“Xie Yuyan.”
Unable to contain his curiosity, Ye Feng finally spoke up.
“What’s up?”
“What are you doing?”
“I’m picking out the beef~”
Xie Yuyan’s carefree tone made it clear she was thoroughly enjoying herself, even though she hadn’t taken a single bite of the rice in her bowl yet.
“Picking out the beef? Isn’t the pot full of beef? What’s there to pick?”
“Of course, there’s a need to pick! Look, the parts I’ve chosen are the best cuts. You’re going to eat all of them later, Ye Feng.”
“What! All of it? That’s so much!”
Ye Feng widened his eyes as he looked at the layer of small beef pieces floating on the surface of the pot. Although he had a decent appetite, there was no way he could finish that much beef.
“It’s not that much. It’s just one portion.”
“How are you calculating this? Did the seller scam you or something?”
Ye Feng chuckled.
“People usually buy meat by weight. Who buys it by...”
Suddenly, Ye Feng stopped talking and shifted his gaze to the beef in the pot. Hesitantly, he reached out with his chopsticks and picked up a piece of beef that Xie Yuyan hadn’t selected. The moment he bit into it, a tender and delicious flavor burst in his mouth, completely different from the beef he had just eaten.
“Xie... Xie Yuyan...”
Ye Feng swallowed hard and looked up at Xie Yuyan with a horrified expression.
“What... what part of the cow is this beef from?”
“Huh? Isn’t it obvious? It’s from the cow’s %？＃♪~”
*Clatter.*
The chopsticks slipped from Ye Feng’s hands. Xie Yuyan, who had been carefully selecting beef for him, looked up in confusion. “Huh? What’s wrong, Ye Feng?”
“You... what did you just say? What did I eat?”
“Beef.”
“What part of the beef?”
“Of course, it’s from the cow’s ＃？！♪. What’s the matter? Is there a problem?”
“A huge problem!!!!”
Ye Feng slammed his hands on the table and shot up from his chair.
“Where did you buy this stuff?”
“I got it online, of course. They even delivered it to our doorstep for free~”
“......”
“So? Don’t you feel full of energy after eating it... Ouch!”
Before Xie Yuyan could finish, Ye Feng pinched both of her cheeks with his hands.
“Good heavens! Can’t you just use normal ingredients? Isn’t regular beef stew with potatoes enough? Why do you have to add these weird things?”
“What are you talking about!”
Xie Yuyan pushed Ye Feng’s hands away and pressed him back into his seat, clearly annoyed.
“You’re being ungrateful! I spent so much money buying this online, and now you’re complaining! I only bought it for your health, and you’re not even satisfied. I’m so disappointed in you.”
Xie Yuyan’s rapid-fire questions left Ye Feng speechless. After a long pause, he finally muttered, “Where did you get the money?”
“I transferred it from your phone.”
“So, in the end, it’s still my money? You’re basically using my money!”
“I deserve it! I’ve done so much for you—washing the sheets, cooking meals. Don’t I deserve some compensation? I can’t believe you’re being so shameless. You’re really... so disappointing!”
“......”
Is this even fair?
......
After being forced to finish his unique portion of beef, Xie Yuyan finally returned to her usual self, sitting closely next to Ye Feng on the sofa and giggling.
“Ye Feng... are you full?”
Ye Feng shot her a look and then turned his head away.
“Oh, come on. I did all this for you. After all, yesterday we...”
“Alright, alright! I get it. No need to say more...”
“Honestly, there’s no need to be so secretive about it. I’m being open and honest about it.”
Seeing that Ye Feng didn’t want to continue the conversation, Xie Yuyan decided to drop the subject. She knew Ye Feng was trying to protect her, as his actions were ultimately for her sake.
“Ye Feng.”
“Hmm...”
“There’s something I’ve been wanting to tell you.”
Xie Yuyan suddenly lay down on the sofa, resting her head on Ye Feng’s lap. She reached up and gently turned his face toward hers.
“What... what’s this all about? Why is the atmosphere so awkward all of a sudden?”
“Oh, stop ruining the mood. We’ve built up to this moment, so if you don’t know what to say, just stay quiet.”
“Fine, fine. I won’t say anything. Go ahead, I’m listening.”
“That’s more like it~”
Xie Yuyan paused, her bright eyes locking onto Ye Feng’s.
“I know you might not accept me right away, but I want you to know that I’m serious!”
“From the moment you saved me, I’ve decided to stick with you! If you try to back out, I won’t go easy on you.”
As she spoke, tears welled up in the corners of her eyes.
“I... I’ve never experienced a normal life before, but since meeting you, I’ve come to realize how wonderful it can be. You brought me into this colorful world, so it’s only right that you stay with me until the end...”
“I may not know how to live each day to the fullest, but I know that being with you makes me truly happy. Maybe... maybe being with you is the most meaningful thing I’ve ever done in this world...”
Xie Yuyan’s gaze was filled with longing, and Ye Feng was completely stunned by her words, unable to respond.
“No matter what we go through together, I’ll never regret it! I just want you to know that once I’ve made up my mind, nothing can change it!”
With that, Xie Yuyan grabbed Ye Feng’s head and pulled him down. A soft thud followed as their lips met.
This time, Ye Feng didn’t resist. He kept his eyes open, watching as Xie Yuyan’s tears streamed down her face while she kissed him, her eyes filled with sorrow.
Why... why is she crying? Is it because I haven’t fully accepted everything we’ve been through?
Time seemed to stand still. After what felt like an eternity, Xie Yuyan finally let go of Ye Feng’s head. With a happy smile, she softly said, “Ye Feng, I want to eat cake. The one you bought from the cake shop the other day~”
This time, Ye Feng didn’t hesitate or delay. He simply replied,
“Alright, I’ll go buy it.”
“Okay, I’ll wait for you. You’ll wait for me too, right~”
“Yes.”
......
Standing in front of the empty sofa with a cake in hand, Ye Feng was frozen in place, murmuring softly to himself.
“The cake hasn’t been eaten yet...”