Zhen Jiu’er didn’t know when exactly she’d fallen asleep.

Tossing and turning nearly until dawn, she’d only managed to doze off with great difficulty.

When Qiaoqiao woke up and saw her sleeping soundly, she didn’t disturb her, tiptoeing out on her own.

As the physician “specially recruited” by the Qiao family, Qiaoqiao may have gained her position through connections, but she genuinely worked hard.

She truly was busy, responsible for the medical needs of the entire construction team.

So she vanished early without a trace.

Jiu’er woke up rather late. By the time she got up, most people had already headed over to the Northern Emperor’s tomb.

Probably to discuss how to excavate this thousand-year-old royal mausoleum.

The camp area was quiet now.

But what she hadn’t expected was that the moment she stepped out, she saw someone eating breakfast on the open ground at the front of the camp.

Mu Mu… no, his name was Lu Feifan.

“Jiu’er, you’re up too? Come sit, I’ll make you a sunny-side-up egg.” Ake had just set down Lu Feifan’s coffee cup when he immediately waved Jiu’er over.

Jiu’er glanced at Lu Feifan, hesitated a moment, then walked slowly over.

It looked like Lu Feifan had also gone to bed late last night. Everyone else was already up and working today, but he seemed to have just gotten up not long ago, same as Jiu’er.

“Jiu’er, the usual? Fried egg, toasted bread?”

“I want coffee.” Sitting across from her, Lu Feifan’s coffee cup suddenly stirred her appetite with its aroma.

“No can do, Jiu’er. Ninth Master already said you can only have warm milk in the mornings.” Ake refused immediately.

“Ake…”

“But Ninth Master never said you couldn’t have coffee after finishing your warm milk.”

Ake winked at her: “I’ll make you some coffee a little later, okay?”

Zhen Jiu’er pouted, thoroughly helpless.

By the time she finished the warm milk, would she even have any appetite left for coffee?

Her stomach only held so much—could it handle both?

“Can’t I just break the rule once?” She just didn’t feel like milk today, inexplicably a bit rebellious.

“Then how about porridge?” Ake suggested.

Zhen Jiu’er showed no interest: “Never mind, milk it is. I don’t want the fried egg either…”

“Then a boiled egg?”

“I don’t want eggs…”

“Ninth Master said there needs to be milk and eggs. Egg with millet porridge works too, and remember to drink milk later,” Ake insisted.

Jiu’er let out a long sigh, defeated: “Fine, fried egg it is… I don’t want toast though.”

She was being strangely picky today, for no clear reason.

“Then how about steamed dumplings?”

“Mm.”

Ake immediately set to work making breakfast.

Jiu’er looked up and met Lu Feifan’s gaze fixed on her from across the table.

Being stared at so directly, Jiu’er didn’t seem to mind at all.

Ake brought over the warm milk. Lu Feifan smiled faintly: “Since when did Little Uncle start managing what other people eat for breakfast too?”

Ake spoke his mind bluntly while frying the egg: “Only for Jiu’er, though!”

Something stirred faintly in Zhen Jiu’er’s heart.

It seemed… he really did only manage this for her alone.

When had this started? It seemed to be just these past few days—every day, what she ate was being looked after.

Of course, Ninth Master wasn’t unreasonable about it, not micromanaging every single thing.

He just wanted Ake to keep her nutrition balanced.

Still, a matter this trivial really shouldn’t need someone of his stature to worry over.

Yet when it came to Zhen Jiu’er, he really did seem to fuss over her more than necessary.

After setting down the dumplings and fried egg, Ake left, seemingly having other tasks to attend to.

At the table, only Jiu’er and Lu Feifan remained.

Jiu’er took a sip of warm milk and said bluntly, without any hesitation: “The man in black last night—that was you.”