C7 Private Resolution 1

Upon receiving her grandfather's approval, Meng Jingxian promptly instructed the driver to take her home to pack her luggage. Throughout the return journey, neither Chu Yang nor Gu Panpan uttered a word, maintaining their silence all the way home.

That evening, Chu Yang's prediction proved accurate. The two women fiercely debated over who would get the room adjacent to his. It was just a room, yet Meng Jingxian and Gu Panpan managed to once again redefine Chu Yang's perception of women. Eventually, they settled the dispute with a best-of-three competition, resulting in Meng Jingxian securing the room next to Chu Yang's, while Gu Panpan ended up in the room next to that, which was also beside Meng Jingxian's. Chu Yang's room was located at the end of the hallway.

To minimize unnecessary complications in his daily life, Chu Yang felt compelled to lay down some house rules. He stated earnestly, "I'm pretty laid-back, so feel free to go about your business without consulting me. But come nighttime, if I'm in my room, please try to avoid disturbing me. If there's an issue, give me a call. Only if it's absolutely necessary should you knock on my door, and never enter without permission."

Chu Yang's insistence stemmed from his need to practice his skills in private at night, keen on keeping both his true identity and secrets well-concealed. Hence, he stressed the importance of not entering his room without consent after dark.

Both women readily agreed to this condition, as they had more pressing matters to attend to now that they had moved in.

The following morning, Meng Jingxian rose unusually early. Normally, one wouldn't catch a glimpse of her at this hour, but today she was stirred awake by the sounds of Gu Panpan bustling in the kitchen, preparing breakfast. With practiced ease, Gu Panpan cracked and fried eggs, her movements fluid as if she had done it countless times before.

Observing Meng Jingxian stumble into the kitchen, still rubbing the sleep from her eyes and looking drowsy, Gu Panpan couldn't resist suggesting, "If you're still feeling tired, why not head back to bed for a bit longer? Chu Yang isn't up yet anyway." All the while, Gu Panpan continued her kitchen tasks, moving on to boil soy milk after finishing with the eggs.

Yes, Chu Yang was still asleep, and it was already 6:30 in the morning. For those like them, whose schedules were not their own to arrange, it was high time to rise. This was Chu Yang at his most mortal, just as prone to lingering in bed as anyone else.

Meng Jingxian watched Gu Panpan whip up breakfast with such ease that she felt a sudden itch to learn. With the idea planted, her motivation bloomed. A few minutes spent brushing her teeth and washing her face, and she was back in the kitchen, where Gu Panpan was putting the finishing touches on breakfast. "I want to learn how to make breakfast too. Could you teach me?" Meng Jingxian asked.

Gu Panpan couldn't help but look up at her, touched by the genuine expression on her face. She felt a pang of helplessness—Meng Jingxian was the quintessential rich young lady, inexperienced yet curious about everything. Gu Panpan had been inclined to refuse, but Meng Jingxian's eager eyes made her feel as if saying no would be a grave disservice, almost bringing her to tears.

As Gu Panpan wrapped up her tasks, she acquiesced to Meng Jingxian's request to teach her breakfast-making skills. But how could a girl whose hands had never known labor suddenly master the kitchen? Cracking an egg proved to be a challenge; either the egg would end up crushed in her hand or both the egg white and shell would find their way into the bowl. After several failed attempts, Gu Panpan abandoned the egg-cracking lesson and moved on to teaching her how to light the stove. She demonstrated first, then watched as Meng Jingxian tried, ready to correct any mistakes.

Gu Panpan wondered if her expectations for Meng Jingxian were too high, as even lighting the stove with gas was a trial. There was an old saying that men should stay out of the kitchen, but now Gu Panpan thought perhaps it should apply to any woman who impulsively decides to cook. Watching Meng Jingxian's attempts, Gu Panpan feared that if she were to cook on her own one day, she might not even manage to light the stove without a mishap, and the frustration might reduce her to tears, not to mention the risk of a gas leak.

Unable to stand by any longer, Gu Panpan stepped in to help Meng Jingxian with the fire, carefully adjusting it to the right level. She then patiently showed Jingxian how to fry an egg, guiding her through each step—what to do first, what to add, and then what to do next. Gu Panpan explained the ideal appearance of a perfectly fried egg, but soon realized she couldn't hold Jingxian to such high standards. She should have mentioned earlier that an egg is most nutritious and tasty when cooked to a certain doneness. In truth, it was quite an achievement for Jingxian to have managed to cook the egg at all.

Upon seeing the charred lump in Jingxian's pan, Gu Panpan was hit with a wave of despair, despite having given such clear and detailed instructions. Reality can be harsh, and cooking, which had always come so naturally to her, was proving to be a formidable challenge for Jingxian. Gu Panpan recalled how, as a child, she needed no guidance from her family to learn to cook; she was able to teach herself and keep herself well-fed.

Gu Panpan had assumed that after seeing the results of her first attempt, Jingxian would be discouraged. Instead, Jingxian displayed a surprising resilience, ready to try again after each failure. "First, take the egg out of the pan," Gu Panpan instructed, "then crack a new one and start over."

Following Gu Panpan's directions, Jingxian proceeded step by step. But as she went to scoop up the egg, her grip faltered and the bowl slipped from her hands, crashing to the floor. Gu Panpan wasn't startled, but Jingxian certainly was. At that moment, Chu Yang, who had been quiet until then, opened the door, looking groggy with his hair in disarray, resembling a bird's nest.

Chu Yang was taken aback to see two women in his home. He had been living alone until recently, and the presence of strangers was a shock. But his surprise lasted only a few seconds before he collected himself. Surveying the chaotic kitchen and the two women frozen in place, he couldn't help but call out, "Hey, what's all this commotion so early in the morning? Did that bowl offend you somehow? Why on earth are you up at the crack of dawn throwing bowls around?"

Meng Jingxian and Gu Panpan snapped to attention at his words. Gu Panpan noticed Chu Yang was already up, with breakfast neatly arranged. She told Chu Yang, "Go freshen up, then you can join us for breakfast. It's all ready."

Chu Yang complied, retreating to his room to brush his teeth and wash up. Meanwhile, the two women outside swiftly cleaned up the aftermath of their earlier skirmish, sweeping and washing with practiced efficiency.

As they worked, Meng Jingxian said to Gu Panpan, "This was an unexpected mishap. We'll pick up where we left off tonight."

Promptly at seven, they had finished breakfast and were out the door. They shared the route to the same school, where one taught and the other two studied, each with their distinct roles. Chu Yang had a significant task ahead: wresting control from Chen Le. Given the events of the past two days, he knew displacing Chen Le as chairman wouldn't be easy.

The driver navigated the streets while the three passengers chattered away in the car. The noise was mostly from Meng Jingxian and Gu Panpan, leaving Chu Yang feeling sheepish. The pair, who had been at odds over a room the night before, now seemed like inseparable friends. Whatever monumental event had transpired while he slept, Chu Yang was clueless.

Meng Jingxian was still fixated on the morning's unfinished business, her eagerness palpable. She was itching to return to the kitchen and redeem herself. "Don't forget, you're teaching me tonight," she insisted to Gu Panpan. "I refuse to believe I can't even properly fry an egg." Her determination starkly contrasted with Gu Panpan's resigned patience.

Thanks to the driver's expert skills, what should have been a twenty-minute drive to school was cut in half. The students who witnessed their arrival went from disbelief to resigned acceptance. The one they had pegged as a poor kid was anything but; he stepped out of a Lamborghini with a personal driver. Little did they know that Chu Yang was poised to become the school's chairman—a revelation that would surely stun them. It was all so sudden, so unexpected.

Chu Yang gazed toward the distant principal's office and addressed the two who had just arrived, "Go ahead and take care of your business. I've got something else to handle." With those words, he strode off to the principal's office without a backward glance. Chen Le, who had been sitting at his desk, was startled to see Chu Yang approaching. He was alive. Chen Le had watched, silent and unresisting, as Meng Jingxian led Chu Yang away that day. What he hadn't anticipated was Chu Yang's survival.

How was this possible? Chen Le was acutely aware of the potency of the creature he had nurtured. Its venom could incapacitate an adult, though not instantly kill. Yet, here was Chu Yang, very much alive and unharmed, as if the creature had posed no threat to him at all. This realization sent a shiver down Chen Le's spine. If only he had known Chu Yang's true intent, he would have deeply regretted not instructing the security to bar his entry. Had he done so, he might not have been facing the loss of his chairmanship so soon.