When Yan Feng returned home, he changed his shoes and went straight into the kitchen to prepare dinner.

Usually, when living alone, he would just grab a quick bite at the company. But now, with a young girl to take care of, he naturally had to put more thought into their meals.

Tomato and egg stir-fry, green pepper with shredded pork, and a small bowl of light radish soup made up their dinner for the evening.

Meanwhile, Chen Xi had been lying on the sofa since she entered the house, resting her wrist on her forehead, covering half her face, lost in thought.

She was probably exhausted, considering she was preparing for the postgraduate entrance examination, and her body might not be able to handle it. Yan Feng came out of the kitchen with the dishes and saw Chen Xi sprawled on the sofa, a slight smile tugging at his lips.

"Little Xi, dinner's ready."

Upon hearing his call, the young girl immediately got up, tidied her clothes, tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, and nodded obediently.

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At the dining table.

The two sat across from each other. Chen Xi picked up some shredded pork with her chopsticks, put it in her mouth, chewed, swallowed, and tried to savor it.

The meat was firm and cooked just right, though the flavor was a bit strong; otherwise, there was nothing wrong with it.

His cooking wasn't bad at all.

Chen Xi doubted her taste buds and reached for more shredded pork to taste again.

Hmm... it was indeed quite good...

She was still curious about her new discovery about the man when she noticed the green pepper shredded pork dish, which had been a bit distant, was now placed in front of her, exuding a simple, homely aroma.

"You seem to really like this dish?" Yan Feng set the plate down, slowly withdrew his arm, and said with a gentle smile, "I'll buy more green peppers and meat next time..."

Chen Xi didn't reply, just stared at the dish in front of her, a bit dazed.

Inexplicably, she thought of an impossible possibility.

She picked up her chopsticks, took another bite, and this time deliberately slowed her chewing, letting her tongue feel the slightly spicy sauce.

It was indeed as she imagined, even better than before, so good that she didn't dare to continue eating.

Humans instinctively avoid things they fear. Too many disappointments and abandonments had long formed a self-protective logic in her heart. Chen Xi didn't know what flavor she tasted in that dish, but she knew she shouldn't eat any more.

So she put down her chopsticks, looked at the green pepper shredded pork, and lied with a cold tone:

"I don't like green peppers, only the shredded pork."

Yan Feng chuckled at her words, about to say something about not being picky, but when he looked up, he saw that familiar face showing disgust.

"If you don't like it, that's okay," he said, lowering his head and coughing to cover his embarrassment. "You're still growing, eat more meat. I'll go to the supermarket this Saturday to buy more meat..."

Chen Xi nodded, not saying much, just quietly eating the shredded pork until no trace of meat was left, only a pile of glistening green peppers.

She poked at them with her chopsticks, glanced at the remaining rice in her bowl, and asked:

"Is there no more beef sauce left?"

At that moment, Yan Feng was sipping radish soup from a bowl and was startled by her sudden question, burning his mouth. He quickly wiped his mouth and apologized with a smile:

"Uh... the last batch was finished. Sorry, it's too late today, I didn't have time to make more... How about this, tomorrow, I'll buy ingredients from the market, and we can have it for dinner..."

There was light in his eyes, and Chen Xi could see guilt, apology, and self-blame, but not a hint of reproach.

She had merely asked a question and received such a compromising and indulgent response. Yet, even when she was with her mother, she had never felt so valued.

She was just a burden everyone despised, an unlucky person who brought misfortune. Receiving such pampering treatment, her first reaction wasn't gratitude or excitement, but vigilance.

Chen Xi never forgot the looks the passing men gave her, and she always knew that apart from her mother's presence, there was no real connection between her and any man!

Given that, he must have a motive.

The young girl thought, her hand unconsciously reaching into her waist pocket, skillfully feeling for a short black self-defense baton.

Her gaze turned cold as she looked at him again, trying to find a hint of covetousness in his bright eyes.

But there was none.

Yan Feng just scratched his head awkwardly and said, as if coaxing a child, "There's really none left, not a bit... Tomorrow, I'll come back early and make it for you, okay?"

Across the table, Chen Xi was at a loss for words due to his indulgent tone. She swallowed, then lowered her head to hide her flustered expression, mumbling as she ate:

"No... no need..."

After dinner, they each had their own tasks to attend to.

Chen Xi needed to prepare for her exams, so she returned to her room, turned on the light, and started working on her papers.

Yan Feng had to deal with unfinished business from the company, so he also turned on the light and worked overtime on his laptop.

Time slipped away in their busyness. The young girl had only two math problems left unsolved. She rubbed her eyes and leaned back in her chair, choosing to relax for a moment.

If someone were beside her, they would see her completed paper, full of corrections, yet nearly every blank, every choice, every formula, and answer, except for the last two problems, was accurate and flawless.

It was hard to imagine that someone like her would rank at the bottom of her class, even scoring less than two digits.

Raising her head, she glanced at the clock on the wall and realized it was already 11 PM. It was time for her to wash up and go to bed.

She deliberately altered a few answers on her paper, then packed it into her backpack and got up to leave her room.

As soon as she opened the door, she heard a series of faint coughs. She frowned, sniffed the air, and caught a pungent spicy scent.

She froze, hand on the doorknob, suddenly understanding something.

But instead of joy, it brought doubt.

Following the scent, she quietly tiptoed towards the kitchen, shrouded in the night.