The dating reality show host just wanted to give up, but the rich girl fell for him.

The window was pushed open.

We didn't go through the main entrance.

This young lady, dressed in Chanel haute couture and who usually avoids even puddles on the street, suddenly used her hands and feet, like a nimble cat, to climb over the windowsill and come in.

When I landed, my high heels almost twisted.

But she didn't even glance down at her ankles; her eyes were fixed intently on the steaming bowl of noodles in Lin Mo's hand, as if they were welded shut.

"Give."

Lin Mo sighed and resignedly took out another rough porcelain bowl with a chipped edge from the cupboard.

A small portion was given to them.

He was extremely stingy with his movements, even using his chopsticks to scoop the few pieces of golden-brown, crispy pork cracklings into his own bowl.

"Eat sparingly."

As Lin Mo handed over the bowl, he spoke in an almost threatening tone:

"This is pure carbohydrates and fat, commonly known as a calorie nuclear bomb."

"Don't you female celebrities have to manage your figure? If you finish this bowl, even just half a bowl, all your Pilates training this week will have been for nothing."

"Don't blame me if your face is swollen like a pig's head tomorrow."

however.

He hadn't finished speaking.

The chipped, coarse porcelain bowl was snatched away by a slender, fair hand.

Jiang Ruoyun didn't hear what he was saying at all.

What calories? What body management? What facial swelling?

At this moment, in front of this bowl of lard noodles exuding an irresistible aroma, everything else pales in comparison.

She didn't even find a place to sit.

He leaned directly against the dusty stove, unceremoniously picked up his chopsticks, and grabbed a large mouthful of noodles.

By this time, the noodles had completely absorbed the glossy black scallion oil sauce.

Each one was coated with oil, glistening and translucent, gleaming with an alluring luster.

"Slurp—"

A loud, rather unladylike, even somewhat boisterous slurping sound echoed in the quiet kitchen.

Jiang Ruoyun closed her eyes.

That instant.

The rich flavor of lard, the caramelized aroma of scallion oil, and the savory sweetness of soy sauce, combined with the chewy texture of the noodles, created a flavor explosion in her mouth like a taste bomb.

It's still warm.

It's so hot.

This long-lost warmth slid down my esophagus into my stomach, and the stomach, which had been aching slightly from eating cold food, felt as if it had been gently soothed by a warm hand.

She let out a satisfied sigh that was almost a groan:

"Hmm~~~~"

The last syllable was drawn out, with a vibrato that made one blush and their heart race.

The live chat exploded instantly:

Holy crap!!!

[Is this voice... something I can listen to without paying?]

[My mom asked me why I was kneeling while watching the live stream, and I said I was watching Goddess Jiang's mukbang!]

[Is this the legendary aloof school beauty? The way she's eating... it's like she's been starving for three days!]

But why do I think...she's so cute! She's so much more vibrant than when she's all pomp and circumstance on the red carpet!

Jiang Ruoyun didn't even bother to look at the camera.

All she cares about now is face.

One bite after another.

Its cheeks were bulging, like a little hamster that was eating voraciously.

Her originally pale cheeks flushed with an extremely beautiful blush due to the steam.

That's the color healed by food.

Lin Mo, holding his own bowl, leaned against the stove on the other side, quietly watching her.

He had intended to say something sarcastic, but he swallowed it back down.

He watched Jiang Ruoyun wolf down her food, a fleeting, almost imperceptible look of disorientation crossing his eyes.

past life.

The little stray cat he found in Zhongnan Mountain behaved the same way when it was starving.

Anyone who gives it food is its father.

"Slower."

Lin Mo shook his head and couldn't help but remind him, "No one's going to take it from you, there's still some... oil left in the pot."

"Uh-huh!"

Jiang Ruoyun responded vaguely, without even raising her head.

She has eaten countless delicacies in her life.

A Michelin three-star chef made her black truffle pasta, and a master chef who prepared state banquets made her Buddha Jumps Over the Wall soup.

But never before had a meal made her feel like her soul had returned to its rightful place, like this extremely simple bowl of lard noodles.

Is this what it means to experience the warmth and joy of everyday life?

It turns out that all you need is a handful of scallions and a spoonful of oil to pull people back from that hypocritical and cold arena of fame and fortune to a warm and down-to-earth human world.

"Slurp—"

The last bite of noodles was inhaled.

Jiang Ruoyun licked her lips, still wanting more.

Because I ate too fast and was too engrossed in it.

There was a large clump of dark brown sauce and a glistening piece of fried pork fat on the corner of her mouth.

This made her originally aloof and stunning face look somewhat comical, yet also revealed an indescribable cuteness.

It's like a little kitten that's stolen some food and hasn't wiped its mouth clean yet.

Lin Mo frowned slightly as he looked at her.

This moment.

His brain did not process anything.

It's entirely due to muscle memory from taking care of those little apprentices in my past life, or taking care of that cat.

It could even be... an unconscious closeness between two equally mismatched souls in this lonely, late night.

He naturally pulled out a tissue.

I didn't hand it to her.

Instead, he walked straight over.

Raise your hand.

Those slender, well-defined fingers, through a thin tissue, gently pressed against the corner of Jiang Ruoyun's mouth.

"How old are you? You still let your mouth slip while eating."

Lin Mo's voice was soft, carrying a hint of disdain, yet it possessed an undeniable gentleness.

His movements were very delicate.

First, wipe off the oil residue, then gently wipe away the sauce little by little, following the corner of your lips.

My fingertips inevitably touched her soft skin.

It's warm.

Soft and chewy.

The air froze in that instant.

Jiang Ruoyun was still holding the chipped empty bowl in her hands, and she froze on the spot as if she had been struck by a pressure point.

She stared wide-eyed at Lin Mo, who was so close to her.

Looking at his lowered eyes and focused expression.

You could even smell his faint, unique scent, a mixture of tobacco and... lard.

This moment.

Time seemed to stretch out infinitely.

The sound of the waves outside the window disappeared.

The chat in the live stream seemed to freeze.

There were only two hearts, pounding violently in the chest cavity, the sound so loud it seemed to shatter eardrums.

This was an extremely ambiguous, yet extremely natural, action.

They're like an old married couple who've been together for many years.

The husband is cleaning up the mess his clumsy wife made.

There was no deliberate flirting, and no cheesy dialogue.

This is the only one of its kind.

It speaks louder than a thousand words.

After a three-second silence, the comments section erupted into an unprecedented torrent:

【？？？？？？？？】

Holy crap! Holy crap! Holy crap!

[How can this movement be so natural?!]

[Did they really not know each other before? This level of familiarity suggests they've been dating for at least three years!]

[Ahhh! My heart is fluttering! Lin Mo's gesture was so swoon-worthy!]

[I was just cursing Lin Motu, but now I feel... this damn married man vibe!]

This isn't a dating reality show; it's clearly a documentary about married life!

[Goddess Jiang blushed! She blushed! She's truly smitten!]

About five seconds passed.

Or fifty years.

Lin Mo finally wiped it clean.

He withdrew his hand, looked at the stain on the tissue, and then at Jiang Ruoyun's face, which was already flushed red.

Sudden.

He was stunned.

Who am I? Where am I? What did I just do?

Damn.

I got used to wiping cats' mouths in my past life.

This is being streamed live across the entire internet!

This is a mess I can't clear my name even if I jump into the Yellow River!

To cover his embarrassment, Lin Mo quickly took a step back and resumed his deadpan expression.

He crumpled the tissue into a ball and precisely tossed it into the corner trash can.

Then he cleared his throat and said in an extremely stiff tone:

"What are you looking at? Wipe it yourself from now on."

"If you didn't know better, you'd think the production team was abusing the guests, not even giving them a piece of paper."

"And that bowl..."

He pointed to the broken bowl that Jiang Ruoyun was clutching tightly in her hand.

"That's my antique. Even though it's chipped, it's the only thing I can hold onto when I'm homesick. Don't crush it."

Jiang Ruoyun finally came to her senses.

She felt like her face was so hot she could fry an egg on it.

"oh oh."

She hurriedly put down the bowl and stood there helplessly like a schoolchild who had done something wrong.

His eyes darted around, and he didn't dare to look at Lin Mo at all.

But the corners of his mouth, uncontrollably, slowly, gradually turned upwards.

That sweetness was even sweeter than the lard noodles I had just eaten.

……

At the same time.

A high-end apartment in Shanghai.

"Snapped!"

A crisp sound.

An expensive crystal wine glass was smashed to the ground, splashing red wine everywhere, resembling shocking bloodstains.

Su Qing stared intently at the iPad screen in front of her.

The screen is frozen on the moment Lin Mo wipes Jiang Ruoyun's mouth.

Her hands were trembling.

His fingernails dug deeply into his palm.

That look...

Lin Mo's focused, gentle gaze, as if she regarded the other person as her whole world.

She knew it all too well.

In the past, whenever she was sick or unhappy, Lin Mo would look at her with the same eyes.

but.

Ever since she broke up with him, ever since she got into Zhao Kuo's car.

Lin Mo's gaze towards her turned into that of indifference, as if she were trash.

"He has never cooked for me..."

Su Qing gritted her teeth, her voice sharp and distorted, "We've been together for three years, and besides making me brown sugar water, he's never made noodles like this... noodles that look so carefully prepared!"

"and……"

"What makes Jiang Ruoyun so special? Isn't she supposed to be aloof? Is it really necessary for her to act so smug about eating something like roadside lard noodles? Who is she trying to impress?!"

Hey.

A maddening jealousy gnawed at her heart like a venomous snake.

She originally thought that after leaving her, Lin Mo would either wag his tail like a dog or become despondent like a piece of trash.

She wanted to see him make a fool of himself on the show, to see him be disliked by others.

This is to prove how correct her choice was.

But now.

The whole internet is flooded with comments like "So sweet" and "I'm totally shipping them."

Some even started saying, "Thank goodness Su Qing didn't marry him back then, otherwise how would we have seen such a wonderful Lin Mo?"

"Lin Mo...you did this on purpose, didn't you?"

Su Qing grabbed her phone and dialed Zhao Kuo's number, her voice trembling with sobs and resentment:

"Feed? Honey... I watched the live stream, that Lin Mo went too far! He was definitely doing this on purpose to upset me! You have to help me get revenge..."

……

Small kitchen in Building C.

The awkward atmosphere finally eased a bit.

"that……"

Jiang Ruoyun calmed her heartbeat. Although the blush on her face had not yet faded, her eyes had regained some clarity.

"Thank you for the noodles."

"How much? I'll transfer it to you."

She took out her phone and asked seriously.

Lin Mo was washing the pot.

Hearing this, he didn't even turn his head, just waved his hand and said, "Never mind, just consider it... feeding the cat."

"Feeding the cat?"

Jiang Ruoyun was stunned for a moment, then puffed out her cheeks angrily, "Are you calling me a cat? Or a stray cat?"

"Isn't that right?"

Lin Mo turned around, leaned against the stove, and looked her up and down.

At this moment, Jiang Ruoyun's lips were clean, her eyes were bright, and the unapproachable distance between her and others had disappeared.

Instead, there is a sense of laziness and comfort after a good meal.

really……

It looks more like a cat now.

"Alright, now that you're full, hurry back."

Lin Mo dismissed him, saying, "I'm going to sleep. I heard there's a mission tomorrow, and my old back can't take any more."

Jiang Ruoyun pursed her lips.

Although she was kicked out, she wasn't angry at all.

Instead, I felt a warm glow inside.

She walked to the door and then looked back at Lin Mo.

"that……"

"If you're still cooking tomorrow..."

"Could you... leave the door open for me?"

Lin Mo rolled his eyes.

"It depends on my mood."

"Also, remember to use the front door next time. The windows are expensive; you'll have to pay for them if they break."

Jiang Ruoyun smiled.

She smiled, her eyes crinkling like a fox that had successfully stolen some fish.

"Okay!"

She responded cheerfully, turned and ran into the night.

Her steps were light, and she even hummed an unknown tune.

Lin Mo watched her departing figure and shook his head helplessly.

"What's going on here...?"

He closed the window and locked the door.

I carefully placed the clean, rough porcelain bowl back into the cupboard.

Then I lay back down on my somewhat hard bed.

That night.

In the mansion in Building A, Zhao Kuo tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep because of the smell of lard.

In the storage room of Building C, Lin Mo had a sweet dream accompanied by the sound of waves.

In my dream.

He returned to Zhongnan Mountain.

The cat was lying on his lap, basking in the sun and purring.

The years are quiet.

until……

……

The next morning.

Sunlight pierced through the clouds and spilled onto the golden sand.

The production team's loudspeaker blared on time, a nightmare for all the guests.

"Attention, guests! Attention, guests!"

"A beautiful day begins with work!"

"All guests, please proceed to the beach to collect your task cards for today!"

Lin Mo was woken up by the sound of a horn.

With his messy, bird's-nest-like hair, a wrinkled T-shirt, and flip-flops, he sauntered to the meeting point with an expression that said, "Who owes me five million?"

at this time.

All the other guests have arrived.

Zhao Kuo changed into a set of professional sportswear, his tight-fitting clothes outlining his muscle lines, clearly wanting to regain his strength in today's physical challenge.

Lin Chacha also put on cool athletic shorts, looking full of energy.

Only Jiang Ruoyun.

Although she had changed into sportswear, her eyes kept drifting towards Lin Mo.

Seeing Lin Mo's sleepy look, she couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle.

"Task issued!"

The director, holding the task card, grinned like a cunning old fox. "To test the physical strength and responsibility of all the male guests, today's task is—"

"Clean up the beach and move all the props used to set up the party!"

"These include: a sunshade base (weighing 50 catties), audio equipment (weighing 80 catties), a barbecue grill (weighing 60 catties)..."

The director hadn't finished speaking.

Zhao Kuo's eyes lit up.

This is an opportunity!

A perfect opportunity to unleash my testosterone and crush that good-for-nothing Lin Mo!

He looked at Lin Mo defiantly, then did a chest-expanding exercise, his bones cracking.

Lin Mo.

When I hear numbers like "50 jin" or "80 jin",

His face turned deathly pale instantly.

He slowly, very slowly reached out his hand.

He supported his lower back.

A mask of pain was visible on his face.

"director……"

Lin Mo's voice was so weak, as if he had just undergone major surgery.

"I can't."

"My back... I hurt it from eating cold food yesterday."

"This is a high-risk area for workplace injuries... Can I... apply for sick leave?"