chapter 1

Moo Jiachen rubbed his stomach, asking, “When are you going to cook?”

“I’m not cooking today.”

Mu Nuannuan turned around and went back to her room. She already had the daylights scared out of her and lost all her appetite. Also, after she stayed up the entire night in the Internet café with Moo Jiachen the day before, her stomach did not feel a thing now. She just wanted to get some sleep.

With Moo Jiachen prohibiting her from leaving, throwing out her bed, and the other rooms being basically inhabitable, she could only sleep in the master room. Screw it! She would see if Moo Tingxiao dared to do anything to her, she thought to herself.

Back in the room, Moo Tingxiao was absent. Taking off her jacket, she plopped down the bed.

…

She did not know how long she slept, but when she woke up, it was already dusk, and her stomach was growling. She went downstairs and found no one in the living room. Sauntering into the kitchen, she made herself some pasta. Just as she was about to dig into her meal in the dining hall, she heard Moo Jiachen crying outside.

“Mu Nuannuan, I don’t want to go to school!”

She took a few mouthfuls, wiped her mouth with a tissue paper, and went to check on him. In the living room, Moo Jiachen was holding on to Moo Tingxiao’s leg on the floor, crying. However, there were no tears. Once he saw Mu Nuannuan come out, he turned to cry in her arms.

“I don’t want to go to school…”

Moo Tingxiao approached them, his face serious. Throwing Moo Jiachen aside, he said, “She can’t help you. Since Auntie has placed you under my custody, I will have to discipline you.” He placed particular emphasis on the word “emphasis”. Moo Jiachen was on pins and needles.

“You’re still young, you should go to school. Stop crying.” For the first time, she agreed with Moo Tingxiao. She knew how mischievous the kid was, but what surprised her was how Moo Jiachen behaved in front of Moo Tingxiao. He was timid like a mouse, spineless.

Moo Jiachen shook his head. His face was sad as he looked up at Mu Nuannuan. “You don’t understand.”

He would not get to play games anymore and would have no more pocket money. That was how Moo Tingxiao was going to discipline him. Moo Tingxiao would not allow him to do whatever he wanted. He was placed under strict monitoring, and it was hell. Had he known he would end up under Moo Tingxiao’s custody, he would not have sneaked back into the country.

Knowing that there was nothing he could do to change Moo Tingxiao’s decision, Moo Jiachen went to lick his wounds upstairs. After he left, Mu Nuannuan returned to the dining hall to finish her remaining pasta.

Moo Tingxiao followed her. “Don’t help him and feel sorry for him no matter how pitiful he looks.”

“Of course, I won’t. He’s just acting after all,” Mu Nuannuan said mockingly. She had felt pity for Moo Tingxiao before and learned her lesson.

Sensing the ridicule in her voice, Moo Tingxiao knitted his brows together. He was apparently not too happy with Mu Nuannuan’s attitude. He had lied to her before, but he was trying to make it up now. He did not think that he had done anything unforgivable.

Mu Nuannuan picked up the pasta with her fork, taking it one bite at a time, not saying a word again.

Moo Tingxiao looked at her as if he had a million words to say to her. In the end, he turned and left her to it.

…

It was nighttime and Mu Nuannuan had just come out of the shower. The room was empty; Moo Tingxiao was nowhere to be seen.

Wearing a sleeping gown that nearly covered her from the neck to her toes, she lay in bed. She strategized what she should do once Moo Tingxiao came back and wanted to do something to her. She ended up falling asleep before she could find out whether Moo Tingxiao returned or not.

When she woke up, it was already morning. As she opened her eyes and tried to flip herself over, she found an arm tightly wrapped around her. She could not even move. The familiar scent told her it was Moo Tingxiao. Gritting her teeth, she took his arm off her and rolled her body to the edge of the bed, as far away from Moo Tingxiao as possible.

He was awake now. Lying on his side, he was facing her, and his hair was sticking out from all angles. The collar of his pajamas was half an inch lower, and his groggy eyes made him look very gentle. Yet, Mu Nuannuan knew that his looks were deceptive. Had she not already known his true colors, she would have been fooled by his appearance.

She looked at Moo Tingxiao cautiously. She could not recall when he came home, how he climbed into bed, and how he put his arm around her.

Moo Tingxiao got out of bed, glancing back at her and speaking in his hoarse voice, “Why avoid me now when you’ve slept with me?”

Looking daggers at him, Mu Nuannuan hurled a pillow toward him. He caught it unhurriedly in his hands. Unruffled, he entered the bathroom.

…

It was noodles for breakfast as Moo Jiachen had requested.

At first, Mu Nuannuan had no plans on making breakfast that day, but Moo Jiachen looked at her with puppy eyes and said, “Considering that we’re both being bullied by Moo Tingxiao, please make me breakfast, pretty pleaseee…”

She wanted to retort, but what he said was true—they were both being bullied. Alas, she cooked three bowls of noodles. Moo Jiachen took his bowl at the first instant. Mu Nuannuan made another bowl, tipping half a can of salt into it and stirring it evenly. With an evil smile on her lips, she took it into the dining hall and placed it before Moo Tingxiao.

Moo Tingxiao was almost flattered, not expecting her to make one for him.

She picked up a huge portion from his bowl and delivered it to his mouth. With a faint smile on her face, she gently said, “Try it and see if it tastes okay.”

Moo Tingxiao looked up. He could see the light of excitement in her beautiful cat eyes. Something had to be wrong with the noodles, he figured.

His piercing eyes seemed to tell her that he knew what she was up to. Mu Nuannuan changed her mind and wanted to swap the bowl out.

However, before she could do that, Moo Tingxiao ate the noodles she had put before his lips, appearing nonchalant. “Not bad.” As salty as the noodles were, they still had the taste of his mom’s cooking.

The outcome was out of her expectation; Moo Tingxiao did not bat an eyelid. He, instead, took the chopsticks from her hand and started to tuck in. She watched in amazement as he polished off the entire bowl of noodles.

Unlike the Moo Tingxiao who threatened her yesterday, he swallowed everything that she threw at him—including the salty noodles.

She glanced at him with a million expressions on her face and poured him a big glass of water shortly after.

He took the glass, breaking into a subtle triumphant smile. Whether it was wheeling and dealing, or simply playing the pitiful victim, Mu Nuannuan was no match for him. If she wanted to seek revenge against him, he would grant her wish, letting her have it. Nevertheless, she was also too soft-hearted. It all showed up in her attitude toward the Mus.