[Romance] The Woman Reporter and the Male Chef

[A versatile, home-loving chef × a resilient, growth-oriented journalist]

Xu Lingyi considers herself thoroughly ordinary, yet thanks to her mother, she landed a job in the entertainment department of a leading newspaper and became a rookie reporter.

But fate was unkind. On her first day on the job, she was trapped by a torrential downpour.

Just as she was on the verge of tears, a smiling face waved in her direction.

Xu Lingyi looked up and met the strikingly handsome face of Ji Fangyuan.

She didn't know his name then. After they met, she was astonished to discover that he was well-connected in every industry.

"I'm just a not-very-famous chef who likes to travel around," Ji Fangyuan said with a grin as he watched her eat her noodles.

Xu Lingyi worked hard to adjust to her position in the entertainment section. Just as she'd finally found her footing at the newspaper and thought her life was getting on track, a colleague's experience during an interview made her suddenly see things clearly.

The feelings she'd kept suppressed finally surged back. With Ji Fangyuan's advice and support, she resolutely transferred to the social affairs section.

Her mother was firmly opposed, but Xu Lingyi's resolve never wavered. She thought of all the voices that needed to be heard, no matter how chaotic and dangerous the frontline might be.

One influential report after another was published as she went out into the field. At last, she won the prestigious China News Award. Her mother, who had always desperately wanted her to make something of herself, finally looked at her with approval for the first time.

Just as Xu Lingyi was working toward an even greater award, the injuries and illnesses she'd accumulated over years of traveling to the front lines finally brought her down. In the hospital, Ji Fangyuan looked frighteningly pale.

"Rest and take your medicine. You'll get better as long as you don't push yourself too hard," the doctor said.

But Xu Lingyi couldn't give up her work.

Ji Fangyuan worked hard to help her recover, until she fainted again and went back to the hospital for a checkup. At last, he exploded. On another rainy night, he pleaded with her until his lips were dry. When she still kept her head down in silence, he understood everything.

When Xu Lingyi climbed to the peak of that mountain, she wore a bright smile and looked out over the view with her trophy held high, but an empty ache filled her heart.

At another charity event, she took a dessert. The moment she tasted it, she shuddered. Something was off.

Ji Fangyuan caught the plate as it fell from her hands. His eyes were still gentle, but there was something resigned in them now. Xu Lingyi didn't dare look at his expression, but he leaned closer and whispered in her ear:

"How's my cooking, Teacher Xu?"

Slow-burn happy ending, no abandonment.

Theme: Love will support you as you move forward, and we will all become better versions of ourselves.