The first thing that Feng Tianyi did once the little buns had fallen asleep for their afternoon nap was to work in the kitchen. Thankfully, Auntie Lu had made sure his pantry was filled with the things he might need while staying with the Tangs. He started working to make a chocolate strawberry cake for the empress.

  He was able to finish it before the twins woke up and monopolized his time again. Feng Tianyi hoped that it would be to Tang Moyu's liking and would at least try to taste the cake he specifically made just for her.

  Thinking about it, Feng Tianyi had never cooked nor baked for anyone until he met the empress and her little buns. If it was before, he wouldn't spare anyone a glance and be on his way. He found it irritating to deal with whiny children. At least Baobao and Little Star hadn't given him a headache since he moved here——

  "Moyu, aren't going to bed yet?" Auntie Lu asked as she placed a tray with newly brewed coffee and a slice of chocolate cake beside Tang Moyu's desk.

  The empress brought down the papers she was working on and removed her eyeglasses from her face. The exhaustion on her face was apparent, but Tang Moyu didn't have an intention to retire this early yet.

  She let out a sigh and muttered, "I still need to finish this, Auntie Lu. How are Baobao and Little Star? I was hoping to spend dinner with them, but I lost track of time again."

  She sounded a bit guilty for not being able to spend time with her children even if she was at home with them.

  Auntie Lu gave her a sympathizing look. The old woman knew how Tang Moyu tried her best, making sure that her twins' needs were provided even if she wasn't around. She couldn't imagine how hard it was for Tang Moyu living with her twins in a foreign land without anyone to help her look after her children.

  "You don't have to worry too much, Moyu. Xiao Bao and Little Star seemed content spending their days with Mr. Qin, but I would have to say you shouldn't let your work affect your time with your children. Children grow up so fast. In a blink of an eye, you would wonder where all those years went by without you noticing it," she told the empress.

  Tang Moyu nodded in understanding. Of course, she knew that, but it was hard not to think of work that was waiting for her attention. Despite having Lu Tianxin to help her at Tang Enterprise, she also needed to oversee the auditing of the financial reports of the company.

  There weren't too many funds left for the company to use, and the previous management had been spending extravagantly. Because of this, Tang Moyu had to be mindful of their spending now and would need to cut their budget a little.

  She leaned against the back of her chair with a tired expression on her face. She thought that she should take a short break just like what Auntie Lu said, but the thought that she could finish a few more work on her desk was nagging at her.

  Auntie Lu took the other tray she brought earlier with Tang Moyu's dinner. Since she wasn't able to join the twins and Mr. Qin earlier, the old woman made sure that Tang Moyu wouldn't miss her meal and brought it to her study. The old woman's face fell as she saw the unfinished food on Tang Moyu's plate, but kept her opinion to herself.

  Tang Moyu then caught the slice of cake accompanying her coffee. She raised a brow and told Auntie Lu, "Auntie shouldn't bother herself to bake a cake to lift my mood."

  Since Auntie Lu was practically the one who raised the empress instead of her parents, the old woman knew how to cheer her up and lighten up her mood. If it wasn't for this old woman, Tang Moyu was sure that she might have grown up like a spoiled and arrogant child like her cousin, Tang Zhelan.

  "Oh, dear Moyu. It wasn't me who baked this cake for you," Auntie Lu corrected Tang Moyu at once. How could she take the credit of Mr. Qin's hard work for this?

  "You didn't?" Tang Moyu asked in surprise. "Did Meili bring it with her earlier?"

  She remembered that her best friend dropped by to visit her and the twins. After trying to annoy her that morning, the Black Nightingale decided to see the little buns who were at the guest house.

  Auntie Lu shook her head and gave the empress a gentle smile.

  "It was Mr. Qin who made this cake just for you, Moyu. Not even the twins knew that he made one for you today."

  Tang Moyu was taken aback from the old woman's words. What did Qin Jiran want from her this time? His sudden interest made her eyes narrow in suspicion.

  Auntie Lu let out a low chuckle upon seeing Tang Moyu's conflicted reaction. She remembered that when the crippled handsome guest came to her, holding a paper box tied with a ribbon on top of it, Qin Jiran looked a little embarrassed. It was the first time a man came to her to seek her assistance in getting on Tang Moyu's good side.

  "Auntie Lu, I have something to give to Miss Tang if you don't mind passing it to her…" Qin Jiran told her once the twins had been taken back to the main house to retire for the night. The old woman was left helping the other maids tidy up the guest house for him.

  "Don't worry, Mr. Qin. I will make sure Moyu will try it," she assured him.

  "But why would Mr. Qin give me that?" Tang Moyu frowned, taking the old woman's mind back to reality.

  Was this part of Qin Jiran's elaborate scheme to make her fall in his trap?

  Seeing that her task was fulfilled, Auntie Lu excused herself, leaving the empress alone in her study.

  Tang Moyu eyed the chocolate cake and pondered if she should eat it or not. She'd been careful with the food and drinks offered to her ever since she had given birth to her twins. That mistake that turned her world upside down should never happen again, but the strong scent of chocolate made her salivate at the sight of the cake as if it was teasing her senses.

  Of course, she also knew how good Qin Jiran was in the kitchen. Hadn't she tried several of his dishes already in the past? There's no doubt that this chocolate strawberry cake would also be delicious.

  "Who asked him to make something like this?" She scoffed, but nevertheless picked up her fork and took a small taste of the chocolate cake. The sweet taste assaulted her taste buds at once, making her mood better from just one bite.

  "Not bad." Not bad at all. It was pleasantly good to be honest. It was far better than the store bought one she had tried in the past.

  She straightened her back and ate earnestly. It didn't take long until the slice of cake vanished from her plate and Tang Moyu sighed in contentment.

  Meanwhile, Feng Tianyi was left at the guest house, wondering what could be Tang Moyu's reaction after seeing and tasting the chocolate cake he'd given her. It was the first time he made a cake to please a woman, so he wasn't sure how the empress would react to it.

  He prepared himself to hear the worst, but he hoped that Tang Moyu wouldn't at least throw it away, discarding it without giving it a try.

  'Why do you even care what she thinks of you?' He Lianchen's question earlier resounded in his mind.

  Feng Tianyi didn't know how to answer his friend because even he wasn't sure why he cared about what the empress thought of him. However, the thought that she might have come to hate him too because of his stupid half-brother left a bad taste in his mouth.

  The next morning, when the little buns came to see him with Auntie Lu, the old woman smiled at him.

  "Mr. Qin, good morning," she greeted him with a warm smile.

  "Good morning, Auntie Lu." Feng Tianyi held his breath, his palms feeling a bit sweaty as he pondered if he should ask the empress's caretaker.

  As if knowing what he was thinking, the old woman laughed behind her hand and regarded him.

  "Don't worry, Mr. Qin. Moyu was able to finish the slice of cake I bought her last night," she told him.

  "Does she know…"

  "En. I told her Mr. Qin specifically made it for her. It seemed Moyu liked it very much."

  Feng Tianyi released a breath he didn't know he was holding.

  "Then that's good to hear, Auntie Lu. I hope she won't push herself too hard when it comes to work." He couldn't hide his joy, a wide smile spread on his lips.

  "It can't be helped, Mr. Qin. Our Moyu is such a workaholic," Auntie Lu commented.