Not long after Loviki went downstairs, Luolin also walked down. She was wearing training gear and holding the wooden sword Loviki had given her for practice, looking very energetic. “Mr. Chen Mian, Miss Flora, Miss Loviki, good morning!”
Loviki, with her fork in her mouth, looked at Luolin coming down the stairs. “Up so early today?”
“Yes! I haven't mastered the opening stance Miss Loviki taught me yet,” Luolin said, nodding earnestly.
“Then after I finish sparring later, I'll see how your practice is going,” Loviki said with a nod.
Then, her eyes returned to the cake, and she began eating it in tiny bites.
“Why are you suddenly eating so slowly?” Chen Mian asked, looking at Loviki in surprise.
“If I eat too fast, it'll be gone too quickly. I can't bear to finish it,” Loviki said, looking up without a change in expression.
“If you like it, Loviki, I can make more next time,” Flora said, her lips curving up slightly as she rested her chin in her hands and looked at Loviki.
“Flora~ You're really too good to me! You must live with me forever!” Loviki said, looking up with a deeply touched expression.
“I already told you, Flora is mine,” Chen Mian replied with a look of mock disgust.
“No way! She's mine! Flora, hurry up and say who you're going with.” Loviki stopped eating her cake, her ruby eyes locked onto Flora, seemingly waiting for her answer.
She waited for a moment, but still didn't get a response from Flora.
“Flora... your face seems to have turned red again.”
“Huh? Oh! Loviki, hurry up and eat your cake. I'll go bring out the porridge and dishes.” With that, Flora stood up and walked toward the kitchen.
“Flora is acting weird...” Loviki said, looking toward the kitchen suspiciously.
“What's weird about her?”
When she made jokes like this in the past, Flora's face wouldn't get this red.
“Maybe Flora has fallen in love with you?” Chen Mian thought for a moment, looking into Loviki's eyes with a serious expression.
“L-L-Love? No way!” she said, somewhat shocked. “I was just joking...”
“If you joke too many times, it'll be taken seriously,” Chen Mian said as he ate his cake.
“But you said it too!”
“That's different.”
“It's the same!”
“Mr. Chen Mian, what are you two talking about?” Flora asked curiously as she walked out of the kitchen carrying the food.
“Flora, do you like Loviki?” Chen Mian asked, pointing at Loviki.
Flora was taken aback for a moment, then said without any hesitation, “Yes, I do.”
“Eh?! Flora... I mean, I like you too, but my sexual orientation is normal.” Loviki was a bit dazed.
“Loviki, what are you thinking? I meant liking you as a friend.”
“Pfft!” Chen Mian couldn't help but chuckle.
“Chen Mian! Did you do that on purpose?!”
“No, I was just pointing out a possibility.”
Distracted by his teasing, Loviki simply stuffed her face in a huff, no longer dwelling on why Flora had blushed.
“So lively first thing in the morning.” Louise also walked down from upstairs, her silver-gray hair draped casually over her shoulders, the sash of her black bathrobe tied haphazardly.
She naturally went into the kitchen, brought out a slice of cake, pulled out a chair to sit at the dining table, and turned her head to look at Chen Mian. “Where's my gas stove?”
“I'll give it to you in a bit. Disassemble your refrigerator first,” Chen Mian said, picking up a chopstick-full of shredded carrots and putting them into his porridge.
“I've already disassembled and reassembled the refrigerator,” she said, scooping a small bite of cake into her mouth. She then squinted her eyes and looked at Flora. “Flora, this dessert is delicious.”
“I'm glad you like it, Louise,” Flora said with a bright smile, looking completely back to her usual self, perhaps even a bit more relaxed.
“Of course I do!”
After a few more bites, Louise paused her hands and turned her head to look at Chen Mian again. “Aren't you going to call Velyan down to eat?”
“She's injured so badly, let's just wait for her to wake up on her own,” Chen Mian said, shaking his head.
Louise nodded. Having finished the rest of her cake, her violet-gold eyes carried a hint of mischief. “You're smiling a lot more today. Is it because of what happened last night?”
The air fell silent for a brief moment.
Loviki looked up. “Last night? What happened last night?”
A faint blush crept back onto Flora's ears.
Chen Mian's expression remained unchanged. “She's dreaming.”
“Yes, dreaming,” Louise added with a smile. She then turned and walked toward the kitchen, soon returning with a bowl of porridge.
“I feel like there's something wrong with all three of you!” Loviki's gaze drifted between the three of them. Finally, she turned to look at Luolin. “Luolin, do you know what happened last night?”
Luolin shook her head with a look of utter bewilderment.
“There's nothing wrong~ Just like Chen Mian said, I was only dreaming!” Louise said with a serious expression, holding her bowl.
“Yeah! There's really nothing wrong, Loviki,” Flora chimed in.
“It's just Louise talking in her sleep,” Chen Mian said.
Luolin looked blankly from one to the other, then nodded cooperatively. “Then I think there's nothing wrong too.”
“You little fence-sitter!” Loviki reached out and pinched Luolin's cat ears. Luolin let out a soft “whimper” as her cat tail puffed up in surprise.
Louise let out a soft laugh and lowered her head to slowly sip her porridge. Her long silver-gray hair hung down, obscuring her face. With her eyes cast down, the smile remained on her lips, but there was a faint, almost imperceptible trace of something else in it.
Chen Mian glanced at her, reached out to pick up the teapot on the table, and poured himself a cup of Moonlight Grass tea. Then, he casually picked up the empty cup in front of Louise, filled it with Moonlight Grass tea, and slid it back next to her hand.
Louise's eyelashes fluttered slightly. She turned her head, her violet-gold eyes focusing on the cup pushed back to her, the Moonlight Grass tea inside still steaming.
She was stunned for a moment, then picked up the cup and took a sip.
“...Thanks,” Louise said in a very soft voice, quickly returning to her usual nonchalant manner.
Chen Mian placed the teapot back on the table and continued eating his porridge, acting as if he hadn't done anything just now.
Flora's gaze swept gently between them, her lips curving up slightly.
Chen Mian finished his last bite of porridge, set down his bowl, and stood up to stretch his wrists. “Loviki, are you done eating?”
“I'm done.”
The two walked out the door one after the other, and Luolin also set down her bowl, following them with her wooden sword in hand.
Louise sat by the dining table, finished her last sip of tea, and stared toward the doorway for a brief moment before picking up her empty bowl and walking toward the kitchen.
As she passed by Flora, she turned her head and said softly, “Flora, today's dessert was really delicious. It also gave me a very familiar feeling.”
“That's because Mr. Chen Mian taught me how to make it. You must have eaten it before, Louise,” Flora said with a gentle smile.
“Then can you teach me how to make it next time? I can help you out.”
“Of course!” Flora replied with a smile.
Louise nodded and walked into the kitchen with her bowl. The sound of running water splashed, and her soft humming echoed from the kitchen.
“Louise.”
“Hmm?”
“If you want to learn how to make desserts,” Flora paused, her voice slightly softer than before, “you don't have to wait until next time. We can do it now.”
Louise turned off the tap, shook the water droplets off her hands, and turned to look at Flora, a hint of surprise in her violet-gold eyes. “Now? Didn't you just make one this morning?”
“There's no conflict in that,” Flora shook her head, a gentle smile on her lips. “Besides, everyone hasn't had enough yet.”
Louise stood in place, her gaze lingering on Flora's face for a brief moment. Then, she set down the bowl in her hand and replied straightforwardly, “Sure.”
Rate on N.U.
