Xie Xie's Cooking Wasn't Even Fit for Dogs

The next morning, sunlight streamed through the gap in the curtains. Gu Yue opened her eyes and found that Tang Wulin was still holding her tightly in his arms.

His arm rested around her waist, his steady breath falling against the top of her head. Gu Yue frowned and pushed at his chest. "Hey! Let me get up!" Her voice still carried some of last night's resentment as she struggled to free herself from his embrace.

Still half-asleep, Tang Wulin tightened his arms, his voice hoarse with sleep. "Don't move... lie down a little longer." Gu Yue forcefully pried open his fingers and finally sat up, her long hair messily spilling over her shoulders. Only then did Tang Wulin fully wake up. He quickly pushed himself upright, concern in his eyes. "Does it still hurt?"

Gu Yue shook her head. Tang Wulin visibly let out a breath of relief, a reassured smile appearing on his face. Raising his voice toward the kitchen, he called, "Xie Xie! Is breakfast ready yet?" His voice rang especially clearly through the quiet morning.

The clatter of a spatula came from the kitchen. Then Xie Xie poked half his head out from the doorway, sweat still clinging to his forehead. "It's ready, it's ready! Xiaoyan! Come carry it out!" There was more than a little pride in his voice, as if he was extremely satisfied with his cooking.

Xu Xiaoyan came over from the living room at his call. The moment she pushed open the kitchen door, the intense burnt smell made her cough repeatedly. She fanned the air before her face and squinted toward the stove. Xie Xie was frantically loading several plates onto a tray, completely oblivious to the black smoke rising from the pan.

When the four of them sat around the dining table, Gu Yue froze as she stared at the blackened unidentified object on the plate in front of her. She cautiously poked it with a fork. Its surface was charred and crisp, yet it had a bizarre springiness when pressed. Gu Yue looked up, pointed at the plate, and asked Xie Xie, "Th-this... what is this thing?"

"Fried eggs!" Xie Xie answered righteously. Then he added, "I deliberately got creative and used some new seasonings." As he spoke, he pointed at several other suspiciously colored plates beside it. "This is bacon, this is toast. I processed all of them."

Gu Yue's face went a little pale as she silently pushed her plate aside. Turning to Tang Wulin, she looked at him with an unmistakable mixture of accusation and pleading. "I want delivery from that bun shop." Tang Wulin looked at the "creative dishes" on the table, then at Gu Yue's aggrieved expression, and couldn't help laughing.

"Fine, fine." He pulled out his phone and started scrolling through the delivery app. Xie Xie protested from beside him, "Hey, hey, I worked all morning on this!" Xu Xiaoyan carefully took a bite of the so-called "creative fried egg," then immediately grabbed her water cup and gulped it down, her face twisting.

After placing the order, Tang Wulin patted Xie Xie on the shoulder. "We appreciate the thought, but..." He glanced at the charred food and didn't finish. Gu Yue had already gotten up to fetch a cup of water from the kitchen. As she passed Xie Xie, she lightly tossed out, "Too creative."

In the end, all of Xie Xie's "achievements" went into the trash. As he dumped them out, he sighed. "What a waste. I spent so long mixing that sauce..." Gu Yue was taking small sips of warm water. Hearing that, she looked up and shot him a glance. "If you think it's such a waste, eat it yourself. Stop pretending."

Xie Xie was instantly left speechless. He opened his mouth but couldn't find anything to say in rebuttal. Xu Xiaoyan snickered beside him and received a glare from Xie Xie. Tang Wulin shook his head and went to wait by the door for the delivery. The morning light grew brighter and brighter. The lingering burnt smell still hadn't completely faded, but the breeze blowing in through the window had already diluted it considerably.

The kitchen stove still bore the traces of Xie Xie's chaos—spilled flour, overturned seasoning bottles, and the stubborn black scorch marks in the pan. Xu Xiaoyan had already begun cleaning up, placing the used bowls and plates into the sink. Xie Xie scratched his head and went over to help, looking a little embarrassed.

When the delivery arrived, the fragrance of hot buns and soy milk finally drove away the last traces of burnt odor. The four gathered around the dining table again, and this time the mood was much more relaxed. Gu Yue took small bites of her bun, her feet swinging lightly beneath the table. Tang Wulin pushed the soy milk toward her, his eyes gentle.

Xie Xie took a huge bite of a bun and mumbled, "Actually, I think my fried eggs still had some redeeming qualities..." Before he could finish, Xu Xiaoyan jabbed him with her elbow. "Even eating can't shut you up."

Sunlight slanted through the glass window into the living room, dyeing the entire space a lazy golden hue. Gu Yue curled up in one corner of the sofa with a thick study guide spread across her lap. At first, she had forced herself to read line by line, her pen occasionally scribbling notes along the edge of the pages. But the midday warmth was like a gentle hand brushing over her head, and the words on the page gradually blurred. Before she knew it, she had leaned her head against the sofa cushion, her eyelids growing heavier and heavier.

Xie Xie sat cross-legged in the armchair on the other side, his fingers rapidly swiping across his phone screen as scattered game sound effects played at first. Tang Wulin sat at the dining table with several intricate forging blueprints spread out before him, his gaze focused as he occasionally marked them with a pencil. Xu Xiaoyan was curled up on a cushion on the carpet, wearing headphones as she watched short videos, her shoulders occasionally trembling as she tried not to laugh.

For a while, the only sounds in the room were the faint rustling of paper, nearly inaudible game music, and the occasional distant car horn from outside.

Tang Wulin lingered over a detail on one blueprint for a long time. He rubbed his slightly sore neck and looked up, intending to stretch a little. His gaze swept across the living room before settling on Gu Yue on the sofa. She was completely still, her breathing even and deep, her chest rising and falling slightly with each breath.

Tang Wulin set down his pencil and carefully gathered the blueprints without making a sound. He stood, his steps so light they barely made a noise on the floor, and slowly walked over to the sofa. Bending down slightly, he held his breath. Those calm violet eyes of hers were peacefully closed, her long lashes casting a small shadow beneath her lids. The warmth and deep sleep had brought a faint flush to her cheeks, while her lips were unconsciously pressed together slightly. She looked much more relaxed and gentle than usual.

As Tang Wulin watched her, a soft smile unconsciously surfaced in his eyes. He turned and took a neatly folded light gray blanket from the cabinet beside him. Spreading it out, he carefully draped it over Gu Yue, pulling it all the way up to her shoulders and thoughtfully tucking the edges at her sides so it would not slip off. In her sleep, Gu Yue seemed to sense the added warmth. She unconsciously nuzzled against the soft edge of the blanket, sinking deeper into the sofa and sleeping even more soundly.

Only then did Tang Wulin straighten up and look toward the other two. He first met Xu Xiaoyan's raised gaze, gently placing a finger against his lips before pointing toward the sleeping Gu Yue. Xu Xiaoyan immediately understood. Her eyes widened as she nodded, careful not to make a sound. Tang Wulin then turned toward Xie Xie. Xie Xie was immersed in a crucial moment of his game, his fingers moving rapidly. Tang Wulin walked over and lightly touched his arm. Xie Xie looked up, saw Tang Wulin's gesture and Gu Yue sleeping soundly on the sofa, and immediately understood. Grinning, he wordlessly took out his earphones and plugged them in, completely cutting off the game's sound.

The room became even quieter. There was only the slow movement of sunlight through the air and the almost imperceptible sound of their breathing. Tang Wulin did not return to the dining table. Instead, he gently sat down at the other end of Gu Yue's sofa, unfolded his forging blueprints again, and laid them across his lap. His eyes fell upon the complicated lines and figures. Yet before long, his gaze would always drift toward her beside him.

Gu Yue slept very peacefully, her body beneath the blanket rising and falling softly in a steady rhythm. A strand of black hair had slipped down from her temple and rested against her cheek. The light from outside the window happened to shift across her, dancing over her delicate skin until even the fine, soft fuzz on her face could be seen. Her brows were completely relaxed, and the curve of her lips rested naturally. The faint distance and constant alertness she usually carried had faded away, revealing an utterly defenseless tranquility.

Tang Wulin simply watched her, not turning a single page of the blueprint in his hands for a long while. He watched the sunlight slowly creep over her eyelashes, changing the tiny play of light and shadow along the bridge of her nose. He watched the hand resting outside the blanket, its fingers slightly curled and its fingertips luminous. In that quiet, sun-filled afternoon, a calm and comforting feeling quietly spread through the room.