Doesn't Like Me

There was one more important thing he had not told Gu Yuechen.

He had heard from his parents that Lin Lizhu had been only twenty-five when she first came to the Yu Household.

She had been especially tiny and thin, with a sallow, emaciated face.

She had been particularly wary of men. Whenever a man walked past her, Lin Lizhu would become extremely tense and watch them with guarded eyes.

They had all guessed that something must have happened to Lin Lizhu, but it was only speculation, and they could not exactly ask her about it to her face.

Mr. and Mrs. Yu had truly felt sorry for the woman, so they had raised her salary considerably and let her work at the Yu Household without worry.

She had stayed for over twenty years.

Lin Lizhu had lived well at the Yu Household. She had put on quite a bit of weight, and her complexion had become rosy. She no longer looked as thin and worn-out as she once had.

After all, it was not the sort of thing one could easily bring up, and they had never confirmed it, so Yu Yaochen had not planned to tell Gu Yuechen.

"Auntie has always treated me very well. She's doted on me ever since I can remember. So once we move in together, she'll be more than happy to come help us with the housework."

Gu Yuechen did not hear what Yu Yaochen said. His mind was filled with Lin Lizhu denying that she had any family.

Why?

Had she not thought of him and Grandma at all?

Just then, Lin Lizhu brought over two bowls of sweet soup and placed them on the coffee table.

"I just ladled them out of the pot, so they're a little hot." Lin Lizhu smiled at them. "Remember to blow on them before you eat."

Gu Yuechen pulled himself out of his thoughts and nodded obediently.

"Okay."

"Auntie, remember to cook some extra rice tonight," Yu Yaochen told Lin Lizhu. "He's staying for dinner with us."

"Of course." Lin Lizhu looked at Gu Yuechen, her tone somewhat gentle. "If there's anything you don't eat, you can tell me. I'll keep it in mind when I cook."

Gu Yuechen was so immersed in Lin Lizhu's gentle words that he could barely pull himself free.

He imagined that this was his home.

Lin Lizhu had not abandoned him and Grandma. She was gently asking them what they wanted for dinner.

Seeing that Gu Yuechen remained silent, Yu Yaochen lightly patted his shoulder.

"Yuechen, if there are any dishes you don't like, you can tell Auntie."

Gu Yuechen shook his head. "No, I'll eat anything."

He did not want Lin Lizhu to think he was a bad, picky child.

"Alright," Lin Lizhu said. "Take your time with the dessert. I'll go make dinner for you now."

Gu Yuechen watched Lin Lizhu enter the kitchen before reluctantly withdrawing his gaze.

Then he stretched out his arms and carefully held the bowl of sweet soup in his hands.

The sweet soup was scalding hot, but he did not notice at all. Held in his palms, it felt like the most precious thing in the world.

He could not even bear to eat it, staring motionlessly at the sweet soup.

Yu Yaochen was about to pick up his own bowl to eat. The moment his fingertips touched it, he quickly pulled them back.

He looked at Gu Yuechen, afraid that he would get burned, and immediately snatched the bowl away, placing it back on the coffee table.

Gu Yuechen frowned, his gaze turning somewhat cold and fierce, like a vicious wolf whose prey had been stolen.

Yu Yaochen tightly grasped both of Gu Yuechen's wrists, then turned his hands palm-up. Seeing his reddened palms, he blew on them distressedly.

"Does it hurt badly?" Yu Yaochen asked regretfully. "I should have checked first."

"It's fine." Gu Yuechen coldly pulled his hands back.

Only after meeting Yu Yaochen's startled gaze did he realize he had overreacted, so he added another sentence.

"It wouldn't be good if Auntie saw." Gu Yuechen said, "Before your mother finishes her surgery, we should still be more careful."

Yu Yaochen thought Gu Yuechen was concerned about him. The corners of his lips could not help rising as he gazed at him with infatuation.

"Okay, I'll listen to you."

Since there was a guest, Lin Lizhu did not want to embarrass Yu Yaochen, so she made an especially lavish dinner.

Seeing the table full of dishes, Yu Yaochen looked up and smiled at Lin Lizhu.

"You've worked hard."

"They're all very simple dishes, it wasn't hard." Lin Lizhu hurriedly waved her hand. "Take your time eating. I'll go upstairs to clean first."

Gu Yuechen had just picked up his bowl when he heard that and hurriedly looked up.

"Aren't you eating with us?"

Lin Lizhu was just a servant who did chores. How could she sit at the same table as her employers?

Besides, everyone in the Yu Household was severely germophobic. Even when the family of three ate together, they had to use serving chopsticks.

As for servants like them, it was even more impossible for them to be invited to the table.

"Thank you for inviting me. Once I'm done with my work, I'll eat in the kitchen."

Learning that his mother had to hide in the kitchen to eat, Gu Yuechen suddenly clenched his chopsticks so tightly that his nails nearly dug into his palms.

How could he allow Yu Yaochen to humiliate Lin Lizhu like this? He immediately looked at Yu Yaochen with displeasure.

"Let Auntie eat with us."

Yu Yaochen froze briefly, then said to Lin Lizhu, "There's not much to clean upstairs. Eat with us first. It's so cold out, and the food will get cold easily."

Since Yu Yaochen had spoken, Lin Lizhu could not refuse again.

She went into the kitchen to serve herself another bowl of rice. When she came back and sat down, she could not help glancing at Gu Yuechen a few more times, her brows tightly furrowed.

"Auntie Lin, your cooking is so good." As Gu Yuechen ate, he said to Lin Lizhu, "This chicken is really tender."

Lin Lizhu curved her lips, but the smile on her face was no longer as warm as when she had first come in.

"Maybe the chicken I picked was fresher."

"Even the best ingredients will still taste bad in the end if they don't end up in the hands of a skilled cook." Gu Yuechen continued flattering Lin Lizhu.

Lin Lizhu merely gave a faint smile and did not answer him.

Seeing how much he liked it, Yu Yaochen simply placed the chicken leg from the platter into Gu Yuechen's bowl.

"If you like it, eat more." Yu Yaochen looked at him fondly.

Gu Yuechen stared at the chicken leg in his bowl, his expression suddenly enlightened. He also used his chopsticks to place a chicken wing in Lin Lizhu's bowl.

"Auntie Lin, you've worked hard today. You should eat more too."

"Thank you." Lin Lizhu's tone was somewhat flat.

Eating at the same table as his biological mother, Gu Yuechen ate with exceptional appetite, thoroughly shocking Yu Yaochen. Several times, he urged him not to eat so quickly or he might get a stomachache.

After dinner, Lin Lizhu stood to clear the table.

Gu Yuechen wanted to help her, but when he got up, he saw that the chicken wing he had placed in Lin Lizhu's bowl was still there, completely untouched.

His expression froze, and he stood there foolishly.

In truth, he knew very well that most people would resist eating food picked for them by strangers.

Let alone eating it, not refusing it outright was already polite enough.

But Gu Yuechen still felt awful.

He was clearly Lin Lizhu's son, yet he could not even fulfill his wish of serving his mother food.

"Yuechen, let's go sit on the sofa first." Yu Yaochen turned and instructed Lin Lizhu, "Please wash some fruit for us."

"Yes, Young Master. I'll take the dishes into the kitchen first."

Yu Yaochen nodded, then pulled Gu Yuechen over to sit on the sofa.

Gu Yuechen sat in a daze for a while before softly saying, "She seems to really dislike me."