He Qingran thought about it and laughed, feeling as if a weight that had been pressing on her heart for days had suddenly been lifted.
"Yunyun, you should get some sleep. You have to perform tomorrow, so you need to rest and save your energy."
Xia Zhaoyun nodded, stepped forward with a smile to hug her, and then went to bed.
Early the next morning, when Xia Zhaoyun woke up, He Qingran had already made breakfast: the hand-pulled noodles she had been working to perfect for the past few days.
"Finish up and head straight to the troupe. I'll watch the kids. And don't forget, we're having lunch together," He Qingran said, handing her a bowl.
The noodles were uniform in thickness, perfectly chewy, and carried a rich wheat aroma. A fried egg, golden-brown on both sides, lay on top, surrounded by a ring of lightly stir-fried toppings: crushed peanuts, shredded cucumber, carrot, and bean sprouts. The whole dish was drizzled with a spoonful of prepared sesame sauce.
