"Master, A Jiu, breakfast is ready."
At about the same time, breakfast was ready.
Jiang Anran served everyone a bowl of preserved egg and lean pork porridge, and paired it with a scallion pancake.
"Yahoo! Let's dig in." A Jiu immediately started on her bowl and chopsticks, practically meaning to wipe everything clean in one sweep.
However, Young Master Fei had to resolve a different issue first: "Ahem, Jiang Anran~ about that..."
Having just started, he did not know how to phrase it and paused for a moment.
"What is it, Master?" Jiang Anran had been looking at A Jiu devouring her food with doting eyes, but hearing the master stammer, she turned her head to look at him gently.
What was going on?
How did this scene feel a bit like a family of three?
A gentle, virtuous, and poised female host was dotingly looking at her daughter, while he was that male host?
Shaking his head, Young Master Fei shook that absurd thought out of his mind.
"Well, Jiang Anran, regarding yesterday~"
Young Master Fei was truly afraid to face that scenario.
He was both afraid of the serious consequences caused to the plot and vaguely worried whether Jiang Anran would be angry—after all, it was he who had forcefully...
Yet he had no inkling of what Jiang Anran's performance yesterday meant.
Of course, Jiang Anran's reply was also different from what he had imagined.
"Master, no need to say it, I know what you want to say, but Anran just wants to speak."
Jiang Anran raised her index finger and placed it on Young Master Fei's lips, stopping him from continuing.
"I do!"
A blush hung on her face, and with her red lips parted slightly, she spoke those three words.
I... do... ?
These three words penetrated layers of wool, skin, and flesh, striking directly into the depths of Fei Yangyao's heart.
Could there be anything more moving than these three words?
He was captivated instantly.
He had always been in a detached position as a tourist, maintaining a tenuous distance from this world because he would eventually have to log out; either he would fail and die outright, or he would return to the real world.
Even though he discovered this world was not that kind of flat novel world at all—everyone had their own thoughts, and everyone loved and steadfastly held onto different things.
Yet, these three words dragged him down for the very first time, connecting him to this novel world.
At this moment, for the very first time, he looked at her earnestly and completely.
His gaze was entirely different.
He focused his eyes on her.
Right now, she was not a female lead of a book world, not a fallen daughter of the Lin Family, not one of Ye Chen's many harem members, but his own little maid, Jiang Anran—the sole and unique her.
The morning light of the external world filtered through the sheer gauze curtains, scattering onto the dining room tiles in a mottled pattern.
Amidst this interweaving of light and shadow, Jiang Anran's figure quietly emerged.
Her hair was gently tied back with a plain hair ribbon, and a few wisps of stray hair rested casually against her forehead, swaying gently with her movements. Even the hint of withered yellow at the tips of her hair could not hide her smooth, dark tresses.
Her skin was not particularly fair, nor could her ruddy complexion be called rosy, but her pair of eyes were clear and deep, as if capable of seeing right through his soul.
She wore a pure white cotton apron embroidered with a few delicate, light-colored small flowers. The apron was so clean it seemed to reflect the blue sky and white clouds outside the window, which also spoke of Jiang Anran's neatness and efficiency when doing chores.
Beneath the apron, her A+ held her back somewhat, yet her posture remained graceful. Sigh, I should let her eat more; if only she ate like A Jiu.
She wore an ordinary pair of canvas shoes on her feet...? Why isn't she wearing those nice ones? I bought her plenty of good shoes before.
Young Master Fei could feel an impulse surging within his chest.
What if?
What if he didn't let Jiang Anran meet Ye Chen, didn't make her the female lead, and didn't let her become part of Ye Chen's harem group?
Anyway, Ye Chen had so many other harem members, so having one less probably wouldn't matter much, right?
For the very first time, Young Master Fei began to want to defy the Heavenly Dao in his mind.
However, Grandmother... if he stayed here...
"Hey, stop looking, A Jiu is watching!"
Suddenly tapped, Young Master Fei was instantly yanked back to reality.
A Jiu's bowl was already empty, but she wasn't refilling it; she was looking at the two of them with a face full of curiosity.
And Jiang Anran? She was cupping her face with both hands, and through the gaps between her fingers, one could see her face was already blushing fiercely.
At this moment, he made up his mind.
Anyway, the plot originally demanded by the system was only a passing grade.
Besides, if he completed it, there were three wishes that could be fulfilled.
At worst, he would just work harder on the other parts, but Jiang Anran...
Ye Chen, I'm sorry. Jiang Anran is mine.
Having made up his mind, he no longer overthought it, stood up and walked to her side, wrapped his right arm around her waist, and gently brushed her hands away.
The bashful, budding maiden was left breathless by that scorching breath.
Two tear-filled eyes looked at Young Master Fei, full of both anticipation and resistance.
She shook her head slightly and pushed gently with both hands.
"Stop it, A Jiu is right here."
"It's fine, she doesn't understand."
"Don't... mm~"
An instant later, or a century later.
"Ha~ ha~, I'm running out of breath, you're so bad." After separating, Jiang Anran hurriedly pushed him away, patting her chest with her small hand and panting.
"Only now you realize I'm bad? Then why were you so thick-skinned back then that no matter how I chased you away, you wouldn't leave?" Young Master Fei teased her with a bad boy smile.
"Who was thick-skinned? That sounds horrible."
"Aren't you afraid I'll eat you up?"
"Not afraid."
"You really have a lot of nerve."
"Of course, I'm an old hand who has traveled far and wide for so many years. Forget about you, I wouldn't even be afraid of that bully in Changning District."
"Then watch out, I'm going to eat you up today!" Saying that, Young Master Fei made a motion to step forward and commit misdeeds.
"I'm so scared." And Jiang Anran cooperatively put on a terrified pose.
Before you continue