Chapter 29

Upon hearing this, Lu Chen didn’t hesitate for a second and rushed into the kitchen.

His gaze immediately paused on the large flame coming from the pot. Calmly, he grabbed the lid from the side and slammed it onto the pot with a loud bang.

With that, the “culprit” that had sent Meng Yinyin and Meng Xuan into a panic was quickly and easily dealt with by Lu Chen.

The fire was out, the smoke began to dissipate, and finally, Meng Yinyin and Meng Xuan appeared in the kitchen, looking slightly disheveled in front of Lu Chen.

The two of them were standing in the kitchen. One was holding a bucket of water, seemingly ready to pour it into the pot, while the other had somehow found a fan and was trying to use its power to blow out the fire.

Lu Chen: “….”

Despite telling himself over and over in his mind that it was Meng Yinyin and her brother, he couldn’t help but feel speechless and move his lips in disbelief.

After a brief moment, he forced himself to calmly speak three words.

“The fire’s out.”

Meng Yinyin and Meng Xuan: “….”

The two kitchen “disasters” awkwardly lowered the items they were holding. Then, they exchanged a glare and spoke in unison.

“You’re back.”

Lu Chen nodded, his expression calm, though inside, he was already feeling a sense of dread.

He was glad he had come back early today; otherwise, the kitchen might have been destroyed.

Seeing that the siblings were still standing in the kitchen, looking as if they didn’t know how to handle the embarrassing situation, Lu Chen kindly suggested.

“The kitchen here is simple, and you’re not used to it. How about I cook instead?”

Meng Xuan, finally given an out, felt an unprecedented sense of gratitude toward Lu Chen. He cleared his throat dramatically.

“Well, this is the first time I’ve been in your kitchen, and I’m not quite used to it. I’ll get the hang of it eventually.”

“Alright then, Comrade Lu Chen, I’ll leave the cooking to you. I’ll step outside.”

With that, Meng Xuan turned and walked out of the kitchen, his back straight but his steps betraying a slight sense of urgency, as if he were fleeing the scene.

Meng Yinyin couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction as she watched her brother leave. Though the outcome was thanks to Lu Chen, it was still a small victory for her.

She glanced at Lu Chen, who was already cleaning up the mess in the kitchen. His movements were skilled and serious, and his expression showed no sign of complaint.

Yet, even though he didn’t utter a single word of blame, Meng Yinyin still felt a slight heat rising to her face.

She couldn’t help but apologize.

“I’m sorry. My brother and I… we didn’t mean to turn your kitchen into this mess…”

Lu Chen paused his cleaning for a moment, then gave her a reassuring glance.

“It’s fine.”

Seeing that Lu Chen really didn’t seem angry about what happened today, Meng Yinyin breathed a small sigh of relief.

She had been worried that Lu Chen might feel inconvenienced by her moving in. After all, it was only her first day here, and she had almost burned down his kitchen.

She hoped he wouldn’t be scared off and kick her out just because of this.

With that thought, Meng Yinyin put on a serious expression and immediately turned the blame to her brother.

“This is all my brother’s fault! If he hadn’t insisted I cook, the kitchen wouldn’t be in this state!”

“My brother must have lost his mind, insisting I cook. He knew full well I can’t cook…”

While Meng Yinyin was complaining, Lu Chen couldn’t help but notice the subtle implications in her words.

At first, it seemed like Meng Xuan was just trying to help his sister grow by encouraging her to cook, but after giving it more thought, Lu Chen realized that Meng Xuan was probably just trying to reduce her contact with him.

He wasn’t angry about this move, as he had already expected that Meng Yinyin’s family wouldn’t easily accept him. Still, even though he had anticipated this, a feeling of disappointment lingered.

But in front of Meng Yinyin, he still hid his emotions, shook his head, and said, “Your brother is just looking out for you.”

His words were sincere. As an older brother, Meng Xuan certainly wanted the best for Meng Yinyin and hoped she would find someone better and more accomplished.

However, Meng Yinyin simply took this as her brother wanting her to learn how to cook and grow up.

Although it was for her own good, it was still quite difficult for her…

Eventually, she reluctantly accepted her brother’s “concern.”

“I understand. I’ll learn slowly.”

Had Meng Xuan not been there, Lu Chen would have directly told her that she didn’t need to learn how to cook, just tell him what she wanted to eat.

But now, he kept that thought to himself and just nodded.

“You go stay with your brother. I’ll take care of the kitchen.”

Meng Yinyin didn’t refuse. After all, she didn’t seem to be much help in the kitchen, so she left to talk to her brother.

Once she was gone, only Lu Chen remained in the kitchen.

Though his heart ached a little from Meng Xuan’s obvious effort to distance his sister from him, he didn’t let it discourage him. Instead, he quickly shook off the feeling and regained his focus.

He knew he wasn’t good enough yet, but that only meant he had more time and opportunities to prove himself to Meng Xuan, to make him feel at ease and satisfied.

With that in mind, Lu Chen worked even harder on the meal.

About an hour later, Lu Chen had finished preparing all the dishes. He set the table and called out to Meng Yinyin’s room.

“Food’s ready.”

During the time he had been cooking, Meng Yinyin and Meng Xuan had stayed in their room, and Lu Chen assumed they were talking.

But in fact, Meng Xuan simply didn’t know how to go out and face Lu Chen.

After all, he almost burned down someone’s kitchen the first time he came. How could he have the confidence to teach Lu Chen later?

So Meng Xuan could only stay in the room for a while to calm down and think about his words.

As for why Meng Yinyin didn’t go outside, it was simply because she was too lazy. It was both hot and boring outside, so it was better to lie in her room eating something.

When Lu Chen called out, Meng Xuan straightened himself up, feeling like he could now face Lu Chen calmly and even say a few stern words to him later.

He then pushed open the door to Meng Yinyin’s room and was immediately struck by the delicious scent wafting in from outside.

Following the smell, his eyes immediately landed on the table full of mouth-watering dishes.

Braised fish, homemade sausages, stir-fried garlic shoots with cured meat, cold cucumber salad, and a tomato egg soup!

The aroma was rich, and it seemed to fill the air for miles.

The spread on the table was something you would rarely see in the countryside, and even in the city, it could be considered top-notch. There was fish, meat, and everything looked and smelled amazing. It was definitely better than what you would find at a state-run restaurant!

Meng Xuan had been on the road for the past few days. He had eaten, but it was mostly dry food, just enough to fill his stomach. If he wanted something flavorful, that was out of the question.

Although he didn’t demand much in terms of taste, Meng Xuan, deep down, was someone who loved good food—he just had more self-control than most.

But at this moment, with such a big spread in front of him, he couldn’t hold back. He swallowed hard.

Then, the next second, he shot a glance at Lu Chen, secretly gritting his teeth.

He didn’t expect this guy to be so clever and use food as a strategy!

It seemed Lu Chen was more difficult to handle than he thought, and Meng Xuan decided he couldn’t just fall into his trap so easily.

While Meng Xuan was quietly making this resolution, Meng Yinyin had already rushed out of the room with shining eyes.

“Wow, there’s fish today! I haven’t had it in so long!”

Meng Xuan twitched his eyebrows.

This girl was so weak to temptation!

Seeing Meng Yinyin so happy, Lu Chen felt satisfied too. After handing her the chopsticks and bowl, he raised his head and looked at Meng Xuan, who was slowly approaching.

“Comrade Meng, just some plain food, I don’t know if it suits your taste.”

Hearing Lu Chen’s humble words, Meng Xuan felt even worse inside.

He called this plain food?

He had never eaten as well in the army!

But then again, Meng Xuan thought, this might just be Lu Chen trying to show off by spending all his savings, so he felt a little more at ease.

Just as he was about to give Lu Chen some advice as an experienced person, telling him not to waste all his good stuff to save face, he heard Meng Yinyin chattering beside him.

“Lu Chen, didn’t we just have dried meat yesterday? Why are you making it again today?”

Meng Xuan froze for a moment. He didn’t expect Meng Yinyin to show such concern for Lu Chen, trying to save him some trouble.

But the next second, she added:

“I’m not saying dried meat is bad, it’s just that we’ve had it for several days in a row. I’m starting to get a little tired of it.”

Meng Xuan: “…”

Had she really gotten tired of eating dried meat after just a few days?

He held back his words and silently swallowed his desire to give a lecture.

Lu Chen, on the other hand, replied in a good-natured tone.

“Well, I’ll go to the mountain in a couple of days and bring back some fresh meat.”

His tone was so casual, as if eating meat was as easy as eating cabbage.

Meng Xuan: “…”

His face hurt a little. What was going on here?

But after listening to their conversation, Meng Xuan gained a better understanding of Lu Chen’s life, at least in terms of food. It seemed that Lu Chen’s family was well-off in this regard.

Especially after tasting the dishes Lu Chen had made, Meng Xuan couldn’t help but eat faster. He even felt a bit envious.

How could this person’s cooking be so good?!

This must be a sugar-coated trap, it must be!

But even though he knew this, Meng Xuan still couldn’t resist and ate until he was stuffed, finishing everything on the table.

In the end, he practically had to drag himself away from the table.

After leaving, Meng Xuan stood at the entrance of the Lu family house, looking into the distance with a dark expression.

He was deeply disappointed in himself.

He had let his guard down and fallen into the “enemy’s” trap. This should not have happened!

However, he hadn’t expected Lu Chen to be such a good cook. In this day and age, it was rare to meet a young man who was not only skilled in his work but also had such good cooking skills.

Because of this meal, Meng Xuan’s impression of Lu Chen unconsciously improved a little.

After the meal, Lu Chen cleaned up the dishes, quickly washed the pot, and boiled hot water. After preparing the water for Meng Yinyin’s bath, he took it to the newly built bathroom. While Meng Yinyin was bathing, Lu Chen walked toward Meng Xuan, who was standing outside, and called out to him.

“Comrade Meng.”

Upon hearing this, Meng Xuan turned around and looked at Lu Chen, his gaze unusually complex. He no longer felt the same firmness he had earlier in the day.

After all, it’s hard to remain tough when you’ve eaten someone’s food…

Especially since he had just seen how carefully Lu Chen took care of Meng Yinyin, even carrying the bathwater to the door for her.

The way he did everything so willingly, and how Meng Yinyin accepted it so naturally, made Meng Xuan feel that he couldn’t lecture Lu Chen harshly anymore.

The two locked eyes for a moment, but in the end, it was Lu Chen who spoke first.

“Comrade Meng, don’t worry, I haven’t and won’t do anything to Educated Youth Meng.”

His tone was firm, and his expression was sincere to the point of being almost devout.

“Although I don’t know why she’s with me, and I know she doesn’t like me right now, I am still willing to protect her and take care of her. I will never do anything to hurt her.”

“If you don’t believe me, I can swear, or you can make any request you want.”

Meng Xuan: “…….”

His emotions were complicated. He wanted to say to Lu Chen, “You’ve already said everything I was going to say. What else can I add?”

However, he had to admit that Lu Chen’s words had taken him by surprise.

He hadn’t expected that Lu Chen could already see that his silly little sister wasn’t truly in love with him. The reason she suggested having a relationship with him might be due to something else.

Despite this, Lu Chen accepted the situation, took care of her, and treated her kindly.

It was clear that Lu Chen was genuinely devoted to Meng Yinyin.

On one side, there was someone full of calculations, and on the other, someone who, despite knowing there were other reasons, was still willing to cooperate and did so willingly.

In comparison, even Meng Xuan couldn’t help but feel sorry for Lu Chen, thinking that he deserved better.

Of course, this feeling of injustice was only temporary.

Although Meng Xuan was an honest person, he was still protective by nature.

“Cough, since you understand everything, I won’t say more. As for why Meng Yinyin asked you to be in a relationship, it’s actually partly related to her family,” he said.

“The specific details, and why she chose you, are things you might want to ask her directly later. Or perhaps, she will come clean with you herself.”

From Meng Xuan’s understanding of his sister, although the idea of dating had come from their parents, if Meng Yinyin truly wasn’t interested, she wouldn’t have agreed to it, no matter what.

So, since she approached Lu Chen and suggested the relationship, it at least proved that she didn’t dislike him.

Maybe she even had feelings for him, though that was uncertain.

However, Meng Xuan could never bring himself to share these details with either of them. No matter how much he thought his sister was foolish, he couldn’t push his only sister into a relationship against her will.

So, pretending not to notice these details was the greatest concession Meng Xuan could make.

Lu Chen felt relieved after hearing this.

After all, he never expected Meng Xuan to accept him so easily. The fact that he didn’t oppose the relationship was already a good outcome.

As for why Meng Yinyin chose him and the reasons behind it, Lu Chen believed he would find out someday.

Either he would figure it out himself, or Meng Yinyin would eventually tell him.

Thinking about the latter made Lu Chen’s expression soften slightly.

If that time really came, wouldn’t it mean that his relationship with Meng Yinyin was truly different?

After talking about Meng Yinyin, Meng Xuan brought up another matter.

He mentioned his visit to the brigade leader that afternoon and asked Lu Chen some questions. After learning that Lu Dashan and his wife had one son and one daughter, and that the son, Lu Jinbao, was the most important to them, Meng Xuan had an idea.

He looked at Lu Chen and said, “Tell me your oldest cousin’s current address and her husband’s situation.”

Lu Chen quickly shared the information Meng Xuan wanted, while also guessing what his plans might be.

However, seeing that Meng Xuan wasn’t yet ready to share his plans, Lu Chen didn’t press the issue. He simply asked if he needed to accompany him and if he wanted to go there soon. Once he got the answer, he didn’t speak further.

By the time they finished discussing these matters, it was getting late.

Lu Chen then went to tidy up the room and prepared a bed for Meng Xuan.

Since it was too late to arrange a new room, and after confirming with Meng Xuan, Lu Chen decided that they would share a room.

Fortunately, both of them were men, so sharing a bed wasn’t an issue.

After both had washed up and gotten into bed, the day came to an end.

Lu Chen’s emotions had been somewhat tense throughout the day, especially with Meng Xuan’s arrival, so it was rare for him to fall asleep so easily.

However, just before he drifted off, he suddenly heard Meng Xuan’s seemingly casual voice.

“Ahem, do you start work early tomorrow? Do you need me to wake up and make breakfast?”

Lu Chen, who had almost fallen asleep, immediately woke up. Without thinking, he refused outright.

“No need!”

The scene in the kitchen that afternoon had left a deep impression on him. He really didn’t want Meng Xuan in the kitchen again.

But after refusing, he began to worry that his tone might have sounded too dismissive and might make Meng Xuan feel uncomfortable.

However, Lu Chen was clearly overthinking.

Because soon after, he heard Meng Xuan’s voice, which seemed to contain both relief and a hint of anticipation.

“Oh, alright then, you can make breakfast. How about just some noodles tomorrow? I think using the same flavor you used for the fish today would make good noodles.”

As he spoke, Meng Xuan couldn’t help but reminisce about the taste.

Once he finished thinking about it, he realized his intentions might have been too obvious, so he quickly asked in a more serious tone.

“By the way, do you have noodles at home? If not, we can just eat something else.”

Lu Chen didn’t think much and answered honestly.

“Yes, I do.”

In the darkness, Meng Xuan couldn’t hide his grin, although his voice remained cold as he spoke.

“Okay, go to sleep.”