Chapter 45: So Am I Still a Stinky Man?

Early the next morning, Rong Jingchen, as usual, knocked on the door to wake Ye Muqi up.

As Ye Muqi’s feet touched the ground, she looked surprised—her ankle really didn’t hurt as much anymore, and the swelling and redness had gone down significantly.

“All the suffering last night wasn’t in vain,” she murmured. Ye Muqi wasn’t someone to hold grudges anyway—one good night’s sleep and she was back to her cheerful self. She happily got dressed and walked out of the room.

Right outside, she ran into Rong Jingchen, who had just finished washing up. Thinking about how she’d scolded him the whole time he was massaging her ankle last night, she suddenly felt a bit guilty.

Especially now that her ankle clearly told her—he hadn’t lied. Only a proper massage could help it heal faster!

“Does your foot feel better?” Rong Jingchen asked, glancing at her ankle.

“Mm… a lot better,” Ye Muqi nodded slightly. “Thank you.”

“So, am I still a stinky man?”

“!!!”

You really know how to hold a grudge!

They had gotten up quite early today. Ye Muqi got the ingredients prepared and started a stew, then kneaded some dough.

The breakfast shop had been open for several days, but Rong Jingchen hadn’t had a single chance to try it yet. Today, Ye Muqi was determined to let him enjoy a hearty breakfast.

Yep, that was the reason—not because she felt guilty about last night’s scolding or anything!

“Tomorrow we’re buying furniture. Could you wait until I’m done at the shop before we go? We only serve breakfast, so it won’t take long,” she said.

After all, earning money and buying furniture didn’t conflict.

Rong Jingchen wasn’t even surprised anymore. By now, he’d gotten used to Ye Muqi’s obsession with making money—it didn’t even faze him.

“Okay.”

That said… it’s not like she’s ever been broke.

Why the sudden enthusiasm for earning money?

After breakfast, Rong Jingchen did the dishes while Ye Muqi packed up the prepared ingredients. Then they left the house together.

Downstairs, the same car was waiting, but it wasn’t Lin Zihua beside it today. Instead, it was a familiar face—Yin Daqian, the other man who had picked them up from the train station.

Yin Daqian was in a good mood—he had fought hard to get this errand, even got scolded by Lin Zihua for it, but he didn’t care.

Ever since hearing Lin Zihua rave about that amazing breakfast yesterday, he’d been craving it. Driving Ye Muqi to town meant he’d finally get a chance to taste it himself. Tons of soldiers in the unit wanted this job!

“Good morning, Commander!” Seeing Rong Jingchen and Ye Muqi come down the stairs, Yin Daqian immediately gave a textbook military salute.

Ye Muqi walked beside Rong Jingchen, still limping a little, but much better than yesterday—at least going downstairs wasn’t so awkward anymore, and she was much faster.

Most importantly, her hands were free—Rong Jingchen was carrying all the packed food for her.

“Wow~ Sister-in-law, you look beautiful today—more and more stunning!” Yin Daqian turned to Ye Muqi and complimented her, not at all insincerely—it was heartfelt.

Ye Muqi was wearing a white dress today, looking like a fairy descended to earth.

Rong Jingchen, standing beside her, glanced at Yin Daqian—when did this guy become so good at sweet-talking?

“Drive safe,” Rong Jingchen said, but his tone made it sound more like a threat than a reminder.

“Y-yes, sir!” Yin Daqian quickly turned away and reached out to take the things from Rong Jingchen.

But Rong Jingchen didn’t let him. He helped Ye Muqi into the car himself and placed the packed food on the back seat.

Only after the car drove away did Rong Jingchen head off toward the military base.

…

In the car, away from Rong Jingchen’s presence, Yin Daqian finally let out a sigh of relief. Smelling the delicious aroma filling the vehicle, he couldn’t help but swallow hard.

This scent was way better than what he’d caught from Lin Zihua yesterday!

Knowing he’d be picking Ye Muqi up today, he’d skipped breakfast at the mess hall—he was counting on getting a bowl of her legendary noodles once they got to the shop.

Lin Zihua had warned him yesterday—no mooching for free. Even if sister-in-law offered, you still had to pay.

But for a bowl of noodles loaded with meat, and not expensive at that, it was worth it. Not like he could eat it every day. Just once was worth it—consider it supporting the sister-in-law’s business!

“Sister-in-law, when we get to the shop, could I get a big bowl?” Yin Daqian asked with a flattering grin.

Before Ye Muqi could answer, his stomach growled loudly.

His face turned red instantly—it wasn’t his fault! The aroma of those dishes was just too much.

“Sure,” Ye Muqi smiled. She found the soldiers in Rong Jingchen’s unit to be quite sincere and charming.

When they arrived at the shop, Ye Muqi grabbed a big bowl, added lots of noodles, and piled on heaps of toppings—one of everything, plus an egg.

Honestly, that bowl was enough for two regular servings.

Yin Daqian finally got to eat the noodles he’d been craving. Nearly half the bowl was meat—it made his eyes go red.

He’d thought his buddy had exaggerated, but no—this really was a generous serving!

Yin Daqian polished off the entire bowl, soup and all—nothing left.

He wiped his mouth and pulled out some cash.

Ye Muqi hadn’t planned on charging him, but remembering how Rong Jingchen gave her Lin Zihua’s money last night, she accepted 80 cents, the normal price for noodles with toppings.

“Thanks, sister-in-law. You’ve got amazing skills—I’ll definitely be back!” Yin Daqian paid a whole yuan, smiled, and waved goodbye before leaving.

The breakfast shop was still buzzing with customers. Besides noodles, the dumplings made by Grandma Cai were selling well too.

After the morning rush, Ye Muqi and Grandma Cai finally had a moment to rest.

“Grandma Cai, I’ll need to leave early tomorrow. After the morning rush, you’ll probably have to handle the shop on your own,” Ye Muqi took the chance to tell her about her plans.

“Or… maybe I should prep a bit less tomorrow, so we sell out early and call it a day?” Ye Muqi added, a bit worried about Grandma Cai’s health.

Grandma Cai had it easier these past few days, mostly just making dumplings and buns and cleaning up a little. Ye Muqi had been doing most of the hard work. She was also eating better and looking healthier.

“Alright. If you’ve got things to do, go ahead. I can manage on my own,” Grandma Cai agreed immediately.

Before Ye Muqi came, she’d handled the shop alone anyway. With Ye Muqi helping during the morning rush, she was confident she could manage the slower periods by herself.

Not only did Grandma Cai have no objections, she even looked at Ye Muqi with concern. “Is something important going on? Do you need help from this old lady?”

After all, Ye Muqi had helped her run the breakfast shop. If this young girl was facing trouble in life, she wanted to help however she could.

“No, it’s just that I made plans with my husband—we’re going furniture shopping tomorrow,” Ye Muqi smiled, reassuring her. “I just wanted to let you know in advance.”

“Ah, buying furniture? That’s wonderful!” Grandma Cai beamed. “You two really have a sweet relationship.”