Chapter 367: Chapter 366: The Crybaby Persona Is Holding Up Well

Xu Su reclined her seat and lay back comfortably, her eyes half-closed in a lazy daze.

Sensing her gaze, Zhou Mochen glanced over. "If you’re tired, get some rest. We still have another two or three hours before we get to Chang City."

The highway was quite remote, and late at night, they rarely saw any other cars. The pitch-black darkness outside the window was actually a little terrifying.

Xu Su squeezed their clasped hands, humming in affirmation with a profound sense of security before closing her eyes to get some sleep.

She really was tired. Within a few minutes, her breathing steadied, and she had fallen fast asleep.

On the deserted highway, with the love of his life asleep beside him, he felt an endless wave of contentment wash over him every time he glanced her way.

Zhou Mochen smiled. ’I guess I’m pretty easy to please,’ he thought. At that moment, he genuinely wished the road would never end.

But alas, the car kept moving, shortening the distance. They were only getting closer and closer to Chang City.

By the time they returned to the underground parking garage of Imperial Central, it was well after midnight.

Xu Su was in a deep, groggy sleep. She didn’t even stir when the engine cut off. It wasn’t until Zhou Mochen had carried her into the elevator, where the harsh light hit her eyelids, that she finally woke with a frown.

She yawned. Seeing clearly that they were home, she leaned her head on Zhou Mochen’s shoulder and mumbled, "I’m hungry."

She had been so tired earlier that she had only picked at her dinner. Now that she’d had a nap, her appetite was back.

The elevator doors opened. Zhou Mochen carried Xu Su to the living room and set her down on the sofa. He then went back to the entryway to grab her slippers. As he knelt to put them on for her, he asked, "What do you feel like eating?"

Xu Su glanced at the time. ’It feels a little cruel to wake up the housekeeper this late to make a midnight snack,’ she thought. She considered for a moment, then looked at her boyfriend kneeling before her and countered, "What can *you* make?"

Zhou Mochen looked up. "You want me to cook?"

"Is that not allowed?" Xu Su dangled her feet.

"I mean, I can." Zhou Mochen took hold of her foot, a troubled look on his face. "But I’ve never cooked before. I’m afraid you’ll get an upset stomach."

Xu Su encouraged him, "Just give it a try. I want to eat something you’ve made."

*I want to eat something you’ve made...*

Zhou Mochen’s grip on her small foot tightened slightly. "Okay, I’ll cook for you. What do you want to eat?"

"Noodles would be great. Remember to poach two eggs for me, and no scallions." Xu Su didn’t hesitate to list her demands. "And just a tiny bit of spice. You go get started, I’m going to go shower."

After a hectic afternoon, she hadn’t even gotten a chance to shower at the hotel in Kang County. She felt sticky all over and couldn’t stand it a second longer.

Xu Su patted his shoulder and stood up. "You can do it! A good man needs to be presentable in public and handy in the kitchen. You’re long overdue to learn."

’In her past life, the great Young Master Zhou had never lifted a finger to do housework; besides brewing tea, he hadn’t cooked a single thing. In this life, he should at least be able to make her one bowl of noodles, shouldn’t he?’

’Otherwise, how could he justify her ending up in his hands for two lifetimes—even if one of those times was against her will...’

Having breezily dropped this challenge on him, Xu Su turned and headed back to her room, leaving Zhou Mochen alone in the kitchen to figure things out.

He stared at the dazzling array of kitchen utensils, completely at a loss. After agonizing for a while, he finally called his personal assistant, Huang Chao, to phone a friend for help.

By the time a freshly showered Xu Su emerged, a surprisingly presentable bowl of noodles was ready. Two glistening, poached eggs, smooth as jade, rested atop the noodles, looking incredibly tempting.

"..." Xu Su couldn’t help but feel a little suspicious. "Are you sure you’ve never cooked before?"

"Never. This is the very first time I’ve cooked anything in my life."

Zhou Mochen handed her a pair of chopsticks. "Susu, see how it tastes."

Under his expectant gaze, Xu Su took a bite of Zhou Mochen’s first-ever culinary creation...

"So, how is it?"

After slowly swallowing, Xu Su answered truthfully, "It’s a little salty, but for your first time cooking, this is actually pretty good. I’m very satisfied."

’It’s a little salty, sure, but I can’t just crush his enthusiasm...’

Zhou Mochen leaned over. "Let me try."

Xu Su lifted a mouthful of noodles with her chopsticks and fed it to him. Afraid he’d be disappointed, she tried to console him, "Aside from being a little salty, the flavor’s actually not bad. You can still taste the noodles."

"..." Zhou Mochen silently tasted his own handiwork, then frowned and reached to throw it out. "Don’t eat any more of this."

"No!" Xu Su shielded the bowl. "I’m really hungry, and I’m going to eat it!"

Zhou Mochen patted her head, trying to coax her. "This doesn’t taste good. Be a good girl, I’ll wake the housekeeper and have her make you a new bowl."

But Xu Su adamantly refused. These were the noodles he had made for her with his own two hands; how could she possibly bear to throw them away?

She wouldn’t allow it, no matter what he said.

In the end, Zhou Mochen had no other choice but to eat it with her.

They shared the noodles, taking turns with each bite, truly embodying the feeling that when you’re in love, even plain water can be filling.

The incredibly salty noodles suddenly didn’t seem so hard to swallow.

Zhou Mochen watched the girl as she buried her face in the bowl and slurped the noodles. The spring in his heart, which had been on the verge of drying up, was beginning to show signs of life again.

It began bubbling up with something he could only call ’hope’...

His gaze grew so profound that Xu Su quickly noticed. "What is it?" she asked, confused.

"It’s nothing..." Zhou Mochen said slowly. "I just realized... my sweet girl seems to be learning how to dote on someone."

’These noodles taste so bad, yet just because he’s the one who made them, she’s actually forcing herself to eat it all...’

*My sweet girl...*

"What’s that supposed to mean?" Xu Su froze, then glared at him in annoyance. "Are you saying I didn’t dote on you before?"

Zhou Mochen didn’t answer, merely patting her on the head as if placating a child.

That night, as they were falling asleep, Zhou Mochen held Xu Su in his arms and kissed her with caution, like a destitute traveler kissing a priceless, heaven-sent treasure—with the utmost reverence.

The kisses were clean and pure, without a trace of anything else, as they trailed from her cheek to her neck and shoulder. The light sensation tickled, and she couldn’t help but push him away, whispering his name.

Zhou Mochen answered gently, then lifted his head to smooth back her hair, his hand patting her back. "Go to sleep..."

"...Um," Xu Su pursed her lips, closing her eyes as if bracing for death. "If you really want to... then we can do it one more time!"

Then she quickly added, "The absolute last time! No more after this!"

As her words faded, the room fell silent.

The hand patting her back stilled for a long moment. Confused, Xu Su looked up, her gaze meeting a pair of red-rimmed eyes.

Xu Su froze for a second. ’Is he about to cry?’

’All I did was agree to one more time...’

’And he’s... crying?’

’He’s really solidifying his crybaby image,’ Xu Su thought in amazement. Before she could say anything, Zhou Mochen pressed her into his chest. "Don’t look at me!"

"...Oh," Xu Su said, her face buried in his chest, her voice muffled. "Zhou Mochen, don’t cry."

"You’re seeing things. I’m not crying." Zhou Mochen rested his chin on the crown of her head, pulling her tighter into his embrace. His hand resumed its work, slowly kneading the back of her neck.