Transmigration; Married to My Ex-Fiancé's Uncle-Chapter 365; Breakfast 2

Shuyin paused in the doorway, leaning against the frame for a moment, just watching. Yuyan was at the stove, competent and focused, taking care of her little brother the way she always had. Chen Xiao with his toast and his rabbit, so small on that tall stool but managing, always managing. The warm sunlight. The smell of eggs and toast. The quiet efficiency of it all.

This was something she’d never imagined for herself, a kitchen full of warmth and children and something that felt almost like family. Even though none of them actually belonged to her. Even though this was temporary, but who knows what the future holds!

But standing here, watching them, it felt real in a way that made something in her chest ache.

This was how life was supposed to be. Peaceful mornings and children eating breakfast and no fear or violence or chaos lurking just beyond the door. But who knew what the future actually held? How long would this moment of calm would last before the next storm hit?

"Good morning," she said, stepping fully into the kitchen, letting warmth creep into her voice.

Both children looked up immediately, their faces brightening in ways that made that ache in her chest intensify.

"Good morning, Mama," Yuyan said, her smile was genuine and unguarded. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

"Morning, Mama," Chen Xiao echoed quietly, his voice soft but present. He didn’t smile much, but there was something less tense about his small shoulders, something slightly more relaxed in the way he sat.

Shuyin gazed at him for a minute. She didn’t know if she had done the right thing, but what if when he is grown he blames her for everything? What if his hatred turned towards her?

"How did you sleep?" Yuyan asked, already moving to plate the scrambled eggs carefully. She portioned them carefully, slightly more for the adults, appropriate amounts for herself and Chen Xiao, and began assembling plates with toast and fruit from the bowl the kitchen staff had prepared earlier.

Shuyin and Lu Yuze crossed to the kitchen island, settling onto two of the cushioned stools. Lu Yuze chose the seat on Chen Xiao’s other side, close enough that the little boy could reach out if he needed anything. Shuyin took the seat beside Lu Yuze, completing their small circle.

"Slept well enough," Shuyin said, and tried not to think about how little actual sleeping had occurred given all the chaos of the previous night. "Thank you for making breakfast."

She watched Yuyan set plates in front of them with careful precision, everything arranged just so. "You know you don’t have to do this," Shuyin said gently. "There are servants here. The kitchen staff. You don’t need to cook."

Even though this wasn’t technically her home, this was Lin Shuyin’s home, but still filled with Lu Yuze’s staff, she was still Lu Yuze’s adored daughter. That gave her certain authority, certain privileges. She could command the household staff if she chose to. Could order them to prepare meals, and handle every domestic detail.

But Yuyan was already shaking her head, that stubborn set to her jaw that Shuyin was beginning to recognize. "I wanted to," she said simply, matter-of-factly. "I like cooking. And..." she hesitated, then admitted quietly, "it helps. Keeping busy. Doing something useful."

Shuyin understood that. Understood the need to feel capable, to contribute, to have some measure of control in a world that so often felt chaotic and unpredictable. Yuyan was twelve years old, not too young to be capable in the kitchen, but not old enough that she should have needed to be this self-sufficient. She should have been worrying about schoolwork and friends, not about cooking breakfast for a household of adults.

"Well," Shuyin said gently, "you’re very good at it. These eggs are perfect."

Yuyan’s smile widened slightly, pleased by the praise even as she tried to act casual about it. She served herself last, taking the smallest portion, and claimed the stool on Shuyin’s other side.

Chen Xiao reached for his orange juice, both small hands wrapped around the glass for stability, and took a careful sip. When he set it down, he glanced at Lu Yuyan and said, very quietly, "Thank you for breakfast."

"You welcome..." Yuyan gently ruffled his hair as they settled.

They ate in comfortable silence for a few moments, the kind of quiet that came from familiarity rather than awkwardness. Sunlight continued to stream through the windows. The kitchen staff moved quietly in the background, respecting their space. Outside, the mansion grounds were still peaceful, the household mostly still sleeping off the previous night’s events.

It was Yuyan who eventually broke the silence, her tone carrying a note of teasing as she addressed Lu Yuze. "Father, you’ve been staying home a lot lately. Isn’t your office calling? Shouldn’t you be going to work?"

Lu Yuze looked up from his eggs, one eyebrow rising. "Why should I be working when I’m tired?" he countered, his tone matching her teasing. "Is this your way of trying to send me away? Yuyan, I’m your father. Are you really that eager to get rid of me?"

He understood exactly what she was doing, trying to monopolize Shuyin’s time, wanting hours alone with the maternal figure she’d been starving for. And while part of him found it amusing, another part recognized the very real need behind it.

Yuyan’s face flushed slightly, caught. "I just thought... You always work so much. Shouldn’t you...."

"Don’t mind him at all," Shuyin interrupted smoothly, shooting Lu Yuze a look that was half-amused, half-warning. "Today we can spend time together. Here. Just us." She glanced around the empty kitchen, noting the absence of Lin family members, the peaceful quiet. "With Mr. Lin and Madam Chen still detained, we actually have the house mostly to ourselves. We can relax for once before we have to go back to..." she paused delicately, "...pretending."

Yuyan’s expression brightened immediately at that prospect, but then a small furrow appeared between her brows as another thought occurred to her. "You won’t be going anywhere, Mommy? But it’s still a working day." She tilted her head, calculating. "You just took over the office. This would be the second day without going in."