He cleared his throat, "Um, Fifth Brother, drink slowly, there’s more if it’s not enough; I’ve cooked a lot." Liang Yuening made a shooing gesture, "Alright, alright, I got it." It wasn’t until Liang Yuening had finished the porridge, his stomach warmed, and his temper softened, that he merrily took the empty bowl and left. As soon as he came out, he saw Dong Huiying sitting on a small stool by the doorframe, basking in the sun. His eyebrows twitched, dancing with delight. But when he got closer, he realized that she had actually fallen asleep. He clicked his tongue and bent down to pick up Dong Huiying in his arms. She seemed much lighter than he had imagined? He glanced at her, his step faltered, and he almost stumbled. After bringing her back to the eastern room and tucking her in, he patted her through the blanket, then, with his ears tinged red and his expression one of utmost joy, he strutted out with his hands behind his back. When Dong Huiying woke up, the sky was nearing dusk. She touched the earth bed beneath her, completely baffled. After lunch, seeing that the weather was nice, she went to bask in the sun but ended up dozing off. Who had carried her back? After washing her face, she saw Liang Yuening through the window. He had his chin up and was arrogantly saying, "I don’t want porridge tonight, I want noodles, the kind made with corn flour, clear and shiny broth!" Dong Huiying was flabbergasted. This man was utterly nonsensical. He had previously sulked and refused to eat, and now he was brazenly ordering food? Where did he get such nerve? She said expressionlessly, "No!" Liang Yuening was furious, about to explode, but then he chuckled instead. "Humph, if there’s none, then there’s none, I don’t fancy it. I know, I’m down with a cold, can’t eat anything too greasy, so let’s keep it light," he said. Afterward, he walked away with his hands behind his back. Dong Huiying was perplexed, "Has he taken leave of his senses?" Entering the kitchen, Dong Huiying rolled up her sleeves. Thinking about what to eat that evening, she lifted the wooden pot cover and saw some white rice porridge, pausing momentarily. Just then, Liang Yixuan entered the kitchen. Dong Huiying asked, "Did Shu Yu have a separate meal this afternoon?" Yixuan became uneasy, and after a moment of apprehension, he nodded his head... "Yes, that’s right. Second Brother’s digestion was quite good today, he got hungry in the afternoon, so I cooked him some porridge." She replaced the pot cover and then said, "It was my oversight, I’ll take his pulse later and adjust his diet." Yixuan hesitated before asking, "Aren’t you upset?" Dong Huiying was bewildered, "What’s there to be upset about?" "Yixuan didn’t have your permission before using the household’s grain." Dong Huiying couldn’t help but laugh, "Aren’t the grains bought for eating?" She intended to pat Yixuan on the shoulder when suddenly she saw him flinch. She pursed her lips and withdrew her hand, then glanced at Yixuan’s limp and recalled the despicable things this body had once done. Suddenly... her heart felt a bit... "From now on, whoever in the family is hungry and wants to eat, just eat, no need to ask me. And next time, consider making an extra dish; just eating porridge is too monotonous." Yixuan smiled, sighing surreptitiously with relief. In the evening, Dong Huiying cooked a pot of white rice and stir-fried one meat and one vegetarian dish, adding a soup to it, as if that had become the standard on the Liang family’s dinner table. Liang Yuening didn’t sulk this time. He sat on the stool with a hearty appetite. In fact, he had a bowl of porridge in the afternoon but hadn’t been filled.
