After closing the door, Jiang Qiuyue was about to ask Lin Zhengrong what he had been doing next door, but he spoke first.  

“You and that Dr. Jiang—are you close?”  

“Not really. Dr. Jiang is just a kind person, very patient with everyone.”  

“Has he been coming here often?”  

“Daddy, Dr. Jiang only came for a little while!” Though they’d only been apart for a short time, Lin Beibei had already missed his father and couldn’t resist cutting in. “Earlier, Mommy and I were pressed against the wall listening, but sometimes I couldn’t hear clearly. Daddy, what were you talking about with Grandma and the others? What does ‘cutting ties’ mean?”  

Jiang Qiuyue felt awkward and wanted to leave—this child has no filter at all! You can’t just admit to eavesdropping!

Still, she hadn’t expected Lin Zhengrong to be so decisive, cleanly severing ties with the Lin family without letting them gain any advantage.  

Seeing the tips of Jiang Qiuyue’s ears turn red, Lin Zhengrong’s fingers itched with the urge to pinch them. She’s so fair-skinned—even her earlobes are pretty.

“I was just curious, so I listened in,” Jiang Qiuyue said quickly. “But you really are impressive—cutting ties just like that! It’s for the best. No more dealings with them means more peace for me. To celebrate, I’ll cook shrimp for dinner tonight, and I’ll make pumpkin pancakes with the pumpkin Auntie Niu gave us.”  

At the mention of food, Lin Beibei immediately forgot about the topic of cutting ties and cheered, saying he’d help light the fire. Lin Nannan followed, and the siblings worked together seamlessly, soon getting the flames going.  

It had been a long time since Jiang Qiuyue had eaten seafood, and the moment she saw the dried shrimp, her mouth watered.  

She steamed the pumpkin, kneaded it with rice flour, and used some leftover pumpkin as filling, pressing each pancake to about half the size of a palm.  

Once the oil in the pan was hot, she fried the pumpkin pancakes until both sides turned golden, then took them out.  

She set aside one for each of the children and noticed Lin Zhengrong watching her intently. “You want one too? Here, I’ll set one aside for you. But drink some herbal tea first—otherwise, you might get sore throat.”  

Lin Zhengrong: …My throat does feel a little scratchy.

The pumpkin pancakes were crispy on the outside and sweet inside. After finishing his pancake, Lin Beibei thought of Niu Zhuangzhuang. “Mommy, can I take one to Zhuangzhuang?”  

“Of course! Take a few more so they can all try some. Wait, I’ll go with you.” Jiang Qiuyue scooped out the remaining pancakes, grabbed some money from the house, and took Lin Beibei to the Niu family together.

A few days ago, she had heard from Auntie Niu that one of their old hens had stopped laying eggs, but the family couldn’t bear to eat it and had been planning to secretly sell it someday.  

Now that the ties with the Lin family were cut, Jiang Qiuyue was in such high spirits that she went straight to the Niu household and said she wanted to buy the chicken.  

“Why the sudden urge to buy a chicken?”  

Private buying and selling wasn’t allowed, so Auntie Niu pulled Jiang Qiuyue into the chicken coop and asked in a hushed voice.  

“Now that we’ve cut ties, I thought Dazhu has been working hard, and the whole family could use some nourishment.” Jiang Qiuyue stuffed the money into Auntie Niu’s pocket.  

“You don’t need to give this much! You’re always feeding Zhuangzhuang—just two yuan is enough.”  

“No, I’ve asked around, and this is the fair price. Even between brothers, accounts must be clear. Besides, I should be thanking you for always giving us vegetables.” Jiang Qiuyue took the old hen Auntie Niu handed over—it weighed about six jin. Tomorrow, she’d stew it into soup.  

On the way back from Auntie Niu’s place, Jiang Qiuyue carried the chicken while Lin Beibei hugged a bundle of fresh greens.  

Jiang Qiuyue lifted the chicken and grinned at Lin Zhengrong. “Tomorrow, I’ll make you some nourishing old hen soup!”  

Lin Zhengrong, a man brimming with strength: …Do I really need nourishing?

After securing the hen in the coop, Jiang Qiuyue cooked the dried shrimp and prepared an egg drop soup.  

The children had never eaten shrimp before, so Jiang Qiuyue patiently taught them how to peel the shells and remove the veins, guiding them step by step.  

She didn’t notice Lin Zhengrong watching her every move during the meal.  

“So yummy!” After eating one shrimp, Lin Beibei didn’t take another for himself but instead peeled one for his sister. “Nannan, eat more. Mommy says shrimp are nutritious.”  

Lin Nannan gave her brother a sweet smile and then held the shrimp up to his mouth.  

Watching the adorable interaction between the two, Jiang Qiuyue couldn’t help but smile. Thank goodness I got lucky—these two aren’t little terrors.  

When she glanced back at her rice bowl, she found two peeled shrimp inside. Turning her head, she saw Lin Zhengrong meticulously peeling more with a serious expression.  

Jiang Qiuyue’s face warmed slightly at the sight of the shrimp in her bowl.  

Still… it’s kind of nice having someone peel shrimp for me.

After dinner, it was usually Lin Beibei and Lin Nannan’s job to wash the dishes, but Lin Zhengrong took over this time while Jiang Qiuyue bathed the children.  

Once she had freshened up, a sudden realization struck her: How are we going to sleep tonight? 

There was only one bed in the house, which was just enough for Jiang Qiuyue and the two kids. She hadn’t expected Lin Zhengrong to return today.  

But night had already fallen, and the children had already climbed onto the bed. When Lin Zhengrong walked in, Jiang Qiuyue blurted out, “I’ll sleep on the inside, Beibei and Nannan in the middle… is that okay?”  

Watching Jiang Qiuyue hurriedly kick off her shoes and lie down, Lin Zhengrong also felt unusually awkward.  

They hadn’t seen each other in so long, and now they were sharing a bed. His large frame took up nearly half the space once he lay down, making him hesitant to move.  

The children, however, were thrilled. Not only had they seen their father today, but he was also sleeping with them! Lin Beibei was too excited to fall asleep and kept asking endless questions—children always had the strangest curiosities. It wasn’t until he finally yawned that the chatter stopped.  

The sudden silence made Jiang Qiuyue even more restless.  

She had never shared a bed with a man before. Even with the two children between them, the once-spacious bed now felt cramped.  

Though the room was pitch black, Lin Zhengrong lay closest to the window, and the moonlight outlined the sharp contour of his profile.  

*There’s no denying it—this man is unfairly handsome. Even just his silhouette is striking.*  

Tonight, even the cicadas seemed quieter. The night was so still that neither of them dared move much.  

The bed was so small that they could hear each other’s breathing.  

Jiang Qiuyue slowly turned onto her side—just as Lin Zhengrong did the same. They couldn’t see each other clearly, but they both knew neither had fallen asleep.