Chapter 23: Chapter 23: Lu Tingyan’s Heart is Stirred

Hearing this, Bai Xiaolang couldn’t help but freeze.

’If I’m Director Mom’s son...’

’Could something so wonderful really happen to me?’

But Bai Su just rolled her eyes. "Are you out of your mind? I told you, I can’t have children. If he were my child, do you think I would have been exiled back then?"

Hearing this, the doubt in Lu Tingyan’s heart temporarily subsided.

She had a point.

It was just that...

He couldn’t tell if it was relief or something else, but his heart felt as if it had suddenly skipped a beat, leaving an empty space.

「Nightfall.」

Lu Tingyan was tossing and turning in bed, unable to sleep.

He had been busy taking care of the little ones during dinner and had only eaten until he was about sixty or seventy percent full. He’d eaten around 6 p.m., and now, at about 10 p.m., he was already hungry.

His mind involuntarily replayed the sumptuous dinner from that evening, and he couldn’t help but swallow.

The scene shifted from the dining table to the kitchen, and an image of Bai Su skillfully preparing the meal appeared in his mind.

A fresh, crisp daikon radish was held down by her delicate wrist, sliced piece by piece...

Her body swayed gently with the motion of her chopping. Strands of hair from her temples brushed against her earlobe and the nape of her neck, surely tickling her skin.

The image of hair swaying against the curve of her neck and the sight of her earlobe peeking through the strands flashed alternately in his mind.

Lu Tingyan’s Adam’s apple bobbed. An unfamiliar heat made him frown in discomfort. He rolled over in the moonlight, hugging the blanket to his chest and slipping his hands underneath it.

The movement pulled his loose pajamas taut across his arched back, easily revealing his solid muscles and the powerful, explosive lines of his V-taper.

「Two hours later.」

The heat had been assuaged.

Lu Tingyan slowly exhaled and, clutching the blanket, fell into a deep sleep.

The soft moonlight cast a shadow across his handsome profile, accentuating the deep-set eyes and alluring curve of his lips with an indescribable sexiness.

In his hazy state, Lu Tingyan seemed to smell the sweet scent of a peach, and those soft, fair hands gently pressed down on the daikon radish.

Then the radish in his hands changed its form.

She was crouching before him, a bright smile on her face. Her delicate, fair hand, with its soft, tender flesh, was rubbed red.

Lu Tingyan’s eyes flew open.

Outside, the sky was already bright.

He threw off the covers, caught a familiar scent, and cursed under his breath as he got up to take a shower.

When he came out, his assistant was in his room, tidying up the clothes and military uniform he had changed out of the day before.

A fruit bowl sat on the coffee table, filled with several ripe peaches that exuded a sweet fragrance, instantly cutting through the summer heat.

But Lu Tingyan’s expression immediately darkened. "Who told you to put peaches in my room?" he snapped, displeased.

The assistant jumped, quickly grabbing the peaches. "My apologies, Colonel. Peaches are in season, so I thought you might like some and had the house staff buy a few..."

Lu Tingyan pinched the bridge of his nose.

The assistant was about to leave with the peaches.

Just as he reached the door, Lu Tingyan stopped him. "Leave one there."

Accustomed to his unpredictable moods, the assistant quickly picked the ripest peach, set it down, and quietly excused himself.

Lu Tingyan walked over and picked up the peach.

A refreshing, sweet peach fragrance wafted towards him.

’It’s nothing compared to her scent,’ he thought.

The peach fragrance on her was mixed with a sort of warm, sweet vanilla. It was sweet yet refreshing, but if you smelled it closely, it carried an inexplicable warmth that led one’s thoughts down a path of amorous fantasy.

It was as if...

...sweet peach flesh had been gently warmed by a young woman’s body, releasing a sweetness mingled with her unique scent, so juicy that a single bite would cause its nectar to overflow endlessly.

When Lu Tingyan realized what he was thinking, his rationality quickly returned.

He took a deep breath. The thought that he was tossing and turning and getting so agitated over a woman like Bai Su made him want to lash out.

He snatched the peach from the table and took a savage bite. As the rich, refreshing flavor filled his mouth, his Adam’s apple bobbed unconsciously.

*

Bai Su noticed that the kids’ appetites were growing, especially Bai Xiaolang’s. He could now eat almost as much as Lu Tingyan in a single meal.

’At this rate, I really won’t be able to afford to feed these little ones,’ she thought.

Fortunately, her mountaintop orphanage had recently gained a bit of fame for its role in busting the human trafficking ring. Plus, Lu Tingyan and his men had completely renovated the orphanage, and the road up the mountain was now easy to travel.

She decided to take this opportunity to open a small restaurant on the mountain.

That was also why she had shared the lotus root patties with the residents downhill earlier.

It was no use just saying her food was delicious herself; she needed others to say it.

Moreover, she discovered that she could earn points from the shop by healing others with her food.

’That damn scammer of a system never told me!’

The system sensed her thoughts and immediately started whining in its own defense: [Because the points you get from healing with food are so few! It’s not nearly as fast as having children! Having children gets you a massive amount of points, you know! You’ll be able to use all the Skills in the shop!]

[Besides, these points from the shop aren’t entirely from your Healing Ability. Lu Tingyan’s Heartbeat Value is mixed in there too.]

Bai Su paused. [Lu Tingyan’s Heartbeat Value?]

The system said excitedly, [That’s right! Host, you’re amazing! He was the male lead who hated you the most, bar none, and now he’s actually developing feelings for you!]

Bai Su: [But if I want to exchange for Skills or elixirs that increase my spiritual power, I can only use golden points, and I can only get golden points by having children with the male lead, right?]

The system weakly nodded: [That’s right...]

Bai Su: [In conclusion, Lu Tingyan’s Heartbeat Value is worthless.]

The system hurriedly replied, [It’s not that worthless! If the male lead’s heart isn’t moved, how are you supposed to have his children, right?]

Bai Su: [We’ll see.]

She didn’t particularly want to have children right now.

Besides, even though she was Level 2, the system had told her she was infertile.

She loved children and very much wanted a child of her own in this world, but it was okay if she didn’t have one. She didn’t want to force it.

Bai Su was a woman of action. She said she was going to open a mountaintop restaurant, and she had it up and running in less than three days.

This was her old trade, after all.

In her past life, she had made her fortune and built an empire by opening restaurants.

She converted the mountaintop orphanage into a small restaurant called "Mountain Wild Game."

The little ones all helped out by serving dishes in the restaurant.

The customers were mostly residents from the foot of the mountain.

Gradually, rumors began to spread downhill.

"Ever since I started eating Bai Su’s food, I feel like I’m in top shape!"

"My old, achy legs are cured!"

"I think my nearsightedness is gone!"

"I’ve been eating here for over half a month, and the other day I found out I’m pregnant again—with quadruplets!"

Once these words got out, the women downhill went into a complete uproar.

Bai Su also started a live stream online. Every time she cooked, the camera focused on her, broadcasting the entire process.

She was confident in her culinary skills.

With Chinese cuisine, even with the same ingredients, the same methods, and the same portion control, it was difficult to perfectly replicate the taste. The secret was hidden in the details.

Plus, her food was enhanced by her Healing Ability, making it many times more delicious. Even if others could replicate her recipes, they could never replicate the deliciousness that came from her Healing Ability.

She planned to use the live stream to build her reputation and attract more customers.

She also hoped it would help her find the other three children who had been sold.

’They’re all future supervillains, after all.’

’One down, Bai Xiaolang, and three more to go.’