After Feng Yan left, Tao Zhiyan even went to Bai Ruan's room several times to check on him. Only after making sure nothing was wrong did he feel reassured enough to go back to bed.
The Feng Family weren't in the habit of getting up early, nor did they require their butler to report for duty at a fixed time.
If the young masters weren't home, Tao Zhiyan could even sleep until he woke up naturally.
But since Bai Ruan was home today, Tao Zhiyan still set an alarm and dragged himself out of bed before the morning was too far gone.
"Aunt Zhao, is this okay?"
As soon as Tao Zhiyan came downstairs, he heard Bai Ruan's voice coming from the kitchen and headed over.
"Keep stirring until it's a little thicker," Aunt Zhao patiently instructed him.
"Oh, okay." Bai Ruan nodded, listening intently, then lowered his head and continued stirring.
A little surprised, Tao Zhiyan stepped forward. "Mr. Bai? Why are you cooking?"
"Please go get some rest. Just leave this sort of thing to us." With that, he reached out to take the spoon from Bai Ruan's hand.
"No, no!" Bai Ruan quickly dodged him. "I... I wanted to learn..."
Tao Zhiyan looked at Bai Ruan, then lowered his gaze.
Milk, cheese, and granulated sugar sat on the counter. He was probably making cheese-baked milk custard.
Feng Yan liked that.
"When we went out together, he saw that other people's girlfriends could cook, and he was so envious..." Bai Ruan lowered his eyes. Their usual brightness dimmed, and he seemed a little guilty. "I wanted to learn, so he wouldn't have to envy anyone else."
Bai Ruan was still in college, only in his sophomore year, and his face still held a hint of youthful innocence.
He had something of a baby face, though his chin was pointed. Little curls fell over his forehead, setting off his snow-white skin and making him look like a doll in a shop window.
Bai Ruan was usually cheerful and quick to smile. Seeing him lower his eyes like this was especially heartbreaking.
"It's all right. Our little Ruan will get the hang of it with a little practice!" Aunt Zhao treated Bai Ruan entirely like her own child. She ruffled his hair and coaxed him, "I have plenty of time. Whenever you want to learn, I can teach you!"
"Okay!" Bai Ruan nodded vigorously, brightening up.
Watching this, Tao Zhiyan inwardly cursed Feng Yan all over again.
That damn cheating scumbag. If Bai Ruan found out, wouldn't he be devastated?
And now he'd even gotten up early to cook for Feng Yan.
Bai Ruan was an elite student at a Project 985 university, a top mathematics student. What had that cheating bastard ever done to deserve him?
"Don't feel down, Mr. Bai. If the second young master truly likes you, he won't mind something like whether you can cook," Tao Zhiyan reassured him. Then, as though something had occurred to him, he asked, "It's Wednesday today, isn't it? Do you need to go back to your department to formally end your leave?"
At those words, Bai Ruan's hands suddenly stopped moving. It was three or four seconds before he resumed stirring the milk. "No. I'm planning to drop out."
*???*
Drop out?
Tao Zhiyan couldn't understand. "Why? Don't you love your major, Mr. Bai?"
Of course Bai Ruan loved his major.
He had displayed an extraordinary talent for mathematics since childhood, winning a gold medal in a national mathematics olympiad while still in elementary school. In high school, he had represented the national team at the International Mathematical Olympiad and won gold, with his team finishing twenty points ahead of the American team.
Back then, both Qing University and Emperor University had fought to recruit him.
Yet Bai Ruan had chosen City University, which was closest to Feng Yan.
Of course, City University was also a Project 985 institution, but it was still far behind Qing University and Emperor University.
Bai Ruan pressed his lips together, looking reluctant to explain.
Tao Zhiyan ventured, "Is it because of the second young master?"
After a long silence, Bai Ruan nodded, then shook his head. "Yes, but not entirely..."
"Honestly, I haven't decided yet. I really love my major, and I don't want to drop out," Bai Ruan said softly. "But Feng Yan argued with my advisor. He even said he'd break up with me if I went back to school."
*?*
He was already cheating, and now he wanted to control whether Bai Ruan went to school?
Tao Zhiyan fought down the urge to curse and tried to reason with him. "Why would the second young master break up with you, Mr. Bai? There must be some misunderstanding."
"You weren't the one who argued with your advisor, so your advisor probably won't take it out on you. How about I help mediate between them?" Tao Zhiyan offered. "Dropping out would have far-reaching consequences, after all."
Bai Ruan looked up and forced a strained smile. "Maybe we shouldn't. He... he seemed really angry."
"It was my fault, too. I went to ask my advisor about my research topic in the middle of the night. I didn't respect boundaries," Bai Ruan said, apparently genuinely remorseful, his pretty brows knitting together. "It's only natural that he was angry."
How was that a boundary issue? What was wrong with asking about a research topic? Weren't academics the sort to keep digging until they got to the bottom of things?
And Feng Yan himself was cheating!
What a hypocrite!
Tao Zhiyan rubbed between his brows in irritation.
What did a boyfriend who ruined your life look like? Exactly like this!
All he cared about was his own pleasure. His partner's future meant nothing to him!
Ding-
The oven suddenly chimed.
Bai Ruan immediately looked up and hurried over excitedly. "My cake is done!"
At home, Bai Ruan was also a pampered young master whom everyone doted on, and he had never done any manual work. When he heard the oven chime, he simply opened it and reached inside.
"Wait-!"
Tao Zhiyan's warning came too late. Bai Ruan reached into the oven, and the heat instantly turned his hand red.
With a blink, tears spilled from his eyes, and he instinctively jerked his hand back. "It's so hot!"
Acting immediately, Tao Zhiyan turned on the faucet and pulled Bai Ruan's hand under the cold running water.
"Do we have any burn ointment?" Tao Zhiyan asked.
"Yes. I'll get it." Aunt Li took off her apron and went out.
Aunt Zhao had been startled, too. "Oh dear, are you all right? You can't just reach straight in like that. You need oven mitts!"
Bai Ruan's face reddened. Like a child who had done something wrong, he didn't even dare look up. "I'm sorry. I didn't know..."
"It's all right," Tao Zhiyan said. "Keep it under the water for now. If it still hurts badly in a bit, I'll call the doctor over."
Bai Ruan nodded and said nothing more.
Only after more than ten minutes did Tao Zhiyan turn off the faucet.
He took the ointment from Aunt Li and was about to apply it to Bai Ruan's hand when Bai Ruan asked quietly, "Butler Tao, could you call him for me?"
Tao Zhiyan looked up. "What's wrong?"
"He doesn't really like me calling him while he's at work," Bai Ruan said. "But I want to ask when he'll be back. Could you ask him for me?"
Faced with Bai Ruan's cautious yet hopeful gaze, Tao Zhiyan couldn't bring himself to refuse.
It was painfully clear that Bai Ruan was the one being controlled in this relationship.
But it wasn't that Feng Yan disliked Bai Ruan calling him. He disliked Bai Ruan interrupting him while he was cheating.
Tao Zhiyan thought it over and decided this could be an opportunity.
If he called Feng Yan and the man picked up, wouldn't Bai Ruan be able to hear what was happening on the other end?
Of course, that depended on him still being with his affair partner.
Either way, he had to try.
Tao Zhiyan pulled out his phone and called Feng Yan, even turning on the speakerphone.
The line rang for over ten seconds. Just as Tao Zhiyan thought Feng Yan wasn't going to answer, the call suddenly connected.
"Hah..." Feng Yan's voice was a little hoarse and breathy, practically dripping with lust. "...What is it?"
Besides that, a faint "Mm..." could also be heard.
Tao Zhiyan pressed his lips together and looked at Bai Ruan, a little excited.
Caught cheating in the act ×2!!
That damn scumbag hadn't disappointed. Already horny first thing in the morning! Give him a prize!
Before you continue