140: Chapter 140 Breakfast Interaction

Her voice still held a hint of huskiness. After speaking, she lowered her head and let out a soft laugh, but feeling a bit embarrassed afterward, she turned her face away.

Hu Tian didn't respond, merely turning his head to look at her quietly. His gaze landed on her slightly reddened earlobes and lingered for a second. He said nothing, though the corners of his mouth twitched imperceptibly.

"Are you hungry?" he asked.

"Yes."

Zhou Waner patted her stomach and said with righteous conviction, "I only had a glass of milk last night, and it's already ten o'clock. Aren't you hungry?"

"I am."

"Then get up."

After saying this, she nimbly rolled out of bed. Her feet hit the floor, and she raised her hands to gather her messy hair, tying it back casually with a hair tie. She walked to the window and pulled the curtain open a crack.

Sunlight poured in suddenly, bright and white, illuminating the entire bedroom.

Zhou Waner instinctively squinted, waiting until her eyes adjusted before looking out. The weather outside was excellent; the sky was as blue as if it had been freshly washed, and the leaves of the street trees below swayed gently in the breeze.

"The weather is nice today," she remarked casually.

The person on the bed didn't respond. She glanced back and saw that Hu Tian had already sat up, his back to her. One hand rubbed the back of his neck with sluggish movements, looking as if he wasn't fully awake yet.

Zhou Waner walked over, stooped down, picked up his shirt pressed against the corner of the nightstand, and draped it over his shoulders.

"Get up and wash your face; I'm going to make breakfast."

Hu Tian caught the shirt and looked down at her. His expression was still a bit languid, but there was something relaxed and soft about his brows and eyes, quite different from his usual deep and brooding demeanor.

He reached out and pinched the ends of her casually tied hair, giving it a gentle tug. It wasn't forceful, just a casual brush, before he let go.

"Go ahead."

"Okay."

Zhou Waner straightened up, smoothed out her rumpled loungewear, and shuffled out of the bedroom, heading toward the kitchen.

There were ingredients left over from last night in the fridge. She opened it to check, then placed eggs, toast, and a carton of milk on the counter. She also found half a cucumber and two tomatoes, washing them and placing them in the drain basket.

Butter began to sizzle in the pan. She cracked two eggs into it, the egg whites spreading out, their edges slowly curling and crisping as the aroma wafted out.

Before long, Hu Tian finished washing up and walked into the kitchen. Standing behind her, he looked over her shoulder into the pan, "What are you making?"

"Fried eggs and toast."

Zhou Waner didn't turn her head, "Just a simple meal, if you don't mind."

"I don't mind."

His voice was back to normal, no longer carrying that morning huskiness. He took a step toward the fridge, took out the carton of milk, grabbed two cups from the cupboard, poured the milk, and put them in the microwave.

One person frying eggs, the other heating milk—the kitchen was quiet but not lonely. The humming of the stove and the low whir of the microwave blended together, creating an indescribable sense of domestic warmth.

A few minutes later, Zhou Waner served the fried eggs, and the toast was pressed into the toaster. Hu Tian brought the heated milk to the dining table, and the two sat on opposite sides.

Sunlight slanted in from the floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room, casting a shallow halo of light onto the white porcelain plates on the table.

Zhou Waner took a bite of toast, chewed, and tilted her head to look out the window, "Do you think we should head to West Lake early today? It's only past ten, and there won't be many people if we go in the afternoon."

Hu Tian took a sip of milk, "Sure, you decide."

Zhou Waner glared at him, "You're doing it again. Can't you say a few more words?"

"We'll leave at two in the afternoon, go for a walk at the Broken Bridge first, and book a window seat at the Louwailou Restaurant for the evening. You like looking at the lake view."

After he finished speaking, he lowered his head to continue drinking his milk, his expression calm, as if these words were just stating the most ordinary of things.

Zhou Waner rested her chin on her hand, watched him for a moment, and the corners of her mouth slowly curled up.

"Alright. I'll listen to you."

She picked up the toast again and took a bite. The warm sunlight fell on her cheek, clearly illuminating the lingering, faint redness on her earlobes.

Outside the window, the blue sky was bright and clear. The wind turned the leaves of the trees below, one or two drifting down gently.

Hu Tian didn't speak again, merely looking at her quietly. His gaze lingered for a moment before he withdrew it.

He picked up his cup and slowly finished the last of the milk.

The two cleared the dining table. Zhou Waner stacked the plates and put them in the dishwasher, while Hu Tian wiped down the tabletop. Their cooperation was natural; without unnecessary words or deliberate division of labor, they tidied up the kitchen just like that.

Zhou Waner returned to the bedroom to change. She pulled out a light apricot-colored knitted cardigan and put it on. Looking down, she felt the color was fine, so she found a pair of white casual pants to wear. She stood in front of the full-length mirror, checking herself from both sides, gathered her hair, and changed it into a loose bun with a few stray strands falling by her ears.

Hu Tian came out after changing his clothes, wearing a dark blue jacket and ordinary dark trousers. Standing there, he was unadorned, yet he carried an indescribable aura of authority, like a sword sheathed—quiet, but not to be underestimated.

Zhou Waner grabbed her bag and glanced at him, "Let's go."

"Mm."

The two went downstairs, got in the car, and headed toward Zhou Waner's hometown.

It was quiet in the car. Zhou Waner leaned against the window, watching the streets outside slowly recede. The shadows of the trees flickered, and the sunlight was sliced into fragments against the glass.

She thought of last night, and the hazy domestic warmth in the kitchen this morning. Something inside her heart softened, but she couldn't quite describe the feeling, so she simply stopped thinking about it, closed her eyes, and leaned against the window frame to nap.

Hu Tian sat beside her, occasionally glancing down at her, but said nothing.

The car drove for about twenty minutes before turning into a quiet old street and stopping in front of an old-fashioned house with a courtyard.

As soon as Zhou Waner jumped out of the car, she saw movement in the courtyard. The door was ajar, and a white-haired old man was crouching by the courtyard wall tending to his flower pots. With his back to her, he moved slowly but with great care—it was Elder Zhou Bo.

"Grandpa."

Zhou Waner pushed open the courtyard gate and walked in. As soon as her voice fell, the old man turned his head. Beneath his gray eyebrows, his eyes were very bright. Seeing her, he swept a glance at her, then immediately shifted his gaze behind her. Upon seeing Hu Tian, he snorted, stood up, and wiped the dirt from his hands onto his apron.

"Not a single phone call yesterday. Do you not care whether your grandpa is dead or alive?"

Zhou Waner walked over, linked her arm with his, and looked up with a smile, "Something came up unexpectedly yesterday. Isn't that why I came specially today to check in on you?"

Elder Zhou shot a sidelong glance, let his eyes linger on Hu Tian, and snorted, "Unexpected business? What kind of business?"

"Grandpa—" "Alright, alright, as long as you're back."

Although Elder Zhou said this, his tone softened. He looked at Hu Tian and nodded, "Little Hu, come in and sit."

Hu Tian responded and followed the two into the house.

The house was small but kept very tidy. There was old-fashioned wooden furniture, and on the Curio Shelf sat several pieces of porcelain. They weren't particularly valuable, but each had its own history. Hu Tian swept a glance over them, his gaze pausing on a small celadon jar in the corner. He didn't say much and followed them to sit on the living room sofa.

Elder Zhou brewed tea and sat down himself. He took a slow sip from his teacup, looked at Hu Tian for a long while, and suddenly asked, "You kid, you've been running around outside lately. Where have you been?"

Zhou Waner interjected, "Grandpa, stop asking about these things. Brother Tian has a lot of business, he goes everywhere."

"I'm asking him, why are you interrupting?"

Hu Tian smiled slightly, "I took a trip to Southern Fujian and just got back not long ago."

Elder Zhou nodded without pressing further. He merely looked at him, then at Zhou Waner, his gaze circling between the two of them before he slowly set down his teacup.

"I don't interfere in you young people's affairs, but there is one condition: since Waner is with you, you must protect her well."

Hu Tian's expression didn't change; he simply looked straight at Elder Zhou, "Yes."

A single short word, yet spoken with great steadiness, without a hint of insincerity.

Elder Zhou watched him for a moment, picked up his teacup again, and changed the subject, "Alright, stay for dinner later. I'll have Ah Gui make a couple more dishes."

Zhou Waner's eyes curved into crescents as she leaned toward the old man, "Grandpa is the best."

"Cut that out, go help in the kitchen."

Zhou Waner giggled as she stood up and walked toward the kitchen. Reaching the doorway, she looked back at Hu Tian with an indefinable expression in her eyes before turning and entering the kitchen.

Only Hu Tian and Elder Zhou were left in the living room. The old man held his tea without speaking immediately. After a moment of silence, he suddenly asked, "That celadon jar in the corner—what did you see in it?"

Hu Tian paused, then raised his eyes to look at the small jar, "It's a piece from the Southern Song Dynasty Longquan Kiln. The glaze color is correct, and the shape is correct. It's rare to see one passed down in such complete condition."

Elder Zhou raised an eyebrow, "Little Hu, you still have a sharp eye."

"Compared to you, I'm far behind."

Elder Zhou laughed heartily, this time more genuinely. He sized Hu Tian up again, set his teacup on the table, and said no more.

A fragrant aroma wafted from the kitchen. Ah Gui had made braised pork, steamed fish, and a home-style tofu dish. Zhou Waner brought out a soup bowl, and the four of them sat around the table, enjoying a lively lunch.

Elder Zhou didn't eat much but drank two cups of yellow wine. He was in high spirits and chatted with Hu Tian about some old stories in the antique trade. The two were so engrossed in their conversation that they didn't even notice Zhou Waner trying to interject, which earned them quite a few eye-rolls from her.

After cleaning up post-meal, it was already nearly one o'clock. Zhou Waner sat with the old man in the courtyard for a while, while Hu Tian leaned against the veranda, listening to the old man talk and occasionally chiming in.

The sunlight fell softly, warming the old osmanthus tree in the courtyard. The leaves were motionless, and the air was filled with a faint scent of earth mixed with the aroma of tea.

Near two o'clock, Zhou Waner checked her phone and stood up, "Grandpa, we need to get going. We're going to wander around West Lake today."

Elder Zhou waved his hand, "Go on, go on, stay safe."

"We will."

Zhou Waner leaned over and kissed the old man lightly on the cheek, then straightened up and gave a look to Hu Tian.

The two said goodbye to Elder Zhou, left the courtyard, got into the car, and drove toward the Broken Bridge.

It was just past two in the afternoon.

The sunlight was just right—not too harsh, carrying a lazy warmth that bathed the entire road in brightness.