Zixin stood up, heading out into the living room. Upon stepping inside, he heard Hope softly talking to herself whilst reading, "Why is it that every sex scene I've read so far has been too unrealistic?"
Zixin subconsciously shifted his gaze straight at her, giving her a deadpan look. He really didn't care much; he just preferred if Hope had just stayed silent.
Hope soon noticed his gaze, so she stood up and spoke with so much confidence that it almost sounded like she was being sarcastic, "What? I'm a young lady, of course, I have my interests!"
Zixin unknowingly rolled his eyes and headed to the kitchen. Upon noticing Zixin's movements, she sat back down, continuing to read as she asked, "Are you making breakfast?"
Zixin paused before nodding his head and walking towards the kitchen.
Hope smiled gleefully, satisfied with Zixin's reply.
Good thing I didn't make breakfast today, since Zixin seems to be in a good mood. Hope commented inwardly, flipping to the next page.
As soon as her fingers flipped the page, her gaze darted back and forth, only coming to a halt once she began to think: Looking back, Zixin has changed a lot since we first interacted when he woke up in the bedroom. He was suspicious, wary, and nearly always questioning me, but as the truth of the matter unfolded right before his eyes… he started to become friendlier, more cooperative. I suppose this is what some call 'adaptability'? Whether this is another inherent trait of the Longevity Bloodline doesn't matter, since he seems quite good at it.
But, I wonder what his priorities are? I mean, he nearly got himself killed by recklessly throwing himself away to the Wolf Lord when we were attacked. Does his life mean that little to him? Thankfully, he had a plan to use his sub-ability, Snowdrop, on it, and it somehow worked. Hope shook her head, wearing a haggard expression which she quickly changed to her usual smile.
While Hope was out pondering and reflecting on their interactions, Zixin's mind felt chaotic.
Ugh, what am I supposed to cook? Zixin wondered, biting his lips in annoyance.
He quickly swept his gaze past all the ingredients available to him as he started analyzing: I still remember the recipe book that Fang Hau lent me, but… the recipes are too advanced for me. As for Can Bao, well… there's a clear lack of ingredients. I guess I have to make do with what I have.
Zixin's gaze swept past the ingredients once more as an idea popped up in his mind: With these, can't I make a soup?
With an idea in mind, Zixin quickly took out a pen and paper, creating a simple recipe. After a few minutes of drafting and revising, he finally managed to come up with a decent recipe.
While Zixin was busy cooking, Hope was lying down on the couch, staring straight at the ceiling in a daze.
She glanced at him before asking with an interested tone, "If you could imagine a future where your wishes come true, what would it be?"
Zixin sighs, and as though having not heard a thing, he ignores her. Hope sighed and said, "If it were me, I'd envision a future where the stars become my guide, creating a path for me to walk on."
Zixin shot her a blank look and asked plainly, "Why the need to lie? I'm certain that's not what you want."
Hope's eyes lit up, letting out a chuckle. She sat back down, propping her chin up on the table and said, "It's not a bad idea to test you out, y'know?"
"Well, my actual answer would be to die of old age, at maybe around seventy years old."
"That's odd," Zixin commented.
Hope waved her hand and asked again, "Anyhow, what do you imagine? Is there really nothing?"
Zixin continued to cook, mixing in a few ingredients here and there. After a moment, he spoke, "I see a world woven by shadowy individuals. Countless threads come from their fingers, connecting back to everything, including me."
Hope let out an exasperated sigh, commenting, "Your imagination is terrible! Can you even imagine something positive? Like say, romance?"
Zixin froze before turning around and looking at her deeply. He spoke softly, "Indeed, romance doesn't sound bad."
Both of them fell silent. If not for the bubbling sounds of the soup and their beating hearts, they would have imagined that time had frozen. It almost seemed like an eternity as they gazed upon one another, their gazes directly meeting.
Hope quickly took hold of herself, letting out a fake cough as she shot him a deadpan look,
"Are you confessing?" She asked slowly, emphasizing each word.
Zixin blinked twice and elaborated, "I simply answered. Since you gave an example, I simply accepted the idea. Either way, I doubt either of us has taken a liking to each other."
Hope darted her eyes, lying back down on the couch with an irritated expression. Zixin turned back, returning to cooking.
After a while, Zixin finished cooking. A few minutes later, their breakfast was ready. The gentle scent of a newly cooked soup wafted through the air. Upon inhaling the scent, Hope stood right up, headed over with a smile.
Once she sat down, Hope didn't hesitate to dig in, drinking her bowl dry in a matter of seconds. Zixin refilled her bowl again and again as she devoured it like there was no tomorrow. After about twenty minutes, she finally started slowing down, giving Zixin time to dig in.
Hope licked her lips as she thought: The mixture between the seasonings, meat, and vegetables creates a gentle flavor. Through the delicate combinations of each, a harmonious taste was created. If a toddler were fed this, I bet even if they hated vegetables, they would still finish it.
"The flavor is good, but the ratio between the liquid and everything else is slightly on the former's side." Hope commented plainly.
It's my first time making soup, so mistakes are inevitable. Hmm, in any case, if there comes a time when I would have soup, I should probably analyze it while I'm at it. Zixin thought, deciding on what to do.
"Anyways, soup for breakfast isn't a bad idea, so overall, you did a pretty good job." Hope smiled, giving him a thumbs-up.
Now that I think about it, should I ask him about his sister, the Queen Xiu Ying of Longevity? Hope pondered, taking another bowl to feast upon.
She wore an unreadable expression, but after some time, she asked, "I'm not sure if you're fine with it, but I wanna ask since I'm curious. How well is your relationship with your sister?"
Zixin's eyes widened momentarily before returning to normal a second later. He was slightly taken aback, not expecting such a question from her.
However, it didn't take long before he had his answer, "From what I know, I'm an active burden for her, in all senses of the word. Whether it was in our shared ability, Longevity of Time, or in politics, it was all the same. And due to my three years' worth of failure, she failed to progress her ability as well."
Hope's eyes dilated, a grin forming on her lips. She commented internally, These pairs of twins really do think differently from each other, don't they? Zixin believes himself to be a burden, but Lady Xiu doesn't seem to believe so. From how I see it, she probably thinks of him as a blessing in all senses of the word. At the very least, she cares enough about him to the point that she'll search for him.