59: Chapter 59 Breakfast Time with Hidden Thoughts

Huang Mao sat upright at the dining table, his expression complex.

He looked at the breakfast in front of him, which could only be described as perfect, and felt deeply suspicious.

These golden, glistening scrambled eggs, this perfectly fried bacon, and this salad plated as exquisitely as in a Western restaurant...

Was this really made by An Ran?

The kitchen killer who had to be taught step-by-step just to fry an egg yesterday morning?

With the mindset of someone heading to their execution, he carefully used his fork to pick up a small piece of scrambled egg and put it into his mouth.

The moment it entered his mouth, Huang Mao's eyes widened sharply.

Tender and smooth! Rich and fragrant!

The deliciousness of the egg mixed with a faint milky scent and the richness of butter, instantly melting on his tongue.

This texture was simply superb!

"How is it?" An Ran looked at him with anticipation, like a kitten waiting for its owner's praise.

"...Delicious, very delicious."

Huang Mao praised sincerely, then speared another large mouthful.

"Really? Is it that good?"

He nodded without hesitation and praised her genuinely: "Really, An Ran, when did your cooking skills get this good? It's exaggerated."

This praise was more satisfying to An Ran than any sweet nothings.

She felt like she was floating, the corners of her mouth curling up wildly, but she still maintained that tsundere look.

"Hmph! What do you mean 'get this good'?"

"This young lady has always been talented, okay! I was just too lazy to show it before!"

Upon hearing this, Huang Mao couldn't help but retort: "Is that so? Then who was it yesterday morning that almost fried an egg into charcoal?"

"You!"

An Ran's face turned red instantly, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

She stiffened her neck and forced a defense: "That... that was because I hadn't studied seriously yet! When I get serious, even I get scared!"

Just then, Su Muxue walked over carrying three cups of warm milk, wearing that eternally perfect smile.

She placed the milk gently in front of everyone and added softly:

"Master is right, Sister An Ran is truly amazing."

"I only offered a little bit of guidance on the side, and she learned everything immediately. Her talent is truly excellent."

This sounded like praise for An Ran, but it quietly pointed out her own contribution.

Her level was truly high.

Hearing this, An Ran was even more pleased with herself, feeling like a buried culinary genius.

She even thought that this woman, Su Muxue, didn't seem so annoying after all!

For a moment, her guard against Su Muxue lowered just a tiny bit.

On the other side of the dining table, Leng Qingxuan was quietly eating her breakfast in small bites.

Her inner world was far more turbulent than she appeared on the surface.

An Ran... actually managed to reach this level?

If it were the her from before last night, seeing this scene, her mentality would have already collapsed.

The childhood sweetheart not only occupied the right time and place, but now she had also unlocked the "virtuous helper" attribute.

Wouldn't that make her, the latecomer, effectively solidify the title of "most useless vase"?

However... for now...

Leng Qingxuan's gaze swept back and forth between An Ran's smug face and Su Muxue's gentle, smiling face.

Finally, her gaze landed on Huang Mao.

She silently took a sip of milk, her mind beginning to rapidly review the situation.

An Ran and Su Muxue were following the traditional "favorability" route.

By showcasing their life skills, they were competing for the ecological niche of "main wife" and "virtuous helper."

This path looked very stable, very mainstream.

But last night, she had taken a completely different route.

That was... the "accomplice" route.

They were still on the first level, thinking about how to please him, how to take care of his stomach.

But she had already jumped to the third level, directly catering to his most fundamental needs.

Could breakfast and housework compare to this kind of relationship?

Thinking of this, a secret sense of superiority welled up in Leng Qingxuan's heart.

That's right, she had already overtaken them on a bend.

Looking at the harmonious breakfast scene before her, which even felt a bit like a family, she not only didn't feel anxious, but instead thought... it was quite interesting.

This game was getting more and more fun.

Meanwhile, Huang Mao felt like he had thorns on his back while eating.

He could clearly feel that from the moment he sat at the dining table, Su Muxue's gaze had not left him.

That gaze appeared gentle, but in reality, it was like superglue, welded tightly onto him.

It was as if an artisan waiting to see the results was observing whether the master was satisfied with her "work."

Huang Mao didn't even need to think much; by putting himself into Su Muxue's somewhat twisted mode of thinking, he could guess it almost accurately.

She was using the method of helping An Ran to buy people's hearts and lower An Ran's hostility toward her.

At the same time, she was also demonstrating her "value" to him.

See, Master, not only can I serve you personally, but I can also help you manage your "harem" and make them more useful as well.

I am indispensable.

Huang Mao sighed silently in his heart.

What exactly was this girl worried about?

Even if she did nothing, could he really kick her out?

But... never mind, it wasn't a bad thing anyway.

At least today's breakfast was indeed delicious.

...

After breakfast, it wasn't early anymore; it was time to leave for school.

"Su Muxue, wait a moment."

Huang Mao called out to Su Muxue, who was about to return to her room to get her schoolbag.

His expression was serious, and he said in a deep voice: "There is something I need to discuss with you."

"The fact that the three of you are living here with me, it's best to keep it a secret at school."

"So, to avoid unnecessary trouble and gossip, we must leave at different times."

Su Muxue listened quietly, but her heart surged with completely different waves.

Gossip?

She wished for this gossip to be known by everyone; it would be best if it made the campus headlines!

She had even started to fantasize about that scene...

When the whole school was discussing "Eldest Miss of the Su Family living with a mysterious man," she would generously log onto the campus forum.

Using her own account, she would post a pinned thread.

The content of the post was simple:

【Yes, I am indeed living with Student Huang Mao. Because, I am the person who serves him.】

She would add one or two photos taken in the villa, with ambiguous but not explicit angles.

For example, a profile shot of her kneeling on the carpet, looking up at Huang Mao sitting on the sofa.

Or perhaps, a picture taken from behind, of her kneeling on the ground helping Huang Mao fasten his belt—or perhaps not fastening his belt.

Then the comment section would surely be very exciting.

Just thinking about that scene, Su Muxue felt an indescribable sense of happiness welling up in her body.

To let the whole world know that she belonged to her master.

This sense of belonging fascinated her more than anything else.

However, fantasies are just fantasies.

When she came back to her senses and met Huang Mao's serious eyes, an incredibly obedient expression immediately appeared on her face.

"Yes."

She bowed slightly and replied softly: "Everything will be as Master arranges."

An Ran and Leng Qingxuan, having heard the conversation, also walked over.

"Huang Mao is right; if people at school find out about this, it will definitely blow up." An Ran was rarely serious.

Leng Qingxuan also nodded: "The pressure of public opinion will be very troublesome."

Thus, the four of them gathered on the living room sofa and held an emergency war meeting.

The theme of the meeting was: How to complete the daily staggered commute to and from school like secret agents, without being discovered by anyone.

"I'll go first; I have morning training at the Sports Department, so I have to leave before dawn." An Ran said first.

"Then I'll be second." Leng Qingxuan thought for a moment, "I can set off three minutes after An Ran leaves."

Huang Mao nodded: "Alright, then I'll be the last one; I'm not in a hurry anyway."

"What about me, Master?" Su Muxue asked, blinking her eyes.

"You can just be between Leng Qingxuan and me."

"Okay."

Just like that, a "staggered school commute battle plan," precise to the minute, was freshly released.

Its level of rigor was comparable to secret agent rendezvous codes in movies.

Just when everyone thought the matter had been settled, Su Muxue took the initiative again.

"Master, sisters."

She suggested with a smile: "In order to make our lives more organized, and to better serve Master, I think we should create a detailed chore roster."

As soon as she finished speaking, she pulled out a neatly folded A4 sheet of paper from the pocket of her loungewear as if by magic.

In front of the three of them, she slowly unfolded it.

It was a handwritten chore schedule.

The handwriting was graceful and clear, and she had used pens of different colors to detail the daily and weekly cleaning tasks.

From "deep cleaning the kitchen on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays," to "vacuuming public areas on Tuesdays and Thursdays," and then to "changing bed linens on weekends."

It was even more detailed than the housekeeping standards of a five-star hotel.

An Ran and Leng Qingxuan leaned over to look and were stunned.

They discovered that over seventy percent of the chores on the chart, which included almost all the heavy and tiring work like cooking, laundry, and cleaning, clearly had one name written next to them—Su Muxue.

And the only things left for them were light tasks like "wiping the dining table after meals" and "tidying up sofa cushions."

This wasn't a chore roster?

This was clearly a "maid's contract of indenture"!

Huang Mao took the chart, and after just one glance, the corner of his eye couldn't help but twitch.

He sighed and placed the chart on the coffee table.

"Muxue, there's no need for this."

He looked at Su Muxue and said in a calm but serious tone: "We are living together, not working at a company."

"Making everything so orderly will instead make people feel troubled, always having things on their minds, adding unnecessary annoyance."

"For these chores, whoever has time can just do them; no need to make it like a clock-in task."

Hearing Huang Mao's words, the smile on Su Muxue's face didn't change in the slightest.

She just looked at Huang Mao quietly and then nodded.

"Yes, Master is right."

"It was indeed my lack of consideration; I always wanted to do things to the best of my ability, but I neglected everyone's feelings."

"In the future, I will also be like Master, considering problems more comprehensively before acting."

After saying this, she picked up the schedule she had carefully prepared.

In front of everyone's surprised gazes, without hesitation, with a "rip" sound, she tore it into two halves.

Then, she tore it again, and again.

Until it became a pile of irreparable scraps of paper, which she gently placed into the trash can.

Throughout the whole process, her expression didn't show a shred of regret or reluctance.

It was as if she were just throwing away a piece of scrap paper.

Huang Mao looked at her and sighed again in his heart.

This woman... is really something else.

He shook his head and stood up.

"Alright, it's getting late."

"An Ran, hurry up and get ready, then let's go."