Chapter 38: Stabbing Others Is Her Specialty

Early the next morning.

After his morning run and vocal exercises, Lu Zhou returned to find the dining room unusually lively.

Everyone was up except Li Jiayan, who had decided to sleep in that day.

“Good morning! Perfect timing—the Portuguese egg tarts just came out of the oven, still warm. Let’s eat together!” Chu Yao, wearing oven mitts, carried a tray of freshly baked egg tarts, distributing them to everyone at the table. When she saw Lu Zhou, she greeted him enthusiastically.

“What's the occasion? Breakfast is so special today,” Lu Zhou said, washing his hands before taking a seat.

“Ask Chu Yao. She got up early to make breakfast, so we get to enjoy such a feast,” Qi Jiajia replied, smiling.

“It’s not a special day. I just woke up unusually early for some reason, couldn’t get back to sleep, so I got up and made breakfast,” Chu Yao explained.

“These egg tarts are delicious. Did you make them yourself?” Ye Fangfei took a bite, her eyebrows arching in delight.

“The pastry was bought online before, but I made the custard myself.”

“A master’s touch—better than anything from a bakery,” Wen Yiming praised with a smile.

“Truly impressive,” Zhang Chen chimed in.

“Yao Yao, you could open a shop,” Lu Zhou remarked with a grin.

“You’re exaggerating. I bet it’s just everyone being polite since they’re eating for free,” Chu Yao laughed, finishing the distribution and discovering three egg tarts remained.

“I baked too many. Two for Jiayan, but there’s still one left—anyone want it?” She looked around the table, smiling.

“You worked hard making breakfast—take the extra for yourself,” Xu Junze suggested.

“Right, you should eat it,” Lu Zhou agreed.

“But I’ve already had enough for breakfast, and I’m trying to diet, so I need to control myself,” Chu Yao said, turning her gaze to Zhang Chen. After a moment’s thought, she leaned over and placed the tart on his plate.

“Zhang Chen, you take it! Your dark circles are so heavy today—you must not have slept well last night. Eat more to recharge.”

Xu Junze paused in his eating, movements stilled for a moment.

Chu Yao’s small gesture was not lost on the others; it held a deeper meaning.

The implication was clear: Chu Yao was showing favor to Zhang Chen.

Zhang Chen, the recipient, seemed unfazed. He smiled and said, “Thank you, then I won’t be shy.”

“Ah! Oh no! I’m going to be late!” Qi Jiajia glanced at the time, suddenly standing up and hastily swallowing the last bite of egg tart.

“Comrades, I have to go. Enjoy your breakfast,” she mumbled, kicking her chair aside.

She grabbed her untouched pour-over coffee and turned to leave, but accidentally tripped over a chair leg, stumbling forward.

“Oh dear!”

Her coffee slipped from her grasp and splashed directly onto Zhang Chen’s leg beside her.

Everyone: “?!”

Zhang Chen froze for a second, then quickly stood up, shaking his pant leg vigorously.

The accident happened in an instant.

“Oh my god! Sorry, sorry! I didn’t mean to!” Qi Jiajia, barely steady on her feet, realized she’d spilled coffee on Zhang Chen and panicked, grabbing napkins to wipe the stain off his pants.

Unfortunately, the spot was rather awkward. In her haste, Qi Jiajia didn’t notice, and scrubbed furiously, repeating her apologies.

The onlookers: “0..0??”

A strange feeling swept through the group. Zhang Chen’s face flushed, his brow furrowing as he hurriedly raised a hand to block Qi Jiajia’s frantic motions, backing away in embarrassment.

“Stop, stop… Don’t wipe anymore!”

Qi Jiajia’s hands went rigid, stunned for two seconds before the situation dawned on her, and mortification flooded her mind, coloring her neck to her ears.

“Sorry…”

Beyond those words, Qi Jiajia could find nothing else to say.

She just wanted to crawl into a hole.

Zhang Chen’s expression was grim, and after that absurd scene, he instinctively glanced at Ye Fangfei.

Damn it, of all places Qi Jiajia had to touch, why that one?

Ye Fangfei was looking at him too, and their eyes met across the table.

“Is it hot?” she suddenly asked.

“A little.” Zhang Chen, receiving her concern, felt a strange delight.

“Well, take your pants off then, unless you want to be a eunuch?”

Zhang Chen: “!!!”

His fleeting happiness instantly evaporated into utter embarrassment.

Qi Jiajia’s face twisted in horror at Ye Fangfei’s words.

The onlookers: “???”

What kind of wild remark was that?

The cameras were still rolling—Ye Fangfei, you really have no filter.

“Go upstairs and change your pants,” Lu Zhou interjected, choosing a more tactful phrasing for Zhang Chen’s sake.

Qi Jiajia nodded vigorously, apologizing, “Yes, Zhang Chen, go change. I’ll buy some burn ointment for you.”

Dignity meant nothing to Zhang Chen now.

“No need, it’s not that hot,” he gritted his teeth and quickly left for upstairs.

After he departed, the dining room fell silent for a moment.

Chu Yao went out to fetch a mop to clean up the mess.

Qi Jiajia, feeling guilty and awkward, her eyes reddening, went to look for the medical kit.

When Lu Zhou finished breakfast and returned to his room, he found Qi Jiajia standing at the door with burn ointment in hand.

“Should I take it in for him?”

Qi Jiajia hesitated, finally handing the ointment to Lu Zhou. “Please tell him I’m sorry.”

“Don’t worry too much—judging from his reaction, it’s not serious,” Lu Zhou reassured her.

Qi Jiajia nodded, muttering, “The coffee probably wasn’t that hot…”

Lu Zhou smiled and took the ointment into the room.

Zhang Chen was still in the bathroom; there was no sound of water, and it was unclear what he was doing inside.

Lu Zhou knocked on the door. “Jiajia got burn ointment for you. I brought it in—do you want to use some?”

“I said I don’t need it! I’m not burned!” Zhang Chen snapped, his pride wounded.

“Oh.”

Lu Zhou left him be, dropping the ointment on his bedside table.

Downstairs, Ye Fangfei, Wen Yiming, Chu Yao, and Xu Junze were still eating breakfast.

Chu Yao seemed distracted, quickly finishing her meal and leaving.

Xu Junze watched her for a moment, then soon cleared his plate and followed.

“Are you still filming videos lately?” Xu Junze caught up with Chu Yao and asked.

Chu Yao turned, seeing it was him, her expression slightly uneasy. “I am.”

“Are you free today?”

“What for?”

“I’d like to talk with you alone. Is that okay?”

Chu Yao hesitated for a moment. “I should be back around four or five in the afternoon.”

That was permission for a private meeting. Xu Junze breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, “I’ll try to be back by five, too.”

Meanwhile, in the dining room—

Only Wen Yiming and Ye Fangfei remained. The mood was a little subdued.

Ye Fangfei was typing on her phone, apparently chatting with someone.

Wen Yiming kept glancing at her, and finally caught the moment she put her phone down. He broke into a warm smile. “Fangfei, are you busy today?”

“Hmm?” Ye Fangfei looked up. “Not too busy.”

“Do you have plans for lunch? If not, maybe we could eat together? I know a great restaurant…”

“I’m afraid I can’t at noon—I have something scheduled,” Ye Fangfei interrupted, refusing before he finished.

“Oh, I see… Maybe next time when you’re free?” Wen Yiming didn’t retreat, leaving himself an opening.

Ye Fangfei met his gaze, reading his intentions in the warmth of his eyes.

She finished the last sip of milk, smiled, and said, “Sure, next time if there’s a chance.”

Receiving her assent, Wen Yiming quietly breathed a sigh of relief. “Then it’s settled.”

Just then, Ye Fangfei’s phone rang.

She glanced at it—it was her assistant, urging her to leave.

“I’m coming.”

Ye Fangfei hung up, gave Wen Yiming a polite smile, and left.