The open space outside the small kitchen.

Rong Qingqing held a handful of melon seeds in her hand, cracking them open while watching the man chop wood.

It's truly unexpected that someone like Xie Jingrun would do such menial work as chopping wood.

Moreover, each piece of firewood was split perfectly, as if it had been measured with a ruler.

That's really strange!

It's extremely strange that a prodigy like Xie Jingrun could not only chop wood, but also chop it so well. Could it be that he actually chopped wood before?

But that's impossible!

How could Xie Jingrun possibly need to chop firewood?

"Pfft!" she thought to herself as she spat out the sunflower seed shells from her mouth.

Xie Jingrun raised his axe, about to chop the firewood, when suddenly, a melon seed shell floated lightly to his feet. His veins throbbed, and he abruptly stopped, looking at the girl beside him. He gritted his teeth and said, "Rong Qingqing..."

"Have you chopped firewood before?" Rong Qingqing interrupted him.

Xie Jingrun paused for a moment, then bent down, straightened the firewood, raised the axe, and chopped down.

"Smack!"

Rong Qingqing felt inexplicably terrified.

Was this guy doing it on purpose?

"Pfft!" She spat out another piece of sunflower seed shell.

"Why?" she couldn't help but ask, genuinely curious.

Xie Jingrun picked up the chopped firewood and carried it into the small kitchen.

Rong Qingqing stopped eating her melon seeds and quickly followed him inside.

Looking at the man squatting by the stove lighting the fire, she leaned closer and said, "Xie Jingrun, you're really strange."

Xie Jingrun glanced at her. "What's strange about it?"

"Isn't it strange enough that you can chop wood?" Rong Qingqing looked at him with bright eyes. "Did you do something naughty when you were a child and were punished by the old Marquis to chop wood?" Otherwise, why could he chop wood so well? His skillful movements were something that no one who was chopping wood for the first time could do. He had obviously practiced.

The flames in the stove were ignited at this moment, and suddenly leaped up, making the man's somewhat dark eyebrows and eyes appear red.

Hearing the girl's words, he suddenly looked up at her with a half-smile, "So interested in my affairs?"

Rong Qingqing was taken aback, took a step back, and said somewhat awkwardly, "I was just curious."

Xie Jingrun's lips curled up, and he suddenly said, "When I was twelve years old, I went to the border with my maternal grandfather. He made me start as a soldier, but at that time, I was unruly and disobedient, so I was punished and sent to the cook camp."

Rong Qingqing was somewhat surprised upon hearing this.

So he was a soldier and a cook. No wonder he could chop firewood so well.

She could imagine Xie Jingrun's arrogance when he first entered the army, only to be punished by his iron-fisted grandfather and sent to the cooks' camp.

"I see." She nodded, feeling a little smug. She never expected that someone as arrogant as Xie Jingrun could be suppressed to the point of being unable to move.

Xie Jingrun narrowed his eyes and said, "You're very happy?"

"No," Rong Qingqing said with a straight face. After thinking for a moment, she added, "Since you worked as a cook in the cookhouse, you must know how to knead dough, right?"

"No," Xie Jingrun denied without hesitation. "I've already started the fire for you. When are we going to start cooking?"

"Xie Jingrun, let's have dumplings for dinner tonight." Rong Qingqing's eyes flashed with slyness.

Xie Jingrun glanced at her. "Whatever."

“But it’s getting late, we need to hurry. You knead the dough, and I’ll chop the filling, how about that?” Rong Qingqing stared at him with bright eyes.