At this moment, time seemed to freeze, halting with the intersection of their gazes. At this moment, the air seemed thick with an awkwardness, a cold sweat trickling down Yang Yi's forehead. At this moment, Yang Yi wished he could dig a hole and crawl into it, not daring to meet Mo Fei's eyes.
But he had a flash of inspiration and forced a faint smile, saying, "Well, you said it hurt, didn't you? Let me take a look."
Xixi had no idea what was happening under the table. She found herself unable to quite follow her parents' conversation, looking back and forth between them with a puzzled expression.
Mo Fei's face burned fiercely, especially with her daughter watching. She bit her lower lip, half-angry and half-embarrassed, saying, "I'm fine now! Let go!"
Only then did Yang Yi snap out of it, quickly releasing his hand, though the soft, smooth sensation at his fingertips seemed to linger.
Both of them lowered their heads, falling into a tacit silence.
They said nothing, but Xixi had something to say. She clung to her father, whining, "Daddy, take the celery out for me, okay? Xixi doesn't like eating celery."
Feeling guilty, Yang Yi sided with Mo Fei this time. He cleared his throat and said, "No, Xixi. Your mom is right—you have to eat everything! A little celery is good for your stomach."
Celery is rich in vitamins, beta-carotene, and various minerals the body needs. It aids digestion, improves blood flow, and helps with bowel movements. Xixi usually ate a lot of meat and loved sweets, often getting an upset stomach due to an unbalanced diet and poor digestion.
"Daddy, just take some out, okay? I'll only eat a little bit," the little one bargained.
Of course, Mo Fei had piled on a bit too much celery for Xixi. The little girl wrinkled her nose like a bitter gourd just looking at it.
Yang Yi had no choice but to remove some of the celery, and only then did the little one reluctantly eat a few stalks.
After finishing, Xixi pushed her bowl away, jumped down from her chair, and said, "I'm done!"
Then she ran off, as if afraid her father might make her eat more celery.
Yang Yi and Mo Fei watched helplessly as their daughter went off to play with her toys, but when they turned to look at each other, the awkwardness returned.
The two of them really seemed unable to handle being alone together—more awkward than strangers. And it wasn't just awkwardness; there was an indescribable tension that made them both uncomfortable from time to time.
"Ahem, you should eat more celery too," Yang Yi said, tragically realizing he couldn't escape the topic of celery tonight. To break the dead silence, he made small talk, "Your appetite has always been poor. These next couple of days, I'll try to make you some stomach-friendly Chinese dishes."
Mo Fei couldn't help but ask, "How do you know my stomach is bad?"
Mo Xiaojuan knew about her condition, but Mo Xiaojuan and Yang Yi didn't get along—they barely spoke—so it couldn't have been her who told him.
Could it be Xixi?
"I saw it on TV," Yang Yi said, scratching his head as he thought it over. "It was on Yangcheng TV's *Something to Tell You*."
It was a talk show. Before Mo Fei released her album, she had been arranged by her company to appear on it. Yang Yi happened to be watching TV with Xixi at home, accidentally switched to that channel, and watched for a while.
Mo Fei fell silent. She didn't know how to respond, or rather, she didn't dare to. A warmth flowed through her heart, deeply moving her.
...
That night, Yang Yi moved to the guest room to sleep, while Mo Fei and Xixi slept in the master bedroom. Though they were still on Yang Yi's bed, he had changed the sheets and blankets to new ones.
The room Yang Yi had tidied was so clean it was almost spotless. Mo Fei was staying there for the first time, yet it felt more comfortable than a hotel or even her own bedroom.
Lying in bed, the pleasant scent of soap wafting from the pillow, she gradually drifted into a deep sleep.
A quiet night passed...
The next day, just as dawn was breaking, the chirping of little birds outside the window woke Mo Fei.
Though she woke up early, she had also gone to bed early. Mo Fei stretched, got out of bed, pulled open the curtains, and looked out at the banyan tree on the balcony and the distant canal. The open view made her feel refreshed and at ease.
When was the last time she had slept so soundly?
Not to mention the chaotic days after she got the two songs from "Mu Ziang," or the half-year since she decided to make a comeback—Mo Fei hadn't really slept well at all.
The pressure was immense!
Only today, on Yang Yi's bed... well, on the bed in Yang Yi's house, did Mo Fei finally experience the feeling of a solid night's sleep for the first time in six months.
Her mind was almost blank, and she slept straight through until morning.
It was still early. Mo Fei checked the time, drew the curtains again, and adjusted her sleepwear, which had slipped a bit during the night. After a moment's hesitation, she didn't put on a jacket and pushed open the bedroom door to step out.
But there was no sign of Yang Yi in the house!
"Where did he go?" Mo Fei saw that the room Yang Yi slept in was also empty, the bedding neatly arranged. The only difference from a military barracks was that Yang Yi no longer folded the blanket into a perfect square with sharp corners.
In the bathroom, Mo Fei caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror—hair disheveled from sleep, eyes still a bit puffy (though still quite beautiful). Startled, she forgot about looking for Yang Yi and hurried back to get her facial cleanser and skincare products, then went to the bathroom to wash up and freshen up.
After who knows how long, Mo Fei finally finished tidying up her appearance. Just as she was putting away the scattered items, she heard noise from outside.
Worried about Xixi, she quickly pulled open the door and came out, only to run straight into Yang Yi, who had just returned from exercising and grocery shopping.
When Yang Yi went to exercise, he usually dressed simply. Today, he was only wearing a sports vest on top, completely soaked through with sweat. His increasingly muscular frame, glistening as if oiled, stretched the vest taut.
The intense visual impact nearly took Mo Fei's breath away.
"You, you..." Mo Fei stammered, unable to control her racing heart. A wave of heat surged from her chest to her neck, then reddened her two delicate, small ears.
"You're awake?" Yang Yi was also flustered. He quickly glanced over Mo Fei's face and body, then raised the bag in his hand and said, "I went grocery shopping. Um, I'll go prepare breakfast in the kitchen now."
Mo Fei had no idea how sexy she looked at that moment!
Tall and beautiful as she was, she had already done her morning grooming, looking as lovely as usual. But what Mo Fei didn't notice was that in the earlier commotion, the collar of her sleepwear had opened wide.
Her slender, swan-like neck, her delicate V-shaped collarbone, the fine, clear lines of her skin, and the faintly visible curves—Yang Yi had taken it all in with that one glance.
Though Yang Yi wasn't inexperienced, he had been holding back for far, far too long. And for some reason, Mo Fei held a special attraction for him. That one look made him feel his little brother rapidly swelling...
What the hell?
Afraid of embarrassing himself, he couldn't even speak properly and hurriedly fled into the kitchen.
Mo Fei, preoccupied with herself, didn't notice Yang Yi's strange behavior. She returned to the master bedroom and sat for a long time before her heart finally calmed down.
"How could I have so little self-control?" Almost simultaneously, both Mo Fei and Yang Yi silently scolded themselves.