A Breakfast of Surprises

“Why are you dressed like that?”

By this point, Luo Yao was already seated at the kitchen table, indulging in a truly lavish breakfast.

As he savored the thick slices of bacon on his plate, Luo Yao couldn’t help but inwardly grumble about the decadence of capitalism.

Yet, the meat they prepared was remarkably lifelike.

However, just as Luo Yao was thoroughly enjoying his meal, his smoothly flowing movements were abruptly halted by a voice from above.

To be honest, this was the first time in days that Luo Yao had truly enjoyed a meal.

While his time at the hospital hadn’t quite been ‘three days, nine meals missed,’ he had constantly felt an unsatisfying hunger.

Moreover, the prospect of Mu Yaochen personally feeding him had been a particular nightmare for Luo Yao.

Yet, the owner of this voice was someone Luo Yao knew all too well.

Resigned, he promptly dropped the half-eaten slice of bacon from his mouth, turning his head to gaze towards the spiral staircase nearby.

“Mistress….. good morning.”

Observing the still-sleepy Mu Yaochen, Luo Yao subtly furrowed his brow.

He hadn’t expected the woman to be awake so early; Luo Yao had assumed she wouldn’t stir until after nine.

Nevertheless, to spare himself from her torment, Luo Yao immediately rose, turning and bowing his head respectfully towards Mu Yaochen, who was still descending the spiral staircase with languid grace.

“Good morning. Eat first.”

Seeing Luo Yao’s earnest demeanor, Mu Yaochen couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.

Still, she remained curious as to why Luo Yao was wearing the gray-blue and white striped hospital gown; hadn’t she given him clothes last night?

“Mm… alright.”

Noticing that Mu Yaochen hadn’t even bothered to truly open her eyes and look at him, Luo Yao concluded that she currently held no particular interest in him.

“You…. why are you wearing that outfit? You didn’t answer just now; tell me now.”

Having arrived at the dining table, Mu Yaochen scrutinized Luo Yao, who still had a piece of bacon dangling from his mouth, asking with an air of casual intent.

The reason Mu Yaochen was so concerned with Luo Yao’s attire was precisely because the gray-blue and white striped hospital gown was not something she had given him.

‘Shouldn’t a docile, obedient puppy wear and eat only what its owner provides?’

“Uh, uh… well… I didn’t have any suitable clothes, so…”

Faced with Mu Yaochen’s scrutinizing gaze, Luo Yao could only helplessly shake his head inwardly.

He certainly couldn’t tell her that the trousers of the suit were far too form-fitting, accentuating his backside.

However, with the bacon still unfinished in his mouth, his words came out somewhat muffled and indistinct.

Yet, in Mu Yaochen’s eyes, Luo Yao’s every gesture was utterly adorable.

‘Just like an obedient little puppy.’

As for the pants making his backside appear too prominent, as a grown man, he simply couldn’t bring himself to say it.

Thus, he could only offer that the clothes didn’t fit.

“Doesn’t fit? Very well then, I’ll take you to buy some suitable clothes later.”

Mu Yaochen shook her head with a weary air, responding to Luo Yao while watching a maid approach with a plate for her.

‘What good is an adorable little puppy if it isn’t properly trained and still bites?’

“Mm-hmm… that’s fine.”

Luo Yao said, simultaneously swallowing the meat in his mouth.

It had been a long time since he had eaten such a comforting meal, certainly not before meeting Mu Yaochen.

At home, Luo Tingting typically ordered dishes that looked utterly dreadful, and at school, Su Mengqi had constantly tormented him.

This was his first breakfast with Mu Yaochen, and unexpectedly, it filled him with a sense of ease.

Mu Yaochen, still bleary-eyed, was wearing a white half-length pajama top that now gaped open, subtly revealing the half-exposed black brassiere beneath.

At this sight, Luo Yao, who had just been looking up, felt a jolt.

‘Only women in this world behave like this, so naturally, without a hint of shyness.’

Perhaps due to having just woken up, Mu Yaochen didn’t notice Luo Yao’s furtive glance; she merely lowered her head and quietly resumed eating her breakfast.

“I’m full…”

Mu Yaochen finished her breakfast swiftly, then casually reached for a glass of milk nearby, quietly bringing it to her lips.

Her gaze once again settled upon Luo Yao, who sat opposite her.

“Are you always such a slow eater?”

Mu Yaochen narrowed her eyes, observing Luo Yao as he continued to eat the fried egg on his plate.

Luo Yao wasn’t actually a slow eater; rather, he had been dedicating most of his time to the various small cookies and pastries arranged by the maids in the center of the table.

Given how smoothly this meal was going, Luo Yao had transformed into a veritable glutton, continually sneaking pastries from the plate into his mouth.

The cookies were delicious, coming in milk and chocolate flavors, among others.

Luo Yao particularly enjoyed the bear-shaped ones.

Their milky flavor was exceptionally rich.

Mu Yaochen’s dark pupils narrowed as she observed the few remaining eggs on Luo Yao’s plate and the dwindling pile of cookies in the center of the table.

“Do you really like these cookies so much?”

Mu Yaochen propped her chin in her hand, watching Luo Yao continue his breakfast, finding her interest in him piqued once more.

“Mm-hmm… they’re delicious.”

Luo Yao looked up, meeting Mu Yaochen’s playful gaze, and his heart skipped a beat.

‘Damn it, this woman’s full, and now she’s going to play with me.’

“I see. I’ll have the maids make more and put them in your room later. Alright, hurry up and finish eating; once you’re done, I’ll take you downtown to buy clothes.”

Mu Yaochen nodded, extending a hand to take a cookie from the platter herself.

However, after searching for a while, she couldn’t find her favorite bear-shaped cookies.

‘Had the maids not prepared them today?’

Luo Yao, looking utterly perplexed, picked up a different cookie and put it in his mouth, eating it while sipping milk.

What he didn’t know was that he had already secretly devoured all the bear-shaped cookies.

“Mm-hmm…”

Luo Yao nodded, then ravenously cleared the remaining food from his plate.

“By the way, do you need any other daily necessities? We can pick them up while we’re out.”

Just as Luo Yao was nearing the end of his meal, Mu Yaochen’s voice, now tinged with a surprising gentleness, reached his ears once more.

“Mm… alright.”

Luo Yao looked up, observing Mu Yaochen still sipping her milk.

In his mind, he couldn’t help but feel bewildered again.

‘What was the deal with this Mu Yaochen?’

Yesterday, she had been aggressively domineering, radiating an ‘I’m the best in the world’ aura, yet today she was completely different.

Luo Yao was increasingly suspecting Mu Yaochen of having a mental illness, especially that thing… what was it called… schizophrenia?

Although Luo Yao deeply suspected Mu Yaochen’s mercurial temperament, he had already lowered his head while contemplating this, ensuring Mu Yaochen wouldn’t see his expression.

‘Otherwise, if he were discovered, he probably wouldn’t be getting any good treatment today.’

As the saying goes, ‘accompanying a ruler is like accompanying a tiger,’ and one absolutely had to remain stable when dealing with a woman as unpredictable as Mu Yaochen.

Yet, while Luo Yao appeared outwardly composed, his heart was already in utter turmoil.