The Chen Family.
Under the scrutiny of those around her, Bai Yuyou sat quietly in her seat. Perhaps due to her striking beauty, she drew quite a bit of attention—though her face still carried a faint pallor, a lingering effect of long-term malnutrition that had left her constitution rather weak.
"What's your name?" Chen's Mother ladled a bowl of soup for Bai Yuyou and smiled kindly.
Bai Yuyou stared at the bowl placed before her, lips parting slightly, but the presence of so many people rendered her unable to utter a single word. Her body began to tremble faintly.
Chen's Mother reassured her gently, "It's alright, have some soup first."
Perhaps moved by Chen's Mother's gentle and warm demeanor, Bai Yuyou finally managed to whisper, "Bai… Yuyou."
"Thank you."
Chen's Mother simply smiled. "Then I'll call you Xiao Bai, alright?"
"Okay…"
From Chen's Mother, Bai Yuyou sensed a warmth unlike anything she had ever experienced—a feeling so foreign that she found herself staring at the soup, unsure of what to do.
It was as if she had never known a mother's love.
Or perhaps she had, once.
"Have some dishes." Ye Shuang placed a few pieces of meat into Bai Yuyou's bowl before doing the same for Chen Qin, as both girls were seated beside him. It was a habit of his, always looking after others.
Nearby, Chen Hai secretly gave a thumbs-up, barely stopping himself from muttering, "You're really something." He had no idea how Ye Shuang had dared to bring Bai Yuyou here, let alone how Chen Qin seemed completely unbothered—even the old man of the family didn’t seem to have any objections. Chen Hai couldn’t fathom what had happened behind the scenes.
The dishes on the table slowly rotated—twenty-seven in total, likely prepared in celebration of Ye Shuang’s birthday, though he had added two extra dishes made by Bai Yuyou.
But this was nothing unusual for the Chen Family, where meals always consisted of at least fifteen dishes, prepared daily by a private chef.
No wonder Chen Qin had never learned to cook.
As for Ye Shuang, he hadn’t known how to cook either—until he had to care for someone special and deliberately learned. Over time, he had mastered quite a few home-style dishes.
Ye Shuang scooped up some of Bai Yuyou’s scrambled eggs with tomatoes. As he did, the girl’s gaze flickered toward him.
The dish had cooled, but the rotating tray had a warming function, and it had been sitting for a while, so it should still be fine to eat.
The first bite carried a faint burnt sweetness. Ye Shuang took another mouthful of rice before noticing Bai Yuyou’s expectant look. He smiled softly.
"Not bad. You’re improving."
Bai Yuyou’s eyes brightened, and even the stray hair on her head seemed to dance with joy. Though she longed for more praise, she was already content.
Seeing this, Chen Qin also scooped some of the scrambled eggs with tomatoes. Though the dish didn’t look particularly appetizing, she decided to try it.
It was… awful.
The moment it touched her tongue, Chen Qin’s brows furrowed slightly, but she made no comment, silently finishing her portion before reaching for other dishes.
Ye Shuang ended up finishing the entire plate of scrambled eggs with tomatoes. As for the other dish—a strange hodgepodge of ingredients—he had genuinely wanted to eat it, but the taste was simply too off-putting. After a few bites, he lost the courage to continue.
But that dish had been a haphazard experiment by Bai Yuyou anyway.
Still, seeing her progress warmed Ye Shuang’s heart. At the very least, she’d be able to feed herself in the future.
Throughout the meal, Chen's Father and Chen's Mother occasionally glanced at Bai Yuyou, as if confirming something.
"By the way, why didn’t Fugui come?" Ye Shuang asked, turning to Chen Hai.
"He went abroad to study some new technology. Won’t be back for a while."
"Oh." Ye Shuang recalled their previous conversation and fell into brief thought.
Just then, Chen's Father suddenly spoke up. "Xiao Shuang."
"Hm?" Ye Shuang snapped out of his thoughts. "What is it, Uncle Chen?"
Chen's Father grinned. "Come, have a drink with me."
"Sure." Ye Shuang didn’t refuse, pouring a glass for his elder before downing two shots of baijiu himself.
Chen Qin sighed beside him. "With so much soup here, why drink alcohol?"
"It’s fine, we can reheat it tomorrow," Chen's Mother said dismissively. "Your father hasn’t had a drink in ages."
"Since you’ve been drinking, stay the night. I’ve already had the guest room upstairs prepared."
Ye Shuang checked the time and figured it was best to stay. "Then we’ll take you up on your hospitality."
Bai Yuyou nodded in agreement.
As long as she could sleep beside Ye Shuang, the location didn’t matter.
The atmosphere at the table remained harmonious. Chen Hai had initially wanted to join the drinking, but his wife pinched the fat around his waist and twisted sharply.
Chen Hai’s wife was a girl from Sichuan—gentle and sweet before marriage. Back then, Chen Hai had often bragged about his girlfriend’s tender nature. But after a few too many drinks and a shotgun wedding, her true, domineering personality emerged. Fortunately, Chen Hai’s own easygoing nature balanced things out, and the two got along well.
Still, Chen Hai never missed a chance to grumble about his "Mount Shu" at home.
"Xiao Shuang," Chen's Father said after a few more drinks, his voice slightly slurred. "There’s a company in the high-tech district looking for a vice president. Interested?"
Ye Shuang was taken aback but quickly replied, "Uncle Chen, I appreciate the offer, but I’d like to focus on other things for now."
"Ah, no pressure if you don’t want to," Chen's Father chuckled. "But you know, Qin’er is carrying too much on her own. And this useless son of mine—" He gestured at Chen Hai. "—has no ambition and no skills."
Chen Hai twitched at the insult. Was this really how a father talked about his own son?
But it was true—he had no interest in the family business. Fortunately, Chen Qin was more than capable.
As for Ye Shuang, his abilities were undeniable. He had single-handedly revived the near-dead Zhao family business, turning it into a thriving enterprise.
Chen's Father’s reasoning was simple. With such vast assets, his daughter couldn’t manage everything alone. And since he didn’t trust outsiders, his sights had settled on Ye Shuang—a young man he adored, whom his daughter was clearly smitten with, and whose character and competence were beyond reproach. The perfect son-in-law.
After a bit more conversation, seeing Ye Shuang’s disinterest for now, Chen's Father didn’t push further and shifted topics.
Before long, Ye Shuang began feeling the effects of the alcohol. Unlike beer, baijiu had a way of sneaking up on you.
"Here we go again," Chen Qin sighed, placing a hand on Ye Shuang’s back to steady him while covering his cup with the other. "Alright, that’s enough. Your face is already red."
Ye Shuang shook his head. "I’m fine…"
"Hahaha, still too young!" Chen's Father laughed heartily.
Chen's Mother shot him a reproachful look. "What are you laughing at? Your face is redder than a monkey’s backside."
Bai Yuyou was a bit curious when she saw this scene. She had seen Ye Shuang in this state before—also drunk, yet it gave off a slightly different vibe this time.