walking over to the fridge. He pulled out an ice-cold cola and took a few sips.

"Mmm… refreshing!"

Carrying the drink, Su Yang plopped down on the sofa. The TV was playing a variety show called Six Haha. He idly watched for a while, occasionally laughing at the antics on screen.

After a few minutes, he suddenly slapped his thigh. "Oh right, damn it—I need to cook for her."

Remembering his actual task, Su Yang stood up and hurried to the kitchen.

The kitchen lights were also on. He opened the large built-in double-door fridge and rummaged through it. Inside, he found only frozen shrimp, cod, steak, eel, and similar ingredients.

Closing the fridge, he turned to a cabinet and pulled out a pack of ramen noodles.

"Looks like she mostly orders takeout—hardly any fresh ingredients here."

"Well, since it’s ramen, I’ll make her some eel noodle soup."

As he spoke, Su Yang took out an eel from the fridge and put it in the microwave to thaw. Then he started preparing the broth for the noodles.

Fortunately, basic seasonings were available—otherwise, even with his culinary skills, the dish would lack soul.

He mixed salt, Sichuan peppercorns, soy sauce, lard, and other seasonings in a bowl, then finely chopped some garlic, ginger, and scallions for garnish.

A few minutes later, he took out the thawed eel, cleaned it, and sliced it into thin strips.

He marinated the eel strips in a bowl with cooking wine, salt, and other seasonings. The marinating process would take about ten minutes, so Su Yang left the kitchen to relax for a bit.

Just as he reached the living room, he heard a door close upstairs.

Tap, tap, tap—footsteps followed.

Su Yang sat back on the sofa and looked toward the staircase. The last time he’d been here, the person coming downstairs had been Pan Ning’s father.

Surely it couldn’t be him again this time.

A few seconds later, Pan Ning’s graceful figure appeared at the top of the stairs. Fresh out of the shower, she wore a thin, champagne-colored silk nightgown with a low neckline. The hem stopped mid-thigh.

The sheer nightgown, combined with her slightly flushed face from the hot shower, gave her an alluring, half-veiled beauty.

Su Yang’s eyes widened slightly. 'Damn, she never disappoints.'

Pan Ning noticed Su Yang sitting on the sofa, staring at her with a silly grin.

As she descended the stairs, she rubbed her damp short hair with a towel and said casually, "You’re here."

"Yep, just got here a few minutes ago. Showering?"

"Yeah."

Their exchange sounded like that of a long-married couple—the wife just finished bathing, and the husband just returned home from work.

Pan Ning sat down beside Su Yang, still drying her hair. A faint fragrance drifted into his nostrils.

"Why’d you turn on all these lights?"

"Habit."

"Is it really a habit… or are you scared?"

Pan Ning’s hand paused for a split second. "What’s there to be scared of?"

Su Yang smirked but didn’t press further, changing the subject instead. "Stop rubbing your hair. Where’s the hairdryer? You should dry it properly, or you’ll catch a cold."

"There’s one in the first-floor bathroom. Grab it for me."

"Sure." Su Yang got up and headed to the bathroom.

He returned with the hairdryer, plugged it in, and handed it to Pan Ning. "Here."

Pan Ning turned to him with a calm expression. "You dry it for me."

"Aren’t you hungry? I should go cook."

"No. I want you to dry my hair."

Su Yang chuckled helplessly, giving her an indulgent look. "Fine, I’ll do it. But I’m not great at this—if it gets messy, don’t blame me."

"Do whatever. Just dry it."

"Alright."

Standing up, Su Yang turned on the hairdryer and began blow-drying her hair.

Pan Ning suddenly tugged him back down onto the sofa. Then she turned around, lying on her back with her head resting on his lap. "This is more comfortable. Keep going."

"You sure know how to make yourself comfy."

"Of course."

Smiling, Su Yang ran his left hand through Pan Ning’s damp, slightly wavy short hair while adjusting the hairdryer’s angle with his right.

[Ding—Host is thoroughly enjoying the moment. Reward: 2 million.]

A few minutes later, Su Yang finally finished drying her hair.

Pan Ning sat up, shaking her head lightly. "Mm, that’s good. Now go make me noodles."

Su Yang set down the hairdryer with a grin. "On it."

Back in the kitchen, the eel strips were now properly marinated. Su Yang heated oil in a wok.

Once the lard melted and its aroma filled the air, he tossed in the chopped garlic and ginger, stir-frying until fragrant.

Next, he added the marinated eel strips, stir-frying them over high heat.

The kitchen was soon filled with an irresistible aroma. Su Yang swallowed hard. "Damn, now I’m hungry too. Whatever—there’s enough eel for two bowls."

After stir-frying for a few more minutes, he added cooking wine, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, and a pinch of salt for flavor.

Then he mixed a small bowl of water and starch, drizzling it in to thicken the sauce.

Just then, Pan Ning wandered into the kitchen, drawn by the delicious smell. Watching Su Yang work intently, she called out softly, "Su Yang."

Su Yang tilted his head and looked at Pan Ning leaning against the kitchen doorway. "What's up? Can't wait?"

"Nope."

"Then what is it?"

"You look kinda handsome when you're serious about cooking~"

Hearing this, Su Yang couldn't help but laugh. "Hahaha, really? Getting a compliment from my dear Pan Ning is an absolute honor~"

Pan Ning rolled her eyes at him. "Smooth talker. So, what are you frying now? Smells amazing. Weren’t you supposed to make me noodles?"

"Yep, eel noodles."

"Oh? You can make eel noodles too?"

"Heh, if it exists in this world, I can cook it."

"Sure, keep bragging."