13: 13.
The Melody of the Heart and Hidden Shadows 13: 13.
The Melody of the Heart and Hidden Shadows Leng Ling’er heard the sudden movement from the staircase, her face lighting up with instant joy.
Quickly tossing her rabbit plushie onto the cushions, she scrambled off the sofa and ran toward the foyer.
With just a single glance, however, her enthusiasm withered.
She saw Gu Yan firmly supporting her sister against his side as they stepped onto the polished floorboards.
Her expression plummeted immediately.
Noticing her sharp change in demeanor, Gu Yan feigned innocence, tilting his head with a look of pure confusion.
“Ling’er, why do you look so unhappy the moment your future brother-in-law walks in?” “Didn’t I feed you quite well just a short while ago?” This specific reminder caused Leng Ling’er’s temper to flare up.
She glared at him, stamping her foot as she cried out, “Pah!
What brother-in-law?!
You…
you jerk, how dare you bring up it again!” “I genuinely had no idea you would be resistant to eating that thing, Ling’er.” “Refined young ladies do not consume that kind of stuff, okay!” Standing locked between them, Leng Qingqiu felt left in the dark.
Wait…
what on earth are these two bickering about?
What did he mean by ‘feed you well’?
What ‘that thing’?
Why was her globally audited, 260 IQ brain, incapable of deciphering the underlying truth of this conversation?
“Alright, alright, let’s move past that matter,” Gu Yan said, wearing an expression that silently declared he needed to prioritize helping her sister sit down for dinner.
He gently guided Leng Qingqiu past her sister, carefully helping her settle into her seat at the head of the table.
Then, he turned his gaze back to Leng Ling’er, who was still standing to the side, her arms crossed.
“Don’t keep pouting over there.
Come join us and eat dinner.” “Hmph!” Ling’er let out a light snort, but her stomach betrayed her, and she reluctantly marched over to pull out a chair.
It was only after she sat down that her eyes swept across the abundance of food on the dining table.
She was completely stunned.
The long dining table was currently crowded with an array of delicious dishes, vibrant with color and releasing a hypnotic, savory aroma.
Pan-fried, golden fish fillets, crisp garden salads tossed in customized dressings, steaming pasta coated in rich sauce, and an array of intricate appetizers formed a genuinely mouthwatering dinner spread.
“Did…
did you actually cook all of this by yourself?” Leng Ling’er looked at Gu Yan in disbelief.
She had left midway, never imagining that the pampered heir would finish an entire multi-course menu by himself!.
Gulp.
The rich, tantalizing aromas filled her nostrils.
She couldn’t help but swallow hard.
“Of course.
As I stated previously, I trained in these culinary disciplines specifically for Qingqiu’s sake.” Gu Yan took his place at the adjacent side of the table.
After casually addressing Ling’er’s question, he immediately turned his focus toward Leng Qingqiu, his lips curving into a warm smile.
The fine porcelain bowls, side plates, and polished chopsticks had already been perfectly laid out.
Reaching out with the serving utensils, he deftly selected a slice of tender, crisp-skinned roast duck from the central platter and gently placed it into Leng Qingqiu’s bowl.
“Qingqiu, try this.
I guarantee it will rank as your favorite dish tonight.” Gu Yan’s voice was gentle, devoid of his usual mocking banter, and his eyes were thick with a soft, affectionate warmth.
Although Leng Qingqiu couldn’t see his expression, the sincerity vibrating through his voice was impossible to ignore.
A strange, unfamiliar ripple disrupted the cold stillness of her heart.
“We’ll see if it’s as good as you say after I tasted it,” Leng Qingqiu said, letting out a light snort.
Holding her bowl steady, she lifted the slice of roast duck with her chopsticks and slowly brought it past her lips.
In that instant, a masterfully balanced explosion of rich, savory fat and aromatic spices bloomed across her tongue.
This made her straighten her spine instantly, her posture turning rigid as her breathing grew subtly faster.
How…
how can an amateur’s food be this delicious?!
It is so good!
I want to gobble more!
Leng Qingqiu thought, profoundly shocked.
“How is it?
Was it tasty?” Gu Yan asked, watching her expressions closely.
[ Ding!
Pure Love Spouse is experiencing a high state of physiological happiness derived from your culinary production: +1 Point!
] “It is passable, I suppose.
Barely edible,” Leng Qingqiu finally spoke, her tone flat.
Gu Yan saw through her transparent tsundere performance but didn’t expose it.
He let out a chuckle.
“No worries at all.
I’ve prepared variety of dishes today.
I’ll introduce them to your palate one by one.” “There’s bound to be one you’ll like.” There…
there are more?
Leng Qingqiu was taken aback.
Her throat tightened, and she unconsciously swallowed, her tone no longer rigid.
“In that case…
let me try them all.” For the remainder of the dinner, Gu Yan managed her plate, serving targeted portions while detailing each dish.
He even went so far as to explain the cultural lore and regional meanings behind the cooking techniques, revealing things that Leng Qingqiu had never known before, filling her mind with surprise and enlightenment.
So this specific ingredient could be made this way…
and that particular dish carried such a deep, historical significance.
It appeared…
her dark, isolated universe had blinded her to the sheer volume of beautiful, vibrant things existing in the outside world.
What did the Sea of Love actually look like?
How does a pink sunset sky form?
And what about the mythological accounts of talking elk in the northern forests?
Would a broken, blind instrument of vengeance like her…
ever possess the chance to witness those phenomena in the future?
No…no…
I am forbidden from entertaining such sentimental thoughts.
I cannot allow these emotional distractions to compromise my focus.
But right across the table…
“Ling’er, don’t just eat the rabbit meat.
Have some vegetables to balance your nutritional intake.” “Pah!
You loser, Gu Yan, who gave you permission to order me around?” “Oh?
If that is your stance, I will take away the platter.
I distinctly recall you weeping earlier, declaring rabbits were far too cute and we shouldn’t eat them.” “Ugh…
wait!
Stop!
I will eat some vegetables too.
Okay!” Although her world remained anchored in pitch-black darkness, simply hearing the chaotic, energetic banter bouncing across the dining space caused a unfamiliar warmth to nestle into her chest.
What is this feeling?
Is this the warmth of a family?
“Qingqiu, have some chicken broth.
Your body has been weakened by years of cognitive strain.
You need deep nutrient replenishment to restore your health.” Gu Yan thoughtfully positioned a small bowl of chicken soup in front of her, gently scooping up a warm spoonful and bringing it to her lips.
The physical contact snapped her mind back to reality.
“I can drink it myself,” Leng Qingqiu said, feigning displeasure.
Yet, despite her verbal protest, her jaws naturally parted, allowing Gu Yan to slowly feed her the broth.
Damn this treacherous body…
Moving on its own…
Leng Qingqiu felt a sudden surge of embarrassment.
This is all due to Gu Yan consistently managing her eating throughout the meal, causing her to react instinctively.
Why are you being so unconditionally kind to me…?
Leng Qingqiu felt incredibly conflicted and torn.
From what she had gathered over the past forty-eight hours, Gu Yan appeared to be a good person.
According to the update provided by her uncle Leng Xing’an this morning, the five percent block of Gu Family corporate shares that Gu Yan had casually signed over to them was already proving to be an immensely powerful asset.
And it had only been two days since his initial arrival.
Numerous conglomerate groups who had caught wind of the transaction were already scrambling to curry favor with the Leng Group, proposing joint ventures and collaborations.
Every insider in the provincial market could clearly see that the Gu family had re-established their connection with the fallen Leng Family.
The consensus was unanimous: the Leng Family was about to make a massive comeback.
But it was precisely this rapid success that caused Leng Qingqiu’s inner conflict to deepen.
She was a woman forged for blood vengeance.
She was supposed to be cold-bloodedly using Gu Yan and the capital of his family to establish herself.
If…
if Gu Yan were to eventually learn the manipulative truth behind her compliance…
how would he react?
Would he be heartbroken?
Would he be left emotionally devastated?
Did a broken, hollow monster like her…
even deserve his warmth?
— After dinner concluded.
Leng Qingqiu sat quietly upon the living room sofa.
Usually, she would have long since retreated back to her second-floor sanctuary to resume her information-ingestion routine.
But right now, she sat quietly, listening to the muffled audio of the television and…
the steady, rhythmic sound of running water echoing from the kitchen.
For some inexplicable reason, this actually gave sense of peace—a stark contrast to her usual reality, where her metal state was always at maximum tension.
“I knew it!
That character was the villian from the very beginning!” “I guessed that plot twist from the first episode of the premiere!
Haha!
Sis!
Admit it, aren’t i smart?” Leng Ling’er cheered excitedly, her eyes glued to the screen.
“Mm.
Your are smart,” Leng Qingqiu murmured, her lips pursing slightly.
She seemed to be pondering something.
Finally, she voiced.
“Ling’er, help me to the kitchen.” “The kitchen?
But that loser is currently—Ouch!” “Refined young ladies shouldn’t use vulgar language.
Regardless of your personal biases, Gu Yan is your future brother-in-law in name,” Leng Qingqiu said, delivered a tap to Leng Ling’er’s head, leaving the teenager completely shell-shocked.
“Sister?!” “Ah.
Just take me there.” Leng Qingqiu didn’t offer an explanation.
She couldn’t even explain the strange feeling warping her own heart.
“Oh.
Fine.” — Inside the kitchen.
Gu Yan was casually humming a unfamiliar, melodious tune while scrubbing the grease off the dinner plates under the warm running tap water.
Right at that moment, the subtle friction of soft footwear announced the entrance of the sisters.
Leng Qingqiu and Leng Ling’er stepped in.
The lyrics he was softly singing drifted through the space, instantly striking a deep chord within both of their hearts: “You say you are hard to pursue, wanting me to give up…” “Gifts don’t need to be the most expensive, just fallen leaves from the Champs-Élysées…” “Oh, creating romantic dates, not afraid of messing everything up…” “Having you is having the whole world~~” “My dear, falling in love with you, from the first moment…” “Sweetness came so unexpectedly~~~” —