30 Days of Passion and Revenge-Chapter 257: A Bowl of Soup and a Truce

"It’s because you made me duck blood vermicelli soup that I’ve decided to call a truce. But no more yelling," Lily Anderson said deliberately, softening her tone to ease the tension between them.

Waking up early in the morning to see him still there—and spotting the cold duck blood vermicelli soup—made it impossible for her to stay angry in this situation.

"I wasn’t yelling..."

Lily stood on tiptoe and kissed his lips, cutting off his words. Immediately, a smug sense of satisfaction lit up Ethan Blackwood’s eyes as he deepened the kiss, pressing his lips firmly against hers.

Suddenly, as if something clicked in her mind, Lily quickly pulled away. "I just remembered—I haven’t brushed my teeth yet."

She had been corrupted by Ethan’s influence, kissing before brushing her teeth.

As Lily tried to leave, Ethan wasn’t about to let her go. His hand moved to the back of her head, pulling her into his embrace. Lowering his head, he claimed her lips again.

"Mm..." Lily’s eyes widened as Ethan pried her lips open. His heated tongue swept in, exploring her mouth and savoring her sweetness.

The atmosphere quickly grew intense.

Lily’s legs weakened, and she clung to Ethan’s neck for support, melting into the kiss.

Bang!

The door was suddenly flung open. Startled, Lily hurriedly pushed herself out of Ethan’s embrace, only to see Ethan’s overbearing second brother, Tommy Blackwood, standing in the doorway. He was twirling a key in one hand and pretending to shield his eyes with the other, muttering theatrically, "Oh my, oh my, every time I walk in, you two are making out..."

Damn it.

Ethan’s face darkened instantly.

"Can’t you knock?!" Lily couldn’t take it anymore. She felt like yelling at him, just like Ethan always did.

Tommy never seemed to care about getting permission before entering someone’s room.

With a mischievous grin, Tommy said, "Look at you two—kissing in the morning, kissing at night, kissing all day long... You two have so much energy!"

Lily tugged on Ethan’s hand, signaling him to do something about his brother’s behavior.

Sensing Lily’s plea, Ethan suppressed his anger and glared at Tommy. "Fine. I’ll allow you to bring women home."

"You should’ve said that earlier! I wouldn’t have had to keep sneaking keys from Nanny," Tommy exclaimed, leaping excitedly.

Now Lily finally understood.

Tommy’s constant interruptions were deliberate, forcing Ethan to let him bring women into the house.

This man, who couldn’t go a moment without a woman, was far from the romantic figure he pretended to be. Even though the woman he once loved most had taken her own life, he continued living a life of indulgence and carelessness.

"But your activities are restricted to your room!" Ethan added coldly.

"What?! Come on, brother. Your kitchen is amazing, and so is the balcony, the sofa, the garden, and the sports car..."

"If you dare step one foot out of your room with a woman, I’ll throw you both out!" Ethan’s tone was ice-cold, leaving no room for negotiation.

"Brother, you’re being unreasonable... I’m your second brother! You’re here making out every day, and I can’t even—"

Lily decided she couldn’t listen to them anymore. Hearing their banter was polluting her ears.

She reluctantly cast one last glance at the cold duck blood vermicelli soup before heading to the bathroom to wash up. When she reached the dining area, the two brothers had moved their "battlefield" to the dining table.

"I want to try the vermicelli. I’ve never had such common food before!" Tommy declared, raising his chopsticks to grab some.

Ethan, expressionless, blocked Tommy’s chopsticks with his own. Lacking Ethan’s strength, Tommy couldn’t break through to grab the vermicelli.

"Brother—"

"Get lost!" Ethan snapped coldly.

Lily glanced over and saw a steaming hot bowl of duck blood vermicelli soup in front of them. Was it freshly made for her?

Perfect.

While the two men battled with their chopsticks, Lily calmly slid the bowl of vermicelli soup in front of her, picked up her chopsticks, and took a bite of the duck blood. The warm flavor melted in her mouth.

It had been so long since she’d last had duck blood vermicelli soup.

"This is delicious," Lily said, smiling at Ethan. "Thank you."

This woman said thank you...

A smug sense of satisfaction flashed through Ethan’s eyes, though he replied indifferently, "You’re welcome." He then used his chopsticks to smack Tommy’s away. "Eat your bread."

"But I want Asian food!" Tommy pouted, looking pitifully at Lily. "Rabbit, share some with me. I’ve never tasted my younger brother’s cooking."

Lily shook her head as she continued eating. "Ask the kitchen to make you your own."

The soup Ethan made for her was a rare treat. Though it wasn’t as good as hers, it was still passable.

Still, it was bland. Lily asked Nanny for some vinegar and added it to her soup—one spoonful, then another, and another. By the time she was done, she had added five spoonfuls of vinegar.

Tommy’s expression shifted from jealousy to shock. He stood up from the table, his mouth agape. "Alright then, I think I’ll have the kitchen make me a new bowl."

With that much vinegar, could she even taste the original flavor of the soup?

Ethan frowned as well. "Is it not good?"

Did it need that much vinegar?

"It’s great," Lily said earnestly, clearly hungry. She alternated between sipping the soup with a spoon and eating the vermicelli with chopsticks. "How about you make me a bowl every night?"

It wasn’t bad.

"You don’t think it’s too sour?" Was she drinking soup or vinegar?

"Not at all."

Nanny chuckled from the side. "They say if a woman craves sour food, it’s a boy; if she craves spicy food, it’s a girl. Miss Anderson, with how much you love sour food, maybe you’ll have a little boy."

A boy...

Lily, still happily eating her soup, looked up and smiled. "I once had a dream that I gave birth to a girl. I think girls are easier to manage. Boys are too wild."

Nanny laughed softly. "Don’t worry. I’ll help you and Mr. Blackwood care for the baby, whether a boy or a girl."

"True. As long as the baby has a good temperament, that’s all that matters. Just not like... a certain someone," Lily said pointedly.

By the end of the day’s filming, Lily found herself craving more vermicelli soup. Rising from her director’s chair, she clapped her hands and addressed the crew. "We’ll start filming the night scenes in two hours. Everyone, take a break and get something to eat. Thank you for your hard work!"

Since they were filming in a hospital, everyone’s meals were provided by the hospital cafeteria.

Nanny opened a thermos and poured some nourishing soup for Lily. "Miss Anderson, please have some tonic."

But Lily wanted duck blood vermicelli soup...

She had grown tired of these tonics, which she had been drinking so often that she could hardly stand the smell anymore. Pulling out her phone, she sent a message to Ethan.

[Ethan Blackwood, I’m hungry.]

"Miss Anderson..." Nanny handed her the tonic, but Lily hesitated. "Do I have to drink it?"

The herbal aroma was overwhelming.

Ethan’s reply came quickly. Lily assumed he would offer to make her more vermicelli soup, but when she opened the message, all it said was:

[Chew your fingers.]

This man! She was carrying his child, and this was how he treated her!?

Where was his conscience? Didn’t he say he couldn’t live without her? And now he told her to chew her fingers...

As Lily contemplated how to reply, Nanny’s voice interrupted her thoughts. "Miss Anderson, Mr. Carter is here."

Looking up from her phone, Lily saw Alex Carter entering, carrying two bags. His refined demeanor and warm gaze instantly drew attention.

"Alex," Lily greeted with a smile, slipping her phone into her pocket.

"Filming a hospital-themed project—don’t you think it’s a bit heavy?" Alex said, smiling as he approached.

"I think it’s meaningful," Lily replied, gesturing to a nearby chair. "I’m sorry I haven’t been able to meet with you; my schedule is packed."

"I understand. You’re a director now, after all," Alex said with a smile, sitting down and leaning forward slightly. He handed her one of the bags. "These are for my father. Could you give them to him when you have time?"

Knowing it contained his wedding video, Lily placed it aside and agreed readily. "Of course."

"There’s also the share transfer agreement," Alex added, pulling out a black folder and opening it. "The terms are all clearly outlined. You can take a look."

The share transfer agreement.

Lily hesitated, Ethan’s earlier words echoing in her mind.

"He killed your father! That way, he could take full control of the Carter Group!"

She wanted to trust Alex completely, but Ethan’s accusations lingered in her thoughts for some reason.

Looking at Alex’s gentle smile, Lily forced a smile of her own. "My father’s estate hasn’t been fully transferred to me yet. Once the legal processes are complete, I’ll handle the transfer."

A flicker of hurt crossed Alex’s face. "Do you believe Ethan’s accusations? That I was involved in exposing the base and the central government’s intervention?"

Lily remained silent for a moment before meeting his gaze. "If that’s true, then everything I know about the world will have changed."

She thought back to the times Alex had carried her when she was injured, searched for her for nine years without giving up, and treated her kindly, even knowing about her past with Ethan.

If such a gentle, noble man had orchestrated everything... If he had been responsible for her father’s death... It would shatter her understanding of reality. It would be an even greater betrayal than the previous generation’s infidelity.

She preferred to believe in what she held onto—her convictions—as long as they didn’t harm Ethan.

Hearing this, Alex’s expression froze. For a moment, he couldn’t meet her eyes.

Quickly recovering, Alex offered a faint smile and put the folder away. "You two haven’t fought, have you?"

How could they not have fought?

But they had reconciled quickly.

Before Lily could say no, a brash voice cut through the air. "What, are you hoping we did?!"

Turning, Lily saw Ethan striding in with a thermos in hand. His gaze was cold and provocatively fixed on Alex.

"You’re here?" Lily’s face lit up with surprise as she looked at Ethan. He had been so busy lately, and this was the first time he’d visited her on set since filming began.

"You said you were hungry, didn’t you?" Ethan snorted, handing her the thermos.

"Is it duck blood vermicelli soup?" Lily asked as she opened it. Sure enough, it was vermicelli soup. "Did you make it again?"

She had thought he was serious about making her chew her fingers... This overbearing tyrant.

"What else?" Ethan raised an eyebrow and sat beside her, watching her content expression. A faint smile tugged at his lips. Was there someone who could crave vermicelli soup this much?