C17 First Time Competition

"Yueyue, what are you doing?" Xice asked, a hint of irritation in his voice, his handsome features hardening.

"Sorry, bumped into you," Yueyue replied, turning away to hide her mischievous grin.

Xice shot her a displeased look before retreating to his room, slamming the door shut and locking it with a click.

As Yueyue mopped the floor, she heard the lock and playfully kicked at the master bedroom door.

What was his deal? Did he really think she'd sneak into his room in the middle of the night to mess with him?

Please! Did he think she was some kind of predator?

It was laughable! She wasn't desperate enough to throw herself at a stranger.

After tidying up the kitchen, Yueyue headed to the guest room, removed the key from the door, and shut it with a loud bang, locking it with a satisfying click.

The exaggerated sound of the lock startled Xice in the next room. He clenched his fists and pounded his pillow in frustration.

What did Yueyue take him for? Did she think he was some shallow, lecherous guy?

Come on!

What on earth was going through that woman's mind?

Xice was not in a good mood. Having a stranger in the house was inconvenient, disrupting his routine and souring his mood.

He was beginning to suspect that his clever idea of a sham marriage was a mistake. Things were spiraling out of his control, heading in a direction he didn't like.

Zuo Xice decided he would have a proper conversation with his grandmother tomorrow; he had no desire to continue living like this.

---

The next day.

7:00 AM.

Wooh Yueyue was jolted awake by her alarm clock. She got up promptly, washed up, and headed to the kitchen to make breakfast. She didn’t see Zuo Xice and wasn’t sure if he was still asleep or had already left. Either way, it wasn’t her concern.

The night before, Yueyue had checked the fridge and found it stocked with a variety of ingredients—meats, vegetables, and eggs. She instinctively thought that Zuo Xice must cook often; otherwise, the fridge wouldn’t be so full. It was surprising to think that someone so stern and aloof could also be a cook. His high-and-mighty demeanor made it hard to imagine him doing something so down-to-earth. The contrast was striking.

For some reason, an image popped into Yueyue’s mind: Zuo Xice in a white shirt, wearing an apron, cooking at the stove. The scene was unexpectedly appealing.

She chuckled at the thought. Why was she even thinking about whether that man cooked or not? It wasn’t any of her business.

Yueyue pulled out a clay pot from the cabinet and started making a pot of yam and millet porridge. While it simmered, she cracked a few eggs and whipped up two scallion egg pancakes.

She doesn't like taking advantage of others. Today, she used some of Xice's ingredients, so she plans to buy more after work to replace them. In the future, if she wants to eat something specific, she'll just buy the groceries herself. At most, she can cover the gas or electric bills.

Wooh Yueyue used to be so busy with work that she often relied on takeout. After indulging too much, her stomach started acting up. The doctor mentioned she had a bit of a weak stomach and needed to take care of it, so she began spending time cooking her own meals.

Xice also has a habit of getting up early. Before Yueyue even wakes up, he's already downstairs, running a couple of laps around the nearby park with Lian Qi, discussing the day's work plans along the way.

When he gets back home, he opens the door to the delightful aroma of egg pancakes and the sweet scent of millet porridge. After a morning run, his stomach is growling, and the sight of the tempting breakfast on the table makes him swallow hard.

Yueyue comes out of the kitchen with a small bowl, her sharp eyes catching the expression on Xice's face, and she gives a mischievous smile.

"Mr. Zuo, have you had breakfast?"

"No," Xice admits, glancing again at the millet porridge and egg pancakes.

"Sorry, I didn't make any for you."

Wooh Yueyue sat down with a small bowl of porridge, eating quietly by herself. Zuo Xice's face, which had been full of anticipation, suddenly turned cold. "You're overthinking it. I never planned on eating the food you made," he said bluntly. He was always cautious and wouldn't eat something prepared by a stranger, fearing it might be unsafe. Besides, the Zuo family was particular about their food, sourcing all their fruits, vegetables, and meats from their own farm to ensure everything was organic and eco-friendly.

Yueyue found today's breakfast especially delicious, with the ingredients tasting incredibly fresh. What she didn't know was that everything in the fridge came from the Zuo family farm.