On Li Yue's side, the more she looked, the more excited she became.
She was almost certain now—every single song in her hands was a future hit.
"These… you just revised these?"
Her eyes were practically glowing, her voice trembling with disbelief.
Zhang Yichen shrugged and pointed toward Chen Xiaoxi.
"Yeah. Just tweaked them a little. Should fit her current state of mind better."
"Whew…" Xiaoxi took a deep breath, trying to steady her emotions. "Zhang Yichen, tell me honestly—back then, when the two of us… did that thing… were you singing?"
She had to ask. If these songs truly belonged to him, then the credit should carry his name.
"What thing? What's that supposed to mean?" Zhang Yichen looked completely lost.
"You know… that…"
But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't say it aloud in front of Li Yue.
"Come with me." She grabbed his hand and dragged him into the kitchen as if fleeing.
"What's with the mystery?" Li Yue muttered, baffled. Luckily she still had a few sheets of music left to look over, or she would have gone eavesdropping.
Inside the kitchen, Xiaoxi bit her lip hard, then finally forced the words out.
"A year ago, that night… when you and I… did it… were you singing?"
"Which one?" His face was blank at first—but then realization struck.
"Are you kidding me? Singing at a time like that? And besides—you were unconscious when I… when that happened!"
Just thinking about his own misfortune made him bristle with indignation.
"So you really didn't sing?"
"Really didn't!"
"You're not lying to me?"
"Why would I lie? I was just a cute little beautiful, happy-go-lucky kid back then! thinking the person might be some greasy old man in a floral jacket."
"You—! Do you even have any shame? Taking advantage and then pretending to be the victim!"
"Taking advantage? Please. That was my first time too. I didn't even know what it was supposed to feel like. You robbed me of that."
"You… I… You're infuriating! As if I wasn't a first-timer too? And I only did it to save you!"
"Alright, alright—I was wrong!"
Yichen surrendered instantly. He could tell if he pushed further, she'd start crying.
"I swear, I wasn't singing."
"Listen…" Xiaoxi lowered her voice. "That night, when we… I had a dream. And the song in the dream—it's exactly the same as the one you just revised."
"That's impossible. Didn't I already tell you? Songs come naturally. Sometimes a spark of inspiration just happens."
He clearly didn't believe her.
"I'm telling the truth!" Her voice grew firm.
"…Fine, fine. Then it's true."
Brushed off—completely perfunctory.
"You—! I'm not lying!"
"Are you sure?"
"I'm one hundred percent sure!"
"Don't tell me… when we did that, it was like… dual cultivation?"
"What's dual cultivation?"
"You don't read novels? It's when two people do the deed, their souls connect, power increases, and sometimes they even share memories."
"Can you be serious for once?"
Xiaoxi was speechless. This guy was still so young, and yet his head was already full of nonsense.
"What? I'm serious. Maybe during that time, you absorbed a little of my talent."
"Nonsense. Believe in science!"
Believe in science? I transmigrated, saw literal gods before I died, and she wants me to believe in science?
Of course, Yichen didn't dare say that part out loud.
"…How about we try it again and find out?" The words slipped from his lips almost instinctively.
He was genuinely curious. He didn't think Xiaoxi was lying.
So how did she know those songs?
"What kind of nonsense are you talking about?" Her face flushed scarlet. She lowered her voice to a whisper. "Saying things like that in front of the baby—do you have no shame?"
"I'm just curious." He scratched his nose awkwardly, a sheepish grin on his face. "Besides… don't you want to verify it too?"
"Curiosity killed the cat!" She stomped her foot, fuming. "You're barely grown and your head's already full of indecent thoughts!"
"Who says I'm not grown? Want me to prove it?" He winked at her, lips curling into a wicked smile.
"You—shut up!" She spun around in panic, not daring to look at him. "I'm going to check the soup."
Yichen watched her flustered retreat, amusement tugging at his lips. Suddenly, he reached out and pulled her back by the wrist.
"Let me go!" She struggled, but her voice stayed low—terrified Li Yue might overhear.
"Shhh…" He pressed a finger to his lips. "Don't let her hear."
"You… you shameless devil!"
She stopped struggling, her face burning.
"One more chance," he whispered in her ear, arm sliding around her waist while still cradling the baby. "Do you want to test it or not?"
"N-No…"
But pressed against him like this, her body went weak. Her protest was feeble at best—if anything, she didn't even want to resist.
She was twenty-six, a fully grown woman. How could she possibly withstand this kind of temptation?
"Want to know a secret? I can code, practice ancient medicine, write songs, cook… I can even write novels and scripts. I could make you the queen of the music world."
"Please—stop talking!" Her cheeks were crimson now, her body trembling as her strength drained away.
"Why stop? You still haven't agreed."
"Not now!" Even through the haze, she clung to reason. She knew her own health too well.
"I know. I mean later." His voice pressed closer.
"Fine, fine—I promise. You really are a devil!" She broke at last, surrendering under his relentless teasing.
"See? Wasn't that easy?" He finally released her, satisfied.
"Haa…" She gasped for breath, her face still flushed as if she'd just run a marathon.
"Bastard!" She tugged at her wrinkled clothes, her heart still racing wildly.
She glanced at him again—still composed, calmly checking the soup pot like nothing had happened.
"The soup's almost done," Yichen said, lifting the lid. Rich aroma filled the kitchen. "Come taste it."
Xiaoxi steadied herself with a deep breath, nodded, and leaned closer. "Alright."
He scooped a spoonful, blew gently on it, then held it up to her lips. "Careful, it's hot."
She sipped softly, her eyes closing in delight. "Mmm… delicious. Even better than a five-star hotel."
"Of course." His brows lifted in smug pride. "I even used a family recipe—just to speed up the day we can 'verify.'"
"Hey! You two!" Li Yue suddenly walked in, narrowing her eyes. "Sneaking food without me? How shameless."
"We weren't sneaking anything!" Xiaoxi's guilty look didn't help her case.
"Here." Yichen handed her a bowl with a smile. "Lotus seed yam pork trotter soup. Boosts energy and blood. Try it."
As he tossed the yam slices into the pot, Yue blew on the soup and took a sip. Her eyes lit up.
"Not bad at all! I didn't know you had this skill."
"I can do way more than this. I'm a treasure boy, remember?" His gaze drifted meaningfully toward Xiaoxi.
Her cheeks warmed instantly. She quickly changed the subject.
"By the way, did you really finish those revisions in twenty minutes?"
"More or less." He shrugged. "It wasn't hard—just changed the rhythm and lyrics to fit her situation better."
Li Yue nodded. "These songs really are perfect for her style. Especially this one, 'Flower.' The melody is graceful, and the lyrics hit the heart."
"Exactly." Xiaoxi's eyes softened, emotions swirling deep inside.
She had already made her decision.
And today, Yichen had, in his own way, confessed too.
Whatever the reason, their future was now bound together.
Even if the songs were his, she wouldn't feel pressured to sing them.
After all… soon, they would be family.