Chapter 25.1

Wen Xin, feeling downcast, stared at the steaming food on the table in a daze. Her deer-like eyes widened, her lips parted slightly as if she wanted to say something but hesitated. Did he really rush back in his military-plated ’69 Jeep just to bring her food?

She slowly approached the table and inspected the dishes one by one. They were freshly made—the braised pork had just been scooped from the pot, and the bubbling oil still released bursts of fragrant steam. She leaned in and inhaled deeply, the rich aroma of the meat filling her senses.

In another white porcelain bowl, freshly steamed white rice was piled high. Perhaps it was the fertile land of this era, but the rice had an exceptionally strong fragrance.

Wen Xin had been frustrated and restless due to the proof of residence letter and Song Qian, but now, she suddenly felt a little guilty. She stole a glance at the man across from her.

Yan Zeyang was watching her, his face expressionless.

Under his gaze, Wen Xin felt completely exposed.

She regretted it—she shouldn’t have cursed him and Song Qian in her mind on the way back.

Trying to act agreeable, she grabbed an extra pair of chopsticks, but Yan Zeyang simply stated that he had already eaten at the mess hall.

Left with no choice, Wen Xin sat down to eat alone. She was actually quite hungry—she had walked to the neighborhood office early in the morning, walked back, then spent time arguing with Song Qian at the gate. Both physically and mentally, her energy had been drained. People underestimated how exhausting getting angry could be.

She picked up the white porcelain bowl and started eating ravenously. Compared to her restrained eating habits at the art school, this was indulgent. Back then, weight control was a strict requirement—there were no overweight students, especially among the girls. Every single one of them was slim with perfect figures.

Eating? That was a luxury.

Some of her classmates survived on just one meal a day or drank only liquid food and ate a few slices of fruit.

They practically lived like ascetics.

Wen Xin had been no exception. However, she had a system that allowed her to optimize her diet, so she paid extra attention to nutrition. Every morning, she drank a glass of highly concentrated vegetable and fruit extract, which helped cleanse her body and maintain her internal balance.

It took over ten pounds of fruits and vegetables to make one glass of this extract—essentially equivalent to eating ten pounds of produce in one sitting, something her classmates could never manage.

For Wen Xin, one glass a day was standard. That was the secret to her clear, radiant skin. Even at twenty-one, she still had the soft, delicate skin of a young girl, with a touch of baby fat on her cheeks.

Back then, she had been determined to shed that baby fat. She hardly ate solid food, counted every single nut before eating, and chewed each one slowly to prolong the meal. When going out, she would sit at tables full of delicious food but barely eat a bite. Even when eating meat, she would only nibble at bones with no actual meat on them.

But now…

Wen Xin scooped up a piece of braised pork, cooked until tender, its fat and lean portions perfectly balanced, and drizzled its thick sauce over the glossy white rice. As the sauce soaked into the grains, blending them together, she took a bite.

The slightly sweet, rich meat flavor combined with the fragrance of the rice—it was heavenly.

She took several more bites in quick succession. Only after filling her stomach a little did her rationality return, and she hastily set down her chopsticks.

As soon as she finished eating, Yan Zeyang, who had been silently watching her small mouth munch away, finally spoke.

“You want to get a certification letter?”

Wen Xin nodded, then suddenly realized something and quickly asked, “How do you know?”

She had only just returned from the neighborhood office—less than three hours ago.

“Reason?”

“Visiting… family?”

Commander Yan, also known as Yan Zeyang, wasn’t nicknamed the ‘Demon Captain’ for nothing. He had interrogated spies and traitors before—Wen Xin was no match for him.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, scrutinizing her.

“Where are you going? Which relative?”

Yan Zeyang knew everything about the Wen family. His father, Yan Weiguo, was willing to shake hands with former enemies and mend old grudges.

But he wasn’t.

On this, he and his father could never see eye to eye—one chose to let go of past grievances, the other held onto his hatred.

The Wen family wasn’t even worth his time, but because the Yan family was influential, many people wanted to climb the social ladder through them. The moment Wen Xin left the neighborhood office, Yan Zeyang was informed.

“Going to…”

Wen Xin had no idea which relatives the Wen family even had. She had just eaten a big meal, and her lips were still glistening with oil when she found herself under his sharp, interrogative gaze—so intense it nearly made her stutter.

One major difference between people of this era and those of the future was that soldiers back then… had seen blood.

They had been on the battlefield.

They had killed.

Wen Xin felt nervous. She had only been in this world for less than a month—how could she possibly know anything about the Wen family’s relatives? She just wanted an excuse to get that proof of residence letter!

“I just said ‘visiting family’ offhandedly. I really just want to leave the Wen family…”

Her eyes were clear and sincere, while Yan Zeyang’s were deep and sharp.

She was no match for him.

“You want the certification letter… to transfer your household registration?”

He leaned back, resting his arm on the table beside his hat. Though his expression remained neutral, his gaze carried a chill. He looked at her and said, “Selling royal secret remedies for so long—have you earned enough money?”

Wen Xin’s little scheme had been completely exposed.

She felt slightly uneasy but didn’t see any harm in it. Wanting to leave the Wen family and settle down elsewhere didn’t affect anyone else.

Looking at Yan Zeyang, his sharp features and cold demeanor, she hesitated for a moment before carefully asking,

“…Can you help me transfer my household registration out of the Wen family? I don’t need wages—I can stay and work in the Yan household for a few more months in exchange.”

She had no way to remove the female lead’s household registration from the Wen family, but someone else could. For Yan Zeyang, it might be as simple as saying one word.

When Wen Xin thought of this, she suddenly had an epiphany, and a bright smile bloomed on her face. Of course! Instead of hitting a wall at the Wen family, why not ask him for help? Wasn’t the person the Wen family feared most standing right in front of her? Why hadn’t she thought of this sooner?

Without hesitation, Wen Xin got up, pulled a chair over, and sat down beside him. She leaned in affectionately and called out, “Commander Yan, I want to transfer my household registration out of the Wen family. That way, I can buy a house and settle down somewhere, completely cutting ties with them. But the Wen family will definitely refuse to let me move my registration. I’ve been anxious all morning and couldn’t think of a way. Please help me. You’re the only one who can.”

Wen Xin’s voice was naturally soft and sweet, but when she spoke in a low, pleading tone, it became even more delicate and irresistible.

Her experiences had taught her how to use her strengths well. She knew that sometimes, gentleness worked better than stubbornness, and appearing weak could evoke more sympathy than being strong. This made people more willing to lend her a helping hand.

In her urgency, she unconsciously tugged at his military uniform sleeve, her eyes full of expectation as she looked at him.

However, Yan Zeyang merely cast her a brief glance, then stood up. He even reached out and gently removed her fair, delicate hand from his sleeve.

Wen Xin followed his movements with her gaze, tilting her head up to look at him.