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Having drained the cup of water, Lin Yuan casually wiped the droplets from the corner of her mouth. When she looked up, she saw Xia Zheng staring at her with wide eyes, his Adam’s apple involuntarily bobbing.

Lin Yuan frowned, clueless about what was going on with him.

Just as she was about to ask, she saw Xia Zheng’s cheeks slowly turning red.

Following his gaze, Lin Yuan lowered her eyes and realized the buttons on her neckline had come undone. Due to the struggle while she beat up someone just now, the neckline had opened even further, revealing her fair neck and a hint of what lay even deeper.

Lin Yuan was startled, her hands shot up to quickly cover her neckline. She glared at Xia Zheng, "Don’t look!"

Startled by her sudden rebuke, Xia Zheng finally reacted, grabbing the tray in his hands to cover his face, while muttering, "Not looking, not looking!"

Now it was Lin Yuan’s turn to feel embarrassed. She turned away and hurriedly began to fumble with her buttons, but her irritation made her fingers clumsy, and it took her an unnecessarily long time to fasten them properly.

Lin Yuan suddenly realized what that heavy breathing she had heard earlier was about. It turned out that this guy was hiding behind the bed curtains because he saw her unbuttoning her clothes, which gave him away.

If she hadn’t noticed him, would he have stayed there the whole time, until she stripped naked to take a bath?

The more Lin Yuan thought about it, the less she dared to continue, and the more her cheeks felt hot and flushed. Even though she had already set her heart on Xia Zheng, presenting herself like that in front of him made her uncomfortable.

"Are you done?"

Without waiting for Lin Yuan to speak, Xia Zheng didn’t dare to put down the tray he was holding.

At this moment, he was filled with regret.

If only he had known better, he would have revealed himself right after she entered the room.

But who would have thought this girl would start undressing as soon as she walked through the door!

Xia Zheng was rueful, no longer feeling the pain from his foot that had been stepped on. His entire body felt an indefinable heat!

Lin Yuan bit her lip, cleared her throat, and tried her best to calm down. When she turned back around, her face and the front of her clothes were no longer as red as before.

"It’s alright now, you can come over and sit down."

To conceal her discomfort, Lin Yuan poured another cup of water, handing one to Xia Zheng and keeping one for herself.

Xia Zheng coughed, set the tray aside, and picked up the cup to gulp down the contents.

"Hot!"

Lin Yuan’s warning came too late, as Xia Zheng had already spat the water out with a "Pfft," sticking out his tongue and fanning it with his hand.

Lin Yuan was both annoyed and amused as she quickly fanned the air towards him with her own hand. As she did so, she couldn’t help but laugh aloud.

"You, what were you doing sneaking around in my room? Serves you right, that’s your karma! Hmph!"

Xia Zheng sniffled, rolling his tongue around his mouth, feeling it wasn’t as painful as before, before he grumbled, "I had to sneak out, of course I needed to hide. Don’t you know how much Lao Fan loves to tattle?

If he found out I sneaked out of the ancestral hall, he’d definitely go snitch to the old man. "

Lin Yuan pursed her lips and rolled her eyes, "You know you’re grounded, and yet you still snuck out!

You almost made me think a thief had broken into the house.

Thankfully, I didn’t have anything handy that I’m used to using.

If this happened back at Lin family’s hollow, you wouldn’t have waited to be hit with a soft pillow.

I would’ve gone straight for you with a kitchen knife and chopped you! "

"Yes, yes, you’re the greatest!" Xia Zheng pouted, accusingly recounting Lin Yuan’s misdeeds, "You knew I was locked up, and yet you didn’t say anything to comfort me.

The moment you saw me, you hit me with that thing, and even after realizing it was me, you still stepped on me so hard! Humph! My heart is almost shattered!"

As he spoke, he even held his heart, making a woebegone face that made Lin Yuan chuckle and push his big head aside with her hand.

"Nonsense! How have I not cared about you? Knowing you like the roast goose from Liu Ji, I even had Dong Qing bring back a big roast goose for you!"

Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow, somewhat gleeful, "But who would have thought you wouldn’t be in the ancestral hall but here with me, it looks like you won’t get to eat that roast goose after all!"

Xia Zheng blinked and suddenly leaned in close to Lin Yuan, a cunning smile on his face, "It’s just a roast goose, what’s so good about it? Only those who haven’t seen the world would fancy such a thing."

Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow. What did he mean by those who haven’t seen the world? She suddenly thought of Lao Fan holding a big roast goose, eating messily with oil all around his mouth, and couldn’t help but laugh for a moment.

Then she heard Xia Zheng continue, "Yuanyuan, I’ve been shut in the ancestral hall for so long, I’m so hungry.

Right now, I don’t want to eat anything, not the roast goose nor the roast chicken.

None of them taste as good as the noodles you make.

Ah, it’s just a pity that someone doesn’t care about me anymore, and resorts to beating and killing at sight, with no concern for me at all. "

Lin Yuan, amused, interrupted him, feeling utterly helpless with him, and shook her head with a smile, "Alright, alright, you want noodles? Just wait a moment, I’ll go make you a bowl of noodles."

As she said this, she stood up and walked towards the door.

"Hey, there’s no need." Xia Zheng pulled onto Lin Yuan’s wrist, laughing, "I was just joking with you, why would you actually go make some? I wouldn’t bear for you to have to cook so late just for me."

Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow, "You’re not hungry?"

Xia Zheng shook his head, "Not hungry, not hungry at all."

Knowing that Xia Zheng was worried about tiring her out, Lin Yuan felt a warmth in her heart.

However, seeing Xia Zheng’s weary and gaunt cheeks, Lin Yuan couldn’t help but feel a pang of pain.

Although he had only been confined for a day, his complexion had already turned so poor, indicating that it must have been rough in the ancestral hall.

"Enough! Listen to yourself, your stomach was just rumbling. Stubborn! Wait here, I’ll go and make you a bowl of noodles; it’ll be ready in no time."

Having said that, she gently pushed Xia Zheng’s hand away and quickly headed out the door.

Xia Zheng’s lips curled into a smug smile as he raised an eyebrow, watching Lin Yuan leave and thoughtfully closing the door after her.

Soon after, he heard her instructing Shui Xian and Yin Xing, "I’m hungry and going to the kitchen to make a bowl of noodles, Shui Xian can come with me, and Yin Xing, keep an eye on the door. Don’t let anyone else in."

As Shui Xian and Yin Xing responded, Xia Zheng casually picked up the cup of water he had been drinking but then set it down with distaste. He reached for the cup Lin Yuan had sipped from, intentionally turned it to the side she had used, and pressed his lips to it.

"How sweet, tastes better than mine," he said.

Xia Zheng chuckled and sipped slowly, as if he could never get enough, until the cup was empty, and still he wrinkled his nose, wishing for more.

Just as he put the cup down, Lin Yuan’s voice came from outside the door, "Alright, you all can rest now. No need to come out and serve unless I give the orders."

With a creak, accompanied by the sound of the door opening, a delicious aroma wafted in.

Xia Zheng immediately started drooling, his eyes gleaming as he stared at the food box in Lin Yuan’s hands.

Amused by his reaction, Lin Yuan’s lips curved into a smile as she quickly took out the bowl and handed it to him, "Your favorite beef noodles, eat them while they’re hot."

Xia Zheng chuckled and slurped away eagerly.