Zhongli Feiyu's hand, holding chopsticks, trembled slightly. He tried to control his expression and swallow the overwhelmingly salty taste in his throat. "Mm, it's okay."
"Really?" Marshal Zhongli was overjoyed, looking at them with surprise.
Zhongli Feiyu nodded. "Mm."
It had to be said that Zhongli Feiyu, being a former soldier, had excellent self-control. Once he adjusted his expression, no one could tell whether he was telling the truth or not.
Marshal Zhongli was extremely happy. He could barely control his expression and picked up his chopsticks, grabbing a mouthful of food.
Lu Wanqing watched, her heart instantly in her throat.
It wasn't just Lu Wanqing who was worried. Zhongli Feiyu and young Zhongli Yi were also anxious, all fearing that Marshal Zhongli would actually eat it, as the taste couldn't be hidden.
However, the Marshal's usual imposing aura was always present, and no one dared to defy him. They instinctively remained tense, lowering their heads and not daring to look at the Marshal's expression.
Zhongli Xing ate it. The moment this bite of food entered his mouth, his expression changed. How could it be so terrible?
Marshal Zhongli couldn't stand it any longer. He turned and spat the food into the trash can. He looked up again, his gaze falling on Lu Wanqing, young Zhongli Yi, and Zhongli Feiyu. His expression was somewhat difficult to describe.
"Do you all really think my cooking is delicious?" After all, the Marshal was the Marshal. Those who reached this position were not fools. He quickly understood that Lu Wanqing, Zhongli Feiyu, and young Zhongli Yi were all trying to placate him.
Was it because his usual demeanor was too intimidating that they were all afraid of him?
"Zhibang, have the garbage robots come and clear away all this food," the Marshal said calmly a moment later.
"Instruct the domestic robots to prepare a new breakfast," the Marshal added.
Butler Xiao hurried over and replied, "Yes, Marshal!"
Butler Xiao immediately went to give instructions. A garbage robot arrived to clear away the table full of culinary disasters, and domestic robots were busy in the kitchen preparing a new breakfast.
Lu Wanqing sat on her stool, feeling… hesitant to move.
Zhongli Feiyu and young Zhongli Yi, who were also afraid to move erratically, were in the same boat.
None of them had expected the Marshal/Father/Grandfather to suddenly go to the kitchen to cook. This breakfast had come as a complete surprise.
"All of you, go back to your rooms and rinse your mouths," Zhongli Xing ordered next.
Lu Wanqing blinked and looked up at Marshal Zhongli.
"Yes!" Zhongli Feiyu had already stood up and responded.
"Yes!" Young Zhongli Yi, a mirror image of his father, also quickly agreed.
Lu Wanqing became tense and quickly followed suit, "Okay, mm…"
She felt that something was a little strange, but rinsing her mouth was good. That mouthful of food had been too salty. Even after finishing, her mouth still felt that overwhelmingly salty sensation, which was uncomfortable.
Lu Wanqing could endure it herself, but she was concerned about young Yi.
Zhongli Feiyu turned and left. Lu Wanqing quickly took young Yi and followed. The three of them went upstairs together.
They didn't speak a word on the way until they returned to their respective rooms.
Lu Wanqing saw young Yi to the door of his room and watched the little fellow enter the washroom before turning to her own room.
Indeed, that rinse was quite effective!
After Lu Wanqing brushed her teeth, her mouth finally felt better, without that overwhelmingly salty sensation.
Lu Wanqing came out of her room and saw young Zhongli Yi and Zhongli Feiyu standing in the hallway. She walked towards them.
"Why did you say it was delicious just now?" Just as she approached, Zhongli Feiyu suddenly asked.
Lu Wanqing's mind froze, and she quickly replied, "Well… I thought it was alright?"
"You thought that taste was delicious?" Zhongli Feiyu frowned deeply, as if he couldn't understand.
Lu Wanqing: "..."
"It wasn't exactly delicious, but it's natural for it to be like that the first time. In my time, when people didn't know how to cook and were just learning, it was actually like this," Lu Wanqing couldn't help but explain.
As Lu Wanqing spoke, she looked at Zhongli Feiyu and recounted everything the Marshal had told her that day.
Zhongli Feiyu was stunned. He stared blankly at Lu Wanqing.
"He never told me any of this before." After a long pause, Zhongli Feiyu spoke, his voice a little dry.
Lu Wanqing was surprised, then felt complex emotions.
Zhongli Feiyu's expression was slightly complex. He mused, "My mother passed away very early, and my father never spoke to me about her."
Lu Wanqing looked at him, opened her mouth, and after a long moment, couldn't help but say, "...I'm sorry."
Zhongli Feiyu was taken aback, then shook his head slightly. "Why say sorry?"
"Wanqing, I should be thanking you," Zhongli Feiyu said earnestly, looking at Lu Wanqing.
Lu Wanqing suddenly felt that Zhongli Feiyu's gaze was different from before. How to describe it? It was as if when Zhongli Feiyu looked at her before, there was admiration in his eyes, but always a sense of distance, like two acquaintances who were neither close nor distant. Even when he had asked her to marry him, his gaze carried a hint of faint detachment. But now, that detachment was different.
It seemed that Zhongli Feiyu's eyes finally had no distance, but had emotion. He looked at her, and they seemed very close, very close, finally intimate…
"N-nothing," Lu Wanqing didn't know how to respond to Zhongli Feiyu now, saying a little awkwardly.
"The Marshal must have had a good relationship with your mother, right?" Lu Wanqing thought, and couldn't help but say.
Zhongli Feiyu replied indifferently, "Not sure. Probably."
Lu Wanqing: "..."
The conversation didn't know how to continue.
"Let's go down. Breakfast should be ready soon," Lu Wanqing said.
Zhongli Feiyu looked at her, a hint of emotion in his eyes that neither of them had noticed. "Mm."
They went downstairs together. Upon reaching the first floor, it still took time for the domestic robots to cook. Lu Wanqing, feeling slightly curious, went to the interstellar kitchen where the domestic robots were working.
The kitchen was still the same, all enclosed machinery, so Lu Wanqing couldn't see much.
She stared for a while until plates of noodles came out of the machines. The domestic robot brought out the fried noodles and turned to deliver them to the dining room.
After all this fuss, breakfast was a little later than usual today, but it was the weekend, so it wasn't a big problem.
The whole family ate the noodles, and breakfast was settled. The Marshal had to go to the military headquarters for work. Zhongli Feiyu did not go. Knowing that Lu Wanqing had designed a mecha for young Yi, and it was a super 3S mecha, which was to be tested today, he specifically requested leave from the military headquarters. Today, he would accompany young Yi with Lu Wanqing to watch the mecha test.