“I wouldn't!”
“That woman is as expressionless as a wooden plank, and she has an enormous temper, always acting like she's better than everyone else...”
“Brother... he would never like a woman like that!”
Helena kept repeating these words, her expression alternating between agitation and a mix of anxiety and frustration.
Evelyn chuckled, finding her reaction amusing. For some reason, seeing her all riled up made Evelyn want to tease her even more.
She narrowed her eyes and joked,
“She’s not as bad as you make her out to be. After all, she’s an imperial princess!”
“Her status is noble and superior. The men lining up to court her could probably stretch all the way to the city gates...”
“And...”
Evelyn noticed Helena’s almost explosive reaction and became even more playful.
“They say she possesses the most ethereal beauty in the entire empire. Your brother, being such a young man, and with them being alone together... He’s bound to lose control and fall for her charms, don’t you think?”
“Hehehe~”
The more Evelyn spoke, the more agitated Helena became, until her face twisted with anger.
“That’s not true!!”
“Brother isn’t that shallow of a man... Brother loves me the most!”
“And that woman just took him away like that, and until now, there’s been no news...”
Helena clenched her fists in worry. “He must be in danger; otherwise, he would have found a way to contact me! He wouldn’t be out of touch for so long!”
“Hmm...” Hearing this, Evelyn fell silent for a moment.
After all, in her heart, Luo Wei wasn’t the type of man who enjoyed being tied down. If he were, he wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to escape her control, even turning the tables on her...
So...
Luo Wei probably wasn’t just enjoying himself, was he?
Probably not. Despite their limited time together, Evelyn thought she understood him well enough. He wasn’t the kind of man who would easily fall for a pretty face...
So, could it be that he’s really in danger? A life-threatening kind of danger?
Otherwise, there’s no way he wouldn’t have sent any word...
At this thought, Evelyn suddenly froze.
Wait, am I actually worried about him?
Evelyn shook her head vigorously, trying to clear her thoughts.
That little scoundrel, despite being younger than her, was full of tricks and schemes. He was utterly wicked!
Hmph, I wouldn’t care about him even if he were in trouble!
Evelyn crossed her arms and scoffed.
He has so many old flames, not to mention this clingy “tentacle sister” who’s completely obsessed with him. If anyone’s going to worry about him...
It certainly wouldn’t be me!
With that, Evelyn grabbed her travel bag and turned to leave.
“You think about it here. I’m leaving. Don’t block my way, okay?”
And with that, she transformed into a blood-red shadow and sped off.
But to her surprise, Helena was right on her heels.
“You’re not leaving! You have to help me find Brother!!”
Her tentacles suddenly elongated, blocking the narrow path once again.
“Oh, come on, Helena...” Evelyn looked at her with exasperation. “I’m just a little vampire. What makes you think I have the power to snatch Luo Wei back from an imperial princess?”
“Be realistic, will you?”
“Besides...” Seeing Helena’s anxious expression, Evelyn feigned seriousness.
“I told you, I hate your brother! I’m not going to save him!”
Her tone was filled with resentment and coldness.
However, just as she finished speaking, a strange black chain suddenly appeared.
The chain instantly wrapped around Evelyn’s wrists, ankles, and other sensitive and vulnerable parts of her body.
Following this, she felt a strange and subtle prickling sensation.
“Hmm~”
Evelyn let out a sound, caught off guard.
Helena looked at her in surprise. “What’s wrong?”
“I... You! I...” Evelyn was furious, immediately realizing what had happened.
“Luo Wei!!!”
Her voice, filled with rage and murderous intent, echoed through the narrow alley.
But then...
“Hmm~”
Another involuntary sound escaped her.
Evelyn, now overwhelmed, instinctively hugged herself, her body trembling slightly.
She crouched down, too embarrassed to look at Helena, her pale cheeks flushing a suspicious shade of red.
This only made Helena even more confused.
“What... what’s wrong with you?”
“Why are you shaking all over?”
Evelyn clenched her fists, both embarrassed and indignant.
“Luo Wei! Stop messing around! Is this funny to you?!”
But Luo Wei couldn’t hear her...
Evelyn slumped to the ground, powerless, her rebellious spirit completely extinguished.
She muttered to Helena,
“Fine... I’ll help you rescue Luo Wei...”
“That’s great!!” Helena, though unsure of what had just happened, was overjoyed.
“So, what should we do?” she quickly asked.
“First... we need to find my family’s housekeeper, Annie... She has extensive connections. She’ll definitely be able to track down where Luo Wei is being held...”
“And then...”
“Hmm~”
Helena looked at Evelyn suspiciously. “What’s wrong with you? Why are your cheeks so red? Are you sick?”
“It’s all your brother’s fault!” Evelyn was ready to kill Luo Wei.
That scoundrel had made her...
Act so embarrassingly in broad daylight!
She wouldn’t let this go!
But then...
“Hmm~”
Evelyn buried her face in defeat, completely out of words...
...
“Ding ding ding! Golden fried rice is here!”
At dinner time, far away in the South Suburbs of Saint Callen, Luo Wei, wearing an apron, cheerfully placed a plate of fried rice in front of Ophelia.
She raised an eyebrow slightly, apparently not expecting this to be the “surprise” Luo Wei had been cooking up in the kitchen for so long.
“This is...” Ophelia hesitated, picking up her fork but not taking a bite.
“Don’t worry, it’s delicious~” Luo Wei confidently sat beside her.
“Is it... really that good?” Ophelia glanced at the handsome face leaning close to her, her lips curling into a subtle smile.
“If it’s not good, do you know what the consequences are for polluting this imperial princess’s stomach?”
“Pfft!” Luo Wei rolled his eyes. “It’s just a human stomach. Don’t act so precious...”
Seeing Ophelia narrow her eyes, clearly on the verge of getting angry,
Luo Wei quickly grabbed a spoon, scooped up a small portion, and smiled as he held it out to her.
“Go on, eat it! It’ll get cold!”
“Here! Open up—”
Seeing Luo Wei’s serious expression, as if he were feeding a little animal,
Ophelia couldn’t help but smile. She slightly opened her pink lips.
Luo Wei quickly fed her the fried rice.
Almost choking her.
“Cough... cough...”
“Luo Wei! You—!”
When she opened her eyes, his gaze was still fixed on her, filled with concern.
“Hmph...”
Ophelia glared at him, then finally began to chew the food in her mouth.
Around them, the maids were giggling softly, covering their mouths.
Ophelia gave them a cold glance.
The maids, still giggling, lowered their heads.
Luo Wei looked curiously at Ophelia. “How is it?”
Ophelia chewed the fried rice Luo Wei had made. At first, she didn’t feel much, but soon, the rich flavor filled her taste buds.
“It’s...”
She silently looked at the plate of so-called “golden fried rice.”
The golden egg yolk perfectly coated each grain of rice, giving it an enticing color. The air was filled with the subtle aroma of green onions and ham...
Attracted by the scent, Ophelia subconsciously swallowed.
She picked up her fork and took another bite.
Then, without looking at Luo Wei, she savored it for a moment.
It really was...
Quite delicious!
Ophelia couldn’t wait to take a third, then a fourth bite.
After a while, the entire plate of golden fried rice was completely devoured by her, leaving the maids in astonishment.
They had never seen Princess Ophelia with such a good appetite before.
Was it because Luo Wei's culinary skills were so strong, able to create dishes comparable to those of the manor's head chef with such simple ingredients...
Or was it simply due to the natural filter of being lovers?
Probably the latter, right? After all, this was a dish specially made by Luo Wei for Princess Ophelia, thought Susan, the maid in charge of the manor's kitchen...
After all, no one would want to be outshone in their own field.
Watching Ophelia's ravenous appetite, Luo Wei naturally felt a sense of pride.
This was just the beginning; even more amazing Chinese cuisine had yet to be unveiled.
The limited availability of ingredients here made it difficult to fully showcase his cooking skills.
This simple plate of fried rice didn't even begin to reflect his true capabilities.
Of course, Luo Wei wasn't really in the mood to put on a cooking show for everyone.
His real goal was to cause some disruption in the kitchen.
This dinner had passed Ophelia's test, and if she genuinely liked it, there would surely be plenty of opportunities to visit the kitchen in the future.
After dinner, Ophelia, as usual, urged him to go to bed.
Luo Wei knew exactly what she had in mind.
After lying in bed and repeatedly psyching himself up,
the door slightly opened, and Caroline, tasked with inducing sleep, once again plunged Luo Wei into slumber...