Be Careful, Scum Dad! Mommy Is Back!
Chapter 442: Sister Ning, Something Happened!

Chapter 442: Chapter 442: Sister Ning, Something Happened!

Lu Xining came out of the laboratory, and it was already late at night.

She had been busy with multiple verifications of a set of data and didn’t have time to eat dinner, now her stomach felt really hungry.

At this time, the cafeteria at the research base was already closed.

The only option was to go home and cook for herself.

As she walked up to the door of her apartment, she saw Ji Muye waiting for her at the entrance, holding a multi-layered insulated lunchbox.

"Dinner saved for you by the son and daughter."

"Thanks, sorry to trouble you."

Lu Xining noticed the little fox sticker on the lunchbox and nodded as she took it, saying, "You’re still injured, go and rest first."

At this hour, the three kids were asleep.

Not wanting to disturb their sleep, she headed to the guest lounge set up on every floor of the apartment building.

Behind her came the steady, firm footsteps of a man.

Lu Xining found a place to sit down, and upon opening the lunchbox, she smelled the quite decent aroma of the food, four dishes and one soup, with a rather good color, though it tasted a bit different from the culinary fare of the ZN Experimental Base chefs.

She thought to herself: Could it be that the chef changed the flavor?

Ji Muye’s heart skipped a beat the moment she opened the lunchbox, and as he saw her pick up the chopsticks, his thin lips pressed into a hard line.

She hadn’t even taken a bite.

Lu Xining noticed something strange in the man’s expression, put down her chopsticks, and asked, "Is there something you need from me?"

He sat down across from her and said gravely, "Nothing really, my daughter watched over me as I slept the whole day, now I can’t sleep, just happened to see you awake, so thought I’d chat with you."

Lu Xining: "..."

How come from his calm tone, she sensed a bit of smugness?

Seeing him not speak further, Lu Xining picked up the chopsticks again, took a piece of chicken leg, chewed it a couple of times, and her expression froze.

Ji Muye’s heart tightened with her expression as he asked casually, "How does it taste?"

"It’s alright, edible."

She wasn’t planning on eating much at night anyway, just enough to not go to bed hungry.

"That means it doesn’t taste too good."

To Ji Muye’s interpretation, she nodded and said, "No salt, no flavor, tastes a bit like chicken breast in a diet meal, quite bland."

Perhaps it was her prior request for the base chefs to make meals for the kids a bit lighter.

That’s probably why the dishes were so bland and tasteless this time.

Lu Xining thought to herself, just pretend it’s a diet meal, but the next bite of fish made her expression freeze again, this time with a frown.

The man didn’t even think before grabbing a napkin, placing it on his palm, and extended his hand to her mouth, letting her spit it directly onto his hand.

He said with a slightly guilty tone, "Don’t eat it if it’s hard to swallow."

Lu Xining pushed away Ji Muye’s extended hand and swallowed the food in her mouth with a bite of rice.

The dish gave her the illusion of "killing a vinegar seller".

It was overpoweringly sour!

If the bland chicken leg hadn’t alerted her to any issues, this bite of "sauerkraut" made her realize...

The ZN Experimental Base chef wouldn’t mess up the vinegar amount this badly, even if attempting a flavor change.

The taste seemed like the outcome of a novice attempt.

Lu Xining’s suspicious gaze landed on the man opposite her, catching sight of some water blister marks on his briefly extended hand.

"Did you make these dishes?"

The man’s body noticeably stiffened for a moment.

For someone like Ji Muye, who has been pampered all his life, how many times has he set foot in a kitchen?

After the divorce, he did cook for the twins.

But he only learned a few fixed dishes to ensure the meals suited the taste.

The Ji Family has chefs, and he would only occasionally cook for Ji Chao and Ji Ze in emergencies.

Back in Yunqiao Village, Lu Xining tasted his cooking twice.

But this dish was clearly not in Ji Muye’s range of expertise, losing some standard in flavor control.

Her grip tightened around the chopsticks, and she sighed, "You don’t have to do this."

"I just wanted to make up for what I couldn’t do before."

His voice was soft, and he spoke slowly, his eyes fixed on hers, secretly hoping for her response.

The air was lightly tinged with awkwardness.

Lu Xining didn’t quite know how to start talking with him, hesitated for a moment, but decided to be honest.

"You mentioned that everyone has their strengths."

Meeting Ji Muye’s deep gaze, she smiled slightly and continued, "I think you should leave culinary achievements to the chefs."

Her words carried a hint of humor.

Ji Muye realized she was criticizing his cooking being not up to par.

She also used this humorous tone to soften the awkward atmosphere between the two of them.

Except for that tart fish, the rest of the food while bland was still edible. Lu Xining ate about a third and felt full, deciding not to use the chopsticks anymore.

Watching her eat most of the food, Ji Muye had an unspeakable feeling in his heart.

Lu Xining wiped her mouth, "Thank you, the flavor was decent."

She placed the insulated lunchbox in the designated area.

"It’s late, your wounds need recovery, leave these to others later."

After reminding him to rest, she turned and walked towards her room.

"Lu Xining." Ji Muye suddenly called out to her.

Striving to stay calm, Lu Xining’s eyelashes trembled, and her steps paused.

She turned to look at him and asked with a smile, "What’s up?"

Ji Muye wanted to see a lingering emotion for their relationship in her eyes but found nothing.

He lowered his gaze and said disappointedly, "Nothing, get some rest."

Today’s happiness was stolen.

The matter with Xi Juan wasn’t resolved yet, even with his wounds not healed, he still had to return to Beicheng.

He thought of what Lu Xining had mentioned to him before.

In the car, she spoke of the conditions proposed by his grandfather, and she had already agreed.

Ji Muye sat quietly in the apartment guest lounge, the dim light casting over his face.

Half bright, half shadowed.

She didn’t want to be with him but agreed to his grandfather’s conditions, was there truly no feelings?

He raised his gaze again, watching Lu Xining’s departing figure, still feeling somewhat unwilling.

Returning to her room, Lu Xining leaned against the door, slowly bending over.

Not staying long in emotions.

She first went to the children’s room to check her sons’ sleeping situation, then returned to the master bedroom to see her daughter. The comforting smell of baby formula from Little Dumpling made her feel peaceful, she kissed her cheek and saw the white card on the bedside cabinet.

Clearly Lu Nuonuo’s work.

Nearby were Ji Chao and Ji Ze’s graffiti marks, accompanying the words "Mom, you worked hard", her heart soaked in warm water.

But just as she finished her shower, Cheng Cang’s call came.

"Sister Ning, something happened!"