“Are we eating at home tonight?”

Lu Yixin followed behind Fang Yongnian curiously, watching him carry the groceries he had just bought from the supermarket.

How strange—some men could look beautiful even just carrying green onions.

“At my place,” Fang Yongnian corrected her choice of words. “Go back and apply the medicine first.”

They had originally planned to eat hotpot outside, but looking at her face now, with the peeling skin, applying the ointment was more important.

“Wash your face clean before applying it,” he added another reminder before stepping into the elevator.

“What are we eating?” Lu Yixin happily followed him inside.

Only the button for the twenty-second floor was lit. She looked at it and smiled like a blooming flower.

She and Fang Yongnian lived on the same floor. The building had two apartments per floor.

Rounding it up, they basically lived together!

“Noodles.” Fang Yongnian stared at the elevator’s floor indicator, answering briefly.

Lu Yixin’s bright expression instantly collapsed.

Noodles again…

Her memory of the last time was not pleasant, the fridge at home still had that bowl of shrimp and eel left over.

“I only know how to cook noodles.” Fang Yongnian saw Lu Yixin’s expression reflected in the elevator’s mirror, the corners of his mouth slightly lifting.

So she really holds grudges…

୨୧ ⏔⏔⏔⏔♡⏔⏔⏔⏔ ୨୧ 

Just like Lu Boyuan, who only knew how to cook four braised dishes, Fang Yongnian—who rarely cooked for himself—only knew how to make plain noodles.

Yangchun noodles.

To make it a bit richer, he topped it with a fried egg, blanched greens, and some braised beef bought from the supermarket.

He also used a few disposable plates to serve the other small side dishes, and as he looked at the table, he thought maybe he should buy some proper bowls and chopsticks for home next time.

After taking a shower, Lu Yixin, smelling strongly of aloe, rushed in energetically, sat down at the table, and lifted her bowl of noodles to take a sip of the soy sauce broth first.

“The braised beef tastes pretty good.”

Lu Yixin swallowed that bland, soulless soy sauce soup and still gave a very soulful review.

Fang Yongnian was amused by her, and took a sip of the noodle soup himself.

When eating noodles, drink the soup first.

That was something he had taught her too.

She had so many little habits that seemed insignificant, but in fact, all of them were taught by him.

He had taught her back when he was still the Fang Yongnian who only knew how to eat.

“How was the military training?”

The noodles themselves weren’t very good, the only praise-worthy thing was that the seasoning wasn’t too salty.

Lu Yixin had a piece of beef in her mouth, an egg held between her chopsticks, and swallowed hastily before asking, “Which version do you want to hear?”

Fang Yongnian: “?”

“There are two versions. One is what I tell others, and the other is what I tell my boyfriend.”

Lu Yixin wiped her mouth and smiled like a little fox.

Fang Yongnian: “…The one you tell others.”

The version for a boyfriend, he didn’t have the blood pressure for that right now.

“Just normal military training,” Lu Yixin said with an ordinary expression. “The instructor is very handsome, but he doesn’t go easy on the girls at all. The physical training is too much, so I’m hungry every day.”

“She also makes us sing before every meal. At first, I was stupid and shouted the loudest every time, but later I couldn’t shout anymore. My throat hurt so much that even eating meat felt like choking.”

She chirped on endlessly about meaningless things, while Fang Yongnian, distracted, wondered—If it were the “boyfriend version,” what would it be like?

She actually had a boyfriend version prepared?

“Do you want to hear the boyfriend version? I’ll tell you the censored one!” Lu Yixin suddenly changed the topic halfway through her sentence.

Fang Yongnian gave her a complicated look.

Censored? Where did she even learn these words from?

But this time, he neither denied nor stopped her.

“I got into a fight during military training,” the girl said cheerfully, “and then got punished by the instructor to carry weights for five kilometers.”

Fang Yongnian frowned. “A fight?”

Lu Yixin nodded.

“If it were the uncensored version, I could show you my shoulder right now.”

As she spoke, she gestured with her hands. “That girl’s claws were like a cat’s. If I hadn’t dodged, my face might’ve been ruined.”

“What were you fighting over?” Fang Yongnian put down his chopsticks.

Though Lu Yixin could be reckless, ever since she was young—aside from when her grandmother passed away—she had never shown any signs of aggression.

She had a very good temper; it was hard to make her truly angry.

Lu Yixin paused. “Do you want to see my shoulder?”

She even blinked playfully at him.

“Lu Yixin, what were you fighting over?” Fang Yongnian wasn’t buying her act at all.

Lu Yixin silently lowered her head and took another bite of noodles.

She regretted mentioning it, she had only brought it up because the atmosphere had been so good that she suddenly wanted to tease Fang Yongnian a little.

The wound was quite long and deep. She thought it might leave a scar.

Now she finally had a scar, just like Fang Yongnian.

“Lu Yixin.” Fang Yongnian called her name, his tone exactly like a disciplinary director.

“There was… a girl in our dorm named Li Xiao’an, from the English department. She’s really pretty, the proud kind.” Lu Yixin pouted.

“During training, they said we couldn’t bring personal belongings, but I secretly brought your photo with me.”

As she said this, Lu Yixin sneaked a glance at him.

Fang Yongnian’s face went blank with disbelief.

His photo? She had even printed it out? What did she bring it for, warding off evil?

Knowing she was in the wrong, Lu Yixin laughed awkwardly.

“I was fine at first, but when I brought your photo in, Li Xiao’an saw it. She herself had brought some things too, but other girls saw hers.”

“Li Xiao’an is the kind of person…” Lu Yixin wrinkled her nose, searching for the right word, “who’s very goal-oriented.”

While others were focused on training, she was busy showing off.

Everyone was given bottled water, but she always liked to borrow from male students. Then, when she borrowed from a guy who already had a girlfriend, that girlfriend exploded.

Then the fact that she had smuggled in cosmetics and a phone was exposed.

When it happened, for some reason, Li Xiao’an pointed at Lu Yixin in front of everyone and said that she had brought things too—so why was she the only one being punished?

As a result, the photo of Fang Yongnian that Lu Yixin had hidden was also found.

“Actually, even then, I still wouldn’t have wanted to fight.” Lu Yixin said sheepishly.

After all, Fang Yongnian had been her “Uncle” for many years. That sense of authority was deeply ingrained.

Telling him about her ridiculous behavior, she couldn’t help worrying he might scold her.

“But when the instructor was searching through our things, he accidentally stepped on and broke Li Xiao’an’s lipstick. Li Xiao’an said the instructor was biased, snatched your photo, looked at it, and then tore it up.”

That was when she completely lost it.

Of course, what truly set her off was that after looking at the photo, that damn Li Xiao’an had paused and looked confused.

That expression of confusion was the final straw.

Confused about what, huh?

Had she never seen someone bring a boyfriend’s photo to training before!

“Originally, I could’ve beaten her.” Lu Yixin thought back to the scene, a bit regretful. “She wasn’t very strong, but I underestimated her nails.”

She must’ve been someone who got manicures often, her nails were long and carefully filed.

So Lu Yixin ended up taking the hit.

“But I pulled out a handful of her hair too.” She felt that wasn’t too much of a loss.

Li Xiao’an didn’t have much hair to begin with, that handful should’ve made her heart ache for a long time. Who knew if it would even grow back.

Amused by her own cruel thought, Lu Yixin laughed cheerfully.

But Fang Yongnian’s face darkened.

“Where did she scratch you?”

For a wound that Lu Yixin still remembered so clearly and even had to “censor,” he had a bad feeling.

“Here.” Lu Yixin pointed to her right shoulder, below the neck.

“Come here.” Fang Yongnian pushed his bowl aside.

When she got in the car earlier, she had only slung her backpack over one shoulder. At the time, he thought it was just because she had wrapped her clothes around her head and couldn’t be bothered.

Now it seemed more likely that it was because of the injury.

The training had lasted a month already, had that wound still not healed?

Lu Yixin’s eyes widened. “No censorship?”

She had only said it casually. Now that he really wanted to look, she suddenly panicked.

That claw mark had almost reached her chest—it was long, and it had gotten inflamed…

“Come here.” Fang Yongnian gave the order directly.

Lu Yixin hesitated, inching closer. She had gotten carried away, what was she going to do once he actually saw it?

“You’re not avoiding suspicion anymore?” she tried one last weak protest.

Fang Yongnian’s response was to reach out and pull her straight toward him.

After her shower, she had changed into an old T-shirt with a loose neckline.

Fang Yongnian tugged it down slightly, revealing half of the wound underneath.

It was red and swollen, with signs of pus. She must not have avoided it while showering—now the wound was wet, streaked with faint traces of blood.

“You ran five kilometers with that, carrying weight?”

Even the strap marks from her backpack were still visible across the wound.

“I couldn’t admit defeat, could I!” Lu Yixin said righteously. “If I had begged the instructor for leniency, how would I be any different from Li Xiao’an?”

She really had some spirit.

“It’ll leave a scar.”

Training under the scorching sun, drenched in sweat, and constantly rubbed raw by the backpack—how could she not have felt pain?

What was the use of this kind of stubbornness?

Her brain must have problems.

“A scar’s fine.” Lu Yixin was still grinning. “Once it heals, I’ll get a tattoo over it.”

Fang Yongnian shot her a dark look and stood up.

“I already hurt a lot!” Lu Yixin flinched back instinctively.

Damn it, he’s not actually going to hit me, is he?!

“I’m getting the medicine.” Fang Yongnian restrained the urge to smack her. “If your mother sees that scar, she’ll probably cry.”

“What about you, what about you?” Lu Yixin followed closely behind him, circling him like a tail.

There were a few new things in Fang Yongnian’s home now—some gray cushions on the sofa, and a bookshelf in the bedroom.

Not one of those flimsy ones, but a solid, heavy kind—a bookshelf bought by someone planning to settle down and live properly.

His home finally had a bit of his own presence.

Lu Yixin grew even happier.

“Take these medicines home.” Fang Yongnian ignored her completely and shoved a bunch of bottles and jars into her hands.

“First use hydrogen peroxide to clean the wound—wash it a few times—then apply this ointment.” He instructed her patiently, watching as she blinked innocently at him.

Fang Yongnian: “…”

“If I dared use hydrogen peroxide on it, it wouldn’t be inflamed right now.” Lu Yixin pointed out the obvious.

Her father was in the pharmaceutical business too, she knew the basics.

And hadn’t he once taught her all sorts of random pharmaceutical knowledge that she’d never thought she’d actually use someday…

Fang Yongnian: “…”

Tanned from training, Lu Yixin stood at his bedroom door holding a bunch of hydrogen peroxide bottles, the neckline of her loose shirt drooping, revealing a bit of red, swollen skin.

“Go sit on the sofa.” His voice came out rough and low.

Lu Yixin’s eyes widened again.

Fang Yongnian glared at her.

Lu Yixin let out a small cheer, quickly tossed all the medicine into Fang Yongnian’s hands, then jumped onto the sofa and hugged a cushion tightly.

“Will it hurt a lot?” she asked nervously.

“You have to be gentle,” she continued nervously.

“Shut up.”

What kind of terrible lines were these?

“Be gentle, or I’ll scream.” Lu Yixin said the last line with forced courage.

And then Fang Yongnian promptly covered her face with a cushion.

So cheeky.

If he had really laid a hand on her, she probably would’ve been scared to death.

Damn it…