The Year of Lihua: She Was Reborn

The gentle smile on Xu Zhi's face gradually disappeared, replaced by a hint of displeasure. He silently watched Hua Ye enjoying the chicken leg with gusto, and his heart became more and more unhappy.

Seeing the embarrassed expression on his eldest brother's face, Xu Fu couldn't help but remind him, "Sister-in-law, I ate that."

"What? You don't want to give it to me? I didn't even dislike what you've eaten, yet you're still reluctant to give it to me!"

Hua Ye widened his eyes and glared at him fiercely, then started to chew on it without hesitation.

"Don't eat what my big brother left for you. My big brother will be unhappy."

Xu Fu pointed at Xu Zhi who was standing opposite him with a serious expression and said without any concealment.

It was only then that Hua Ye caught a glimpse of the large plate of food placed on Xu Zhi's chest and said excitedly, "Master, you saved it for me? Why didn't you give it to me?"

"Before I could even take it out, you snatched Fifth Brother's. From now on, you are not allowed to eat other people's leftovers. I will prepare everything for you. All you need to do is ask me for it!"

Xuzhi spoke in a gentle tone, without showing any displeasure on his face. Instead, Wutong, who was standing beside him, was full of envy, even with red eyes from jealousy.

"Sister Wutong, when you're done, come eat with us. Don't be so restrained."

Hua Ye grabbed Wutong's arm, pulled her hard to sit on the stool, and then handed her all the clean dishes and chopsticks on his chest.

"Then what do you use?" Wutong asked worriedly.

"I'll just use my master's. I don't dislike him!"

Hua Ye's words were like a sharp sword, deeply hurting Wutong's heart.

She originally held out a glimmer of hope, hoping that Xuzhi would change his mind, but now it seems that this was just her wishful thinking.

Wutong's eyes became dull and she no longer said a word. She just silently picked up the dish in front of her and put it into her mouth mechanically.

Every bite seemed like chewing on her own pain and helplessness, and only she could understand these complex emotions.

At this moment, the four people at the dinner table each had different thoughts in their minds.

Some people are calm and unperturbed by the outside world, and still enjoy the food happily; some people are heavy-hearted, and although there are delicious food in front of them, it is like chewing wax, which is tasteless and a pity to throw away.

The whole scene was unusually quiet, with only the occasional clink of cutlery colliding, and no other sounds. This eerie atmosphere made people feel oppressive and suffocated.

Hua Ye was the first to speak to break the strange atmosphere. She had long noticed that Wutong's eyes were always on her master.

But Xu Fu's gaze always stayed on Wu Tong, causing Hua Ye to imagine a melodramatic story of two brothers fighting over a girl.

Little did she know that she was also a part of the story, because Xu Zhi's cold eyes were always fixed on her.

"Sister Wutong, your cooking skills are on par with my mother's. I like it. Thank you for your hard work, sister!"

Hua Ye spoke solemnly, making people feel that she was not lying at all.

"That's right, Wutong's cooking skills are definitely better than your mother's. You have no idea how much I craved her cooking when I was trapped in the barrier. Today I finally got to eat it!"

Xu Fu touched his round belly, showing with his actions that he was envious of her cooking skills.

"Thank you both for your compliments!" Wutong replied awkwardly.

Looking at the empty plates, Xu Zhi put down his chopsticks and said, "Wutong's cooking skills are unquestionable, but the meal is finished now. Isn't it time for you to finish what you promised, Xu Fu?"

"Brother, I just ate a lot, and I need to digest it so I can store water better."

Xu Fu's face turned pale, and he couldn't help feeling a stomachache when he thought about drinking so much water again.

"Master, there's no rush. Now there are water sources both inside and outside the city. The refugees are basically under control, and riots won't be that easy. There's no rush to irrigate the farmland. Let His Highness the Fifth Prince have a good rest."

Before Hua Ye could finish his considerate words, Xu Fu ran away and disappeared into the huge palace, without a trace.

"Alright, Master! Let's go to the hot springs to recuperate first, and then set out to collect water early tomorrow morning."

Without a word, Xu Zhi put his arm around her slender waist and appeared beside the hot spring pool...

Xu Fu appeared when Wu Tong was on his way to the kitchen after cleaning up the dishes, and blocked Wu Tong's way.