Li Caiyi finished washing up in 5 minutes. The cold water sobered her up and slowly calmed her rapid heartbeat from Dai Zhiqiang's 'attack.' She couldn't believe she would get flustered this much just from seeing him acting cute.
"What kind of face should I make?" she mumbled in distress while looking at her reflection in the mirror. Last night's events repeatedly replayed in her mind, but now she couldn't even act cold and aloof because of his attack.
With apprehension, she went downstairs and saw the two boys sitting at the dining table with a considerable distance between them. It was like they couldn't stand being side by side and deliberately chose the farthest seat from each other.
Considering how they hated each other's guts, Li Caiyi should be thankful they hadn't turned her house into a battlefield. This was a crazy thought, but for once, she was grateful Meng Renshu was here. If it were only Dai Zhiqiang and her alone, she wasn't confident whether she could act normally like this or not.
"This is a late greeting, but good morning," Li Caiyi broke the silence.
"Xiaoyi, have you finished freshening yourself? You look better than before," Meng Renshu smiled at her.
"Yes, I feel much better now. You guys must be hungry. Let me whip something for you real quick."
Dai Zhiqiang suddenly stood up and followed her to the kitchen, simultaneously making her confused and alarmed. "W-what is it? Do you want to say something?"
"I will help you make breakfast."
Her shoulder visibly relaxed, but her smile was still pretty stiff. "That's okay. I can't have guest trouble himself like that."
"I'm not a guest; I'm your boyfriend. We can make breakfast for the 'guest' together." Dai Zhiqiang replied nonchalantly. He didn't say it loudly, but it still reached Meng Renshu. The latter's brows twitched uncomfortably when he heard him emphasize the word 'guest'.
Meanwhile, Li Caiyi felt like she was stuck in a troublesome situation. No one said anything, but the hostility in the air was palpable. Dai Zhiqiang was clearly trying to pick a fight.
She had a jealous boyfriend eager to show off before her first love and technically ex-husband. This situation couldn't get any weirder.
Li Caiyi laughed dryly before she evaded, "Both of you are tired from watching over me last night. Let me at least do this to make up for it. If not, I will feel bad."
"You don't have to feel bad for me. We are lovers, so doing this much is expected."
"Zhiqiang, don't be stubborn…."
"Don't hesitate to depend on me. I'm your boyfriend."
Did he have to repeat the word 'boyfriend' every time he made his point? His wall of defense was impenetrable. He seemed adamant about showing off his skills after she complimented him last time.
Li Caiyi felt unsettled, but they would be stuck in this awkward situation forever if they kept going on like this. She sighed in defeat. "Alright. Then, can you help me fill the pot with water first?"
Dai Zhiqiang nodded and happily went to do as she said. She could almost see an imaginary tail wagging behind him. For someone who couldn't cook before, he sure was diligent.
Li Caiyi smiled a little before she realized she had been dragged into his pace again. She told herself not to overthink and just get this over with, but Meng Renshu suddenly entered the kitchen with a big smile on his face. She immediately had a bad feeling.
"Cooking together seems fun. Allow me to join you guys as well."
"Eh?" Li Caiyi couldn't hide her disapproval from being shown on her face.
"What's with that 'ugh' look? You hurt my feelings, Xiaoyi. Don't leave me out of the fun." Meng Renshu chuckled.
"I mean, have you ever stepped into the kitchen? Do you know how to use the stove?"
Dai Zhiqiang was one thing because at least she had done this with him before. But she didn't know if she could cook while supervising one more amateur in the kitchen.
Not to mention, Meng Renshu was a precious young master who had never had to use a knife before. If he got even the slightest scratch, Meng Shuchun would come to her and throw a tantrum again.
Li Caiyi just wanted to make breakfast for them as a token of her gratitude. Why do they have to make this difficult for her? How annoying.
"Haha, Xiaoyi, you are so funny. I may not know much about cooking, but I know at least that much."
"Really?" Li Caiyi's eyes squinted skeptically.
"Besides, I believe anything can turn out delicious if you are the one who made it. I still remember the food you often made for me—Hmph!"
Li Caiyi quickly shoved her hand into his mouth to prevent him from saying anything. She glared warningly at him before glancing at Dai Zhiqiang. But he seemed preoccupied with finding the pot.
Li Caiyi sighed in relief before whispering in Meng Renshu's ears. "What are you thinking?! What if he heard us?"
"Xiaoyi, you are worried too much. Even if he did, he wouldn't suspect anything. Making a meal for a childhood friend is not an unusual thing."
"Easy for you to say!" Li Caiyi gritted her teeth impatiently. Even though Dai Zhiqiang wouldn't know Meng Renshu was talking about the time when they were married, he would still feel bad hearing about it.
"If you make a big deal out of it, you will only make us look suspicious. Or is that what you want?" Meng Renshu raised his brows provocatively.
Li Caiyi wanted to wipe that annoying smirk on his face with a rag but admitted that he was correct. She was about to push him away when there was a loud noise behind her.
"What's that?" Li Caiyi turned back and found Dai Zhiqiang standing blankly with the big pot falling near his feet.
Apparently, he accidentally dropped it while trying to pull it out of the cabinet.
"Are you alright?" Li Caiyi rushed to him while examining him worriedly, leaving Meng Renshu, who looked at them with mixed feelings.
"I'm fine. I hope I didn't break the pot," Dai Zhiqiang replied remorsefully. Li Caiyi picked up the pot and checked it, but thankfully, it wasn't broken.
"The pot is fine. You should have asked me if you had any difficulty. In the kitchen, you can easily get hurt. Be careful, okay?"
"En." Dai Zhiqiang smiled happily. "What should I do next?"
"Yeah. What should I do, Xiaoyi?" Meng Renshu appeared by her side out of nowhere and looked at her expectantly. He seemed excited and raring to go.
"You can leave the heavy task to me."
"I can help you wash the vegetables and cut them."
"Yi Yi…"
"Xiaoyi…"
A wave of headache hit her. It was just a simple matter of making breakfast; why did they have to compete like this? In the end, it was she who had to do the brunt and watch over them!
CLANG!
Both boys were startled by the noise when she dropped the pot on top of the stove. She had a big smile that didn't look like a smile on her face as she hissed slowly, "On second thought, sitting down obediently is the best way you can help. You can do that for me, AREN'T YOU?"
Translations: Shut up and leave me alone.
Dai Zhiqiang and Meng Renshu immediately clamped their mouths, knowing they had pissed her off.
"Alright" was their only word before they walked out of the kitchen. They were too scared to argue with enraged Li Caiyi.
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