“I couldn’t sleep,” Xu Youyou replied casually. She suffered from mild insomnia and was used to this. Worried that he might ask about the reason she could not sleep, she hastily switched the topic and asked, “Do you want to try the crab roe buns I made?”
Xu Youyou’s change of topic was rather abrupt and obvious, but Mo Shenbai did not expose her. He said faintly, “I’m going for a morning run.”
“Oh,” Xu Youyou said, pursing her rosy lips slightly. It was not that she was disappointed; she only thought it was a pity that no one would taste the food she had worked so hard to cook.
“Wait for me to return. If you’re still awake, I’ll have some.”
Xu Youyou looked up immediately. When she looked at him, it was as though the stars were shining in her eyes. She smiled and said, “Okay!”
With that, Mo Shenbai turned around and left the kitchen to go on his morning run.
Xu Youyou had not slept the entire night. Her arms were sore from peeling the crab shells, and her shoulders felt stiff. However, at this moment, she did not feel exhausted. Instead, she felt rather energetic.
…
An hour later, Mo Shenbai returned from his morning run. He went upstairs to take a shower and changed out of his sportswear before he returned to the dining room.
Xu Youyou brought a steaming hot fist-sized crab roe bun out of the steamer before she scooped a bowl of millet porridge. Then, she placed them in front of Mo Shenbai and said, “Mr. Mo, I’ve boiled the millet porridge for three hours. Have a taste.”
After taking a bite, Mo Shenbai glanced at her and asked, “You’re skilled in cooking?”
The noodles that Xu Youyou cooked previously were quite delicious. This time, the crab roe bun and the millet porridge were delicious as well. They were not inferior to the dishes of the chef he hired.
“When I was living in the countryside, the old man next door was very good at cooking. I heard his ancestors were imperial chefs. When I had nothing to do, I’d watch him cook in the kitchen,” Xu Youyou said.
Mo Shenbai did not speak and quietly ate his breakfast.
When Xu Youyou saw him picking up the crab roe bun, she carefully reminded him, “Mr. Mo, the bun fillings are quite hot. Please be careful.”
At this moment, Mo Shenbai suddenly set his cutleries down and asked, “Am I very old?”
“Huh?” Xu Youyou did not understand what he meant.
“Your brother and I are friends. You can call me Brother as well,” Mo Shenbai said with a hint of displeasure. Although he was almost ten years older than her, since he was her brother’s friend, they could be considered peers. From the time they met until now, she had been treating him as though he was much older and had constantly addressed him as Mr. Mo.
Xu Youyou was speechless. She did not expect that her respectful form of address would make him unhappy. She opened her cherry-red lips and said solemnly, “I just wanted to show my respect. After all, you…”
Xu Youyou stopped abruptly and did not continue her sentence.
Mo Shenbai was the head of the Mo family and the Chairman of the Mo Group. He held the entire economic lifeline in Mo City in his hands, after all. Apart from that, she was also indebted to him. Hence, she was very careful when facing him.
Mo Shenbai seemed to understand her thoughts. He said, “There’s no need for you to be so formal here. I don’t want your brother to think that I’m bullying you.”
Mo Shenbai was a little confused. How did that vulgar Xu Jialu have such a well-behaved sister?
When Mo Shenbai mentioned her brother, a sweet smile appeared on Xu Youyou’s face immediately. She said, “That won’t happen! I’ll tell my brother you’re very good to me. You…”
Xu Youyou stopped talking when Mo Shenbai looked over. Then, she said, “Anyway, I’ll tell him you’re taking good care of me.”
Mo Shenbai did not reply. No matter what, Xu Jialu would not believe her anyway.
After breakfast, Mo Shenbai had to go to the company while Xu Youyou had to go to the university. When his gaze fell on the pink canvas bag, he seemed to recall something. He asked, “How do you usually go to the university?”
There was no subway station near Moon Pavilion, and the nearest bus stop was nearly two miles away.