Jiang! Yubai--!!!

"Dinner's ready."

Hearing Lin Jianxia call from outside the door, Jiang Yubai answered and finally paused the conversation for the moment.

He turned to look at Lin Tingwan, who was still quietly watching him, took a deep breath, and asked seriously,

"So... do you remember everything I just said?"

Lin Tingwan tilted her head. As though she had suddenly noticed something, her eyes lit up slightly.

She leaned closer, bringing the tip of her nose near Jiang Yubai's sleeve, and lightly sniffed twice like a little animal confirming a scent.

Lin Tingwan took her notebook and wrote another line before handing it over.

"Smells nice."

The blunt words caught Jiang Yubai off guard, and the tips of his ears heated up without his realizing it.

"Uh... that's just laundry detergent. Come on, let's eat."

Even when facing Lin Jianxia, that little hedgehog, Jiang Yubai could handle things with ease and still have the spare energy to tease her. Yet Lin Tingwan's completely unembellished straight shot left him somewhat unable to cope.

Lin Tingwan nodded, but did not move. She reached for the spiral notebook and wrote something else.

Just as Jiang Yubai was growing curious, she held the little notebook out to him again.

"Can I have a hug now?"

Jiang Yubai: "..."

That wasn't how this was supposed to go. Things weren't supposed to go like this.

I'd just seriously explained so much to you about boundaries between men and women. I told you that you can't casually make requests like that.

At this point, you were supposed to obediently nod and make an "I see now" expression. I'd patiently teach you, you'd benefit greatly, and in the end we'd reach a mutual understanding.

Even... even if you really wanted a hug, we should take things step by step.

For example, we could face hardships together, support each other, gradually raise our affection level, rebel against fate's arrangements together, make a grand escape into the sunlight, and occasionally exchange thoughtful little gifts.

During holidays, we might even get some special scenes and have some more intimate interactions.

Then, at some shining moment, you'd blush and ask me, "Can I have a hug?" And I'd finally nod and unlock the special CG for you.

Not after I'd painstakingly finished saying all that...

Only for you to open your notebook and carefully write, stroke by stroke:

"Can I have a hug now?"

That wasn't how this was supposed to go!

So everything I said was for nothing?

...Forget it. At least she now knew to ask before hugging someone. That counted as some progress, right?

Jiang Yubai barely suppressed the strange flutter in his chest and instinctively glanced at Lin Jianxia, who was serving the dishes.

He took a deep breath, turned back, and spoke with a serious expression.

"No. You... can't just casually say things like that."

Lin Tingwan nodded, stood up, and walked out.

Jiang Yubai: "..."

At least insist a little more. Or at least look a bit disappointed?

For some reason, he sighed and followed her out.

The small dining table was already set with three dishes and a soup.

There was a plate of vibrant green stir-fried choy sum, glossy red braised pork ribs, and fluffy golden scrambled eggs with tomatoes.

In the center sat a large bowl of steaming seaweed egg-drop soup, with finely chopped scallions and droplets of oil floating on top.

Jiang Yubai looked at the bowl and chopsticks already laid out in front of him and could not help teasing, "Say, Lin Jianxia, you keep saying you're going to poison me, but you even set out my bowl and chopsticks. Your poisoning service is pretty thorough, huh?"

Lin Jianxia had just been about to sit down. Hearing that, she was so angry she wanted to throw both him and his bowl outside.

"Jiang Yubai! Are you eating or not? If not, get out right now!"

"I'm eating, eating, eating. Even if you poisoned it, I'd eat it all the same."

Jiang Yubai nodded repeatedly.

What a joke. Just looking at and smelling the food had already made his stomach rumble.

And thinking of Lin Jianxia's cooking, even if the sky fell, he would have to finish this meal before leaving.

He picked up his chopsticks but did not start eating right away. Instead, he looked at Lin Jianxia with expectant eyes.

Her whole body felt uncomfortable under his gaze. She glared at him warily. "Why are you looking at me instead of eating?"

"The host should eat first," Jiang Yubai said with a shrug. "I'm waiting for you to take the first bite."

Lin Jianxia rolled her eyes at him and picked up a chopstickful of stir-fried choy sum, placing it into her mouth.

Almost the very second she put down her chopsticks, Jiang Yubai's hand shot toward the plate of braised pork ribs.

The meat was tender and richly flavored, while the thick sauce coated the rice with a savory sweetness.

He narrowed his eyes in satisfaction, then quickly scooped up a spoonful of scrambled eggs with tomatoes. The egg was fluffy, and the tomatoes' refreshing tartness melted perfectly across his tongue.

Now this was a meal!!!!

"Slow down," Lin Jianxia said disdainfully, though she felt a small sense of pride inside. "No one's going to steal it from you!"

After all, for someone who cooked, seeing others eat with such enjoyment was the greatest compliment.

Jiang Yubai swallowed the rice in his mouth and finally let out a satisfied sigh.

"I'm becoming more and more certain that bringing you over to be my fe... my cook was the best decision I've ever made."

At those words, Lin Tingwan, who had been quietly taking small bites of her food, paused slightly. She raised her head, her clear eyes turning toward her sister beside her.

Lin Jianxia stiffened too, only then realizing that she had not discussed this with her sister yet.

"Um... Wanwan," she said, "Jiang Yubai happens to be moving in next door to us."

Lin Tingwan blinked, looking at Jiang Yubai before shifting her gaze back to her sister.

Lin Jianxia continued explaining, "So for a while, your sister might go over every day to make him dinner... but it'll be much easier than helping out at the bookstore."

"Also, Wanwan, if there's anything you want to eat, you can just tell me. He'll be paying for all the ingredients anyway."

She glanced at Jiang Yubai. "You said you'd cover our dinners, right?"

"No problem. You can decide what dishes to make. I'm only responsible for buying and eating, anyway," Jiang Yubai said readily with a nod. "Why don't you two come eat with me? It'll save some trouble."

Lin Jianxia did not answer him, merely rolling her eyes in silence.

Yeah, right. As if my little sister would ever want to eat at your place.

After thinking for a moment, she asked, "Hey, now that the place next door is renovated, when are you moving in?"

"Tomorrow morning, probably." Jiang Yubai shrugged. "I don't have much stuff. Once I'm done packing, we can go buy some groceries together."

"And I'm making lunch too, right?" Lin Jianxia could not help rolling her eyes again.

"Isn't that obvious? It's not like I can cook for myself," Jiang Yubai said righteously. "Anyway, I'll start paying you from tomorrow."

Neither of them noticed Lin Tingwan quietly raise her head beside them. Her gaze drifted silently between her sister and Jiang Yubai, a thoughtful glimmer passing through her eyes.

After discussing tomorrow's moving arrangements for a while longer, Jiang Yubai casually helped Lin Jianxia wash the dishes once everyone had finished eating.

After all, although he had said he wanted Lin Jianxia to be his maid, he was still the guest today. He considered it his thanks for the meal.

Once everything was done, it was already past six in the evening.

Standing in the hallway, Jiang Yubai waved at the two of them by the door. "I'm heading out, then. Bye-bye."

Lin Jianxia gave a vague "Mm," but her attention could not help drifting to her sister beside her.

Lin Tingwan stood quietly by the door, her gaze following Jiang Yubai's retreating back until he disappeared around the corner of the corridor.

Come to think of it, Wanwan today... not only had she not returned to her room after dinner, she had even followed her all the way to the door.

What exactly had Jiang Yubai said to her little sister?

Before she could figure it out, Jiang Yubai, who had already reached the stairwell, suddenly stopped and turned around. His voice was openly teasing.

"Oh, right. It's best not to leave novels like <After I Ended Up on the Streets, the Domineering CEO Fell in Love with Me> lying around in your room. They'll corrupt your little sister."

Lin Jianxia froze for a moment, then her entire body instantly stiffened as the tips of her ears flushed scarlet.

"Jiang! Yubai--!!!"