Chapter 122: Shall We See How It Tastes?

He was going to make it for her?

Ha. Did Lu Yunzhou even hear a word she said? She had been so blunt with him. She was putting on this act in front of him specifically to get revenge for what he had said all those years ago. When he carried her back earlier, she had deliberately thrown a tantrum and acted unreasonably, just to make him think she was spoiled and willful. If this were any other man, he surely would have lost his patience by now, wouldn't he? Yet, with Lu Yunzhou, he said nothing and continued to treat her well, as if nothing were wrong. Had her outburst been for nothing?

Furthermore, who in the military base had claimed that Lu Yunzhou was a germaphobe who hated physical contact? She had been running around all day in a muddy, rain-soaked raincoat, yet he had carried her into his own resting quarters and sat her down on his bed. Did he not care about his bed anymore? Ever since she crawled out of the mine, she hadn't bathed; she was damp, sticky, and even she felt dirty. Yet, he didn't seem to care at all. Was this the behavior of someone with a mild obsession with cleanliness?

"I told you I'm not hungry." The young girl lifted her gaze, staring into his dark eyes, her voice catching in her throat. "Lu Yunzhou, are you not listening?"

She saw Lu Yunzhou’s brow furrow, his expression darkening. He lowered his eyes, his thin lips parting as he spoke in a tone of extreme humility and sincerity. "I'll go boil a bowl of noodles for you, okay?"

Shen Zhaoxi: "?"

Ha, he was even willing to do that. Just how much could he endure? She had already thrown a tantrum and spoken to him like that, yet he still coaxed her with such gentleness. She simply couldn't believe it.

Lu Yunzhou watched the young girl before him frown. Because of the rain, her hair was plastered to her face. Even though she was lashing out at him, he knew it was because of what happened five years ago—she had overheard his conversation with their teacher. It was fine for her to be angry, but how could she go without eating when her health was so frail? Night had fallen. He could go without food, but the young girl could not.

Without another word, he turned and left. Shen Zhaoxi remained seated, frowning in bewilderment. She felt completely thrown off balance. How could Lu Yunzhou be so impervious to her tactics? Was he not the young, celebrated scion of the Lu family? Was he not the "Cold-Faced Yama" of the military district, known for his icy temperament and refusal to let anyone get close?

What was going on now? Initially, she had wanted him to find her repulsive, to think of her as nothing more than a coddled, fragile socialite unworthy of him. Now, she was using the incident from five years ago to act out and show her petty, spoiled temper, hoping to make him detest her. But why did Lu Yunzhou’s reaction feel so wrong?

These houses were temporary shelters for the troops, so other soldiers were staying nearby. Some were busy tidying up, while others were boiling water to bathe. These rescue soldiers included members of the local military base as well as units brought in from elsewhere to help with the flood relief. After the waters receded, they were covered in sweat and their raincoats were stained with mud; they were a mess and desperately needed a wash.

After Lu Yunzhou left, Lu Shiwu came to the room where Shen Zhaoxi was staying. He knocked, but the door was wide open. As he reached the threshold, he saw Shen Zhaoxi look up at the sound.

"Miss Shen?" Lu Shiwu furrowed his brow. "Where is our Captain?" He had seen the Captain carry this Miss Shen in himself.

"He went to cook noodles," Shen Zhaoxi said casually.

Lu Shiwu’s expression turned to shock. "What? Our Captain... cooking noodles?!" That was impossible. "The Captain always eats at the mess hall." How could he be cooking for himself? Besides, having followed the Captain for so many years, he had never once seen him step into a kitchen. He was always buried in military affairs; how could he have the leisure to boil noodles?

Shen Zhaoxi ignored his shock. Compared to Lu Shiwu, she was just as surprised. She knew Lu Yunzhou’s background; for someone of such noble status and prominent lineage, the idea of him cooking was simply unthinkable. Just like she had previously believed that such a proud man would never bend for anyone. But seeing Lu Shiwu’s shocked expression as he stood at the door, Shen Zhaoxi thought to herself: Was this his first time doing this?

Lu Shiwu quickly added, "Oh, right, Miss Shen. I came to tell you that the hot water the Captain ordered me to prepare is ready. If you'd like to bathe, you can make do with it; it might make you feel better after being out in the rain. Also, the clothes you left at the military base—the Captain had me drive over and retrieve them." He had been heading back to the base anyway, so the Captain had told him to bring everything over.

After speaking, Lu Shiwu frowned, puzzled in his heart. This wasn't right. Why was the Captain being so good to her? In the military district, the Captain was known as the man least interested in women. He ignored even the female officers who came for training, offering nothing more than basic professional communication. Why was he being so kind to this Miss Shen? In his eyes, Miss Shen was frail and helpless, clearly someone pampered in a greenhouse. Would a man as wise and powerful as the Captain really fall for someone like her?

Then again, Miss Shen was quite something. Knowing the Captain’s rescue work was dangerous and demanding, she still came to add to the chaos. The Captain hadn't rested for dozens of hours, yet he had rushed out to find her. Now that she was back, he still had to wait on her hand and foot to keep her from wandering off again.

The look on Lu Shiwu’s face—and the way he looked at Shen Zhaoxi—clearly expressed his lack of understanding and his disdain.

Ha. Shen Zhaoxi only needed a glance at Lu Shiwu’s expression to guess what he was thinking. He thought she was a weak, useless socialite who had nothing better to do than to get in their way and cause trouble for Lu Yunzhou. See? Even Lu Shiwu felt she was a burden. But what about Lu Yunzhou? Shen Zhaoxi truly couldn't figure him out. Didn't he think she was a nuisance? Or was her perception of things flawed? A man like Lu Yunzhou, so steady and decisive—how could he indulge her temper and personality like this?

After her bath, Shen Zhaoxi changed into a long dress and draped a pure black knit cardigan over it, as the night air was chilly. She had washed her hair, and her smooth, long locks hung loose, with droplets of water still clinging to the bangs on her forehead. It made her fair, exquisite face look pure and alluring under the dim light. Her long lashes fluttered. She looked utterly ethereal.

"The noodles are ready." A deep voice drifted in from the doorway, seemingly melting into the night.

Lu Yunzhou walked in and saw her wiping her hair with a white towel. Hearing the movement, Shen Zhaoxi looked up. The man was still in his rain-soaked military uniform, having not yet had time to bathe or change. He stretched out his arm and placed a bowl of noodles on the table by the bed.

Shen Zhaoxi froze for a moment. She looked at the man’s cold, sharp features, meeting his gaze as he looked up at her.

"Try it and see if it's any good," Lu Yunzhou said, his thin lips pressed together. His voice was cool, carrying a hint of suppressed emotion. He watched the young girl in the dim light, noting her pale, pure face. Her skin was so fair, with a sickly pallor from the blood loss—it had been that way since the first moment he saw her.