I'll Just Take the Room Next to Yours

The next morning, the first rays of sunlight filtered through the window and spilled across Shi Xiu's face.

Shi Xiu slowly drifted awake, rubbed his eyes, and habitually reached out to grope the space beside him, only to find it empty; Haku was nowhere to be seen.

Feeling a slight sense of surprise, Shi Xiu quickly sat up, stretched his limbs, and climbed out of bed.

As Shi Xiu opened the door, an enticing aroma wafted toward him. Focusing his gaze, he saw Haku standing in a makeshift kitchen, busy preparing breakfast alongside Kushina.

Shi Xiu walked over quickly, a look of confusion on his face as he asked, "Haku? Why are you up so early?"

Hearing his voice, Haku turned around, but just as he was about to answer, Kushina chimed in first with a playful, teasing grin: "It's a rare sight to see Lord Shi Xiu up so early today! Did you receive some sort of emergency mission again?"

At Kushina's remark, Shi Xiu couldn't help but feel a bit awkward.

Shi Xiu scratched his head sheepishly and replied with a laugh, "Haha, not at all, not at all. I was just thinking that this house is too small and it's inconvenient for so many of us to live here, so I planned to expand it today. By the way, Haku, why are you up so early too?" As he spoke, Shi Xiu turned his gaze back to Haku.

Facing Shi Xiu's inquiry, Haku first bowed slightly, then spoke in a soft and respectful tone.

"Haku is deeply grateful for your kindness in taking me in, and I have yet to find a way to repay you. When I woke up this morning and saw that you had not yet risen, I thought I might do something within my power for you. I happened to run into Lady Kushina preparing breakfast, so I came over to help, hoping to cook a meal for you."

Hearing Haku's words, a warmth spread through Shi Xiu's heart. He smiled, stepped forward to gently pat Haku's head, and said softly, "Thank you, Haku. You really are very thoughtful."

Just then, Minato, Obito, and Rin slowly emerged from the house.

The sunlight fell upon them, casting a golden glow over their figures.

The moment Obito stepped outside, his eyes were drawn to the sumptuous breakfast spread out on the table.

The bacon, fried to perfection, emitted an alluring fragrance, each slice a golden hue; the eggs beside them were plump and round, the yolks slightly set while the whites were fried to a golden crisp. In addition, there was freshly baked bread and rich, creamy milk.

Looking at this mouth-watering feast, Obito couldn't help but be filled with joy.

Unable to wait, Obito rubbed his hands together, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed a mouthful of saliva, and said with great anticipation: "Mistress, your cooking skills are as superb as ever! Just smelling this aroma makes me want to dig in right away!"

Hearing Obito's praise, a brilliant smile bloomed on Kushina's face. She glanced at Obito and teased, "You certainly have a sweet tongue—stop with the flattery! Hurry up and wash your hands so we can eat."

With that, she waved her hand lightly, signaling everyone to hurry up.

On the other side, Haku carefully picked up a plate of breakfast and walked over to hand it to Shi Xiu.

However, compared to the exquisite breakfast Kushina had prepared, the food Haku had cooked himself looked a bit lackluster. The bacon on the plate was charred black, having lost its original tender texture, and the fried egg was irregularly shaped, as if it had just survived a fierce battle.

Looking at his own cooking, Haku appeared somewhat uneasy. He blushed, lowered his head, and said shyly.

"Sir, I am truly sorry. This is my first time cooking, and it might not look very good..." As he spoke, his voice grew smaller and smaller, until it was almost inaudible.

Facing Haku's apology, Shi Xiu didn't mind at all. He smiled, waved his hand gently, took the breakfast from Haku's hands, and offered him sincere encouragement.

"Don't say that, Haku. To be able to do this well on your first try is already very impressive!" After saying this, he gave Haku a look of affirmation, which helped Haku's tense nerves gradually relax.

Finally, under Haku's expectant gaze, Shi Xiu used a fork to pick up a piece of bacon and put it in his mouth. Although the exterior was a bit charred, the taste was actually quite good.

Shi Xiu smiled and gave a thumbs up, saying, "Very good, thank you."

Upon hearing Shi Xiu's affirmation, Haku, who had been on edge the entire time, finally let out a long sigh of relief.

His previously stiff face relaxed instantly, and his lips curled upward involuntarily, breaking into a bright and relaxed smile.

Just then, Kushina walked over with a smile, steadily carrying a steaming, fragrant breakfast, which she gently placed in front of Haku.

Time flew by, and before long, Obito, Shi Xiu, and Haku had swept the table clean, devouring every last bit of the breakfast.

Seeing that everyone had finished their meal, Kushina stood up, preparing to clear away the used bowls and chopsticks.

However, just as she made a move, Rin quickly stood up, reached out to stop Kushina, and said softly.

"Mistress, you've been working hard for so long, let me handle these trivial matters." Without waiting for Kushina's response, Rin picked up the bowls and chopsticks and headed toward the kitchen.

Having eaten his fill, Shi Xiu leaned back in his chair comfortably, let out a satisfied burp, and then stretched his limbs to loosen up his joints.

Then, with high spirits, Shi Xiu said, "Alright, since we've all filled our stomachs, the next thing to do is to properly expand this house of ours!"

With that, Shi Xiu turned to look at Minato and Obito, directing them: "Minato, Obito, you two go ahead and move all the furniture out of the house first."

Minato and Obito exchanged a glance, nodded without hesitation, and immediately sprang into action.

Working in tandem, they either carefully lifted heavy wardrobes or gingerly carried away fragile vases, busy and fully engaged.

After half a day of hard labor, Minato and Obito finally succeeded in moving all the furniture from inside the house to the spacious yard outside without a single scratch.

Shi Xiu, who had been supervising from the side, nodded in satisfaction and clapped his hands together with force.

In an instant, a deep, rumbling sound echoed as thick, massive wooden pillars erupted from the ground like bamboo shoots after a spring rain, growing and rising at an astonishing speed.

These pillars were arranged tightly together, forming a sturdy wall that completely encased the original, somewhat cramped and simple house. Immediately following this, a breathtaking sight unfolded—the entire structure seemed to come to life, beginning to deform and reorganize itself automatically.

In the blink of an eye, a magnificent, grand three-story villa stood prominently before everyone's eyes.

Witnessing this magical scene, Haku was completely stunned. He widened his eyes, his mouth agape, his face filled with disbelief.

Haku stood frozen in place, his gaze fixed firmly on the brand-new luxury villa before him, as if he had lost the ability to think, unable to snap out of it for a long time.

Shi Xiu smiled and rubbed his nose, saying, "Done. Now, besides the kitchen and living room, this villa has twelve rooms, each with its own private bathroom... You can all go pick your rooms."

Afterward, Shi Xiu took all the money he had on him and handed it to Kushina, saying, "Kushina, why don't you dress up a bit and take Obito to go buy some beds and things."

Kushina nodded at his words, wrapped her face up tightly, and headed out with Obito and Rin to purchase furniture.

Shi Xiu walked over to Haku, who was still in a daze, patted him on the shoulder, and said with a smile, "What are you still standing there for? Aren't you going to pick a room?"

Haku finally came back to his senses. After a moment of hesitation, he looked at Shi Xiu and said, "I... I'll just stay in the room next to yours, Sir."