This is the first time I've had breakfast made by Eichi.
Morning light streamed through the villa's floor-to-ceiling windows, casting dappled shadows on the marble countertop in the kitchen. Xin Yu, wearing the loose pajamas prepared by Eichi, walked barefoot on the warm wooden floor, watching the figure bustling around the stove—Tenshouin Eichi, the student council president who shone brightly on the Ensemble Stars stage, now clumsily holding a frying pan, his light blue shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing his slender forearms.
"Careful, it's hot." Yingzhi scooped the fried egg from the pan onto a plate. The golden egg mixture had slightly charred edges, and the yolk in the center trembled slightly.
Xinyu took the plate, her fingertips accidentally brushing against Yingzhi's hand. The warmth of his skin seeped through his apron, accompanied by a slight, almost imperceptible tremor. She remembered the Michelin-starred restaurant in Singapore, where Yingzhi had stood in front of the counter, learning plating techniques from the chef, his gaze so focused then as if he were creating a work of art.
"I added some wild honey from Hoshino." Eichi placed a maple leaf-shaped cookie on the edge of the plate, the cookie still glistening with icing. "You said it tasted like home."
As Xinyu's fingertips traced the edge of the cookie, she suddenly noticed tiny gold specks embedded in the icing, shimmering with delicate light in the morning glow.
"This is..." Xinyu poked the fried egg with her fork, and the golden yolk suddenly flowed out, spreading a warm color on the plate.
"Soft-boiled egg." Yingzhi scratched his head a little embarrassedly. "I watched breakfast tutorials for three days in the hotel in Singapore."
Xinyu took a bite of the fried egg. The rich yolk and the smooth egg white intertwined in her mouth, the sweetness of honey perfectly balancing the slight saltiness of the egg yolk. Awkward tenderness.
"Is it good?" Yingzhi looked at her nervously, her fingers unconsciously twisting the edge of her apron.
Xinyu suddenly reached out and held a honey-smeared cookie to his lips: "Try it."
Yingzhi paused for a moment, then lowered his head and took a bite of the biscuit. The sweet aroma of honey filled the air between them, like an invisible bond connecting their hearts. When he looked up, his eyes sparkled with happiness: "Sweeter than I imagined."
Just then, the butler came in carrying coffee. Seeing the two sharing breakfast, he smiled and put down the tray: "Young master, this is your Blue Mountain coffee."
Yingzhi took the coffee, then suddenly remembered something and pulled a maple leaf-shaped brooch from his pocket: "This is for the lady." The word "Morning" was engraved on the inside of the brooch, shimmering in the morning light.
Xinyu pinned the brooch to the collar of her pajamas and suddenly noticed that Yingzhi's apron had the same pattern. She gently stroked the maple leaf and suddenly understood that from their first encounter with Hoshino, to Yumenosaki's wedding, and then to their honeymoon in Singapore, they finally had their own dawn.
"What do you want for breakfast tomorrow?" Yingzhi handed her the coffee, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.
Xinyu leaned on his shoulder and whispered, "I like anything you make."
In the morning light, their figures clung tightly together, the aroma of fried eggs mingling with the rich flavor of coffee, like a morning hymn of love, gently echoing in every corner of the villa. From the starry sky of Hoshinohara to the chapel of Yumenosaki, from the Singapore Ferris wheel to this kitchen, their story will never end.
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