Lunch at Ye Shuang's Home

"An Shiyu, you're here?" A voice came from one side. Standing in front of a convenience store, An Shiyu tilted her head slightly, "Oh... yo?"

Seeing Tang Keke and the others gathered there, she asked,

"What are you all up to?"

"Uh..." Tang Keke was caught off guard by the question and looked a bit exasperated, "Isn't this the meeting spot before heading to Brother's place? Did you already forget?"

An Shiyu stayed silent for a few seconds before suddenly putting on a deadpan expression,

"I was just testing you guys."

"As if I'd believe that!"

Each of them was carrying something, since they couldn’t very well show up empty-handed at Ye Shuang’s place—so the girls had bought a cake to share.

"Let’s go."

"Okay."

...

Meanwhile, Ye Shuang and Bai Yuyou were at home prepping ingredients. If there was one thing more tedious than cooking itself, it was the prep work—the actual cooking was the easiest part. Most of the time was spent chopping, cleaning, and later, washing dishes.

"Thud, thud, thud~"

The sound of the knife against the cutting board echoed like horse hooves. Bai Yuyou stood beside Ye Shuang peeling garlic, occasionally stealing glances at his focused profile.

After a while, the doorbell rang.

"Yuyou, could you get the door?" Ye Shuang paused mid-chop and turned to the girl beside him.

"Mm."

After quickly rinsing her hands under the tap, Bai Yuyou hurried to the door and opened it.

"Hey, Yuyou."

"Good morning!"

"Yo."

The girls chattered noisily outside. For some reason, a faint smile appeared on Bai Yuyou’s pretty face.

"..." The girls exchanged glances. Did Yuyou just... smile?

They looked again, only to see Bai Yuyou back to her usual blank expression, tilting her head slightly.

"Was that my imagination?" Keke asked.

"Yeah, must’ve been," Zhixia and the others nodded in agreement. Yuyou never smiled, after all.

An Shiyu, however, cut in, "I’m hungry."

Just then, Ye Shuang’s voice called from inside, "Come on in, don’t just stand there."

Tang Keke, already familiar with the place, stepped in and immediately opened the shoe cabinet to grab a pair of slippers, even handing some to Zhixia and the others. "Here, wear these."

"Feels like we’re at Keke’s place," Zhixia remarked with a smile.

"Yeah, acting like the lady of the house," Linlin added.

An Shiyu chimed in, "Seems the busty one’s plotting a coup."

Tang Keke: "..."

I’m the strategist here—are you questioning my professionalism?

Ye Shuang, having washed his hands, walked over with a smile. "Keke’s just been here a lot. Don’t feel too formal—treat this place like your own home, just like her."

"Though it is a bit small," he added, glancing around.

Unconsciously, Yuyou had gathered quite a few friends around her...

"Excuse the intrusion, Mr. Ye," Zhixia said, holding up the cake. "We brought this to share. Want some?"

Ye Shuang replied, "We’re about to have lunch—how about saving it for afternoon tea?"

"Sure."

Since Zhixia was also good at cooking, she offered to help, but Ye Shuang politely declined. "Everything’s pretty much ready. Guests shouldn’t have to work in the kitchen."

"Alright." Zhixia and the others obediently settled in to chat.

Meanwhile, An Shiyu wandered around before noticing the orange cat sprawled on the floor. "Chubby..."

She crouched down to pet Yi Wan, who obligingly rolled onto its back. "Meow."

"Nice. Plenty of meat for stew," An Shiyu mused.

"Meow?!" Yi Wan bolted straight to Tang Keke in terror.

An Shiyu smirked. "Heh."

"Honestly, An Shiyu, even the cat isn’t safe from you," Tang Keke grumbled, cradling the trembling Yi Wan.

The poor cat shivered like a 200-pound baby, burying its head in Tang Keke’s backpack as if it were the only safe haven.

Once seated, Zhixia and the others took in the apartment’s decor—warm wooden furniture, a seashell wind chime swaying gently in the distance, everything cozy and natural.

"This place is so nice! And there’s even room for a piano..." Zhixia sounded almost envious. "It feels so warm."

Bai Yuyou nodded softly. "Yes. I love it too."

Suddenly, Zhixia and Linlin exchanged glances and pulled Bai Yuyou to a quieter corner of the sofa. "Yuyou," Zhixia whispered, "you and Mr. Ye live here alone, right?"

"Mm." Bai Yuyou didn’t understand why they were whispering but nodded.

"Doesn’t that get... awkward sometimes? Like, with bathing and stuff?" Linlin asked.

Bathing?

Bai Yuyou thought for a moment before nodding seriously.

"Right? I thought so," Linlin said. "I stayed with my cousin once, and it was super inconvenient, especially with showering."

"Right." Bai Yuyou nodded again.

"See? Told you."

"Yeah. Ye Shuang always locks the door when he showers... won’t let me join. Very inconvenient," Bai Yuyou agreed.

Linlin: "..."

Are we talking about the same kind of inconvenience?

Soon, lunch was served.

"Stir-fried water spinach with shrimp paste, poached prawns, steamed king crab with garlic, steamed red grouper, steamed abalone with garlic, poached chicken, fatty barbecued pork, and corn rib soup." Ye Shuang laid out all eight dishes, leaving the girls stunned.

"This is... such a feast..." Zhixia looked overwhelmed. She turned to Ye Shuang. "Mr. Ye, you didn’t have to go all out like this. It’s too much!"

Linlin was practically drooling.

An Shiyu, meanwhile, said to Ye Shuang, "Ye Shuang... adopt me too..."

Ye Shuang: "..."

Stop copying Yuyou’s speech.

"Aside from the king crab, these are all everyday dishes at home, so don’t feel too formal. Just enjoy the meal," Ye Shuang said, serving each of them a bowl of soup. "Here, start with some soup."

At first, Zhixia and the others worried there might be too much food—until they saw the mountain of shells and bones piled beside Bai Yuyou. Clearly, nothing would be left for leftovers.

After lunch, the girls clutched their full stomachs, groaning.

"No way... no way we can eat cake now."