Before leaving, Xu Jiujiu didn't forget to give Yu Shang one last order. "Yu Shang, return to your duties. Remember this well—what happened today must not be known by anyone other than those present here. If I find out you leaked this incident…"
She didn't finish her sentence, but the threat was clear enough.
Yu Shang could only smile bitterly. "Yes, Princess."
Meanwhile, in the pavilion, Tianyu was devouring his meal heartily. He didn't seem to be truly savoring each bite.
The dishes on the table looked incredibly enticing. Each one was made from precious ingredients gathered by Xu Jiujiu. The meat, broth, and even the spices in the warm soup Tianyu was sipping—all came from rare and highly valuable ingredients. This was not the kind of food one could find in an ordinary kitchen.
Ever since Tianyu began showing that ordinary food had almost no effect on his body when he was hungry, Xu Jiujiu no longer allowed regular meals to be served to him. From then on, all the food prepared for Tianyu was made from the finest ingredients available.
Tianyu ate extremely quickly, not because he was unaware of how precious the ingredients were. He was simply too hungry to dwell on it.
He cleaned the last plate in front of him and let out a relieved sigh. His previously weak body gradually began to feel warm, energy flowing back into every muscle.
Tianyu exhaled, "Can you two stop staring at me?"
It turned out that on either side of him, Xu Jiujiu and Huo Yunxi had been watching him eat from the very beginning.
Huo Yunxi didn't answer. Instead, she took out a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped the food residue from Tianyu's lips and cheeks.
When Xu Jiujiu saw this, she also pulled out her own handkerchief and did the same as Huo Yunxi.
Tianyu froze, his cheeks pinched by two handkerchiefs from opposite directions. The atmosphere suddenly became tense, like a mini battlefield.
"I can clean my own face," Tianyu said helplessly, his eyes darting between Xu Jiujiu and Huo Yunxi.
But the two girls acted as if they hadn't heard.
Huo Yunxi smiled sweetly while gently rubbing the corner of Tianyu's lips. "You're my friend, Tianyu, so it's only natural for me to do this~"
Xu Jiujiu immediately pressed harder, her handkerchief nearly brushing Tianyu's nose. "So you do this for all your friends?"
"But Sister Jiujiu is doing it too?"
"I'm Tianyu's fiancée, so it's fine. In the future, when we're married, little things like this will be part of our daily routine."
Huo Yunxi pursed her lips. She knew the engagement had happened largely because of her request for Tianyu to save her mother. "I heard Tianyu once said the engagement was only temporary and wouldn't lead to marriage."
"Who knows what will happen in the future? Tianyu might grow to like me and marry me willingly."
Tianyu felt a headache coming on as he listened to the two girls bickering beside him. The air around them seemed to crackle with unseen sparks.
"Alright, alright, you two..." Tianyu tried to mediate, raising both hands as if to separate the battlefield.
But Xu Jiujiu and Huo Yunxi paid him no attention.
Xu Jiujiu pressed her handkerchief even harder, her eyes sharp as swords. "Huo Yunxi, you know Tianyu is my fiancé, right? You should maintain a proper distance."
Huo Yunxi pouted her small lips. She was usually shy, but remembering her mother's words, she stood her ground.
"Sister Jiujiu, Tianyu is also my good friend. I'm just caring for him sincerely. Perhaps you're overthinking it."
Tianyu felt that if this continued, the two of them could argue until tomorrow morning. Moving quickly, he grabbed both handkerchiefs from their hands and wiped his own face.
"Done! I'm clean now. Thank you both," he said firmly, hoping to end the argument.
Xu Jiujiu and Huo Yunxi exchanged glances for a moment, then both sighed.
"Fine, then," Xu Jiujiu said, though she still looked displeased.
Huo Yunxi gave a small smile and suddenly changed the subject. "Oh, Tianyu, are you full? I still have some special pastries I made in the kitchen. Would you like to try them?"
Xu Jiujiu immediately interjected. "Tianyu just ate a lot! Don't force him!"
But Tianyu, who was still a bit hungry, unconsciously nodded. "I... can still eat a little more."
Huo Yunxi beamed and took out a small box containing beautifully shaped flower pastries. "These are my favorite pastries since childhood. I made them myself."
Xu Jiujiu frowned, but before she could say anything, Tianyu had already taken a piece and eaten it.
"Delicious," Tianyu praised honestly.
Huo Yunxi smiled contentedly. Xu Jiujiu, on the other hand, moved her chair closer to Tianyu and firmly placed her hand on his shoulder.
"In that case, I'll cook for you tomorrow," Xu Jiujiu declared, her eyes gleaming with determination. "I'll make food even tastier than this!"
Huo Yunxi refused to back down. "Then I'll make snacks for you every day, Tianyu!"
Tianyu, realizing he had just triggered a new competition between them, could only sigh inwardly.
These were going to be long days...