Suddenly, the phone rang. Su Liang glanced apologetically at her mother-in-law. “Mom, I need to take this call.”

“You can’t even eat breakfast in peace! Always answering calls!” Li Mei grumbled, her voice neither loud nor soft, but loud enough for Su Liang to hear. Su Liang pressed her lips together in resignation and chose to ignore the comment, unwilling to upset herself over it.

Walking to the coffee table, she picked up her phone and glanced at the screen. It was an unfamiliar number. Her brows furrowed slightly—perhaps it was a parent of one of her students? Su Liang told herself this to dismiss the unease. Her social circle was small, mostly just colleagues, family, and her best friend from university.

She pressed the answer button, and a soft, sweet voice came from the other end of the line.

“Hello, is this Ms. Su? My name is Yang Manli, and I’m Mr. Yi’s assistant. We’ve met before—when you visited the office to see Mr. Yi.”

At the mention, Su Liang immediately recalled a delicate face. Yes, she did have a vague impression of Yang Manli. She had been the one to lead her to Yi Ze’s office. But Su Liang wasn’t fond of conversations with strangers, so her impression of Yang Manli ended there.

“Do you remember me now? Actually, the reason I’m calling is that I have something very important to tell you.”

“Ms. Yang, we’re not acquainted, and I’m not interested in whatever it is,” Su Liang replied flatly after some consideration.

She had always avoided forming personal relationships with Yi Ze’s colleagues. She even ignored their friendly gestures. So, when Yang Manli spoke of an important matter, Su Liang didn’t hesitate to refuse.

“No, you’ll definitely be interested. I’ll be at Green Orange Café on Phoenix Road at 2 PM. Ms. Su, no matter what, I’ll wait for you because this is important for both of us.”

“Don’t waste your time. I’m not going to—” Su Liang’s words were cut short as the line went dead. Staring at the dimming phone screen, a sense of unease welled up in her chest. Her bright eyes dimmed slightly before she pushed the thought away.

Yang Manli? Why was she so adamant about meeting?

Suppressing her curiosity, Su Liang returned to the dining table. Looking at the neatly arranged scallion pancakes on her plate, she suddenly lost her appetite. She put down her chopsticks and said, “Mom, I’m full. Please take your time.”

“That’s all you’re eating?” Li Mei frowned in disapproval. “Su Liang, look at your skinny frame. If you don’t eat more, how will you have children?”

Su Liang’s expression shifted briefly, but she forced a smile. “Mom, I really am full. If I get hungry later, I’ll eat something else.”

“Fine, fine. Have it your way.”

Su Liang worked as a teacher at an elite kindergarten. Gentle by nature and possessing a delicate beauty, she exuded a quiet charm reminiscent of a traditional girl-next-door.

At school, she was well-liked by both students and parents. Sometimes, when parents were too busy, she even helped look after their children on weekends—free of charge, of course.

The morning flew by as she busied herself tidying up. Glancing at the clock on the wall, she noticed it was almost 3 PM.

Throughout the morning, she hadn’t forgotten Yang Manli’s insistence on meeting at 2 PM.