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Grrr...
A poorly timed rumble suddenly came from Ji Chen's stomach.
He rubbed his now-flat belly and clicked his tongue. "Tsk, I'm starving. I didn't even get to eat breakfast because I had to clean up the mess left behind by that bunch of idiots."
He glanced at Xia Zhiyao.
"Let's go. We're heading back."
Xia Zhiyao didn't dare object. She simply lowered her head and obediently followed behind him.
They returned to the white building, walked through the corridor, and entered the spacious kitchen.
There wasn't a single person inside.
"Where's Aunt Mei?" Ji Chen frowned. "Where did that old lady run off to this time? Don't tell me she went to feed Martha again?"
"Martha... who's that?" Xia Zhiyao asked cautiously.
Ji Chen smiled mysteriously.
"A little girl."
A little girl?
For some reason, it didn't sound nearly that simple.
Xia Zhiyao was thoroughly confused, but she felt too embarrassed to ask any further questions.
Ji Chen pulled open the refrigerator. It was filled with premium ingredients—Australian M9 Wagyu beef, Boston lobsters, and even black truffles that had been air-freighted in.
Yet as he stared at the neatly arranged raw ingredients, his face was filled with bewilderment.
"Um..."
A soft, hesitant voice came from behind him.
Standing by the kitchen doorway, Xia Zhiyao hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"If you don't mind... I can cook."
Ji Chen raised an eyebrow and turned to look at her as though she were some kind of rare creature.
"You know how to cook?"
In their circle, girls like her, with delicate features and an elegant, refined appearance, were usually pampered daughters from wealthy families. Most of them couldn't even tell the scallions from garlic.
"I know a little."
Xia Zhiyao lowered her gaze, her long eyelashes trembling slightly.
"When I was little... My parents spent most of the year overseas on business. I stayed home by myself. Whenever the housekeeper took time off, I'd cook for myself. I only know how to make simple dishes."
The moment she mentioned her parents, the tip of her nose stung.
Her eyes reddened almost instantly.
The loneliness of feeling abandoned by the entire world was amplified countless times over in this place that constantly reeked of gunpowder.
But she quickly sniffed and forced her tears back.
Crying was useless.
Here, tears were the cheapest thing of all.
The carefree, irreverent expression on Ji Chen's face faltered for a brief moment.
So she's another poor little thing with no one to look after her.
"Alright."
He stepped aside to make room for her, the corners of his lips curling into a smile once more.
"Then I'll have to trouble you. Just make me a bowl of noodles."
"Okay. I can't make anything too complicated anyway."
Xia Zhiyao let out a quiet sigh of relief.
As long as she was useful, that was enough.
As long as she still had value, she could stay alive.
Barefoot, she walked into the kitchen. Rolling up the sleeves of her expensive gold-threaded blouse, she skillfully took tomatoes, eggs, and a handful of leafy greens from the refrigerator.
She washed the vegetables, chopped the ingredients, and lit the stove.
The cold, austere kitchen was instantly filled with the warmth of everyday life as blue flames rose from the burner.
The oil erupted with a sharp sizzle! as the beaten eggs puffed up in the pan, while the sweet, tangy aroma of tomatoes gradually spread through the room.
Leaning against the counter, Ji Chen watched her busy figure and suddenly found the scene strangely harmonious.
In Black Wolf Base—a place filled with rough, battle-hardened men—
There was actually a young girl quietly cooking a bowl of tomato and egg noodles.
Ji Chen casually struck up a conversation.
"You're a university student? What did you study?"
"Art history."
Holding a pair of long cooking chopsticks, Xia Zhiyao stirred the noodles without turning around.
"I specialized in ancient maps and cultural artifact restoration."
So she's an intellectual.
Ji Chen nodded to himself.
No wonder my brother didn't shoot her.
He continued, "Don't let my brother's rough appearance fool you. His biggest hobby is actually reading."
"...His biggest hobby is reading?"
So... was she also kept alive because she had some education?
Could this really be... knowledge changing her fate?
Remembering something, Ji Chen pointed toward the doorway.
"Forget about the study on the third floor. That's a forbidden area. Step inside, and you're dead. But there's a small library on the first floor. Hardly anyone goes there. If you get bored, you can stay there, as long as you don't wander around."
Xia Zhiyao's hand paused.
A library?
That meant information.
Knowledge.
Useful materials.
To her, it was nothing less than a lifeline.
With access to books and documents, she might finally learn where this place really was—or perhaps... even find a way to escape.
"Thank you, Mr. Ji."
She spoke softly as she ladled the freshly cooked noodles into two white porcelain bowls.
The broth was a rich, vibrant red. A perfectly poached soft-centered egg rested on top, accompanied by bright green leafy vegetables and a sprinkling of chopped scallions. Fragrant steam curled gently into the air.
Xia Zhiyao carried the bowls to the kitchen island.
"The noodles are ready, Mr. Ji. Please give them a try."
"Smells great!"
Ji Chen didn't stand on ceremony. He picked up a bowl and was just about to dig in with his chopsticks.
Xia Zhiyao found a seat nearby and quietly sat down, politely watching him eat.
Ji Chen gave her a rare sense of warmth and ease.
If Shen Yu had been here instead, she would never have dared to sit down.
Just then, the temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees.
An oppressive aura that made every hair on her body stand on end swept in through the doorway like a tidal wave.
Xia Zhiyao shuddered.
It was the instinctive terror of being targeted by an apex predator.
The fine hairs on the back of her neck stood on end instantly.
Her entire body stiffened as she slowly turned around.
At some point, a tall figure dressed in black had appeared in the kitchen doorway.
Shen Yu.
He wore a black silk dress shirt with the collar slightly open and the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.
He stood there without a trace of expression.
Backlit by the light, his eyes were hidden in shadow.
Yet the dark, violent pressure radiating from him was enough to make every living creature within ten miles feel as though it were suffocating.
Ji Chen reacted even faster.
The playful grin vanished from his face in an instant, as though it had never existed.
"Brother."
He immediately set down the bowl of noodles, rose to his feet, and straightened his posture.
The carefree, flirtatious demeanor he had displayed only moments earlier disappeared without a trace.
"Mr... Mr. Shen!"
Xia Zhiyao shot to her feet as well.