Jiang Mian’s hands trembled slightly as she held the bowl.
The clear rice soup rippled, reflecting the instant stiffness of her forced smile.
“Me… meat bun?”
She let out a dry laugh, her gaze darting nervously. “Brother Jingchuan… are you starving? With our conditions, where would a meat bun even come from? There’s only the smell of sweet potatoes in this room…”
Huo Jingchuan leaned against the head of the bed, lazy in posture but radiating an unmistakable pressure.
He looked at her with a half-smile, half-smirk, his deep eyes seeming to pierce through every disguise.
“Is that so?” he asked lightly. “But why does it smell to me like freshly steamed pork with scallions? And it’s still warm.”
Jiang Mian felt her scalp prickle; cold sweat ran down her back.
[Holy crap! This is too freaky!]
[I rinsed my mouth three times! I even stood outside in the cold for ten minutes to air it out! Did he plant a bug on me? Or is this man’s nose just that good—better than a police dog?!]
Huo Jingchuan watched her darting eyes and felt an inexplicable satisfaction.
He lifted his hand, letting his long fingers tap the edge of the bed slowly and deliberately:
“I want a meat bun. Thin skin, big filling, juicy in every bite.”
The words mirrored Jiang Mian’s exact thoughts from just moments ago.
Her pupils nearly shattered.
[What the hell! Can he read minds or predict the future?!]
[Where would a meat bun come from? That’s in my space! And it’s the last fresh pork one! The rest are vegetable or braised pork!]
[How am I supposed to produce it? Perform a magic trick in front of him? Then I’d be dissected for research!]
Watching Jiang Mian’s strained expression, Huo Jingchuan’s smile deepened.
Acting?
Keep acting.
Hadn’t she just said she worried about him eating poorly?
Hadn’t she said she would do anything for him?
Yet now, she couldn’t even bring out a single bun?
“What? There isn’t one?” His face darkened, feigning anger. “Then don’t just stand there in the way, holding your pig slop—oh no, your nourishing porridge—get out.”
“There is! I-I-I have it!”
Seeing him about to chase her out again, Jiang Mian gritted her teeth, desperate to protect her living rights (and avoid the neighbors’ prying questions).
She drew in a deep breath, plastered on a tragic “I’d give my own flesh for you” expression, and said in a trembling voice:
“Brother Jingchuan… actually… there’s one more in the bundle. It was part of my dowry from my family… I was originally planning to save it for the New Year.”
She put down the bowl and turned to the corner, reaching for the worn bundle.
Back turned to Huo Jingchuan, her features contorted.
[Ahhh! My meat bun! My midnight snack! My spiritual sustenance!]
[Huo Jingchuan, you skinflint! Bandit! Robber! Stealing even a woman’s dowry! Are you even human?!]
Pretending to rummage in the bundle, she secretly activated her space, pain‑stakingly “smuggling” the giant pork bun she had planned to save for herself later.
Thanks to the space’s preservation function, the bun was still warm when retrieved.
Not as piping hot as freshly steamed, but the dough was soft, the aroma rich.
Jiang Mian turned, holding the plump white bun with both hands, shuffling nervously toward the bed.
“Here…”
She handed it over, fingers clenching the corner of the bun so tightly they whitened—clearly reluctant to let it go.
“Brother Jingchuan… this is the last one… eat slowly…”
Her expression was like a mother sending her only child to war, full of attachment and reluctance.
Huo Jingchuan looked at her pitiful, heart‑broken expression, and the pent‑up irritation he’d held all night finally eased.
He didn’t hesitate. One hand reached out, seizing the bun from her.
“Thanks.”
Right in front of Jiang Mian, he opened his mouth and took a big bite.
Exactly as she had imagined in her thoughts: thin skin, generous filling, rich juicy flavor, the dough soaked with savory juices—it was perfection. A hundred times better than any cafeteria meal.
As he chewed, Huo Jingchuan deliberately made satisfied sounds, his gaze teasingly fixed on Jiang Mian.
[Waaah… my bun… eaten by a pig!]
[Look at him devour it! Half gone in one bite! That was my essence! I should have stuffed it all in my mouth in the restroom earlier and choked rather than let him have it!]
[Eat, eat, eat! Eat until you burst! And when you’re done, I’ll show you what a proper needle feels like, make you howl!]
Jiang Mian stood by the bed, eyes wide, watching the bun disappear at a visible speed into Huo Jingchuan’s mouth, forcing a smile as she asked: “Delicious, Brother Jingchuan? Don’t choke, drink some porridge to wash it down…”
In just a few bites, Huo Jingchuan was done. Warmth spread through his stomach, easing even the phantom pains in his leg.
Looking at Jiang Mian’s face, pained yet forcing a caring demeanor, his mood soared like never before.