Chapter 143 Spider 30

A bowl of noodles cooked in bone broth, topped with two poached eggs and two or three pieces of pork ribs. The rich, milky broth exuded a fragrant aroma. Opening his eyes and enjoying a carefully prepared noodle soup was something Xu Zhao had never dared to imagine.

Lin Yue set up a small table and a child's chair by the door, which he'd brought from the toys and supplies section on the second floor. He wore a gray-black hooded sweatshirt, hiding his chest, and held a bowl of soup. "Xu Zhao, you're awake. I've made it. Try it. Is it to your liking?"

Xu Zhao blinked blankly, looking at Lin Yue standing in the dim light. She thought in a trance that she had returned to her past life, peaceful and tranquil. A handsome boy wearing a vibrant hooded sweatshirt called her to eat with a smile on his face. She had imagined this scene in her mind countless times.

Her gaze shifted downward, catching sight of the spider's limbs. It was hideous and terrifying. Xu Zhao regained consciousness, and as she walked out, her forehead accidentally brushed against the spider silk dangling from the door. Huh? She'd remembered cleaning it up, so why was it here again? Without giving it much thought, her mind was captivated by the fragrant noodle soup, and she took the bowl.

Xu Zhao sat hunched over the child seat, slurping his noodles with his head down. Two golden eggs lay on top. "Where did the eggs come from?"

The stove went out. Lin Yue's hands were empty, not prepared to eat with Xu Zhao. He rested his feet slightly on the ground, about half an arm's length away from her. "I found these in the forest. They're pheasant eggs. Are they good? I'll go back to the forest tomorrow. Maybe I can find a few more. I'll give them all to you."

Xu Zhao was stunned: "...Aren't you hungry?"

After asking, she realized that they had been together all day, and no one knew Lin Yue's eating habits better than her. He had only eaten the food in his backpack all day. Without waiting for Lin Yue to answer, Xu Zhao said directly, "Bring another bowl over, let's eat together. I can't finish this much."

Lin Yue had a habit of leaving good things for others. When he lived at Lin Jindong's house, he would always give in to his younger brother. On the dining table, the only dishes placed in front of him were humble vegetables. Whenever he reached for the dish beside him, Zhao Chunhong would taunt him with a sarcastic remark. Over time, he was forced to develop a tolerant temperament.

Once a habit is formed, it's hard to change. Lin Yue's personality is inherently peaceful and gentle, not competitive. While others have dreams and aspirations, he remains indifferent, like a ghost wandering the world.

This bowl of noodle soup seemed delicious to him in the past, but it was not as tempting as Xu Zhao's blood.

But no matter what, the noodle soup with pork ribs and eggs was more attractive than the bread and milk he had eaten in the morning. His stomach was rumbling, but he still gave the best and most nutritious food to Xu Zhao.

In Lin Jindong's home, his tolerance was like a muddy stream floating on the surface, with a dark, turbid mud underneath. When it came to Xu Zhao, everything came naturally, out of genuine concern and care. He hoped she would eat more and become stronger and more robust. She looked so thin and pitiful now...

"Need not……"

As soon as the words left his mouth, a muddy thought rolled through his mind. Lin Yue's pupils became dim and difficult to distinguish in the sunset light. The clear feeling as if two souls were tearing each other apart gradually became less clear, slowly merging into one. The old impressions that came out of his mind turned into sentences rolling around in his throat, as if trying to break free and tell Xu Zhao -

What is the purpose of telling?

Lin Yue lowered his eyes, his thick eyelashes covering his pupils. He pushed away the bowl of soup in front of him and whispered, "I'm not hungry. I'm really not hungry. Just eat it yourself, don't worry about me... These are all good things, they nourish the body. It doesn't matter what I eat, just don't give them to me..."

Xu Zhao couldn't help but frown.

Lin Yue slowly raised his head to look at her, tears of self-loathing welling up in his eyes: "...I can eat anything. Good things go bad when they enter my stomach."

Xu Zhao didn't want to hear such words. Thinking back to when they lived in Blackwater Town, Zhao Chunhong had cursed him all day long even after she knew her stepson was dead. Xu Zhao showed a rare expression of disgust: "Did Zhao Chunhong say that to you?"

Lin Yue nodded hesitantly, his eyes moist.

Xu Zhao snorted, "She's bullshit." This was the first time she had cursed in front of Lin Yue. The moment she said it, she saw a smile suddenly flashing in Lin Yue's eyes. The shame she had felt for swearing faded away, and she grabbed Lin Yue's wrist without warning: "...Food is made to be eaten by people. It doesn't matter who eats it. You also remember what that person said? She said that on purpose to disgust you! Sit here, I'll find some new dishes and chopsticks, and we'll eat together."

Lin Yue obediently let her pull him to the small table, and the places where her fingertips touched felt numb.

When Xu Zhao let go and was about to leave, he clasped her wrist instead, looked up and said, "...I remember there were very few intact bowls and plates in the supermarket. They were separated to prevent them from being bumped on the way. It would take a while to find them, and by then the noodles would be clumped together. You eat first. I can cook some more myself..."

In the corner, a spider web was filled with something. Finding the dishes would take a lot of effort. Xu Zhao thought about it and sat down at the table. He took the chopsticks Lin Yue handed him and, under his eager gaze, picked up the noodles dipped in the rich aroma of pork ribs and slurped them into his mouth.

Before she finished chewing and swallowing, Lin Yue came forward and asked, "Is it delicious?"

Xu Zhao's mouth was stuffed with noodles, and his voice was whimpering. She nodded vigorously, her eyes curved and a satisfied smile overflowed in response to his words. It wasn't a false reaction to comfort Lin Yue, but it was really delicious.

The pork rib soup was rich and delicious, and it flowed into her esophagus with hot air. She gasped in pain from the heat and smiled, praising him: "I didn't expect you to be such a good cook. It's so delicious."

Lin Yue's gaze lingered on her lips, moistened by the bone broth, a delicate red, with glistening stains of broth smeared around the edges. He lowered his delicate neck, hiding his Adam's apple, which was rolling with longing.

His chest burned, and he wished he could wipe the soup off his lips with a tongue tissue. It must be a sweetness he'd never tasted before. He felt shy and timid at the same time. The image of Xu Zhao eating was deeply imprinted in his mind, and he wished he could be the noodle soup in the bowl, being devoured by her mouthful after mouthful...

Lin Yue placed his fingertips on the wrist she had touched, and the remaining warmth made him nostalgic.

"Really? When we were in Blackwater Town, I was the one who cooked for our family. If you like it, I'll make it for you every day..."

Lin Yue clenched his fingertips, his eyes sparkling: "Okay?"

His heartbeat, like a drum, suddenly stopped. Lin Yue's senses were glued to Xu Zhao's surroundings. His eyes locked onto her every shift in expression, his nose inhaling her sweet scent, and soft, fine spider silk entwined around her ankles. Everything was happening silently, and Xu Zhao was already shrouded in a dense web, unaware of it.

The joy brought by the food made her agree without thinking: "Okay."

Although both her expression and aura conveyed to Lin Yue that she did not take his words to heart and was simply responding politely, she quickly agreed without even thinking carefully about what he meant.

But so what?

Lin Yue held his chin with his hands, his eyes were obsessed and sweet.

He took it seriously.