Huo Jingyuan kept a close eye on Wen Ci. As the sunset glow accompanied the fading light, their steps fell in sync. His gaze swept over Wen Ci’s face as he asked, “What were you like when you were little?”

“Me?”

Wen Ci had been observing the surroundings of the capital. Hearing Huo Jingyuan’s voice, she turned to look at him, pondering her childhood memories. “I was born in the countryside. My adoptive parents intentionally swapped me. In my memory, I had to do all kinds of work but never got to enjoy good food.”

Wen Ci’s childhood was extremely tragic.

If she displeased her adoptive parents even slightly, she would be beaten.

As she grew older, they stopped physical abuse but instead subjected her to deliberate emotional neglect. She had thought the Jiang family would be her salvation, but it turned out to be another kind of hell.

Listening to Wen Ci’s words, Huo Jingyuan reached out and took her hand. The young girl’s palm, like his, was calloused—a testament to years of hard labor.

Huo Jingyuan’s heart ached for her. “What about the Jiang family?”

“There’s no affection at all.”

“I understand.”

After walking for a few minutes, they arrived at the entrance of the state-run restaurant. Jiang Chen had been waiting there for a while. Seeing Wen Ci and Huo Jingyuan, he said flatly, “Why are you so late?”

Wen Ci retorted, “How fast did you expect us to be?”

Jiang Chen was left speechless. He glanced up at Huo Jingyuan, unsure how to address him.

Huo Jingyuan was older than him.

But his biological sister had married Huo Jingyuan.

Strictly speaking, Huo Jingyuan was his brother-in-law.

However, Wen Ci’s situation was a bit different. After some hesitation, he finally said, “Comrade Huo, my parents are already inside waiting for you.”

Hearing this, Wen Ci blinked. “Did my cousin not come?”

Jiang Chen: “…”

He shot Wen Ci a sidelong glance.

Wen Ci hid behind Huo Jingyuan, her lips pursed, looking somewhat aggrieved. “Didn’t you say in public today that Jiang Ye is my cousin?”

“Jiang! Ci!”

Wen Ci found it amusing to see him flustered.

At the entrance of the state-run restaurant stood a small blackboard listing the day’s offerings of home-style dishes. The ground floor was the main dining hall.

Wen Ci took Huo Jingyuan’s arm and walked into the restaurant. Seeing the specials written on the blackboard, she blinked.

Today’s Specials: Braised Pork, Noodles with Gravy, Beijing Roast Duck, Soft-Fried Meat, and Beef Stew with Potatoes.

Su Guilan had reserved a private room on the second floor. Unlike the main hall, guests in the private rooms could order dishes à la carte, which the chef would prepare fresh.

Entering the private room, Su Guilan and Jiang Zhenjun were seated at the head of the table.

Huo Jingyuan greeted them one by one. “Hello, Uncle and Aunt.”

Wen Ci sat beside Huo Jingyuan. Once everyone was seated, a server brought over the menu and handed it to Jiang Zhenjun, who was sitting at the head of the table.

Jiang Zhenjun took the menu and passed it to Huo Jingyuan. “Conditions in the northwest are tough. Xiao Huo, see if there’s anything you’d like to eat.”

Huo Jingyuan turned to Wen Ci and asked, “Is there anything you’d like to eat?”

Wen Ci instinctively glanced at her biological parents. The original owner had been subconsciously cautious in front of them. She smiled slightly. “Let’s order all the signature dishes!”

As the old saying goes, eat when it’s free.

Moreover, Wen Ci was planning to cut ties with her family. After this meal, they might never see each other again. It wasn’t like she was paying anyway.

“Won’t that be too much?” Su Guilan asked worriedly.

The state-run restaurant’s signature dishes totaled ten main courses and one soup. With only five of them, they definitely wouldn’t finish, leaving a lot of leftovers.

Wen Ci replied, “Is this really too much? Once I go to the northwest with the army, I won’t get to eat like this again. Besides, if we can’t finish, we can always take the leftovers home.”