The next morning, as dawn broke.
Zhang Shaozhong was awakened by an extremely tempting aroma of food.
He groggily opened his eyes and sniffed – it smelled of fried eggs, millet porridge, and… toast?
He rubbed his eyes and walked out of the room, following the scent to the living room, where he froze instantly.
The restaurant tables were piled high with breakfast!
Golden fried eggs, sticky millet porridge, perfectly baked bread, and even a few delicate side dishes!
And the person wearing an apron, carrying a plate of sliced fruit out of the kitchen, was... Ling Qingxue?!
The fairy is cooking?!
Zhang Shaozhong almost thought he hadn't woken up yet.
In his memory, Ling Qingxue had always been someone who lived a simple life, detached from worldly affairs, and at most, she would sit quietly beside him while he cooked.
She actually... cooked herself?
And judging by its appearance, it actually looks quite good!
"Awake?" Ling Qingxue placed the fruit plate on the table, took off her apron, and her movements remained elegant and detached from worldly concerns, as if she were a different person who had been busy in the kitchen just moments before.
She remained calm and said in a nonchalant tone, "Go wash up, then have breakfast."
"Huh? Oh... okay, sure!"
Zhang Shaozhong was still a little confused. He nodded subconsciously and quickly slipped to the bathroom.
When he returned after washing up, he found Ye Meier yawning as she came out of her room.
The witch was clearly lured out by the aroma. She was wearing a silk robe and was still sleepy. She was stunned when she saw the breakfast spread all over the table.
"Oh? Has the sun risen in the west?"
Ye Meier walked around the table, sniffing exaggeratedly, "You hypocrite, did you do this? You didn't put some kind of poison in it, did you? Trying to poison me so you could monopolize the head of the household?"
Ling Qingxue didn't even lift her eyelids. She ladled out a bowl of millet porridge and placed it in Zhang Shaozhong's usual spot, her voice cold: "If you don't want to eat, you can go back to sleep."
"Tch, eat! Why shouldn't you eat!"
Ye Meier plopped down on the chair next to Zhang Shaozhong and reached for the toast.
"Use chopsticks."
Ling Qingxue said calmly, and an invisible force gently pushed away Ye Meier's hand.
Ye Meier pouted, but still reluctantly picked up her chopsticks.
Zhang Shaozhong sat down, looking at the lavish breakfast in front of him that seemed almost unreal, and felt a little apprehensive.
He carefully scooped a spoonful of millet porridge and put it in his mouth... Hmm?
The taste was surprisingly good!
The cooking time was just right, and the rice had a rich aroma.
"Fairy, this... did you really make this?" Zhang Shaozhong couldn't help but ask.
Ling Qingxue sipped the porridge in her bowl and simply hummed in response.
Ye Meier took a bite of the fried egg, her eyes darting around. She glanced at the calm Ling Qingxue, then at the somewhat flattered Zhang Shaozhong, and a knowing yet mischievous smile suddenly appeared on her face.
"Oh~~~ I understand!"
She drew out her words, nudged Zhang Shaozhong with her elbow, and winked, "Master, it seems someone has 'ulterior motives'! This isn't breakfast, it's clearly... um?"
Zhang Shaozhong's hand trembled from the impact, and he almost dropped his spoon on the table. His face instantly turned hot: "Big sister, what nonsense are you talking about!"
"Am I talking nonsense?"
Ye Meier leaned closer to him, lowering her voice, but loud enough for Ling Qingxue on the other side to hear, "Last night, was some little rascal so infatuated with me? And what happened? Someone who appears to be celibate is actually... tsk tsk, already 'asserting his dominance' this morning? Afraid that his little cabbage will be taken by this 'bad woman'?"
Zhang Shaozhong: "!!!"
He wished he could rush up and cover the witch's mouth!
What is all this nonsense?!
He secretly glanced at Ling Qingxue and saw that the fairy's hand holding the bowl seemed to pause slightly. Although her face was still expressionless, her aura seemed to drop several degrees instantly.
"Do not speak while eating or sleeping."
Ling Qingxue put down her bowl and looked calmly at Ye Meier, but beneath that calmness, it seemed as if ice shards were gathering. "If you have excess energy, you can go to the courtyard and practice yesterday's movement technique a hundred times."
"Oh, getting impatient?"
Not only was Ye Meier unafraid, she became even more excited. She deliberately picked up a fried egg and affectionately brought it to Zhang Shaozhong's lips, "Come on, husband~ Ah—try this, it looks delicious! Much more 'delicious' than some people's cold and indifferent faces!"
Zhang Shaozhong stared at the fried egg in front of his mouth, unsure whether to eat it or not. He stood frozen in place, sweat almost beading on his forehead.
He could clearly feel that the oppressive aura emanating from the fairy opposite him was getting heavier and heavier!
"I...I can do it myself!"
He quickly turned his head away, picked up a piece and stuffed it into his mouth, but it tasted like nothing at all.
Ling Qingxue watched this scene, her eyes flickered slightly, and she didn't say anything more. She just lowered her head and continued to drink her porridge in small sips.
She drank slowly, her long eyelashes drooping down, obscuring the emotions in her eyes, but Zhang Shaozhong sensed the faint sense of loss and... a hint of barely perceptible grievance lingering around her deep in his soul.
An eerie silence fell over the dining table.
Only Nightshade remained smug, as if she had won a great victory.
Zhang Shaozhong felt extremely uncomfortable during the meal.
He glanced at the alluring and mischievous witch on his left, then at the unusually quiet fairy on his right, and felt incredibly conflicted.
This breakfast, and this current low mood... could it really be like Ye Meier said, because... I'm jealous?
When the idea first popped into Zhang Shaozhong's head, he himself found it somewhat absurd.
Who is Ling Qingxue? She is a high and mighty fairy!
That can't be!
But... how do you explain this situation?
After finally finishing his meal, Zhang Shaozhong quickly stood up to clear the dishes: "I, I'll wash the dishes!"
He practically fled into the kitchen.
In the kitchen, Zhang Shaozhong absentmindedly washed the dishes while listening intently to the sounds outside.
It seemed quiet outside, and he didn't hear any arguing, which made him feel a little relieved.
When he finished washing the dishes and came out, he found that Ye Meier was nowhere to be seen. She had probably gone back to her room to catch up on sleep or to cultivate.
Only Ling Qingxue remained seated on the living room sofa, a cup of tea in front of her, the rising steam obscuring her cool and aloof expression.
She gazed out the window, her eyes somewhat vacant, lost in thought.
That lonely figure inexplicably tugged at Zhang Shaozhong's heart.
He hesitated for a moment, then walked over and sat down on the single sofa next to him.
"Fairy..."
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but didn't know where to begin.
Should he just ask, "Are you jealous?" He was afraid the fairy would slap him out.
Ling Qingxue slowly turned her head, her gaze falling on him. Her eyes were still clear, but seemed to hold something more than usual.
"Shao Zhong," she said softly, her voice carrying a barely audible ethereal quality, "Am I... boring?"
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