Xiao Lou went to the bathroom to wash her face after getting up early, and Yu Hanjiang had just finished washing up when the two bumped into each other in the hallway.
Recalling the ambiguous scenes in her dream last night, Xiao Lou didn't dare to look Yu Hanjiang in the eye. She whispered "Good morning," then immediately lowered her head, her ears turning red, and turned to go into the bathroom.
Yu Hanjiang wanted to greet him, but Xiao Lou disappeared in an instant? Yu Hanjiang was silent for a moment before realizing that Xiao Lou probably needed to use the restroom. He couldn't wait for him at the restroom door, so he went to the kitchen to make breakfast.
When Lao Mo came downstairs, he was exercising on the balcony. When he saw Captain Yu, he greeted him with a smile, " Captain Yu, up so early?"
Yu Hanjiang said casually, "Yeah, I woke up from a nightmare."
Old Mo asked curiously, " You beat Red Heart 8 fairly smoothly, so why are you having nightmares?"
Yu Hanjiang: "..."
Strictly speaking, it wasn't a nightmare, but rather a hazy, beautiful dream. He dreamt of his wedding night with Xiao Lou, and he forced Xiao Lou to call him "husband." Xiao Lou blushed and refused, but finally softly uttered " Hanjiang."
Yu Hanjiang was startled awake and felt somewhat shameless.
The story of Turmoil of War has ended, but he still can't forget that world.
During the more than ten nights he shared a bed with Xiao Lou, he couldn't sleep well at all. When he felt Xiao Lou's gentle presence, his heart would beat so fast that he couldn't control it. He wanted to reach out and hug the "wife" beside him, but he was worried that Xiao Lou would hate him, so he could only try his best to restrain himself.
The plot of this locked room mystery is complex, and the case is full of twists and turns, but these are not the most difficult aspects.
Sleeping in the same bed with Xiao Lou every day, yet having to restrain yourself from getting close—that's an S-level difficulty.
As Yu Hanjiang recalled those scenes, his gaze became complicated. Old Mo carefully observed his expression, scratched his head in confusion, and said worriedly, "Was that nightmare... very scary? Captain Yu, you don't look well!"
Yu Hanjiang snapped out of his daze and quickly regained his composure: "It's nothing, just a dream."
He turned and walked toward the kitchen, saying in a low voice, "I'll go prepare breakfast."
Old Mo couldn't help but follow, thinking that Professor Xiao usually prepared breakfast, so what was wrong with Captain Yu today, that he was cooking for himself?
They had bought a lot of food from the supermarket beforehand, and the eggs and milk were stored in the refrigerator. This time, the storyline of going to the Peach Eight Secret Chamber had taken decades, but only three days had actually passed in the main city. The food was still fresh and hadn't expired.
Yu Hanjiang deftly took eggs out of the refrigerator, turned on the stove, poured in oil, and put on an apron, ready to make fried eggs for everyone.
Old Mo rolled up his sleeves and went into the kitchen, intending to help heat up the milk and toast the bread. Just then, Xiao Lou came downstairs. He had already washed his face and looked refreshed. He was wearing loose-fitting home clothes, barefoot in slippers, and his hair was neatly combed.
Seeing Yu Hanjiang wearing an apron and cooking in the kitchen, Xiao Lou was taken aback for a moment, then immediately went over and said, "Let me do it. I've always been in charge of cooking. Captain Yu, you can just wait and eat over there."
Yu Hanjiang looked at him and said softly, "You're off today, I'll make breakfast. I can't always let you work so hard."
Meeting the man's deep eyes, Xiao Lou's heart skipped a beat. She pretended to be calm and said, "It's okay. Cooking is also a form of rest. It relaxes the mind and also helps to stretch the muscles... Have you already heated the oil? I'll toast the bread."
Seeing that Xiao Lou had already rolled up his sleeves and walked to the bread machine, Yu Hanjiang had no choice but to say helplessly, "Then let's make it together."
Mo Xuemin stood to the side, unable to get a word in edgewise—strangely, after Yu Hanjiang and Xiao Lou came into the kitchen, Mo Xuemin always felt particularly superfluous? He immediately said tactfully, "Well, then I'll leave breakfast to you two. I'm going for a run outside!" With that, he quickly slipped away.
After Lao Mo left, only the two of them remained in the kitchen, and the atmosphere suddenly became ambiguous.
The oil in the pan was already heated. Yu Hanjiang, wearing an apron, treated the fried eggs with the same seriousness as taking notes during an interrogation of a criminal. He stared intently at the pan, afraid of burning them.
The man's usually resolute and sharp features softened considerably because of this scene. Standing beside him, Xiao Lou looked at Yu Hanjiang's handsome profile and suddenly had the illusion of a young couple making breakfast together at home…
He immediately composed himself, stopped his random thoughts, and turned to bake bread.
The aroma of fried eggs soon filled the pan. A moment later, Yu Hanjiang scooped out the first fried egg and handed it to Xiao Lou: "This is my first time making this. Try it."
Xiao Lou noticed the egg's shape was a bit odd, almost hexagonal. It was clear Captain Yu wasn't very skilled at cooking, but for a first attempt, getting it cooked through was already quite an achievement. He took it, tasted it, his lips twitching slightly, and asked softly, "Didn't you put salt in it?"
Yu Hanjiang looked completely innocent: "Do you need to add salt when frying eggs?"
Xiao Lou was both amused and exasperated: "It tastes too bland without salt, so it's better to add less."
Yu Hanjiang nodded seriously: "Okay, I'll do the second one now, and Madam can give me some guidance from the side."
Xiao Lou: "..."
Yu Hanjiang: "..."
Both of them were stunned when they heard this.
Xiao Lou's ears turned bright red instantly.
Wait, what does "madam, please give me some guidance" mean? He's still calling her "madam" even in the main city world. Is this a slip of the tongue?
Yu Hanjiang realized he had called her by the wrong name and felt a little embarrassed.
but,
His expression was already quite serious, so you couldn't tell he was blushing. Yu Hanjiang coughed lightly and explained, "Sorry, I got used to calling him that in the secret room and forgot to change it... You're not angry, are you?"
Xiao Lou pretended to be nonchalant, giving the other person a way out: "It's okay, I didn't actually hear what you just said."
Yu Hanjiang: "..."
Didn't you hear me? That's good.
Yu Hanjiang then changed his tune in a serious manner, saying, "I'll ask you to teach me how to fry eggs." He paused, then added, "I usually get up early, and I can't sleep anyway, so I'll take care of breakfast from now on, and you can sleep for an extra half hour."
Xiao Lou's heart pounded wildly at the address of "Madam".
He didn't quite catch what Yu Hanjiang was explaining, but he grasped the key point—teaching how to make fried eggs.
Seeing that Yu Hanjiang had poured more oil into the pan, Xiao Lou walked over to him and reminded him, "Don't use too much oil, and don't let the oil get too hot... Hmm, that's about right. Turn the heat down when you're frying the eggs, don't use high heat, or they'll burn easily."
Yu Hanjiang listened attentively, learning as he went.
Xiao Lou said, "Okay, now you can add salt... Add a little to the oil and stir well. This will make the fried eggs taste better. If you sprinkle salt directly on the eggs, it's easy for one part to be salty and the other part to be bland."
As Yu Hanjiang did as instructed, he asked in a low voice, "Is this correct?"
Xiao Lou nodded: "That's right. Put the eggs in... don't stir them, or the shape will look weird."
Yu Hanjiang suddenly realized: "No wonder that egg was so ugly. I flipped it over with the shovel several times."
Xiao Lou: "..."
You found a hexagonal egg, Captain Yu, that's impressive!
Under Xiao Lou's guidance, the egg-frying process went incredibly smoothly.
The kitchen was filled with delicious aromas, and Xiao Lou's voice sounded exceptionally gentle.
Is this what liking someone is like? As long as Xiao Lou is by my side, I feel happy even doing the simplest little things.
A thought involuntarily surfaced in Yu Hanjiang's mind—if he could be with Xiao Lou in the future, he would make breakfast for her every morning when she woke up. His cooking skills were still quite poor, but he believed they would improve. He could even download recipes and learn to make Xiao Lou's favorite foods.
Remember Xiao Lou's love for barbecue? It's the only culinary skill he's good at. If you have the chance, you can invite Xiao Lou out for barbecue again. I'll personally grill all sorts of delicious meat skewers for him.
While lost in thought, Yu Hanjiang fried an egg, and the second egg was quickly and successfully cooked.
With Chef Xiao personally directing, the egg was perfectly round, and its golden color made Yu Hanjiang's appetite increase. He took a Western-style knife, cut the egg in half from the middle, and looked at Xiao Lou, saying, "Try it."
Xiao Lou joked, "Are you making me a guinea pig to taste your cooking again?"
Yu Hanjiang said, "That way I can know your taste, whether you like it saltier or less salty, and I'll be able to adjust accordingly next time."
Xiao Lou: "..."
The way you're saying that makes it sound like this fried egg was made especially for him...
Xiao Lou's heart was pounding. She immediately avoided Yu Hanjiang's gaze, lowered her head, picked up half of the fried egg, put it in her mouth, tasted it carefully, and commented, "It's delicious."
Yu Hanjiang put the remaining half into his mouth and exclaimed, "It's really delicious!"
The two exchanged a glance, then simultaneously looked away, embarrassed.
They made fried eggs together and then shared them equally. It was a simple daily routine, but it made their hearts race. This feeling of "a young couple living together" was especially warm, and an ambiguous atmosphere lingered in the kitchen.
Yu Hanjiang really wanted to pull Xiao Lou into his arms and gently kiss her lips.
That feeling must be infinitely better than in a dream.
However, every time he met Xiao Lou's clear eyes, he felt guilty about his thoughts.
Xiao Lou appeared quite composed, seemingly regarding Yu Hanjiang only as a comrade-in-arms. If Xiao Lou were to act recklessly at this point, he would surely be angry, right? If their relationship soured, it wouldn't just affect their personal feelings, but also their subsequent challenges and the other teammates.
Yu Hanjiang is always decisive. In the real world, he would confess his feelings directly, and even if Xiao Lou rejected him, he would continue to pursue her sincerely until he won her over.
But now it's Card World. Before he's sure Xiao Lou has feelings for him, he should confess rashly. If he fails, it won't just be a personal heartbreak for him, but it could also ruin the whole team's plans. He can't be impulsive before he's sure.
Yu Hanjiang's mind raced as he pondered how to pursue Xiao Lou.
Little did they know, Xiao Lou was also struggling with this decision.
Captain Yu was very kind to him, but Yu Hanjiang acted too upright, completely like a "straight man of steel." Xiao Lou was naturally too embarrassed to confess his feelings. What if Captain Yu said with a serious face, "Sorry, I only consider you a friend"? That would be so awkward!
I can only keep my feelings to myself for now and try to find an opportunity to see if Captain Yu can accept a boyfriend.
The two were making breakfast in the kitchen while lost in thought.
They are both very calm people, so they won't impulsively confess their feelings. Both of them have never been in a relationship before, so their romantic histories are very simple. They are like snails hiding in their shells, secretly peeking out their heads and antennae to test each other, but they don't dare to cross that line.
As Shao Qingge walked to the top of the stairs, he saw Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang cooking in the kitchen.
As Yu Hanjiang turned around, Xiao Lou secretly glanced at Captain Yu's back; as Xiao Lou turned around, Yu Hanjiang turned back to look at Xiao Lou's back, their eyes meeting.
Inside, there was an undisguised fondness, appreciation, and adoration.
But once they were face to face, the two of them immediately became serious and calm, and spoke as if it were business.
" Captain Yu, where do you think we should go next?"
"You can also call me Captain Yu. We're not in a superior-subordinate relationship, so you can continue to call me by my name in private."
"I'm used to calling you that." Xiao Lou's face flushed slightly, and she changed her address, " Hanjiang, we used to go to Diamonds after Hearts, what about this time? Are we going to Diamonds again?"
"Hmm, let's go in order." Yu Hanjiang's heart fluttered at the way he was called " Hanjiang ". He maintained his composure on the surface, but a hint of tenderness involuntarily showed in his eyes. "Old Mo's S card can change perspective, so there's no need to worry too much even if we encounter a maze."
Shao Qingge almost laughed out loud.
I thought that the two of them cooking together in the kitchen so early in the morning meant that their relationship had progressed.
The result was that they made breakfast while pretending to calmly discuss plans.
These two Heart Room masters, so skilled at solving mysteries, how come they became such terrible D-rated guys when faced with their own emotional puzzles?
******