Bai Su closed the chat interface on her smart-brain and looked toward Yelias.

He was holding a shrimp. It was a small one, making it a bit difficult to devein.

She smiled. "It’s the same principle."

Yelias saw she had no intention of teaching him hands-on. A flicker went through his eyes. "Oh... All right, I’ll try."

Seeing the large number of viewers, Bai Su turned to her livestream. "Since everyone’s here, there’s something I’d like to announce."

"Heavy snow is expected next month, so I’ve decided to close the restaurant for a while."

"Those of you who have eaten at my restaurant know that you have to climb stairs to get up the mountain. Even though there’s a winding road and stairs, it’s still dangerous when it snows."

"I previously said I’d stay open until the end of the year, but that was shortsighted of me. I didn’t consider the problem of slippery roads in the snow."

"Many of my customers are delicate female sisters and elderly people, so there’s a definite safety risk."

"But don’t worry. Even though the restaurant will be closed, I’ll still be livestreaming every day to teach you all how to cook. You can still come hang out with me on my stream!"

Hearing that she would continue to stream, the rowdy crowd in the livestream chat quieted down a bit.

Bai Su added, "And to make it up to everyone, from today until we close, I’ll be offering a daily discounted dish at 30% off. Today’s special is hot pot! Everyone is welcome to come and try it!"

Yelias, who was beside her, asked curiously, "Is hot pot good?"

He had been coming to the restaurant for so long, yet he had never tried it.

Bai Su had told him the restaurant only served spicy broth, and since "he" was old, his stomach might not be able to handle it. It was better to stick to milder food.

Bai Su smiled and nodded. "It’s quite an experience. Why don’t you stay for lunch? I’ll make hot pot for you."

Yelias was tempted to refuse. He was a bit of a germaphobe and didn’t like the idea of cooking food in the same pot as someone else.

When the restaurant closed for the afternoon and the small hot pots were brought to the table, he realized she had prepared individual pots for each of them.

Bai Su’s lips curved into a smile. "I know you’re a clean freak. With our own pots, it’s not a problem."

The two of them sat down amidst the rising steam.

Bai Su had made lamb spine hot pot.

Snow was coming soon, and the temperature at the mountaintop was extremely low. Even with the heat on indoors, it couldn’t completely ward off the chill.

In this kind of weather, a steaming hot pot was the perfect meal.

Yelias watched her vibrant face through the billowing steam, his thoughts drifting in a daze.

As Bai Su taught him how to swish meat in the small hot pot, she chattered about recent anecdotes from the restaurant—funny moments from the livestream, a customer with a peculiar request, people she ran into while out shopping...

Yelias just listened quietly, a smile on his face.

The atmosphere at the table was exceptionally warm.

Yelias stared at her face and suddenly thought, ’Joining her family... that wouldn’t be so bad.’

’He had always preferred solitude, but her life was always so bustling. She loved to talk.’

’Yet he didn’t find her noisy. On the contrary, her presence gave him an indescribable sense of peace.’

Seeing that he hadn’t said a word, Bai Su felt a little embarrassed. "Um... am I being too loud?"

She had gotten carried away in her excitement, forgetting that he wasn’t like her grandfather.

’Old folks like a lively atmosphere, but he might not.’

Yelias let out a low chuckle. "Not at all. I love listening to you talk."

’Her world was completely different from his.’

’From his earliest memories, he had been by his father’s side, learning all sorts of cold, hard medical knowledge.’

’His spider silk was for controlling scalpels, his brain was for memorizing medical facts and data, and his eyes were for observing the various structures of the human body.’

’His childhood was spent almost entirely in hospitals.’

’His father was a military doctor who traveled the world saving lives. He had to maintain peak physical condition, as he sometimes had to go for days without sleep, treating the wounded with intense, unwavering concentration.’

’Therefore, Yelias had also been required to keep his body in excellent shape from a young age.’

’The nutrient solutions he drank were specially formulated by professionals based on daily scans of his body’s data.’

’While other children could choose between strawberry- or grape-flavored nutrient solutions, he could only drink the unflavored, medicinal kind.’

’It was Bai Su’s food that had let him experience for the first time that the world held such a rich and colorful variety of flavors.’

’The feeling was subtle, like a blank scroll that had been empty for decades was suddenly filled with a colorful painting.’

’And she was the artist holding the brush.’

’But, Grandfather’s death had to be connected to her somehow.’

’Until he figured out the cause of his grandfather’s death, he wouldn’t let himself get too close to her.’

Bai Su laughed in embarrassment and rubbed her nose. "I’m just used to talking with my grandfather. He’s usually like this, too. I do all the talking, and he just listens quietly."

"Your grandfather must get pretty lonely at home, right?"

Yelias replied, "Does he?"

’Grandfather has just as much work to handle at home as I do.’

’The Lanton Family’s medical business spanned the globe. With his cousins and uncles not quite up to the task and his own father having passed away early, many matters still required his grandfather’s personal attention.’

Bai Su nodded. "Of course. Older people always prefer a more lively atmosphere. I once asked him why he always came all the way up the mountain to my restaurant, just to sit for half the day."

"He said it was lively here, and that he liked it."

A flicker went through Yelias’s eyes. "Is that so... What else did Grandfather tell you?"

’Grandfather had never mentioned any of this to him.’

’Every time he came home, his grandfather would just remind him not to stay for too long, that there were many people out there waiting for them.’

’They were doctors. They had a responsibility on their shoulders and couldn’t just think of themselves.’

Bai Su thought for a moment, then shook her head. "Nothing much, really. He rarely spoke. He would usually just sit in his private booth and tell me what he wanted to eat. Most of our discussions were about how to make certain dishes taste better."

"Your grandfather loved savory, soy-sauce-based dishes and rarely ate anything spicy."

Yelias thought for a second, then changed his line of questioning. "Did he ever mention me to you? I’m quite curious about what Grandfather thought of me."

Bai Su popped a piece of freshly cooked meat into her mouth while she thought. "Mmm..."

Then she spat the meat back out onto her side plate.

Yelias asked, "What’s wrong? Is the meat not fresh?"

Bai Su looked up, her eyes red and shimmering with tears. "Hot..."

She stuck out the pink tip of her tongue. It was glistening and flushed bright red, and her eyes held a wronged expression.

Yelias’s grip on his chopsticks tightened slightly. He lowered his gaze. "You should blow on it before you eat. A rabbit’s tongue can’t take the heat. You eat every day and still get burned. Are you an idiot?"

Bai Su pouted, feeling wronged.

’She was just so focused on talking to him and racking her brain to answer his question!’

Yelias met her gaze and couldn’t help but smile. "Alright, my fault."

He passed her a glass of ice water. "Hold some in your mouth. A rabbit’s tongue is delicate. You’ve already burned yourself to tears. If you’re not careful, it might blister."