Chapter 110

Li Feifei was burying her head slurping noodles; hearing the words, her motion paused, her cheeks instantly flushed red, she was so embarrassed she almost buried her face in the bowl, and the hand holding her chopsticks also froze.

Glancing unintentionally at Huang Rong, seeing her walk a bit unnaturally, Li Feifei's eyes turned mischievous: 'But it looks like Huang Rong sister was actually tired last night.'

Huang Rong let out a light laugh, her voice as bright and teasing as a morning wind chime; hearing Li Feifei's words, a blush rose on her face.

She dared not tease Li Feifei further, turning her gaze to Li Qingxuan, her tone shy yet tinged with inquiry: 'Ours is also fine? It smells quite fragrant.'

As she spoke, her gaze swept over the other bowls of noodles on the table and finally settled on Li Qingxuan; in the lamplight, his tall figure was wrapped in the Canting's aroma, exuding a calm, reliable sense of safety.

Li Qingxuan nodded, his eyes falling on her slightly unnatural gait; the lamplight outlined her figure in a thin shirt, lazily bearing a raw mark only he could understand, left from last night.

'Mm, yours are also on the table, eat up.' His voice remained low and steady, as if last night's accidental discovery and the deliberate gentleness afterward had never happened.

Huang Rong strolled to the tableside, her movements seemingly casual, yet her waist unconsciously straightened a bit; she pulled out a chair and sat down, her gaze sweeping over her bowl of noodles, adorned with verdant scallions, steam rising.

She did not immediately pick up her chopsticks; her fingertips unconsciously tapped lightly on the cool tabletop, as if pondering something.

The lamplight fell on her face, casting a small shadow over her lowered eyelashes, concealing the fleeting complex emotion in her eyes—annoyance at having her secret exposed, the feigned calm when facing him, and a hint she herself had not yet sorted out, arising from his unexpected tenderness last night.

Li Feifei was eating happily, cheeks puffed, mumbling indistinctly: 'Rong sister, eat up; Qingxuan brother's noodles won't taste good if they get cold!' She gave a mischievous blink, then added pointedly, 'Replenishing energy is important.'

Having said that, she herself was first amused, quickly lowering her head and pretending to concentrate while gently blowing on the hot noodles, though her ears secretly turned red.

Huang Rong, hearing this, gave her an annoyed glance; in the flicker of her eyes, there was both reproach and a hint of embarrassment at being called out on the matter.

She finally picked up her chopsticks, moving a bit slower than usual, carefully lifting a few strands of noodles and sending them to her mouth to chew slowly.

The noodles were smooth and chewy, the broth clear and fresh, the rich yolk of the soft-boiled egg melting just right, soothing the stomach that had been empty all night.

She said nothing, merely letting out a soft 'mm' to acknowledge the bowl's flavor; her slightly narrowed eyes and slowed chewing revealed her inner comfort.

From the stairs came lighter footsteps, accompanied by a deliberately lowered, clear girlish voice.

'Ling'er? Shuang'er? Come eat noodles.' Li Qingxuan heard the sisters' movement, and the corner of his mouth twitched up imperceptibly.

Shuang'er chirped in reply: 'Coming, coming!'

Immediately after, hurried footsteps and the rustling of fabric intertwined and came through.

Zhao Shuang'er poked half her body out of the stairwell, her hair still somewhat tousled, her round, big eyes full of the dazed innocence of just waking and eager anticipation for food, her cheeks flushed red like a ripe apple.

She instantly spotted Li Qingxuan standing at the doorway, her face breaking into a big smile: 'Qingxuan brother!'

Zhao Ling'er followed closely behind her sister, her movements noticeably more composed than Shuang'er's.

She lightly placed one hand on Shuang'er's shoulder, as if to stop her sister from rushing out recklessly, while her other hand swiftly smoothed the stray hairs at her temples.

Her cheeks also bore a faint blush; her eyes, upon meeting Li Qingxuan's gaze, dropped quickly, her long lashes fluttering like a startled butterfly's wings, leaving only a whisper-thin reply: '…I'm coming.'

'Slow down.' Li Qingxuan watched Shuang'er almost hopping toward them and gave a low reminder.

His gaze lingered momentarily between Ling'er's lowered eyelids and her reddened ear tips, that barely perceptible smile deepening slightly.

Shuang'er obediently answered 'oh,' her steps slowing a bit but unable to hide her excitement, like a little bee that has caught a whiff of flower scent, she cheerfully ran toward the Canting.

Zhao Ling'er helplessly tugged lightly at her sister's sleeve, signaling her to mind her deportment, while she herself followed step for step behind, her steps extremely light, as if afraid to disturb the morning's tranquility, or perhaps to conceal some inexpressible shyness.

Her plain-colored sleepwear swayed lightly with her steps, outlining a slender, graceful waist.

The sisters entered the Canting one after the other, greeting Li Feifei and Huang Rong warmly.

Seeing the steaming bowls of noodles on the table, Shuang'er's eyes grew brighter, and she let out a small cheer: 'Wow! So fragrant!' She immediately pulled out a chair, imitating Li Feifei's earlier move, leaned close to the bowl's edge and inhaled deeply, then squinted her eyes in satisfaction.

Zhao Ling'er, by contrast, was much more reserved; she walked slowly to the tableside, her gaze first sweeping over Li Feifei, head down eating noodles, and the already seated Huang Rong, before finally settling on her own bowl of carefully prepared egg noodles.

The broth was clear, the poached egg plump and round, dotted with verdant scallions; just looking at it warmed the heart.

She pulled out a chair and sat down, her movements gentle; as she lifted the bowl, her fingertips exerted slight pressure, her knuckles tinged with a faint pink.

Unlike Shuang'er, she did not dig in right away; instead, she gently stirred the noodles with her chopsticks, letting the fragrant heat dissipate slowly, while her gaze involuntarily drifted toward Li Qingxuan, who stood aside seemingly just watching them eat, a flicker of something imperceptible passing through her eyes.

When she sensed that Li Qingxuan's gaze seemed to fall on her as well, Zhao Ling'er's heartbeat skipped a beat; she hurriedly lowered her head, pretending to focus on the noodles in her bowl, only the faint blush creeping up to her neck, like a blush of evening clouds on the horizon, betraying her presently unsettled mood.

'Ling'er sister, hurry up and eat! It's really delicious!' Shuang'er could not wait any longer, she lifted a big forkful of noodles, huffing and puffing, urging her on indistinctly; her little face beamed with pure joy and satisfaction with the food, her bright eyes sparkling with anticipation for the tasty meal, completely immersed in the deliciousness of this bowl of noodles.

Only then did Zhao Ling'er let out a soft 'mm,' beginning to eat the noodles in small, refined bites; the scalding broth seemed to slightly smooth the ripples in her heart, like a spring breeze brushing over a lake, leaving only the comfort of her taste buds awakened and a hint of imperceptible sweetness, quietly spreading in her chest.

Li Qingxuan and Huang Rong each went to ladle another bowl of noodles; the five soon finished breakfast, after Ling'er and the two girls washed the bowls and chopsticks clean, they returned to sit by the table, and Li Feifei walked over holding a pot of tea.

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