The Little Kitten's Loving Breakfast

"What? Impossible! Zhu Zhuqing, you stinking bi..."

Hidden in the bushes, Dai Mubai's voice was filled with disbelief, his tone completely distorted.

Although he had been somewhat critical of Ning Rongrong's spendthrift behavior in gifting Xiao Yexuan such a massive amount of medicinal herbs, he was nowhere near as insanely jealous as Tang San; he was merely feeling a bit unbalanced.

But when he saw that girl with long black hair holding a lunchbox and carefully handing it to Xiao Yexuan, his entire being instantly bristled. His body stiffened violently, and he nearly jumped up on the spot.

If not for Tang San beside him, who was quick-witted enough to pounce and clamp a hand over his mouth, forcibly stifling the exclamation in his throat, their hiding spot would have likely been exposed long ago.

That's right, the one who had come to deliver breakfast to Xiao Yexuan was none other than Zhu Zhuqing.

This was the reason for Dai Mubai's intense reaction.

Zhu Zhuqing, this cold and aloof little kitten, had always treated him with icy indifference, never even bothering to look him in the eye, let alone cook for him!

On the other side, Xiao Yexuan saw the breakfast Zhu Zhuqing was offering and reached out to take it.

As his fingertips touched the lunchbox, he could still feel the lingering warmth from the girl's chest.

He was just about to offer his thanks, but as his gaze swept across Zhu Zhuqing's face, he frowned, a flicker of heartache flashing in his eyes.

Zhu Zhuqing had dark circles under her eyes so heavy they looked like two weighted black bags, and her complexion was a haggard, pale white.

Her fair cheeks were smudged with specks of black soot, and even her long, silky black hair was dusted with wood ash from the kitchen stove.

Just looking at her disheveled and exhausted appearance, one could guess that Zhu Zhuqing must have put a great deal of effort into making this breakfast, staying up for the better part of the night.

Watching her look so travel-worn and weary, a deep sense of concern welled up in Xiao Yexuan's eyes, and even his breathing grew softer.

He opened his mouth, wanting to speak but hesitating, ultimately swallowing his words.

In the end, he simply raised his hand, moving with such gentleness as if afraid of shattering a fragile treasure, and placed it on Zhu Zhuqing's head, brushing it lightly to clear away the wood ash from her hair.

Xiao Yexuan's voice was exceptionally soft, filled with pained concern:

"Miss Zhuqing, did you not sleep well yesterday?"

Zhu Zhuqing felt the warm touch on her head and heard the tenderness in Xiao Yexuan's tone, which felt soft enough to melt one's heart.

She felt as if this was a head-pat exclusive to her; her heart skipped a beat and began to thump wildly, like a lively little rabbit trapped in her chest.

Hearing Xiao Yexuan's concern, she hurriedly shook her head, her dark hair brushing against her cheeks, afraid that Xiao Yexuan would worry about her:

"Young Master, I spent all night learning how to cook."

"Although I didn't sleep, I am a Spirit Master, so it doesn't matter if I don't sleep for a few days in a row."

"You don't need to worry about me, Young Master. Open the box quickly and see what's inside!"

"I believe, I believe you will definitely like it!"

As Zhu Zhuqing spoke, she nervously rubbed her small hands together.

Her cheeks were flushed like ripe apples, and her eyes were filled with a bright, expectant glow.

Every word drifted into the bushes and fell into Dai Mubai's ears.

He trembled with rage, his chest heaving violently, his lungs feeling as if they were about to explode, and the veins on his forehead pulsed visibly.

This detestable Zhu Zhuqing!

To curry favor with Xiao Yexuan, she actually stayed up all night just to make this pathetic breakfast!

Such treatment was something Dai Mubai hadn't even dared to imagine, let alone enjoy!

He gritted his teeth in hatred, wishing he could rush out immediately and drag Zhu Zhuqing back to his side.

He would lock her in a dark room and force her to cook for him every day, and if she didn't do it well, he would whip her little bottom with a small lash!

Xiao Yexuan looked at Zhu Zhuqing's sparkling eyes, which were filled with such anticipation that they seemed to contain the stars.

He truly couldn't bear to refuse, nor could he bear to tell the truth and let her feel disappointed.

After all, this was the breakfast Zhu Zhuqing had worked so hard all night to prepare for him, filled with her heartfelt intentions.

Thus, Xiao Yexuan first untied the black cloth used to keep the heat in, revealing an exquisite wooden lunchbox.

He took a deep breath, as if making a major decision, and gently lifted the lid.

When he saw what was inside, the corners of Xiao Yexuan's mouth couldn't help but twitch violently, and his eye twitched along with it.

He finally understood why Zhu Zhuqing had spent so much time cooking.

It turned out that before this, she was a complete and utter novice in the kitchen!

She must have heard somewhere that "to capture a man's heart, you must first capture his stomach."

So she had gritted her teeth and spent the entire night struggling in the kitchen.

It was just a pity that the appearance of the food in the box was truly hard to compliment; the dishes were a blackened mess, the original ingredients unrecognizable, and some were even stuck together.

Just by looking at it, one could guess that the taste certainly wouldn't be any better.

Xiao Yexuan's heart skipped a beat, and he couldn't help but overthink:

If I eat this thing, will I just drop dead on the spot?

But when his gaze met Zhu Zhuqing's expectant eyes once more, the refusal stuck in his throat, unable to be uttered.

He truly couldn't bear to let down Zhu Zhuqing's good intentions, nor could he bear to see the look of disappointment on her face.

Xiao Yexuan knew clearly that even if he told her the truth about the food tasting bad, given Zhu Zhuqing's affection for him, she certainly wouldn't hold a shred of resentment; instead, she would only work harder to study culinary arts, determined to make even more "astonishing" meals next time.

Yet, his persona was that of a gentle, kind, and dashing young master—how could he expose the heart of a well-meaning girl on the spot and cause her such embarrassment?

Thus, Xiao Yexuan suppressed his trepidation and resistance, flashing a gentle smile at Zhu Zhuqing with eyes full of sincerity:

"Zhuqing, thank you for bringing me breakfast."

"I will certainly eat every bit of this breakfast with full respect and joy."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Zhuqing's eyes lit up instantly, practically sparkling with stars, and her entire being seemed to radiate a glow.

She trembled slightly with excitement, the curve of her chest rising and falling, making her look exceptionally cute, like a little kitten that had just been praised.

She stretched her neck impatiently, staring fixedly at Xiao Yexuan without even daring to blink, eager to watch him eat the breakfast she had made with love.

However, Xiao Yexuan did not pick up his chopsticks immediately; instead, he carefully placed the lunchbox on the stone table nearby.

He reached out and gently took Zhu Zhuqing's hand, his fingertips brushing against her cool skin, causing her to shiver.

Then, Xiao Yexuan led her toward his room, speaking in a soft voice as they walked:

"Zhuqing, although you are a Spirit Master and can go days without sleep, your current state is truly poor; the exhaustion in your eyes is impossible to hide."

"You have become like this all because of me."

"So, Zhuqing, you should go into the room and get some sleep."

"Young Master, I... I'm not sleepy, and I don't need to sleep..."

Zhu Zhuqing spoke up hurriedly, her voice laced with a hint of panic, her heart still set on watching Xiao Yexuan eat.

She had even fantasized about the scenes in romance novels, imagining feeding the food to Xiao Yexuan by hand—the mere thought of it was enough to make her heart yearn.

But when she was pulled into the room by Xiao Yexuan and saw the bed with its clean bedding, still lingering with his scent, the rest of her words caught in her throat, and she couldn't utter a single syllable.

She swallowed instinctively, her cheeks burning so intensely they felt as if they were on fire, and her voice became stuttering:

"I... am I to sleep in Young Master's room? This..."

At the thought of lying on the bed where Xiao Yexuan had slept, Zhu Zhuqing felt as if she were sharing a bed with him.

An indescribable sense of anticipation and shyness surged in her heart, an anticipation beyond measure...