At lunchtime, Huang Rong ate three pieces of braised pork in one go, alternating between a bite of pork and a bite of rice, finding it incredibly satisfying.

"Rongrong, eat some vegetables." An Rong was a little frightened by the way she ate the meat. Even he, a grown man, wouldn't dare to eat too much of such a large piece of pork belly.

Huang Rongrong had just picked up a piece of vegetable to eat when she saw An Rong put some vegetables into his bowl and was speechless for a moment.

Why is eating meat so complicated? She doesn't like vegetables, she only loves meat. Why does everyone say she can't eat too much? What will happen if she eats too much?

"Brother Anrong, you don't know how delicious this meat is, the vegetables taste bland." For some reason, even though they were all cooked with the same oil and salt, the vegetables tasted particularly bad.

An Rong couldn't help but laugh when he saw how eager she looked.

"Okay, eat as much as you like, as long as your body can handle it." An Rong was actually implying to her that she shouldn't eat too much, as it wouldn't be good for her.

Huang Rong had no idea what was going on. He thought An Rong was encouraging him to eat more, so he ate three more pieces in one go, and soon the meat in his bowl was almost gone.

"Rongrong, don't you find it too greasy?" Lu Xi could only eat two pieces before he couldn't eat anymore. He admired Huang Rong for being able to eat so much without stopping.

Huang Rong didn't care at all, "Not greasy at all."

I'd love to have another bowl, but there's still not enough meat.

Huang Rong ate braised pork, a large bowl of rice, and drank a bowl of hot and sour soup during the meal, leaving her stomach bulging.

The last time I ate this much was on Chinese New Year last year.

Huang Rong was listless and looked very tired all afternoon. Fortunately, there weren't many people in the shop, so she was able to go back inside and take a nap.

As evening fell and the shop became more crowded, Lu Xi still couldn't find Huang Rong. He was a little worried, so he took a moment to run to her door and knocked for a long time.

"Sister Rongrong, it's getting late, time to get up and get to work." Brother Anrong kept checking on the children, and he was all alone in front of the house, so he was a bit overwhelmed.

Huang Rong didn't make a sound. She was half asleep, feeling hot and restless all over. She thought she heard someone calling her, but she couldn't open her eyes.

Lu Xi became anxious. Huang Rong must be sick to be not responding. He pushed the door hard, but it wasn't locked.

The door opened.

"Sister Rongrong, are you alright?" Lu Xi walked to the bedside and saw that she was still sleeping, wrapped tightly in the quilt, and her face could not be seen at all.

Lu Xi was worried, so she lifted the blanket to show her face.

Huang Rong's face was flushed, looking like a bright red apple, so tempting that one would want to take a bite.

Lu Xi lowered his head and unconsciously moved closer to her face, smelling a faint fragrance that stirred his heart.

"Lu Xi, what are you doing?" Huang Rong opened her eyes and was startled by a familiar, magnified face.

Lu Xi sprang up like a spring, startling him greatly. He had thought Huang Rong was unconscious due to illness, but who would have thought she would suddenly open her eyes?

"I called you a few times from outside, but you didn't answer. I thought something had happened to you, so I came in to check on you. I'm sorry." Lu Xi quickly left the room. There is a difference between men and women, and it was indeed wrong of him to enter a girl's room without permission.

Huang Rong was half asleep when she saw that it was pitch black outside and realized it was night.

She fixed her makeup and immediately went to the front hall. The tables in the lobby were almost full. It was really embarrassing that she slept until evening. Fortunately, Lu Xi went to wake her up. Brother An Rong was probably angry too.

Perhaps feeling guilty, Huang Rong became unusually diligent, chopping vegetables, serving dishes, clearing away bowls and chopsticks, wiping tables, without saying a word or taking a break. She kept busy until the tavern closed, and remembered every single expense clearly.

An Rong came out from the backyard and watched her bustling about, seemingly a completely different person. She wondered if the meat she ate at noon had made her so happy that she was motivated to work.

Little did she know, she was simply trying to make up for her guilt.

Lu Xi tidied up the kitchen and carried a basin of hot water to Huang Rong's door.

"Lu Xi, you're so kind of you." Huang Rong's calves were aching from exhaustion, and she was just thinking how nice it would be to soak her feet. Unexpectedly, Lu Xi brought the water to her just as she was about to go out to boil some.

Lu Xi lowered her head and said, "You've had a hard day."

If it weren't for Huang Rong running around taking care of things, he wouldn't have been able to manage on his own. He was very grateful, especially since she was a young woman who had done so much physical work; she must have been even more tired than him. It was only right that he bring her a basin of water to wash her feet.

Huang Rong blushed slightly. She had been slacking off all afternoon, and Lu Xi's words were a blatant slap in the face. It was truly embarrassing.

"I'm not as tired as you are, but thank you for the hot water anyway." Huang Rong smiled and took the basin from his hand, already eager to go inside and soak her feet.

Huang Rong carried the basin into the house, put it down, and closed the door.

Lu Xi stood there blankly, a faint smile on her lips. It turned out that serving girls water to wash their feet was a happy thing.

"Lu Xi, it's getting late, go inside and rest." An Rong walked around the lobby and kitchen to make sure there were no safety hazards before heading to the backyard, where he saw Lu Xi standing blankly at Huang Rong's door.

Could it be that he's fallen for Huang Rong? He's only thirteen; he shouldn't be so precocious as to have someone he likes.

But thinking about it, it seems there are clues. For example, the braised pork during the day, as far as he knows, Lu Xi bought the meat. He doesn't know whose money it was, but Lu Xi made the braised pork, and she made it particularly well. He himself didn't even eat much, just watched Huang Rong eat.

He would lower his head and chuckle as he watched someone take a bite.

An Rong knew Lu Xi well; if he lowered his head, he was sure Lu Xi was secretly smiling.

"Okay, Brother Anrong, you should get some rest too." Lu Xi's face turned even redder, and she slunk back to her room, closing the door from the inside.

An Rong shook his head and sighed. Spring had arrived.

Yuan Doudou watched as An Rong entered the house with a worried look on his face, and saw him shaking his head as he took off his clothes.

"An Rong, what trouble have you run into?" Yuan Doudou asked curiously.

An Rong was worried about who to talk to when Yuan Doudou asked him, and he found someone to confide in.

"Can you tell if there's something between Lu Xi and Huang Rong?" An Rong whispered, her tone tinged with gossip.

Yuan Doudou immediately broke down, thinking he had something on his mind, but it turned out he was gossiping about other people's love lives.

"What could those two little brats possibly have to do?" Yuan Doudou asked dismissively.

An Rong, however, remained completely serious. This kind of thing could be a big deal or a small deal, so how could she be so nonchalant and even laugh about it?

“I think Lu Xi is acting strangely; he seems to be acting very differently towards Huang Rong.” An Rong trusted her intuition.

Yuan Doudou covered her mouth, watching him analyze other people's thoughts like a detective.

Are men really this perceptive? She didn't even notice anything amiss, but An Rong was being suspicious and paranoid.