Yun Shounian paused, then looked towards the guest room. She seemed to have forgotten someone.
"Mu Qi, don't move, I'll go take a look." Yun Shounian put down her chopsticks, not daring to observe Mu Qi's reaction too closely, and walked directly to the guest room door.
Yun Shounian quickly opened the door, then slammed it shut with a bang.
The person driving the yacht had fallen to the ground, his body struggling weakly, and he was making muffled groans.
Yun Shounian half-crouched, grabbed the man by the collar, and pulled him up. "I'll bring you food later, and I'll find a way to let you go back. For now, you behave yourself! Otherwise, I'll throw you into the sea right now."
The man nodded repeatedly upon hearing Yun Shounian's words.
Seeing that the man was indeed still, Yun Shounian stood up and turned to leave.
"What's going on?" Mu Qi had also put down his chopsticks. He leaned on the table with both arms, staring directly at Yun Shounian with eyes full of inquiry.
Yun Shounian subtly avoided Mu Qi's gaze and picked up her chopsticks again.
"It's nothing, just a few rats."
"Mm."
Yun Shounian only heard Mu Qi's acknowledgment and dared not look up.
After a long while, Yun Shounian put down her chopsticks again, using the excuse of getting a glass of juice to go to the kitchen.
Ten minutes later, Mu Qi frowned as he looked at Yun Shounian's untouched bowl of food since she returned from the guest room.
Mu Qi stood up and looked at Yun Shounian's retreating back, his footsteps growing faster.
"What are you thinking about?" Mu Qi wrapped his arms around her from behind.
Yun Shounian startled awake and quickly turned off the faucet in front of her.
The gurgling sound of water came to an abrupt halt. Yun Shounian clasped Mu Qi's hands around her waist and said in a low voice,
"Nothing."
Mu Qi pretended to be indifferent and bit Yun Shounian's ear, his gaze subtly shifting towards the guest room.
"Mm."
"Oh right, I'll go wash the dishes."
"Mm."
Mu Qi responded absently, only frowning involuntarily when he saw Yun Shounian about to smudge sauce onto herself while cleaning the plates.
"I'll do it," Mu Qi stepped forward, took the plate from Yun Shounian's hand, and walked towards the kitchen.
"Then I'll get the other plates," Yun Shounian said, picking up the bowls from the table.
"No need, I'll handle it," Mu Qi looked at Yun Shounian's delicate fingers holding two white porcelain bowls, always worried that those two careless bowls would break and hurt her.
Mu Qi believed that the tender flesh at the center of his heart was not suited for such dangerous tasks.
White porcelain bowls: This was the first time they had been subjected to such insult.
Mu Qi finished speaking, stacked the two plates in his hands, and then, with one hand, took the two bowls from Yun Shounian's grasp.
"Oh," Yun Shounian watched Mu Qi's retreating back, her voice listless.
Mu Qi's movements paused for a moment, then he continued towards the kitchen, but his phoenix-like eyes were somewhat unfocused, his mind wandering back to Yun Shounian.
Even by the Xiayan Pool, Mu Qi was still thinking about what he had done that had upset Yun Shounian.
"Niannian, was the meal I made okay?" Mu Qi asked seemingly casually.
"Of course, it was delicious."
Yun Shounian spoke the truth. She genuinely felt that whatever Mu Qi made was exceptionally delicious, unmatched anywhere in heaven or earth. She wondered if it was only so delicious because Mu Qi had made it.
Mu Qi's mood relaxed for a moment, then tightened again. He tentatively asked, "Niannian, what kind of rats were in the guest room?"
Yun Shounian was silent for a few seconds, then said, "Just... just black ones."
The darkness in Mu Qi's eyes deepened, and his thoughts grew even darker.
Did Niannian hide that yoga instructor in the guest room?
Did Niannian think the most dangerous place was the safest place?
Or was it that Niannian was certain he wouldn't dare to do anything?
Mu Qi's eyes became increasingly inscrutable, but in reality, Mu Qi really didn't dare to do anything.
If Yun Shounian was willing to stay by his side, Mu Qi would consider Yun Shounian in everything he did.
Mu Qi would be afraid; he feared that if he threw that person into the sea, Yun Shounian would also jump in with the yoga instructor.
Even if Mu Qi managed to stop Yun Shounian at that moment, he would never be able to rest easy afterwards. He would constantly worry about the day he would completely lose Yun Shounian.
Thinking this, Mu Qi became more agitated.
With a clang, Mu Qi forcefully threw his silver chopsticks into the Xiayan Pool.
The next second, Yun Shounian suddenly hugged Mu Qi from behind.
Mu Qi's body stiffened, his mind went blank, and soon his expression turned grim again.
Was Niannian trying to beg for that yoga instructor?
Thinking of this, Mu Qi's chest heaved more violently.
"Mu Qi, I'm sorry, I'll learn to cook from now on."
Yun Shounian's apologetic voice reached Mu Qi's ears, making him pause for two seconds before slowly and uncertainly understanding Yun Shounian's meaning.
Mu Qi picked up the silver chopsticks again and washed them, his movements still somewhat rough. "I can cook, you don't need to learn."
"Mu Qi, I'm truly sorry." Yun Shounian called out Mu Qi's name in her soft voice, her heart filled with guilt.
It was she who had forcibly brought this person to this deserted island where no one else was around, and yet the porridge she made for Mu Qi had overflowed. Even minor chores like washing dishes had to be done by Mu Qi himself.
She was truly completely incapable of taking care of Mu Qi; instead, Mu Qi had been taking care of her all along.
Yun Shounian felt she was extremely negligent in her duties.
"Sorry for what?" Sorry for secretly bringing that man here and hiding him?!
Heh! Mu Qi sneered inwardly, wanting to pry open Yun Shounian's chest to see if there was even a sliver of him in there.
"Mu Qi, I've made you suffer."
You know it too!
Hearing Yun Shounian say this, Mu Qi's eyes turned bloodshot, his hand gripping the silver chopsticks whitening. Finally, Mu Qi couldn't help but turn around and directly push Yun Shounian against the wall.
Yun Shounian hadn't expected Mu Qi to be so angry, and her expression visibly grew more tense. "Mu Qi, listen to me, from now on..."
Mu Qi couldn't bear to hear Yun Shounian's words any longer. He held Yun Shounian's waist with one hand and her nape with the other, forcefully sealing Yun Shounian's lips.
Yun Shounian instinctively tried to struggle, but then softened as she thought of something.
Mu Qi, the head of the Mu family, was someone whose fingers couldn't even touch mundane chores.
She, Yun Shounian, had brought him to such a place where everything had to be done by hand. It was truly too much of an imposition on Mu Qi, and it was only right for Mu Qi to have pent-up anger to vent!