Su Yueqing stopped waving the giant wooden spoon and glared at Wenzhe through the gray smoke. The anger from their fight in the bedroom was still boiling hot inside her chest, and seeing his face definitely didn’t help.

She turned her back to him completely, ignoring his question. Instead, she looked down at the giant iron pot. Inside, a sticky, pitch-black lump of something was stuck to the bottom, bubbling angrily and smelling like a tire fire.

[Ugh, I really am a terrible cook,]

Su Yueqing thought, feeling a wave of defeat as she stared at the burnt mess.

[But it’s not my fault! Anytime I get this angry or upset, eating is the only thing that helps. I just wanted some comfort food, but instead, I made a weapon of mass destruction.]

Wenzhe, who was standing just a few steps away, blinked as her thoughts echoed clearly in his mind. The alcohol had mostly worn off, and hearing her complaints made the tension in his shoulders ease just a little. He finally understood why she had run all the way here in the middle of the night. She was just stressed out and hungry.

Without saying a word, Wenzhe walked over. He stepped right into the smoke, reached out, and took hold of her small hand, his large fingers gently grasping the wooden spoon she was holding.

Su Yueqing flinched, trying to pull her hand back. "What do you want?!" she snapped, looking up at him.

She didn’t realize how ridiculous she looked right now. Her pale, pearl-like skin was covered in messy streaks of black charcoal, her long dark hair was slightly frizzy from the steam, and she was pouting like a frustrated child.

[Why is he touching my hand? Look at him, acting all noble again. He’s probably judging me for being messy. I look like a chimney sweep and he’s just standing there like a giant, annoying block of wood.]

Wenzhe listened to her internal cursing, but looking at her dark, charcoal-stained face, he didn’t find it annoying at all. In fact, he found it incredibly cute. A small tug pulled at the corner of his lips, but he quickly forced it down.

"Why are you staring at me?!" Su Yueqing demanded, narrowing her ink-black eyes.

Getting back to his senses, Wenzhe cleared his throat and coughed, trying to look completely serious. He gently but firmly pulled her away from the stove.

"Move," Wenzhe said, his voice deep and commanding. "You can’t do anything right here. Just move out of the way."

Su Yueqing stumbled back a step, crossing her arms over her crimson robe. "Excuse me?!"

Wenzhe didn’t answer. He took off the heavy, fur-lined cloak he had brought for her and carefully draped it over her shoulders to keep her warm. Then, he turned to the stove and began rolling up the wide sleeves of his dark robe, exposing his strong, muscular forearms.

"I’ll make you something," he said casually, looking at the ingredients scattered on the table. "What do you want?"

Su Yueqing gave him a deeply suspicious glare, her eyebrows lifting. "Do you want to poison me or what? I refuse to eat whatever you are making! And don’t talk to me!"

She turned her face away, frowning deeply and hugging the cloak tighter around herself. She was trying her best to look fierce and cold, but with the black smudge on her nose and her cheeks puffed out in anger, Wenzhe still found her completely adorable.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Wenzhe looked around at the absolute disaster she had made on the counter. There was flour on the floor, spilled water everywhere, and a bowl of mangled dough.

"What were you even attempting to make?" Wenzhe asked, picking up a piece of the sticky dough. "Hand-pulled noodles? They look more like river mud."

"It was ’supposed’ to be scallion pancakes!" she muttered under her breath, her face turning a little redder under the charcoal.

Wenzhe let out a low chuckle. Without another word, he scooped up the ruined, burnt food from the iron pot and discarded it entirely. He grabbed a fresh bowl, poured some flour, and cleanly cracked an egg into it, his movements quick and practiced. He was a warrior who had spent years cooking over campfires during military campaigns, so a kitchen was nothing to him.

Su Yueqing watched him from the corner of her eye, her mouth slightly open.

[Wait... this guy actually knows how to cook?]

Wenzhe worked fast. He cut some fresh scallions into perfect, even pieces. His large hands moved with total control. He mixed the dough, rolled it flat, and threw it into a clean, oiled pan over the fire. In just a few minutes, a delicious smell filled the room, completely replacing the bad smoke.

Su Yueqing’s stomach let out a loud growl.

She quickly pressed her hand against her belly, her face turning bright red. She looked away, pretending nothing happened, but the yummy smell of fried dough was driving her crazy.

[Stupid stomach,] she cursed in her head, pulling the heavy coat tighter.

[Why do you have to embarrass me in front of this guy? I said I wasn’t going to eat his food. I have pride! I am a powerful villainess... who is currently starving.]

Wenzhe heard her thoughts, and a small smile finally showed on his face. He flipped the pancake with an easy twist of his wrist. It was perfectly golden and crispy on both sides.

He slid the hot pancake onto a clean wooden plate, grabbed some chopsticks, and walked over to the small table. He set the plate down right in front of her.

"Eat," Wenzhe said simply, crossing his arms.

Su Yueqing looked at the crispy pancake, then looked up at him. She narrowed her eyes. "I already told you, I am not eating your food. Take it away."

"You just spent ten minutes yelling at me," Wenzhe said calmly. His voice wasn’t angry anymore, just tired. "If you want to keep hating me till the end, you need energy to do it. Eat."

Su Yueqing bit her lip. He was using her own words against her, which made her mad. But the pancake smelled too good to resist.

Slowly, keeping her eyes fixed on him, she reached out and snatched the chopsticks.

"Fine," she snapped, breaking off a piece. "But I’m only eating so I don’t die of hunger in your ugly house. It has nothing to do with you."

She shoved the piece into her mouth. The outside was super crunchy, the inside was soft, and the flavor was perfect. It was the best thing she had eaten since coming to this world.

Her eyes went wide with joy before she quickly forced her face back into a frown. She swallowed hard.

"It’s just okay," she lied bluntly. "My maids make it way better."

Wenzhe didn’t look mad. He just stood there, watching her face soften as she immediately grabbed a much bigger piece. He reached into his robe, pulled out a clean white cloth, and stepped closer to her.

Su Yueqing froze, her chopsticks stopping in mid-air. "What are you doing? Stay back."

Wenzhe didn’t listen. He leaned down a bit, brought the cloth to her face, and gently began wiping away the black charcoal from her cheek and nose. His touch was very soft for a warrior.

Su Yueqing stopped breathing for a second. She stayed completely still, her heart doing a strange, sudden flip in her chest as she stared up into his dark eyes under the warm kitchen light.