He was carrying a hoe on his shoulder, covered in dust and sweat. The afterglow of the setting sun cast a layer of gold over his cold, hard features, but it did nothing to soften the sharpness in his eyes.
As soon as he stepped into the kitchen, the rich smell of food made him frown slightly.
His gaze swept across the dishes on the stove. The neat cutting and careful presentation were too refined—clearly not something his younger sister, who usually only knew how to cook food until it was merely edible, could have done.
His eyes finally landed on Lin Peiru, who was staring at him with bright, expectant eyes.
But he acted as if he didn’t see her at all. Without a change in expression, he looked away, walked straight to the water vat, scooped up a ladle of cold water, and gulped it down.
Then he sat down at the table in silence and started eating.
Lin Peiru’s smile froze for a moment. The little spark of excitement in her heart was instantly doused, hissing out like it had been splashed with cold water.
But when she saw him pick up a piece of cured pork and put it into his mouth, her eyes lit up again. She stared at him closely, trying to catch every tiny change in his expression.
He paused slightly.
The flavor was unexpectedly good—the salty aroma of cured pork perfectly stir-fried, the fatty bits crisp and fragrant, the lean meat still chewy. Combined with the freshness of pickled vegetables and a hint of chili, the layers of flavor were rich and satisfying.
It was… surprisingly delicious.
Much better than anything he had eaten at the state-run canteen.
He maintained a neutral expression and picked up another bite of greens mixed with dried fish crumbs.
The freshness of the fish and the sweetness of the vegetables blended perfectly. So good it almost made him want to swallow his tongue.
The meal passed in that strange silence.
He finished first, quickly and efficiently, leaving not a grain of rice in his bowl.
Seeing him put down his chopsticks, Lin Peiru couldn’t hold back anymore. She leaned over, eyes wide and sparkling as she asked sweetly:
“Comrade Yunshen, how was it… did it taste good?”
He lifted his eyelids and glanced at her.
“Average.”
After a pause, he added as if to himself:
“Yunqiao’s cooking has really gotten worse lately.”
Lin Peiru froze, her expression stiffening.
In her mind, chaos erupted.
“Worse?! Who just acted like they were about to lick the bowl clean?!”
Before she could explode, Aunt Murong beside them finally couldn’t take it anymore and rolled her eyes so hard they nearly reached the back of her head.
Meanwhile, Yunqiao immediately jumped in to defend herself:
“Brother! That wasn’t my cooking at all—it was Sister Peiru!”
Hearing this, Lin Peiru was stunned for a second.
So this man… really just lied with a straight face.
Before she could say more, the scene shifted again.
That night, after washing up, Lin Peiru returned to her room. Under the dim glow of an oil lamp, she carefully applied medicine to her injured palm again.
The cold herbal ointment soothed the burning pain, and she let out a long, relieved breath.
This medicine Yunqiao gave her really worked well. Her feet, which had hurt so badly yesterday, barely hurt today after applying it.
Early the next morning, just before dawn, Lin Peiru got up.
After washing up, she headed to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
But the moment she stepped inside, she froze.
Yunshen was sitting alone by the stove, back straight, staring intently at the flickering firelight as if deep in thought.
Her heart skipped a beat, but she quickly composed herself and put on her usual bright smile.
“Good morning!”
Yunshen slowly turned his head. His cold, stern face remained tightly composed as he looked directly at her.
Lin Peiru inwardly encouraged herself. She refused to believe she couldn’t handle this stubborn, cold man.
But then—something completely unexpected happened.
Yunshen stared at her for a few seconds, then suddenly reached out and tossed something toward her.
Lin Peiru startled and instinctively caught it.
It was a pair of snow-white knitted work gloves.
She was still confused when he spoke.
“If you’re going to work today, wear these.”
A huge wave of joy suddenly exploded in Lin Peiru’s heart, rushing straight to her head.
So this man… this tight-lipped, stubborn man… actually cared about her!
Her eyes lit up instantly as she looked straight at him.
“Did you… prepare this for me?”