"What? Impossible! Zhu Zhuqing, you lousy—"
Hidden in the bushes, Dai Mubai's voice brimmed with disbelief, and even his tone had changed.
He had also been rather critical of Ning Rongrong's spendthrift generosity, bringing Xiao Yexuan a mountain of medicinal ingredients.
But he wasn't nearly as insanely jealous as Tang San. He was just a little out of sorts.
But when he saw the black-haired girl holding a lunchbox and carefully offering it to Xiao Yexuan,
he instantly bristled. His whole body stiffened, and he nearly leaped up on the spot.
If Tang San hadn't reacted quickly, lunging over to clamp a hand over his mouth and forcefully choke back his gasp,
their hiding place would have been exposed long ago.
That's right. The one who had brought Xiao Yexuan breakfast was Zhu Zhuqing.
That was why Dai Mubai had reacted so violently.
Zhu Zhuqing, that aloof little kitty, was usually as cold as ice toward him. She wouldn't even spare him a proper glance, let alone cook for him with her own hands!
Meanwhile, Xiao Yexuan hurriedly reached out and took the breakfast Zhu Zhuqing had brought him.
When his fingertips touched the lunchbox, he could still feel the warmth lingering from the girl's chest.
He was just about to thank her when his gaze happened to sweep over Zhu Zhuqing's face. His brows knitted, and a trace of heartache flashed in his eyes.
The dark circles under Zhu Zhuqing's eyes were so heavy they looked like two weighty black bags. Her face, too, was pale with exhaustion.
Specks of black soot clung to her fair cheeks, and some of the ash from the firewood in the kitchen had even settled into her smooth, glossy black hair.
Just from her bedraggled, exhausted appearance, it was easy to guess how much effort Zhu Zhuqing had put into making this breakfast. She must have stayed up for most of the night.
Seeing her travel-worn and weary, Xiao Yexuan's eyes filled with deep concern, and even his breathing grew gentler.
He opened his mouth, as if to speak, but stopped himself and swallowed the words.
In the end, he only lifted a hand and placed it on Zhu Zhuqing's head, his touch so gentle it was as if he feared she might shatter like a precious treasure. He softly brushed away all the ash in her hair.
Xiao Yexuan's voice turned especially tender, edged with concern and heartache:
"Miss Zhuqing, did you not sleep well last night?"
Zhu Zhuqing felt the warmth of his hand atop her head and heard the tenderness in Xiao Yexuan's voice, soft enough to melt her.
She could only think of it as a head-pat meant just for her. Her heart skipped a beat, then pounded away like a little rabbit hopping wildly in her chest.
Hearing Xiao Yexuan's concern, she hurriedly shook her head, her dark hair brushing her cheeks. She was afraid he might worry about her:
"My lord, I spent all last night learning how to cook."
"Even though I didn't sleep at all, I'm a Soul Master. I can go several days without sleeping and be fine."
"You don't need to worry about me, my lord. Hurry and open the box to see what's inside!"
"I believe—I believe you'll definitely like it!"
As she spoke, Zhu Zhuqing nervously rubbed her hands together.
Her cheeks were red as ripe apples, and her eyes glimmered with eager anticipation.
Every word drifted into the bushes and reached Dai Mubai's ears.
He shook with fury, his chest heaving violently. His lungs were about to burst with rage, and the veins on his forehead throbbed faintly.
That despicable Zhu Zhuqing!
She'd stayed up all night just to curry favor with Xiao Yexuan and make him a lousy breakfast!
Dai Mubai had never enjoyed such treatment. He hadn't even dared to dream of it!
He gritted his teeth in hatred, wishing he could charge out right then, drag Zhu Zhuqing over to his side,
lock her up in a little black room, and force her to cook for him every day, whipping her little bottom with a small leather whip whenever she did a bad job!
Xiao Yexuan looked at Zhu Zhuqing's bright, expectant eyes, sparkling as if they held a whole sky full of stars.
He simply couldn't bear to turn her down—or to tell her the truth and disappoint her.
After all, Zhu Zhuqing had worked hard all night to make this breakfast for him. It was filled with all the care she had put into it.
So Xiao Yexuan first untied the black cloth wrapped around the lunchbox to keep it warm, revealing a delicate wooden box.
He took a deep breath, as if he had made some momentous decision, then gently lifted the lid.
When he saw what was inside, the corner of Xiao Yexuan's mouth twitched hard, and even his eyelid gave a jump.
He finally understood why Zhu Zhuqing had spent so long making breakfast.
It turned out she had been a complete beginner in the kitchen until now!
She had probably heard somewhere that "the way to a man's heart is through his stomach,"
then steeled herself and spent the whole night struggling in the kitchen.
Unfortunately, the food in the lunchbox looked truly unappetizing. The dishes were a blackened mess, their original ingredients impossible to make out, and some of them had even stuck together.
One look was enough to guess that they probably wouldn't taste good.
Xiao Yexuan's heart began to pound, and he couldn't help wondering:
If I eat this stuff, will I drop dead on the spot?
But when his gaze met Zhu Zhuqing's hopeful eyes once more, he couldn't bring himself to refuse. It was as if his throat had closed up.
He simply couldn't bear to reject Zhu Zhuqing's kindness, much less see her look disappointed.
Xiao Yexuan knew that even if he honestly told her the food tasted bad,
Zhu Zhuqing wouldn't resent him in the slightest, given how much she liked him. Instead, she would work even harder on her cooking and make something even more "astonishing" next time.
But he was supposed to be a gentle, kind, and elegant young gentleman. How could he expose the intentions of a kind-hearted girl and embarrass her right there?
So Xiao Yexuan forced down his nerves and reluctance, then gave Zhu Zhuqing a warm smile, his gaze utterly sincere:
"Zhuqing, thank you for bringing me breakfast."
"I'll eat all of it with the utmost respect and joy."
At those words, Zhu Zhuqing's eyes lit up brilliantly, as if little stars were about to burst from them. She seemed to glow from head to toe.
She trembled with excitement, and the curves of her chest rose and fell slightly with her. She looked especially adorable, like a little kitty being praised.
She eagerly stretched her neck and stared intently at Xiao Yexuan, not even willing to blink. She wanted to watch him eat the breakfast she had made with love.
But Xiao Yexuan didn't pick up his chopsticks right away. Instead, he carefully set the lunchbox on the stone table beside them.
He reached out and gently took Zhu Zhuqing's hand. His fingertips touched her cool skin, making Zhu Zhuqing shiver.
Then Xiao Yexuan led her toward his room, speaking softly as they walked:
"Zhuqing, even though you're a Soul Master and can go several days without sleep, your condition is far too poor right now. You can't hide how tired you are."
"You've ended up like this because of me."
"So, Zhuqing, you should go lie down in my room for a while."
"My lord, I... I'm not tired. I don't need to sleep either..."
Zhu Zhuqing hurriedly spoke up, her voice touched with panic. Her mind was still on watching Xiao Yexuan eat.
She even imagined feeding him the food with her own hands, just like in a romance novel. The thought alone was enough to set her heart soaring.
But when Xiao Yexuan led her into his room and she saw the bed, made up with clean bedding and still carrying his scent,
the rest of her words caught in her throat. She couldn't utter a single one.
She swallowed instinctively. Her cheeks felt so hot they might have been on fire, and her voice turned hesitant and stammering:
"I... I'm going to sleep in your room, my lord? This..."
The moment she thought of lying in the bed Xiao Yexuan had slept in, Zhu Zhuqing felt as though she were sharing a bed with him.
An indescribable mix of anticipation and shyness surged through her. She was so incredibly excited...
Before you continue