Teacher Wang’s timely appearance saved Lin Xiyue from her awkward predicament.
Both boys returned to their seats, no longer pressing Lin Xiyue about whose skincare products she would use.
After school ended, Lin Xiyue clearly sensed that He Mingchu’s mood had turned sour again.
She quickened her pace to catch up with him, testing the waters.
“He Mingchu, today’s physics problems were so difficult. There were several I couldn’t solve. Could you help me look at them when we get back?”
He Mingchu: “Hmm.”
His tone was flat and emotionless.
This person never showed his emotions outwardly, making it impossible for Lin Xiyue to gauge what he was really thinking. She lowered her head in frustration.
He Mingchu, being tall and long-legged, had already walked quite far while Lin Xiyue was lost in thought for just a few seconds.
He stopped and looked back at Lin Xiyue, just as they reached an area with residential houses where blooming trumpet vines cascaded over the walls.
Lin Xiyue walked slowly past the trumpet vines, her brow furrowed in thought, her dress and the flowers swaying gently in the breeze. He Mingchu’s eyes filled with amusement.
Seeing his little pet’s troubled expression was all about his mood made him quite pleased.
Originally, he had managed to obtain some pearl powder these past couple days, intending to make whitening cream for her. But after learning today that Jin Yao had given her better skincare products, he felt his gesture seemed somewhat inadequate.
He Mingchu’s expression darkened.
Hah, his little pet had no right to refuse him. Everything should be according to his will as her master, shouldn’t it?
He enjoyed keeping a little pet, and preferred doing everything himself. Therefore, he wouldn’t give up.
When Lin Xiyue looked up and saw He Mingchu waiting for her not far away, her troubled expression vanished, replaced by a delighted smile.
“He Mingchu, were you waiting for me?”
He Mingchu: “No, I was waiting for a dog.”
Lin Xiyue: “…”
You’re the dog!
A gentle male lead would never say something like that!
This person must have been possessed!
When they arrived home together, He Jianguo and Bai Xiaomei had already returned and were excitedly discussing something in the kitchen.
Entering, they saw a large piece of beef on the table.
He Jianguo’s face beamed with excitement.
“Ming Chu, Moon Maiden, the factory distributed beef to families with students taking the college entrance exams! Since our household has two exam-takers, we got the largest and best cut! We’ll use it today to properly nourish you both!”
Bai Xiaomei, having come from a relatively well-off family, had some experience handling beef.
She pointed at different sections of the meat: “This part I plan to braise – it’ll be great with rice or noodles! This section we can make into beef paste – it’ll keep longer. The remaining piece we’ll save for stir-fries!”
Just listening to the description made Lin Xiyue’s mouth water!
Although living conditions had improved considerably since coming to the He household, they still only had lard-cooked dishes or dishes with shredded meat every couple of days. Such a large piece of beef made her almost crazy with anticipation.
Seeing her eager expression, He Mingchu felt both amused and heartache.
If he had met Lin Xiyue in his previous life, he could have provided for countless versions of her – she could have eaten these delicacies until she never wanted to see them again.
It was just their misfortune to be in such difficult circumstances now.
He Mingchu lowered his gaze.
How could his little pet live such a meager existence?
With only one month left until the college entrance exams, he resolved to immediately put his previously planned path into practice after the tests ended.
Earn money, and pamper his little pet.
That piece of beef meant for stir-frying had already transformed in Lin Xiyue’s mind into tomato and potato braised brisket, stir-fried yellow beef, chopped pepper beef, green pepper beef, and even steak.
While Bai Xiaomei was busy preparing marinated beef for beef sauce, Lin Xiyue handled the stir-fry nearby. From the vegetable patch at the entrance, she gathered fresh ingredients. After marinating the beef, she went out to pick a handful of small chili peppers, some cilantro, peeled several garlic cloves, and sliced ginger.
He Jianguo watched her preparations and hesitantly asked, “Moon Maiden, have you cooked beef before?”
It wasn’t that he was being stingy, but such good quality beef would be wasted if ruined.
Understanding his concern, Lin Xiyue revealed the dimples at the corners of her mouth. “Don’t worry, Uncle. I guarantee you’ll eat two bowls of rice tonight!”
Reassured, He Jianguo said, “Then I’ll wait expectantly! I’ll tend to the fire!”
When the oil was hot, she stir-fried the beef until it changed color, then set it aside. Adding shredded ginger, small chili peppers, garlic, and pickled peppers released an immediate burst of fragrance. She returned the beef to the wok, seasoning with salt and cilantro before a final toss completed the dish.
The courtyard filled with an irresistible aroma.
He Mingchu had been tinkering with pearl powder in his room, assuming Lin Xiyue had long returned to do homework.
It was only when He Jianguo called him for dinner that he learned tonight’s dishes were prepared by Lin Xiyue.
Stir-fried yellow beef, beef with vermicelli soup, and his favorite scrambled eggs with chives.
If the previous chive pancakes had surprised him, today’s stir-fried beef was truly astonishing.
After one bite, He Mingchu couldn’t help but glance at Lin Xiyue.
On her first day at the He household, Bai Xiaomei had explained the situation.
Bai Xiaomei had been in the countryside of Wucheng, nearly a thousand miles from Yuncheng. That region preferred light flavors and never ate strongly seasoned dishes like stir-fried yellow beef.
Yuncheng’s cuisine leaned sweet, completely unlike this distinct Hunan-style dish that clearly belonged to his era.
So where had Lin Xiyue learned to make this?
Bai Xiaomei was also tasting beef prepared this way for the first time. After initial delight, she was left panting from the spice.
“So delicious!” Bai Xiaomei took a sip of water, then asked curiously, “Moon Maiden, how did you learn to cook beef?”
During her over ten years with the Lin family, beef had been a rarity. Moreover, her mother-in-law would first send portions to other brothers’ families, leaving their own household with little more than traces of beef.
How could Lin Xiyue know how to handle and prepare beef?
He Mingchu shared the same doubt, his beautiful eyes fixed on Lin Xiyue, awaiting her response.
Lin Xiyue’s grip tightened on her chopsticks, only now realizing she had been too carried away upon seeing the beef, forgetting she wasn’t native to this story and should “hide her capabilities.”
Quickly running through possibilities in her mind, she began deflecting.
“I once saw Grandma prepare it this way in her room. The whole courtyard smelled of beef, so I remembered how it was done.”
Bai Xiaomei was instantly transported by Lin Xiyue’s words to painful memories—times when the child couldn’t even get a bite of meat, reduced to secretly sniffing the aroma outside her mother-in-law’s door.
Looking at the meat on the table, she couldn’t hold back tears.
“Moon Maiden, I’ve failed you…”
Lin Xiyue breathed a sigh of relief, assuming the matter was settled.
He Mingchu, of course, hadn’t missed her subtle reaction.
He curled the corner of his lips, suddenly feeling that he had made the right choice in keeping this little pet. It seemed she too harbored some undisclosed secrets.
Adorable and well-behaved yet tinged with cunning, carrying a hint of mystery—these once monotonous days were now brimming with growing anticipation.