Chapter 10: “You Burned This Kitchen—Did You Forget?”

“That’s about enough. These dishes are more than enough for the three of us,” Rong Jingchen said, glancing at the vegetables he was carrying.

“Yeah, you’re right…” Ye Muqi looked down and realized they had indeed bought a bit too much.

“Let’s go, time to head back!”

She smiled at Rong Jingchen and reached out to take the groceries from his hand.

“No need, I’ve got it.” Rong Jingchen dodged her hand, not letting her carry anything.

“…”

Does he think I’m trying to take advantage of him?

Ye Muqi silently complained. It was just that the other day, when she was receiving some local products from him, their hands accidentally touched. Is that really something to be this guarded about?

She glanced at his expression. There was no noticeable change—perhaps due to years of military training, he rarely showed emotion, which made him seem a bit stern.

Since she wasn’t that familiar with him yet, Ye Muqi wasn’t sure if he was really avoiding her, but she also didn’t insist on carrying anything. She obediently followed him on the way back to the Rong residence.

…

Watching them walk past, Ye Huihui suddenly darted away to hide.

Peeking from behind an electric pole, she saw the two of them walking side by side. Sunlight fell on them, making their attractive faces seem to glow. They actually looked… like a good match.

“…”

Realizing what she was thinking, Ye Huihui quickly snapped out of it, her heart burning with jealousy. She didn’t want to leave, but she didn’t dare go up to them either. Like a stalker, she quietly trailed behind them.

Although Rong Jingchen and Ye Muqi didn’t speak much, they exchanged a few words occasionally, and from Ye Huihui’s point of view, their interaction seemed quite harmonious.

Without realizing it, she followed them to the Rong house. When they entered and the door closed behind them, her view was completely cut off.

Ye Huihui clenched her fists tightly. She didn’t understand—didn’t the Commander clearly dislike Ye Muqi? Why was he going grocery shopping with her and walking home together like a real couple? What did Ye Muqi do to deserve a man like him?

“Looks like those two are planning to settle down and live a proper life together,” said a nearby elderly woman throwing out the trash, clearly eager to gossip after seeing Rong Jingchen and Ye Muqi enter the house together.

Hearing the voice, Ye Huihui quickly hid and strained to listen.

“Really?”

“Didn’t Yin Lan say so herself? That girl from the Ye family might be a bit dramatic, but she’s definitely pretty. After spending more time together, even Commander Rong might fall for her. I heard he’s even planning to bring her to the military district. Who knows—next time he comes back, Yin Lan might already be holding a grandchild!”

“Exactly. And those divorce rumors were ridiculous! They filed a marriage report, remember? It’s not that easy to just divorce. Who would throw away a promising future like that?” the other woman added, nodding in agreement.

“Honestly, they actually look pretty well-matched, don’t they?”

“Yeah.”

The sound of laughter drifted over, making Ye Huihui grit her teeth so hard she almost broke them.

Well-matched?

There’s nothing “matched” about them at all!

Ye Muqi was just lucky she didn’t die when she jumped into the river. People already think she’s overly dramatic. Even if Rong Jingchen came back, shouldn’t he be disgusted by her? How did they end up getting closer instead?

Damn it…

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through her stomach, and her face turned pale.

She couldn’t take it anymore—it hurt too much!

Clutching her stomach and hunching over, Ye Huihui hurriedly left.

…

Meanwhile, back at the Rong household, Yin Lan was a little surprised to see Rong Jingchen and Ye Muqi return with groceries.

But after thinking it over, it made sense. She only asked them to run out for some soy sauce, and they were gone quite a while—and even bought food together. They must be getting along well.

Yin Lan stepped forward to take the groceries from Rong Jingchen and bring them to the kitchen, but Ye Muqi stopped her.

“Auntie, let me cook.”

She’d specifically bought ingredients so she could cook, so of course she wasn’t going to let Yin Lan do it.

“Alright.” Yin Lan didn’t even hesitate, pulling her hands back decisively.

If this had been six months ago, she would never have agreed. But after tasting Ye Muqi’s cooking at the Ye house a few days ago, not only had her concerns disappeared, she’d actually been craving it since.

Honestly, ever since Ye Muqi picked up cooking skills, she seemed like a completely different person—and even appeared more mentally stable.

As Ye Muqi walked into the kitchen with the groceries, Yin Lan followed, worried she might not be familiar with the kitchen layout.

“I’ll be your assistant.”

Rong Jingchen glanced over and saw the two women chatting comfortably. Seeing that they were getting along well, he felt reassured and stayed in the living room.

“Auntie, what kind of dishes do you like?” Ye Muqi smiled and asked as Yin Lan followed her in.

She could tell Yin Lan treated her sincerely—like a real daughter-in-law—not with fake politeness. It was just that the original Ye Muqi hadn’t lived up to that goodwill.

“What can you cook?”

“I can cook all sorts of things! Whatever you like, I’ll make it for you,” Ye Muqi said confidently.

Yin Lan chuckled, her whole expression lighting up with joy.

“You won’t be home much from now on. Just cook whatever you’re good at today.”

“Okay!”

While Yin Lan washed and chopped vegetables, Ye Muqi familiarized herself with the stove.

The Rong family’s house had a well-decorated interior, and since it was self-built, the kitchen was very spacious—twice the size of her own. The counter space was generous, and there was even a sink for washing vegetables. Ye Muqi really liked it.

Except… all the walls were white—except one section near the stove, which was blackened, as if it had been burned. It was very noticeable and out of place in the otherwise clean kitchen.

Ye Muqi stared at it for a while before finally asking:

“Auntie, why is the wall over there all black?”

“?” Yin Lan glanced at the blackened wall, then back at Ye Muqi, her expression turning slightly odd.

“What’s wrong?” Ye Muqi waited for an answer, and when none came, she was just about to ask again when Yin Lan gave her a puzzled look.

“Half a year ago, you said you wanted to cook for me and ended up burning the kitchen. That’s the mark you left. Did you forget?”

…What!?

That was her doing?

Damn—should’ve thought twice before asking. The memory was in the original host’s head, she just hadn’t paid attention because she had never done something as dumb as burning down a kitchen—she was a seven-star chef, after all.

Great. Instant public humiliation.

Ye Muqi lowered her head and stayed silent.

Better just get on with cooking.