In the kitchen, dominated by a creamy yellow tone, the aroma of beef wafted through the air.

The window was slightly ajar, and a white sheer curtain billowed gently. A woman held a ladle, focused intently on stirring the ingredients in a ceramic pot—the beef chunks marinated overnight in red wine, bay leaves, and rosemary. Once well infused, she coated them in flour and pan-fried them until they were about seventy to eighty percent cooked, then added onions, garlic slices, and carrots to stir-fry before simmering on low heat.

This final step of braising was crucial; it would have been better if she could control the heat in an oven, but unfortunately, the oven had been acting up lately, so she had to place the pot on the gas stove and patiently tended to it.

As she concentrated, beads of sweat began to form on the tip of her upturned nose.

Ding, ding—

With a gentle breeze, the cheerful sound of wind chimes from outside filled the air, bringing a sense of refreshment.

After stirring carefully, the woman covered the pot and turned to the rectangular workbench, taking out the pre-risen dough. She shaped it piece by piece, molding it into baguette forms, preparing to make the accompanying French bread.

The shaped dough was placed on a baking tray and covered with a damp cloth for a second rise.

This second rise would take about thirty minutes, so during this time, she busied herself washing rice, cooking, cutting vegetables, and mixing salads.

Glancing at the clock on the wall, it was just past ten-thirty. She washed her hands and wiped them on her apron, stepping out of the kitchen when she heard a cheerful voice from outside.

“Mommy, there’s an uncle looking for you.”

It was Dongdong’s voice.

Zhong Xintian smiled slightly, untied her apron, and hung it on a hook by the door. Outside the kitchen was a wooden corridor, one end connected to the dining room, and the other end led to a small door that opened to the outdoors.

A lively little boy was peeking out from the small door.

“Dongdong, who did you say is looking for me?”

“An uncle.”

“Which uncle?”

“I don’t know.” Dongdong took off his shoes and stepped onto the cool wooden floor of the corridor. “He said he’s your friend, and he looks… hmm, pretty handsome.”

“How handsome?”

“If I had to give him a score, I’d say eighty-five points!”

Eighty-five points? Zhong Xintian laughed, reaching out to pinch the boy’s round face. “You little rascal, giving scores now!”

Dongdong chuckled, sniffing like an animal, then suddenly hugged Zhong Xintian’s thigh. “Mommy smells so good!”

“I smell good?” She was taken aback. “I didn’t wear any perfume today.”

“I mean the smell of the red wine braised beef,” Dongdong said, glancing at her mischievously.

She playfully pinched his chubby arm. “You little rascal, teasing Mommy!”

“I didn’t!” Dongdong stepped back to evade Zhong Xintian’s playful attack, grinning innocently.

“Mommy, can I eat?”

“No!” Zhong Xintian feigned seriousness, glaring at him. “That’s the special for today; it’s meant for customers.”

“But I want to eat too.”

“Are you going to pay me? It’s two hundred dollars a serving, but I’ll give you a ten percent discount, so you can have it for one hundred eighty.”

“Mommy…” Dongdong ran back to hug her leg, launching a charm offensive.

Zhong Xintian was most afraid of this tactic; his small arms clinging to her made her giggle as it tickled her thigh. “Okay, okay, you can have some. You little fool! Do you think Mommy would let you go hungry? Of course, I prepared your portion.”

The little boy grabbed her hand and planted a kiss on it, clearly understanding how to charm her. “Thank you, Mommy!”

His grape-like, shiny black eyes made it impossible not to adore him.

“You’re welcome, my little Dongdong.” She pinched his cheek again.

“By the way, Mommy, go check out that handsome uncle outside. I asked him if he’s your boyfriend, and he said no.” As he finished, Dongdong seemed to anticipate that Mommy would scold him and jumped back with a mischievous smile.

“Did you ask him like that? You…” Zhong Xintian found herself at a loss for words, not knowing where to start scolding him.

“Mommy, go see who that uncle is; he’s been waiting for a long time.”

Zhong Xintian squinted and pretended to threaten the little boy with a playful punch, but she merely walked past him to the door, where a shadow loomed over her.

She froze, thinking she must have been mistaken, and after a long moment, she stiffly raised her head to confirm.

A familiar male face appeared, though his cheeks seemed a bit leaner, his features still handsome, exuding a captivating charm.

“Zongyue, you… how did you get here?”

He didn’t speak, just gazed deeply at her, his dark eyes sparkling with a complex, unreadable light.

For a long moment, they just stood there, locked in a gaze, unmoving. Little Dongdong looked back and forth between them, his innocent face tilted curiously.

What was he doing here? How did he know she was here?

Zhong Xintian’s thoughts were a whirlwind; she had a thousand questions to ask, but ultimately, all she heard was a low, rumbling sound.

She was taken aback, while Lu Zongyue’s expression changed, appearing somewhat embarrassed.

“Uncle, are you hungry?” Little Dongdong asked teasingly.

“My mommy’s red wine braised beef smells really good, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah, it smells great.” He replied softly, his dark eyes fixated on her, his voice warm and hoarse, carrying an almost imperceptible hint of pleading—

“Can I have a meal here?”

Despite her reluctance, she couldn’t bring herself to turn him away and let him in to eat.

The crispy, baked baguette was torn into pieces, dipped in the rich braised beef sauce, and when she bit into the tender beef, each mouthful was indescribably delicious.

Lu Zongyue ate heartily and with great satisfaction.

Zhong Xintian watched him devour the food with a somewhat rough manner that appeared surprisingly sensual, momentarily taken aback.

He really looked hungry.

She knew he always loved beef dishes, but in the past, whenever she cooked for him, he ate politely, no matter how much he enjoyed it. Sometimes, he would even suppress his cravings, refusing to give her the satisfaction of a smile, often saying harsh and critical things that cut her deeply.

But now, he was unabashedly wolfing down her homemade food.

Had he changed, or had she?

Seeing him eat like this brought no warmth, no joy; only a faint bitterness lodged in her chest. Once, all she wanted was for him to patiently enjoy a meal she prepared and to give her a satisfied smile afterward…

Suddenly, Zhong Xintian turned her head away, unwilling to watch any longer.

“Mommy, I want more bread,” Dongdong suddenly shouted, taking advantage of the moment to join Lu Zongyue in his indulgence.

“Okay.” Zhong Xintian smiled gently at her child, returning to the kitchen to fetch another baguette. She cut it into four pieces, placing them in a basket to bring to the dining table.

Dongdong happily reached for a piece, and when Lu Zongyue glanced at the bread basket, he looked back at her.

She noticed the longing and questioning in his eyes, and her heart tightened involuntarily. “You should eat too!”

Hearing this, he unceremoniously took a piece of bread. Zhong Xintian noticed that his bowl of braised beef was already empty, and she quietly sighed before going back into the kitchen to fill another bowl for him.

He joyfully accepted it, scooping a large spoonful into his mouth.

“Slow down,” she couldn’t help but advise. “Didn’t you eat breakfast?”

“I haven’t eaten since last night,” he replied, chewing and mumbling.

“Why?”

“I forgot.”

Forgot? She was astonished and puzzled.

He wiped his mouth with a napkin, took a big gulp from his cup, then looked up at her with a grin.

“I’ve been looking for you.”

That smile, that demeanor, seemed oddly shy.

Lu Zongyue… shy?

Zhong Xintian shook her head sharply, dismissing the unbelievable thought in her mind. She took a deep breath to steady herself.

“What do you want from me?”

“I…” Lu Zongyue’s eyes darkened slightly, as if he were hesitating on how to explain, when suddenly the sound of wind chimes echoed by the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Guests had arrived!

Zhong Xintian didn’t have time to focus on him anymore and quickly turned to attend to the visitors.