Yelias asked, "He was in your room tonight?"

Bai Su nodded, looking troubled. "I couldn’t get him to leave, no matter what I did. So I had to..."

Yelias glanced at the frozen Li Chenlin, a flicker of ridicule in his eyes. "What a rookie mistake. Serves him right."

’I just didn’t expect that even someone like Li Chenlin could be seduced by Bai Su and let his guard down so completely around her.’

’It seems I’ve really underestimated this woman.’

Yelias patted Bai Su’s hand reassuringly and smoothly extracted his arm from hers. "It’s not serious. Just let him soak in some warm water, and he’ll be fine."

"Snakes have a long hibernation period. They need to eat a sufficient amount of food beforehand to maintain their vital functions. Otherwise, their lives could be in danger."

Bai Su felt a pang of guilt. "It’s all my fault. If I’d known he was just a paper tiger, I wouldn’t have played a trick on him."

"Paper tiger?" Yelias found the description amusing and chuckled softly.

Bai Su couldn’t carry him on her own, so she directed her two little ones to haul him upstairs and put him in a bath of warm water.

After all that was done, Bai Su finally had a moment to speak with Yelias. "Grandpa, what brings you here so early? Did you go climbing by yourself again?"

Yelias nodded and handed her the ingredients he was carrying. "Some fresh Insect Beast Meat. I hear it’s quite tender and juicy. I brought it for you to try."

Bai Su accepted the ingredients. "I’ve never seen this kind of meat before. I’ll give it a try."

Yelias nodded and made himself comfortable in a nearby seat.

Bai Su carried the meat to the kitchen counter. As she began to prepare it, she said with disapproval, "How many times have I told you not to go climbing alone, especially this early in the morning? What if you faint on the trail again? Who’s going to find you?"

"Again?"

Bai Su shot him a glare, then walked over and tugged his beard. "Playing dumb again, are you? Last time, you went up the mountain by yourself and fainted in the grass by the path. We had an appointment, and when you didn’t show up, I got worried and took Little Wolf to look for you. If I hadn’t, how long would you have been lying in that grass, having a heart attack?"

Yelias was caught off guard by her sudden proximity, and their eyes met.

Her eyes, wide with anger, glistened. The irises were clear and bright, like pools of water washed in moonlight—utterly pure and translucent.

They were a pair of eyes brimming with a captivating spirit and vibrant life; it was hard not to be drawn to them.

’Her face also suited his aesthetic. A perfectly rounded head, exquisite facial structure, and features that were bright and striking—a far cry from the bland, delicate look popular among the females these days.’

’Her eyes shimmered, her lips were full and supple, the whites of her eyes were clear, and her hair was thick and soft—all signs of excellent health.’

’A vibrant female like this usually has an excellently developed womb—full and lush. An incredibly rare prize.’

’Just by looking at her lips and teeth, he could already predict the exquisite beauty of her internal anatomy.’

Realizing where his thoughts were heading, Yelias felt a flash of annoyance.

He forcefully shoved aside the medical knowledge that had surfaced in his mind and cautiously took a few steps back.

They were too close. Yelias could look straight into her eyes and see the genuine worry and concern there.

’This woman is a frighteningly good actress. She almost had me fooled with her fake sincerity, making me think she genuinely cared about ’Grandpa’.’

He cleared his throat and rescued his beard from her grasp. "I know, I know. I’ll bring someone with me next time."

Bai Su sighed in resignation. "You say that every time. You should come up with a new line."

Yelias froze again.

Back when his grandfather was alive, whenever the old man tried to brush him off, Yelias would say the very same thing Bai Su just had.

’I think I’m starting to understand why Grandfather liked her.’

’If he hadn’t personally gone through what happened four years ago—if he hadn’t been forced by this woman, Bai Su—he too would have mistaken her for someone who genuinely cared about him, rather than someone after the Lanton Family’s power and influence.’

Bai Su got busy, simmering a porridge with the Insect Beast Meat.

The meat was tender, juicy, and wonderfully savory-sweet—even more so than shrimp. Its texture, however, was closer to bullfrog, and it carried a hint of seafood-like sweetness in its flavor. It was an excellent ingredient.

Bai Su served the porridge to the little ones and Yelias for breakfast. Afterward, she ushered Yelias out into the courtyard to enjoy the sun before heading back to the kitchen to start her prep work for the day.

Yelias felt the Healing Power circulating through his body, and a thoughtful expression crossed his face.

’Bai Su’s superpower seems to have gotten a bit stronger.’

’This woman is a complete enigma. It looks like I’ll have to visit more often.’

While Bai Su was busy with preparations for opening the restaurant, there was another knock at the door.

Bai Xiaolang scampered over to open the door, huffing with effort, only to see a tall, powerfully built man standing at the entrance.

It was the "uncle" who had helped out at the shop yesterday—one of his good-for-nothing father’s subordinates.

Bai Xiaolang tilted his head back to look up at him, his small, innocent face full of childish charm. "Can I help you, mister?"

Bablo scratched his head. "Uh, I was hoping I could come and help at the shop again today. Would that be okay?"

Bai Xiaolang thought for a second. "Hang on, let me ask my mom."

With that, he turned and scampered back into the house.

"Mom, the man from yesterday is here again! He wants to help out as a waiter."

Bai Su heard him and didn’t object. "Let him in, then."

Bablo was allowed inside, his face a mixture of bashfulness and excitement. "Miss Bai."

Bai Su smiled and nodded. "Right, you were a great help yesterday, but I never got your name."

Bablo immediately snapped to attention and gave her a military salute. "Miss Bai, my name is Bablo. I’m a cook in the Second Logistics Division of the army."

Bai Su laughed. "No need to be so formal. Come on, you can help over here."

Bablo nodded, then asked hesitantly, "Miss Bai, I’d like to buy some of your food to take back for my brother. Is that possible?"

Bai Su waved her hand magnanimously. "Of course! Since you’re helping out, I’ll just charge you for the cost of the ingredients."

A look of pure joy spread across Bablo’s face. "Thank you, Miss Bai!"

’After eating her food yesterday, my brother could already feel his legs again. If he eats it a few more times, he might actually recover!’

’I’ve decided. I’ll come here whenever I have free time. Even if I can’t work here to get a discount, I’ll save up my money, buy the food as a regular customer, and bring it back for my brother!’

’And the other disabled veteran Beastmen in the barracks, too.’

’Most of them are like my brother—crippled hands, blind, deaf, unable to walk, or their spiritual power has been destroyed.’

’If I just keep bringing food back every day, maybe everyone can start to recover...’

Bai Su was a whirlwind of activity.

At 10:30 AM sharp, the restaurant opened its doors.

Customers began pouring in.

With Bablo’s help, things were much easier for the little ones.

Bai Su was happy to be so busy.

The restaurant was as popular as ever.

Yelias didn’t order anything today. Bai Su had told him to wait and have lunch with them after the restaurant closed.

He was more than happy for the extra opportunity to get closer to her.

The restaurant stayed open until two in the afternoon before closing for the day.

Bablo looked at Bai Su, his expression apprehensive. "Miss Bai Su, how much food do you have left? Can I buy all of it?"

Bai Su was puzzled. "What would you do with so much?"

’I still have dozens of pounds of ingredients in the fridge. That’s a lot of food when it’s all cooked.’

Bablo scratched his head. "My brother is a disabled veteran. There are a lot of other disabled soldiers living with him, and I wanted to bring back enough for them to try, too. After my brother ate your food yesterday, he got the feeling back in his legs."

Bai Su’s face broke into a smile. "Of course you can."

She deftly cooked up all the remaining ingredients from the fridge, packed them, and handed the containers to Bablo. "That’s dozens of pounds of meat. Can you manage all that?"

Bablo gave a goofy grin. "I can!"

He didn’t even need to hoist it onto his shoulder; he lifted it with ease.

For a Bear Beastman, a weight like that was nothing.

After seeing Bablo off, Bai Su let out a big, satisfying stretch.

Seeing Yelias sitting under the tree, she couldn’t resist wandering over. She plopped down on the grass at his feet and sighed in contentment. "You’ve got the right idea, Grandpa. This is the life."

Yelias rocked in his chair, elegantly manipulating a strand of spider silk to keep it moving. "If you’re so tired, you could always just not run a restaurant..."

Before he could finish, Bai Su rested her head against his leg. "I can’t do that!"

Her movements were completely casual, as if she truly saw him as her grandfather. She rested against his leg, yawning comfortably without a care for her appearance.

She said, "Running a restaurant is my dream."

"Look, Grandpa! My superpower can help so many people!"

"Xiao Mi, the woman who runs the rice shop at the foot of the mountain, was able to have several children after eating my food!"

"And did you hear what Bablo just said? If my food can help those disabled veterans get their health back, wouldn’t that be wonderful?"

"I love the look of happiness on their faces when they eat my food. I’m happy as long as people enjoy what I make."

Her face glowed with genuine joy—a happiness that seemed far more profound than the kind that comes from being sheltered and pampered by a male in a gilded cage.

Yelias watched her, stunned by her relaxed and unguarded posture.

Her head rested against his knee, her fluffy rabbit ears drooping sweetly on either side.

Her eyes were downcast. Her long lashes weren’t dramatically curled, but swept up slightly at the tips, like a child’s.

The pure look in her eyes inspired a feeling of tenderness, a desire to protect her and keep her safe.

Her expression of pure joy held an indescribable quality, one that brought to mind a meadow thriving in the spring, of tender shoots pushing their way into the world—an overwhelming aura of life and vitality.

She seemed to possess a wondrous magic that inspired those around her to feel limitless hope and eager anticipation for life and the future.

Yelias stared quietly at her face. In the depths of his heart, something in a long-frozen corner was struck, and cracks began to spread...