After quickly cleaning, Qin Lian began preparing breakfast. Since they had a light dinner last night, she wanted to make something more filling and delicious this morning.
As she cooked, the rich aroma of simmering broth and fresh ingredients filled the air, drifting into the living room where Xu Shen sat doing his homework.
His grip on the pencil tightened unconsciously as his stomach let out a loud growl.
He had gone to bed feeling full and satisfied the night before. But now, the smell of freshly cooked food was too tempting to ignore.
So she wasn't lying? Is she really cooking breakfast for them?
At that moment, his younger brother, Xu Wei, tugged at his sleeve and whispered hesitantly,
"Brother… Can I really not eat the meat buns? But I heard that woman say we could…"
Xu Shen shot him a sharp glare. "Don't touch them," he said, his voice low but firm.
"What if she tells Father later that we stole them? We can't trust her."
Xu Wei looked up at him with wide, pleading eyes. "I'm not hungry, but Xu Hao is…" he mumbled, pointing to their youngest brother, who sat quietly on the sofa above, fiddling with a spoon and glancing at them with wide, doe eyes.
Seeing that Xu Shen wasn't moved, Xu Wei tried again."Brother, she doesn't seem like a bad person. She gave us good food last night… and now she's cooking again…"
His voice trailed off when he saw the look on Xu Shen's face, cold and unmoved.
Xu Shen pursed his lips."It's all a facade. Don't be fooled by her. She'll run away… or show her true colors soon enough. Just like the others."
His voice remained steady and cold, but his gaze toward the kitchen was filled with complicated emotions.
Soon, Qin Lian stepped out of the kitchen, carrying a wooden tray with three large and one small steaming bowls.
Her clothes were dusty, and sweat clung to her skin after working in the kitchen for so long.
She placed the tray on the dining table and called out, "Xu Shen, Xu Wei, wash your hands and come eat. Xu Wei, help your younger brother, too."
Xu Wei's eyes lit up at the mention of food.
He stood up quickly, puffed out his chest, and declared proudly, "Yes! I'll help my little brother. Since he's small and can't do anything, I, as the eldest brother, will take the responsibility!"
Qin Lian chuckled and stepped forward to gently ruffle his hair. "That's right. As the big brother, you should take care of him."
Xu Wei froze on the spot, stunned by the sudden warmth in her voice and gesture.
It had been a long time since anyone had ruffled his hair, treated him so kindly.
Since the day their parents passed away, everything had changed. The world had turned cold.
Even though they knew Xu Yinchen wasn't a bad man, they had never been close to him.
His quiet, distant nature made him hard to approach, and the fear of being abandoned again kept them from trusting anyone easily.
Before Xu Wei could burst into tears, Xu Shen gave him a light slap on the back. "Move it. Or the food will be gone," he said flatly, noticing the shift in his brother's mood.
He sent him away quickly, worried that if they stayed any longer, his brother might end up crying and showing weakness in front of this woman.
Snapped back to reality, Xu Wei quickly pulled Xu Hao along to help him wash his hands, then washed his own.
When they sat down at the dining table, Xu Shen's brows furrowed slightly as he looked at the bowls in front of them.
There were just boiled handmade wheat noodles in a clear, light broth.
Plain. Simple. Nothing else.
His heart sank.
There were so many ingredients in the house, yet this was all she made? So, in the end, it really was all an act.
But just as that momentary disappointment crossed his mind, Qin Lian returned with another tray.
She calmly placed several small plates and bowls on the table. The three of them stared at her in a daze, wide-eyed.
There was a plate of sautéed, seasoned vegetables, neatly cut, bite-sized pieces of cooked meat, boiled eggs, and small bowls filled with soy sauce, vinegar, and a freshly made chili-garlic sauce.
She even placed a plate of meat buns on the side, one for each of them.
She had noticed earlier that the children hadn't touched them and figured they might be unsure if they were allowed. So now, she quietly added them to the breakfast herself.
Xu Shen and Xu Wei exchanged stunned looks. What… was this woman doing?
Qin Lian finally sat down at the dining table and smiled. "Are you surprised by the plain noodles?"
She pointed at Xu Hao with her chin and added, "Since Xu Hao is still young, he can't eat anything too strong-flavored"
"So, he'll have some noodles with a clean broth and some meat, veggies, and eggs."
Then she pointed at the seasonings. "For you two, you can add soy sauce, vinegar, or chili garlic sauce to your noodles to make them more flavorful. But don't add too much, otherwise you won't be able to handle the heat. Especially the chili sauce. It's spicy."
Without waiting, she served Xu Hao herself and then added the toppings to her own bowl and began eating.
Seeing her eat without hesitation, Xu Shen and Xu Wei didn't waste any more time and picked up their chopsticks, quickly digging in.
The noodles were delicious. The broth was clean and simple, but warm and comforting. And once mixed with the toppings and sauces, it brought out an entirely different flavor.
They thought last night's meal was tasty. But this…This felt like the best meal they'd ever had in their lives.
Qin Lian smiled as she watched them eat so enthusiastically.
She helped Xu Hao first, feeding him noodles since he was barely two and still too small to eat properly on his own. In between, she ate her own noodles calmly.