Su Qi took another glance at that plate of suspiciously colored "culinary masterpiece."
Liu Yuan's cheeks instantly burned scarlet.
She would have preferred it if her brother had just bluntly called it disgusting—that would have been easier to swallow.
Though... the reality wasn’t far off.
She had been a flustered mess in the kitchen—adding salt, then panicking and diluting it with water, vaguely channeling the infamous "too much salt? add water; too much water? add salt" cycle.
Then she tried sprinkling in sugar for umami, only to forget to turn down the heat...
"I-I'm sorry, Master..." Liu Yuan's voice was barely louder than a mosquito's hum. "I... I messed up..."
The pair of fluffy fox ears atop her head drooped dejectedly, swaying slightly with her movements.
Su Qi didn’t immediately respond to his sister’s apology.
He set down his chopsticks and pulled out a chair.
Standing had become too taxing; leaning back slightly, he crossed his legs and settled into a more relaxed posture, his gaze fixed on her.
"You spent the whole afternoon on this?"
"Mm!" Liu Yuan jerked her head up, as if grasping at a chance to redeem herself. "I read tons of recipes! And—and I practiced my knife skills for ages! Even though... the results weren’t great..."
Her voice trailed off, her confidence withering by the second.
"Is that so?" Su Qi’s tone remained neutral.
No praise for effort. No consolation for failure.
That very calmness unsettled Liu Yuan even more.
She’d rather he either pointed out her mistakes outright or reassured her that she’d do better next time.
But this... what even was this?
"Brother, I—" Liu Yuan bit her lower lip.
But Su Qi cut her off.
"What ‘brother’?"
"You’re quite the smooth talker for a little fox."
"Weren’t you the one who said you’d do anything if I took you in?"
Liu Yuan: "!!!"
Oh right! They were roleplaying!
So it wasn’t that Su Qi was being unnervingly calm—he’d instantly picked up on her cue and slipped into character!
Her role was that of a homeless, gravely injured fox spirit.
She couldn’t back down over something this trivial!
Her mind raced.
No script, just improv.
"The dinner was a failure... b-but I can still repay you in other ways!"
Her voice regained some of the desperate eagerness of a wounded fox cub trying to prove her worth to her master: "Just give the order!"
The moment those words left her mouth, Liu Yuan felt her shame tolerance plummet—another side effect of the "Fox Wife" persona she’d adopted.
Normally, such a submissive plea would’ve been impossible for her to voice.
But now? It didn’t feel so unthinkable.
She even straightened her posture slightly, meeting Su Qi’s gaze with wide, slightly misty eyes—doing her best to radiate ‘adorable obedience.’
Su Qi studied her.
The fox ears atop her head twitched faintly with her shifting emotions.
That look, paired with her hesitant yet eager-to-please tone...
Su Qi adjusted his seating position again.
This chair must be defective—why did it suddenly feel so warm?
"What can you do, then?" he asked.
"I-I can..."
Liu Yuan blanked.
What could she do?
Play mobile games? Did that count?
Studying?
Not exactly "repayment" material.
Surely her master wouldn’t assign "get into XX University" as a task.
Housework?
She wasn’t... particularly skilled at that either.
Aside from the somewhat salvageable tomato-and-egg stir-fry, the rest...
Her face flushed deeper.
Was she really... that useless?
A wave of dejection hit her.
"I... I can learn!" she blurted, seizing the lifeline. "Whatever Master wants, I’ll learn! I’m a quick study!"
For emphasis, she nodded vigorously, her fox ears bouncing in sync.
Su Qi’s eyes lingered on those ears for a beat.
"Is that so." His voice stayed flat. "Then start by cleaning this up."
He gestured at the table’s spread of "culinary disasters."
"Huh?" Liu Yuan blinked.
That’s... it?
Just clearing the table?
She’d assumed, given the "master and servant" dynamic, the request might’ve been... well... more.
Like a back rub? A massage? Or... other things?
Her brain unhelpfully supplied some decidedly NSFW imagery from her "educational materials."
"Yes, Master!"
Though anticlimactic, she sprang into action, swiftly gathering plates and utensils.
Her "Spirit Fox Steps" granted her unnatural grace—now repurposed for efficiently stacking dishes without a single clatter.
Su Qi remained seated, watching his sister work.
She dumped the "failures" into the trash with meticulous care, her movements tinged with... something like regret?
Probably mourning her wasted afternoon.
He didn’t rush her. Didn’t offer help.
Just observed in silence.
Sigh... Letting her efforts go to waste felt harsh, but Su Qi wasn’t suicidal enough to stomach those dishes for the sake of indulging his foolish little sister.
Eating that would be lethal.
"M-Master, all done!" Liu Yuan wiped her hands and trotted back, tail swishing behind her.
"Mn." Su Qi stood.
He wasn’t exceptionally tall, but she was short enough to need to tilt her head up to read his expression.
Which, as usual, gave nothing away.
"The kitchen?" he prompted.
"The... kitchen?" Liu Yuan faltered. "That needs cleaning too?"
Then she recalled the warzone she’d left behind—spilled condiments, greasy stovetop, the sink piled with practice cookware...
"Right! On it!" She spun toward the kitchen.
"Wait." Su Qi stopped her.
She froze mid-step, turning back.
"That outfit’s impractical, no?"
His gaze swept over her.
Visually striking, yes—but hardly suitable for scrubbing grease.
Liu Yuan looked down at herself.
Oh. Right.
"S-So should I change?" she ventured.
"Mn. Go."
With permission granted, she dashed off to her room.
Only once she’d disappeared did Su Qi head to the kitchen.
Predictable chaos greeted him.
He turned on the faucet and began washing the tower of dishes.
Liu Yuan returned quickly, now wearing one of Su Qi’s oversized white shirts—though the fox ears stayed firmly in place.
(Minimal requirements for maintaining the "Fox Wife" persona, after all.)
Su Qi turned around upon sensing movement behind her.
Su Qi: ???
Is this outfit really more convenient?
Well... in a way, I guess it is kind of convenient...
But...
What on earth did my stupid little sister eat today to grow such a bold attitude?
saw a female celebrity tied up and stuffed in the trunk! Little did he know, countless cameras were aimed at him at this moment - this was a new type of reality show. The first randomly selected passerby was caught in less than an hour. But when Xu Moru was selected, things started to take an unexpected turn. "Damn, this isn't how the script goes. This Xu Moru is too bold, he's not following the rules at all." "Crap, is this guy taking it seriously?" "The female celebrity has been scared to tears!"
u serious?" Chen Feng watched helplessly as his painstakingly trained disciple, fresh off a championship victory, publicly abandoned him. "You had your chance, but you didn’t appreciate it. Now, face the consequences of your choice!" Chen Feng possessed the "Master System," a treasure trove of supreme martial arts techniques, capable of molding ordinary individuals into peerless prodigies. "Legs like yours? A shame not to train in the Crippling Kick." "Ever heard of a palm strike that descends from the heavens?" "Auntie! I see extraordinary bone structure in you—a martial arts prodigy, one in ten thousand." The once-defiant senior disciple, now watching her juniors rise to fame one after another, dominating the internet, was consumed by endless regret.
reezy rom-com) Good news: Jiang Liu is quite the ladies' man. Bad news: He’s lost his memory. Lying in a hospital bed, Jiang Liu listens to a parade of goddesses spouting "absurd claims," feeling like the world is one giant game of Werewolf. "Jiang Liu, I’m your first love." "Jiang Liu, you’re my boyfriend—she’s your ex." "Jiang Liu, we’re close friends who’ve shared a bed, remember?" "Jiang Liu, I want to have your baby." The now-lucid Jiang Liu is convinced this must be some elaborate scam... until someone drops the bombshell: "The day before you lost your memory, you confessed your feelings—and got into a relationship." Jiang Liu is utterly baffled. So... who the hell is his actual girlfriend?! ... Before recovering his memories, Jiang Liu must navigate this minefield of lies and sincerity, fighting to protect himself from these women’s schemes. But things spiral even further out of control as more people show up at his doorstep—each with increasingly unhinged antics. On the bright side, the memories he lost due to overwhelming trauma seem to be resurfacing. Great news, right? So why are they all panicking now?
Cheng's father told him he was getting remarried—to a wealthy woman. Cao Cheng realized his time had finally come: he was about to become a second-generation rich kid. Sure, it might be a watered-down version, but hey, at least he'd have status now, right? The wealthy woman also had four daughters!! Which meant, starting today, Cao Cheng gained four stunning older sisters?? But that wasn't even the whole story... "My name is Cao Cheng—'Cheng' as in 'honest, smooth-talking gentleman'!"
