Under Zhu Yanyan’s immense anticipation, the porridge in the clay pot began to bubble and gurgle, releasing the unique fragrance of white rice porridge. Shi Fa Ke opened the lid, poured in the chopped minced meat, quickly stirred it with chopsticks to scatter it, then covered the pot again.

“The chives are to be added last?” Zhu Yanyan asked curiously.

“Mm, it’s best to add them just before serving, because chives can’t be cooked for long—they lose their fragrance if overcooked.”

“Oh.” Zhu Yanyan wore an expression of being enlightened.

Shi Fa Ke actually found it a bit difficult to understand Zhu Yanyan’s anticipation for this pot of minced meat porridge. After all, as a young lady of the Zhu family, what hadn’t she eaten? Her enthusiasm and anticipation for minced meat porridge seemed rather incomprehensible.

Shi Fa Ke lifted her head and glanced at Zhu Yanyan, who was circling around the clay pot on the stove. Her face bore a mysterious expectation…

After thinking about it, Shi Fa Ke understood somewhat—perhaps it was because of loneliness.

She was raised in the inner chambers, protected too well, and had lost too much.

Since Zhu Yanyan and her wet nurse were staying for the meal, Shi Fa Ke made several simple home-cooked dishes and sent a portion to Third Brother’s study room.

“That person is really a young lady from the Zhu family?” Third Brother Shi, who had to hide in the study room to avoid impropriety, asked while eating. Those daughters of great families had many rules—he had suffered losses when traveling for his studies, and having learned from that experience, he dared not touch such troublesome matters again.

He was starving though.

“Mm, she came secretly, so don’t tell anyone.” Shi Fa Ke cautioned, as this concerned Zhu Yanyan’s reputation as an unmarried woman—it was no trivial matter.

“I know, my mouth is very tight.”

Shi Fa Ke expressed doubt, as among all the people in the family, only Third Brother was a blabbermouth who couldn’t keep things sealed.

“Hey hey, why are you looking at me with that expression? I still know what can be said and what can’t be said, okay?” Third Brother Shi rolled his eyes skyward. Seeing that young lady from the Zhu family acting so mysteriously, even refusing to give her name, he knew this matter shouldn’t be spread around.

“Take your time eating, be careful not to choke. I’m going out.” After Shi Fa Ke finished speaking, she left.

Just as she left, Third Brother Shi choked… He was choked so badly his eyes rolled back.

Shi Fa Ke, you jinx!

Zhu Yanyan finally tasted the minced meat porridge she had been longing for. Although she hadn’t made it herself, she had watched Shi Fa Ke make it with her own eyes. What had originally been an ordinary bowl of porridge seemed to instantly become different. She enthusiastically drank a small bowl, and still wanting more, she added another bowl.

The wet nurse saw her eating so sweetly, her nose stung and she wanted to cry again. Her young lady had always eaten little, and during the recent period when she was angry with Madam over Young Master Lu, at the most serious time she barely ate a grain of rice. After Miss Shi’s visit yesterday, she finally agreed to eat obediently, but because she had been hungry for so long, her spleen and stomach were too weak and her appetite wasn’t good. She forced herself to drink half a bowl of bird’s nest soup and almost vomited it up. This morning’s meal was also particularly effortful—though she ate everything, it was very difficult.

But now it was different. She ate with joy and smiles. The wet nurse thought with relief that even if she was punished by Madam when they returned, it would be worth it… She had been worried that after learning Young Master Lu wasn’t her savior, she would be heartbroken again and refuse to eat properly. Now she finally put down her highly raised heart.

“A’Ke, I want more.” After finishing, Zhu Yanyan said again.

Shi Fa Ke’s temple twitched. Seeing only a shallow layer of porridge left in the clay pot, she decisively covered it and said with righteous sternness: “You can’t eat any more.”

The wet nurse looked at Shi Fa Ke approvingly, thinking this Miss Shi was indeed good—she could coax the young lady to be happy but wouldn’t indulge her to the point of harming her health. Seeing the young lady pouting again, she quickly stepped forward to coax: “Miss, Miss Shi is right. Your appetite has just recovered, you can’t eat too much. If you overeat and hurt yourself, be careful of stomach pain. If you like this, I’ll make it for you when we return to the manor.”

Zhu Yanyan looked at the righteously stern Shi Fa Ke, then at the wet nurse who was kind but very firm. Seeing that this time not a single person was willing to stand on her side, she finally obediently put down her bowl.

She was extremely well-behaved.

Shi Fa Ke finally saved the last bit of porridge… She wondered if this little bit of porridge could slightly ease Young Master Lu’s anger?

“A’Ke, are you there?”

Speak of the devil, and he appears.

Lu Chi’s voice suddenly rang out from outside.

Shi Fa Ke immediately shuddered. Why had Lu Chi come?!

“Ah… yes.” She instinctively responded, then suddenly realized something and turned back to look at Zhu Yanyan.

Zhu Yanyan was also startled by this sudden voice. Her large eyes widened as she stepped back like a startled deer, almost tripping over her own skirt.

The wet nurse quickly steadied her. Hearing footsteps coming from outside, she secretly blamed herself for being too careless. She whispered to Shi Fa Ke, “Miss shouldn’t be seen by outside men,” and hurriedly helped Zhu Yanyan hide behind the stove.

Just as Zhu Yanyan and the wet nurse finished hiding, Lu Chi walked in from outside.

When Lu Chi saw Shi Fa Ke in the kitchen, his face lit up with a smile. “A’Ke, are you home alone? I saw no one outside. Why isn’t the door closed?”

So… the door wasn’t closed.

“Mm, my Third Brother is studying in the study room.” Upon seeing Lu Chi, Shi Fa Ke’s eyes involuntarily glanced toward the clay pot that now had only a tiny bit of minced meat porridge left. Her heart felt extremely guilty, and she made conversation to fill the silence: “Did you come from the academy?”

Then she worried about Zhu Yanyan hiding behind the stove—both worried she’d be discovered by Lu Chi, making the situation awkward, and worried that seeing Lu Chi would trigger her sad memories again.

It was extremely torturous…

“Mm, after school ended I felt empty in my stomach. Thinking that A’Ke had promised to make minced meat porridge, I came over.” Lu Chi naturally noticed Shi Fa Ke’s unnatural expression. Seeing her constantly stealing glances at the clay pot on the stove, his lips unconsciously curved into a slight smile. He had already smelled the familiar fragrance.

Previously, his persistence about the minced meat porridge was actually just persistence about A’Ke’s intention of personally cooking porridge for him. But now, smelling that familiar fragrance, for some reason he truly felt hungry. Saliva began to secrete in his mouth, which had been bland and bitter, and he instantly had an appetite, feeling like he could eat an entire pot of porridge.

Shi Fa Ke immediately felt her scalp tighten. What terrible timing!

“It smells so good. Is the porridge ready?” Lu Chi said with a smile, his voice soft and gentle.

Because at this moment, his heart was also soft and gentle.

The kitchen had the fragrance of food, had the girl he fancied, and even the spring breeze outside seemed to have become softer… Everything was so beautiful.

So beautiful it was intoxicating.

However… his soft, gentle voice sounded like spring thunder in Shi Fa Ke’s ears…

No… the porridge had already…

She watched Lu Chi walk to the stove with a smile, reaching out to lift the lid of the clay pot. Her eye twitched as she quickly stepped forward and, with lightning speed, pressed down on his hand.

This intimacy came unexpectedly.

Lu Chi looked down at the girl who had actively pressed down on his hand, his eyes sparkling. “What’s wrong, A’Ke?”

He asked softly.

Shi Fa Ke, being looked at by him, unconsciously swallowed, feeling like she almost drowned in those sparkling eyes. She struggled to retrieve her reason and spoke with some difficulty: “Young Master Lu…”

“Mm?”

“I’ve heard that those who accomplish great things all have broad hearts. A’Ke thinks Young Master Lu is a person with a broad heart.” She swallowed again and forced herself to continue.

“…” Lu Chi slightly raised his eyebrows, as if something wasn’t quite right?

He looked at Shi Fa Ke once, then at the hand she had pressed on his, then silently and firmly opened the lid of the clay pot.

In the clay pot, only a shallow layer of porridge remained.

However much he had anticipated before, that’s how much he despaired now…

What fragrance of food, what soft spring light… it was all an illusion!