Ji Liuyue slept wonderfully.
The next morning, she woke up looking gorgeous even without makeup.
Her skin was as fair as a freshly peeled lychee, with a delicate, lustrous glow.
She wore no makeup. Her brows were naturally shaped, their thickness just right.
Her almond-shaped eyes were round and bright, the outer corners dipping slightly. Whenever she looked at someone, they resembled two black grapes glistening with moisture.
Her nose was delicately straight, and her lips were naturally pale pink, untouched by any product.
She wore an oversized white sweater with sleeves that extended past her fingertips.
The hem hung loosely over the tops of her thighs, revealing a pair of long, slender legs. On her feet were fuzzy slippers.
She looked like a soft, dazed kitten that had yet to wake up completely.
A sizzling sound came from the kitchen.
Lu Nanxun and Cen Yu were making breakfast.
At the sound of footsteps, they both looked up at the same time.
A flash of amazement crossed Cen Yu’s eyes as she greeted her warmly. “Up early?”
Ji Liuyue smiled and nodded. “Yeah. I have a date today.”
With that, she walked straight over to Lu Nanxun and stood facing him, staring at the fried egg in his skillet as she praised it.
“Wow, that fried egg looks so good.”
Lu Nanxun looked up and quickly stole a glance at her before hurriedly looking away again.
Without makeup, she looked pure and adorable. Her round, bright eyes sparkled when she complimented people.
She had a completely different air from yesterday, when her flawless makeup had made her look alluring and captivating.
He said quietly, “Mm. Go sit down first. It’ll be ready soon.”
Ji Liuyue hummed in response, but instead of leaving, she swayed lazily over to Cen Yu.
After all, her persona was that of a scheming woman who loved stealing the spotlight.
Cen Yu clearly had excellent cooking skills. Butter sizzled in the pan, filling the air with fragrance. Beside a small steak were asparagus spears and a little bunch of cherry tomatoes.
Black pepper had been sprinkled over everything, with rosemary added as a garnish.
Not only did it smell delicious, it looked like something straight out of a restaurant.
Ji Liuyue praised it again. “Oh my gosh, Chef Cen, this breakfast is seriously next-level. It looks exactly like something a Western restaurant could serve.”
Cen Yu looked a little embarrassed by the compliment.
She waved her hands repeatedly. “Not at all, not at all.”
Ji Liuyue said earnestly, “It really is! This steak smells so good it’s making me dizzy.”
Cen Yu hesitated for a moment before saying, “Would you like to have some?”
Ji Liuyue replied, “Sure!”
While the two chatted happily, Lu Nanxun had already silently arranged the fried eggs, warmed toast, and fruit on the dining table.
He turned his head quietly and looked at Ji Liuyue.
“Breakfast is ready.”
“Okay.”
Not long after the two of them sat down, Cen Yu also took the seat opposite Ji Liuyue.
She cut the steak into strips and divided them onto a small plate, placing it in the middle of the table.
With perfect politeness, she said, “If you don’t mind, please help yourselves.”
“How could we mind?” Ji Liuyue took a bite of her fried egg, and the moment she heard that, she reached for a piece of steak with her fork.
Lu Nanxun’s expression remained calm, and his tone was gentle. “Thank you, but I prefer to eat something lighter in the morning.”
He lowered his head again and continued chewing his fried egg and toast.
Cen Yu smiled. She didn’t seem embarrassed at all and simply continued eating her breakfast.
Soon, footsteps sounded at the entrance to the dining room.
Liu Qingye appeared, perfectly made up.
Her eyelashes were thick and curled, and her lips glistened with moisture.
She wore a short black skirt that accentuated her waist and revealed a pair of long, straight legs. Her long, sleek black hair fell over her shoulders.
She looked like a white rabbit that might be startled at any moment. Her gaze remained lowered, as though she didn’t quite dare to look at anyone, and her lips were lightly pressed together.
She seemed somewhat fragile and pitiful.
As soon as she entered, she asked blankly, “Is there anything left to eat in the refrigerator?”
As she spoke, her peripheral vision casually swept over Lu Nanxun.
Lu Nanxun looked up. A faint smile appeared on his usually expressionless face, and he rose instinctively.
He went back into the kitchen to search through the refrigerator.
“Mm. There are a few eggs, some bacon, and bread.”
Liu Qingye ignored the two people at the table as though they weren’t there and followed him into the kitchen.
“Do we have any strawberry milk? I like drinking it.”
Lu Nanxun replied, “Let me check.”
He searched through the refrigerator once more. “No.”
Liu Qingye bit her lower lip, looking a little unhappy. In a quiet voice, she said, “Oh. All right, then. I’ll just eat something.”
Seeing how flustered she looked, Lu Nanxun took the initiative to say, “Would you like a fried egg? I can make one for you.”
Liu Qingye neither accepted nor refused. She merely hesitated and said, “I really want some strawberry milk.”
Lu Nanxun silently made a note of it.
Once their date was over, he would definitely go to the supermarket and buy some strawberry milk.
Ji Liuyue hummed to herself as she swallowed another bite of steak, completely ignoring what was happening in the kitchen.
She even gave Cen Yu a thumbs-up. “You really are Chef Cen. This is delicious.”
Cen Yu smiled.
But her gaze still rested on Liu Qingye and Lu Nanxun in the distance. More than anything, she was observing them.
After all, it was only the second day in the house, and the guests’ personalities and romantic interests had not yet become particularly clear.
Just as Liu Qingye was still lamenting the fact that she wouldn’t be able to drink strawberry milk that morning, and Lu Nanxun was debating whether he should make her breakfast, Xu Jinsi came down the stairs.
The moment he entered the dining room, everyone’s gaze turned toward him.
He had changed out of yesterday’s formal attire.
His creamy-white linen shirt was relaxed, the sleeves casually rolled up to his elbows. Two buttons at the collar were undone, revealing a small stretch of collarbone.
He hadn’t used any hair product, and a few loose strands hung over his forehead.
He looked relaxed and languid.
His features were exceptionally handsome.
His slanted brows swept toward his temples, their ends neat and sharply defined.
Beneath them was a pair of captivating, fox-like eyes, their outer corners tilted slightly upward and their sockets somewhat deep-set.
Whenever he looked at someone, his eyes seemed to hold a layer of half-amused, half-mocking light.
He hadn’t done anything at all, yet simply standing there made people feel as though he was looking directly at them.
“Morning.”
He walked over to the dining table and picked up a glass of water.
The moment Liu Qingye saw him, she forgot that Lu Nanxun was standing beside her and hurried forward with a smile.
“Didn’t you say you might not be able to get up this morning?” Her tone was very familiar.
It was almost as if the two of them shared some little secret.
Xu Jinsi took a sip of water and looked up at her. “That’s right. But we have a task today. Let’s go.”
“Okay!” The smile on Liu Qingye’s face became even more genuine.
Lu Nanxun’s raised hand slowly lowered again.
He had wanted to ask whether she needed breakfast.
But seeing her like this, she was probably going on a date with Xu Jinsi that morning. She could likely eat breakfast outside.
After finishing his water, Xu Jinsi placed the glass casually in front of Ji Liuyue.
His gaze seemed to drift toward the steak.
“Eating meat this early in the morning?”
Cen Yu instinctively thought he was speaking to her and responded with a cheerful smile.
“Yes. I work out regularly, so steak keeps me full longer in the morning. I don’t get hungry as easily.”
Who was he talking to?
Xu Jinsi’s gaze shifted back to Ji Liuyue.
She was concentrating on the breakfast in front of her, completely unaware that anyone was watching her.
Morning sunlight streamed in at an angle, illuminating the side of her bare face until it seemed almost translucent. Her skin glowed like a freshly peeled lychee, and a natural flush dusted her cheeks.
Her cheeks puffed out slightly as she chewed, her lips moving faintly, her lashes lowered.
She looked like a little squirrel busy storing up food.
Xu Jinsi thought to himself: If I reached out and pinched her cheek, would she cry?
