Almost every mouthful of porridge Xing Zichou ate came with at least one sentence.

Until finally, Xiao Yingtao could no longer bear it.

“Eating and talking at the same time — aren’t you afraid of biting your tongue?” She glared at the man beside her and said.

If Xiao Yingtao hadn’t spoken up, Qiao Mu and Feng Jiu’er would soon have been unable to take it either.

Who would have thought that once Xing Zichou got what he wanted, he’d become so scatterbrained?

“It’s fine, my tongue’s not a problem at all.” Xing Zichou shook his head and answered Xiao Yingtao’s words very seriously.

Xiao Yingtao was speechless. She took a deep breath and forced her anger back down.

“Don’t mind our feelings — do whatever you two like. Just treat us as if we’re not even here.” Feng Jiu’er glanced at the two of them and raised an eyebrow.

“Jiu’er.” Xiao Yingtao turned her head with a glance, her face even redder.

“Xing Zichou, why not just hold the wedding today?” Before Xiao Yingtao could say anything, Qiao Mu kindly suggested.

Xing Zichou looked at Xiao Yingtao, growing even more delighted.

“Qiao Mu, what are you talking about? I’d never marry him.” Xiao Yingtao pressed her lips, her face turning the color of pig’s liver from blushing.

“Xiao Yingtao, don’t you want to follow Jiu’er forever?” Qiao Mu turned her head to look at Xiao Yingtao.

Xiao Yingtao pressed her lips and nodded.

“Of course. I’ve long since been Jiu’er’s person. Wherever she goes from now on, I’ll go too.”

“Xing Zichou, what about you?” Qiao Mu asked, looking at Xing Zichou.

“Same as Xiao Yingtao — I’ll follow Jiu’er for life.” Xing Zichou replied softly.

“So you two are a match made in heaven.” Qiao Mu smiled and picked up a piece of meat with her chopsticks.

Xiao Yingtao looked at Qiao Mu and frowned.

“Qiao Mu, what nonsense is this? Don’t you also want to follow Jiu’er for life? Why don’t you and Xing Zichou make a match made in heaven instead?”

“Xing Zichou, do you like me?” Qiao Mu shifted her gaze and glanced at Xing Zichou.

“No.” Xing Zichou shook his head plainly. “The one I like is Xiao Yingtao, and that will never change in my whole life.”

“So…” Qiao Mu looked at Xiao Yingtao and spread her hands. “It’s not a matter of whether I’m willing — I simply don’t have that kind of fortune.”

“Look at you — you can follow Jiu’er and still get married, the best of both worlds. The rest of us can’t help but envy you.”

If she could, Qiao Mu wished so much she could go back to the old days.

Even though Yanu didn’t like her, at least she could still see him often back then.

But now…

Qiao Mu let out a soft sigh and picked up her teacup, drinking the tea inside in one go.

Seeing her mood suddenly turn somber, Xiao Yingtao didn’t press the argument further.

She lowered her head and ate a mouthful of rice. Sensing Xing Zichou’s gaze, she raised her eyes to look.

The moment their eyes met, Xing Zichou’s voice rang out: “Xiao Yingtao, marry me, won’t you?”

Xiao Yingtao forced down the urge to spit out her rice, shot him a sideways glare, and swallowed what was in her mouth.

“I won’t!”

“If you won’t, then you won’t. No one can force my little Xiao Yingtao to do anything, isn’t that right?” Feng Jiu’er gently patted Xiao Yingtao’s shoulder.

Xiao Yingtao looked up at Feng Jiu’er and nodded with a smile.

“Jiu’er really is…”

“Xiao Yingtao, I want to ask you something.” Before Xiao Yingtao could finish her sentence about “Jiu’er really is good to me,” Feng Jiu’er’s voice continued.

“What?” Xiao Yingtao met Feng Jiu’er’s gaze and blinked.

“I want to ask — if it were Jian Yi who was unconscious today instead, would you feed him medicine mouth-to-mouth?” Feng Jiu’er said, the corners of her lips curling slightly.

The moment her question came out, everyone present looked at Xiao Yingtao.

Xiao Yingtao looked at Feng Jiu’er, then at Xing Zichou, and suddenly lowered her head to stare at the food in her bowl.

“I wouldn’t be willing,” Jian Yi, who had been silent the whole time, suddenly spoke.

Meeting Xing Zichou’s warning glare, he cleared his throat and looked away.

“Xiao Yingtao isn’t my wife. I cannot ruin her reputation.”

Feng Jiu’er gave Jian Yi a reassuring glance, then turned back to look at Xiao Yingtao.

“Xiao Yingtao, your answer is…”

Xing Zichou looked at Xiao Yingtao, his expression tense.

The others might not understand Feng Jiu’er’s intentions, but he felt he could.

If Xiao Yingtao was only willing to do such a thing for him, didn’t that prove he had a place in her heart too?

The one who badly wanted a definite answer gripped his porcelain spoon tightly.

Time passed bit by bit, and everyone seemed to be waiting for Xiao Yingtao’s answer.

Unexpectedly, there came a sudden “crack” — Xing Zichou had crushed the spoon in his hand.

The shattered porcelain pierced the pad of his finger, and blood immediately flowed out.

“How could you be so careless?”

Before anyone else could react, Xiao Yingtao was already sitting beside Xing Zichou, taking his injured finger and putting it into her mouth.

“Xiao Yingtao, don’t! It’s dirty—” Xing Zichou tried to stop her, but it was already too late.

Sitting close together, the two of them looked at each other, giving everyone the impression that, in that moment, there was no one else in the world but the two of them.

Qiao Mu forced herself to stay silent, and Feng Jiu’er merely smiled faintly and continued eating.

After locking eyes with Xing Zichou for a moment, Xiao Yingtao suddenly snapped back to her senses.

She dropped Xing Zichou’s hand and stood up again.

But this time, Xing Zichou didn’t give her the chance to flee. He reached out his long arm and wrapped it around her waist.

“Xiao Yingtao, I told you I can wait, as long as you don’t push me away.”

Knowing Xiao Yingtao’s true feelings, Xing Zichou genuinely felt he could taste sweetness in plain white porridge.

Xiao Yingtao covered her flushed little face, broke free of Xing Zichou’s hold, and ran into the tent.

Only after her figure had vanished from his sight did Xing Zichou turn his gaze back, smiling as he looked at everyone.

“Jiu’er, thank you!”

“Thank me for what?” Feng Jiu’er said softly. “Something like this can only be credited to your own efforts.”

“Eat a few more mouthfuls, and bring some in to her. She followed me halfway through the night — she’s normally so greedy, she must be starving by now.”

“Alright.” Xing Zichou smiled, picked up his bowl with one hand, and gulped down the porridge in large mouthfuls.

In just a few moments he finished one bowl, stood up, scooped himself another, and picked it up again.

After downing two bowls of porridge, Xing Zichou took Xiao Yingtao’s bowl, piled in plenty of vegetables, and holding the bowl with one hand, turned and walked toward the tent.

“Xing Zichou really is putting in the effort. Jian Yi and Keyan could learn a thing or two.” Feng Jiu’er said softly while still eating.

“I’m willing to bet that whatever he brings in, aside from the bones, Xiao Yingtao will finish every bit of it.”

“That just proves Xiao Yingtao has a big appetite,” Qiao Mu said, raising an eyebrow.

Everyone already knew about Xiao Yingtao’s big appetite — such a small frame, yet she ate even more than Qiao Mu, who considered herself quite the eater. Her appetite truly wasn’t small.

“That’s one part of it.” Feng Jiu’er glanced at Qiao Mu. “Didn’t you notice? Everything Xing Zichou piled into that bowl was exactly what Xiao Yingtao likes to eat.”

“So I’m saying, all of you should learn from him — especially the men. If you don’t put in the effort, finding a wife won’t come so easily.”