Song Xi was angry, and she sat sulking on the sofa. "If that's the case, I might as well stay at a hotel."
Lou Yuming frowned. "Hotels aren't safe."
"But right now, I just want to be alone."
Lou Yuming looked at her in silence. The pleasant morning had become somewhat unpleasant due to their argument.
He took a step back. "I'll only come once a week."
Song Xi stubbornly bit her lower lip.
Lou Yuming closed his eyes and conceded further. "Once every two weeks."
She remained silent. A faint shadow of displeasure crossed Lou Yuming's face. "Don't push your luck."
Song Xi said, "Once a month."
Lou Yuming's jawline tightened, and finally, a single word escaped his throat, "...Fine."
Song Xi's mood immediately lifted. "A gentleman's word is his bond. Whoever breaks it is a dog!"
Although childish and not binding on him, Lou Yuming still nodded slightly.
Once a month, but he hadn't specified how many days each visit would last.
He lowered his dark eyes, a hint of cunning flashing within them.
Song Xi thought he would leave after their talk, but to her surprise, he intended to stay for breakfast.
As Song Xi claimed there wasn't much in the fridge, she opened it under Lou Yuming's insistence.
To her surprise, the refrigerator was packed full, brimming with a dazzling array of fruits and vegetables, with everything imaginable.
Lou Yuming narrowed his eyes. "This is what you call 'nothing in the fridge'?"
"..."
She hadn't expected Xiao Mo to have planned everything so thoroughly, even down to the refrigerator.
"You want me to leave that badly?" the man asked, raising an eyebrow.
It wasn't that, Song Xi just felt she genuinely needed some time alone to clear her head.
"Hurry up and cook."
Lou Yuming tapped her forehead with his finger and then remembered to ask, "Does your head still hurt?"
It was considerate of him to remember.
Song Xi shook her head.
Lou Yuming went to the shoe cabinet, took out a pair of men's leather shoes, and placed them by the entryway. After washing his hands, he returned to the sofa and sat down.
He acted as if he were a husband just returning home from work and casually asked, "What's for lunch today?"
Song Xi was dumbfounded, feeling that her earlier comparison had been utterly absurd.
She retorted angrily, "I'm not eating anything!"
Lou Yuming couldn't help but chuckle, placing his hand on the sofa. "Take your time, no rush."
"..." Song Xi wished she could throw the vegetable leaves in his face.
She placed the washed vegetables on the cutting board. Her peripheral vision caught sight of the leather shoes he'd left by the entryway, and a warmth spread through her heart.
When had he become so thoughtful?
Song Xi made the simplest tomato and egg noodles, adding a few spinach leaves.
She expected Lou Yuming to be picky, but after a few bites, he commented, "It tastes pretty good."
He was becoming increasingly strange, choosing to eat her tomato and egg noodles over the delicacies available outside.
Men's hearts were like needles in the sea, utterly unfathomable.
After finishing the noodles, Song Xi was about to clear the dishes when Lou Yuming suddenly stood up. "Wait a moment."
Song Xi was shocked. Was he going to wash the dishes?
No way, was the sun rising from the west?
As it turned out, Song Xi had been overthinking.
When a strong scent of herbal medicine wafted from the kitchen, Song Xi almost threw up the noodles she had just eaten.
Holding her nose, she exclaimed, "What are you doing!"
The man didn't answer. His tall figure busily occupied in the kitchen looked comical, yet exuded a subtle strangeness.
The smell grew more potent, and Song Xi could no longer bear it. She found a mask from a drawer and put it on, then cautiously approached the kitchen.
With a sudden whoosh, she pulled open the door. Through the transparent glass, Song Xi saw Lou Yuming seemingly brewing something.
A dark liquid, with some unknown plants swirling and churning in the pot.
A bad feeling began to stir in Song Xi's heart.