"Don't just stand there—help me bring the food to the dining room!"
While Chen Xiaoxi was still in a daze, Zhang Yichen had already prepared breakfast.
"Ah? Oh! Okay!"
She quickly snapped back to reality, hurriedly picked up the breakfast from the table, and carried it into the dining room.
This was the very first breakfast Zhang Yichen had ever made for her.
The dishes were colorful, fragrant, and delicious—clearly made with care.
Xiaoxi's heart felt warm.
She bit her lip and smiled softly. A sweetness welled up in her chest. So this is what love feels like?
Yes, it had to be.
Otherwise, why would he treat her so well?
For her money? She had none.
For her health? She was weak and sickly.
For her youth? She was past her prime.
Obviously not. The answer was simple—he loved her.
Yichen carried the rest of the breakfast into the dining room. Seeing her expression, he sighed.
"Ah, silly girl. Hopefully our daughter's IQ takes after me."
Xiaoxi quickly looked up, then lowered her head again, her cheeks flushed red.
"You're the silly one! Your whole family is silly!"
"Hopeless." Yichen raised an eyebrow, setting down the bowl of porridge.
"My whole family, besides me, is just you and the baby."
"What do you mean hopeless? How am I hopeless?" Xiaoxi blinked in confusion.
"You really are hopeless!" Li Yue walked over, holding the baby in her arms.
"His family is the three of you. You just called yourself silly—if that isn't hopeless, what is?"
"See? Even someone like her can figure it out." Yichen pointed at Yue, twisting the knife.
At the same time, it was clearly a jab at Yue's intelligence.
After hearing the explanation, Xiaoxi finally understood. Both angry and amused, she could only huff and turn away.
"Eat! I'm not talking to you anymore!"
Yichen chuckled, shaking his head. He glanced at her again—her face was still red, her head lowered—and a softness filled his heart.
"Don't always tease her," Yue said as she sat at the table, one hand holding the baby, the other picking up a spoon. She gave Yichen a sideways look.
"She's thin-skinned."
"How did I bully her?" Yichen shrugged, pulling out a chair to sit.
"I was just trying to make her smile."
"You call that making her smile?" Yue raised her brows, scooping up porridge. Her words came out muffled as she chewed, "That was clearly flirting. You just won't admit it."
"By the way," she put down the spoon and looked at him, "today's the opening ceremony. As the top student, are you ready with your speech?"
"No speech. I'll sing." Yichen replied immediately—he had already decided this long ago.
Give a speech? What could he say? That he, the national top scorer, was brilliant? That would only embarrass him.
Better to sing right away.
With over ten thousand teachers, students, and guests in attendance, it was the perfect chance to make a name for himself.
"You're going to sing?" Xiaoxi's eyes widened slightly. "What song?"
"I Believe"—an inspirational one." Yichen's smile carried absolute confidence.
"Inspirational?" Yue raised a brow. "When did you write it?"
"It's been finished for a while. It's in that stack of scores." Yichen chuckled.
"You two never noticed?"
"Over two hundred sheets of music." Yue rolled her eyes, popping a dumpling into her mouth.
"At that rate, we'd still be reading them next year."
Xiaoxi's gaze lingered on him for a few seconds, her eyes soft with a gentle smile.
"Are you really prepared to step into the entertainment industry?"
Yichen nodded firmly.
"Prepared? There's no such thing. Anytime, anywhere—I'm ready. And this is the best place to prove myself."
Yue swallowed her dumpling and raised an eyebrow.
"You're not worried people will say you're just showing off?"
"Showing off?" Yichen chuckled dismissively.
"If you lack skill, that's called showing off. But if you're strong enough, it's called breathtaking."
Hearing this, Xiaoxi couldn't help but laugh softly.
"You really are full of confidence."
Yichen turned his head and saw her smiling, her eyes curved like crescents. His fingers itched, and he reached out to pinch her cheek.
"Otherwise, how could I deserve you?"
"Ugh, I've lost my appetite watching you two flirt." Yue clicked her tongue, stirring her porridge with exaggerated disgust.
Xiaoxi's face grew even redder. She lowered her head, quietly eating her breakfast without replying.
Yichen, however, was thick-skinned. Acting like nothing happened, he smiled and placed a fried egg on her plate.
"Eat more. Later, come with me to the college."
"Go to the college? I can go too?" Xiaoxi asked in surprise.
"Of course." His voice was gentle.
"Our university's biggest strength is that it's open."
Her heart warmed. She wanted to go, but still hesitated.
"But… what about the baby?"
"I'll help," Yue interjected. "Don't worry, I'm not busy today. I'll watch the baby with you."
Yichen looked at her gratefully. "Then I'll trouble you."
Yue waved it off with a smile.
"What's there to be polite about? Yixi is my daughter too."
After breakfast, Yichen got up to clean the dishes. Xiaoxi tried to help, but he stopped her.
"You sit down and rest. I'll handle it."
Unable to resist him, she obediently sat back down.
Watching his busy figure, her heart swelled with even deeper affection.
She almost wanted to cry.
Yue also watched, her heart stirring.
But unlike Xiaoxi's tender emotions, her thoughts were bitter.
Seriously… can these two stop flaunting their love everywhere?
Don't they know how much it hurts a single person like me?
But Yichen didn't care what she thought.
What he cared about was Xiaoxi and the baby.
The opening ceremony would last around two hours. Even with Yue's help, Xiaoxi and the baby would be tired.
And the baby would definitely need milk in between.
Because of Xiaoxi's poor health, Yichen had long wanted the baby to stop breastfeeding.
Of course, him drinking a little didn't matter—it didn't affect her recovery. Besides, it wasn't like he drank every day. Only at night, sometimes…
Plus, he massaged her to help stimulate her recovery.
Anyway—he could drink. The baby couldn't.
Ever since mother and daughter moved into his apartment, the baby hadn't breastfed again.
Luckily, the child hadn't fussed over it.
Ahem… with such a "sneaky dad," this baby really is kind of pitiful.
So, if he was taking both mother and daughter to school, he had to prepare formula and hot water.
Before leaving, he even gave Xiaoxi another acupuncture session—her treatments couldn't be skipped.
At the mall and the hospital before, they could just leave formula and hot water in the car.
But since the school parking lot was outside campus, running back and forth wouldn't be convenient.
Considering everything, Yichen decided it was time to buy the baby a stroller.
At the service shop near the villa, he had already noticed one before when grocery shopping.
Without hesitation, he stopped the car on the way, got down, and bought it.
Worried Xiaoxi might get bored, he also grabbed some snacks.
Only then did he drive toward the university.