Stealing Your Heart

“Young Master, Young Mistress, the dumplings are ready. Ma’am requests for your presence,” Mr. Feng informed them.

Lin Xinyan swallowed her words. “Let’s go.”

Zong Jinghao had been drinking on an empty stomach, and the mention of food made his stomach growl.

“Alright,” he hummed in response.

Chinese New Year was months away, but Cheng Yuxiu cooked up a feast anyway, considering the fact that they had four more mouths to feed. She hoped to get on Zong Jinghao’s good side as well.

She did not know what Zong Jinghao liked, so she cooked a variety of dishes.

Lin Xinyan caught on immediately and glanced at Zong Jinghao intendedly.

Zong Jinghao merely evaded her gaze and pulled out a chair to sit down.

Lin Xinyan walked into the kitchen just as the maid turned off the stove. She picked up a ladle and offered, “I’ll do it.”

Everyone’s dumplings were mixed together in the pot, making the ugly ones look increasingly jarring, next to the pretty ones.

Lin Xinyan scooped the dumplings into one giant bowl, which confused the maid.

“I wouldn’t eat that if I were you,” the maid warned her. “I don’t think that anyone can finish that!”

Lin Xinyan grinned. “Someone will.”

I’m doing this on purpose!

Didn’t you refuse to eat Cheng Yuxiu’s dumplings? How about the ones the kids and I had made?

eating it all, you picky

for herself, one for Lin Xichen, and one for Cheng Yuxiu. She handed the three bowls to the maid to help

Zong Jinghao. “I’m sure that you won’t reject this? I made this for

giant bowl in shock. This is enough

sure that you finish it, Daddy!” Lin Xichen reminded him, echoing Lin Xinyan’s thoughts. He pulled his sister over and asked, “Look! Daddy’s eating your dumplings! Aren’t you

she chirped. “Do

Zong Jinghao fell silent.

going to

spoon up and stirred the suspicious mixture of dough and vegetables

Lin Ruixi asked curiously. She had looked forward to the moment that her father had tasted the dumplings

poured him some vinegar. “It’ll taste better

tastes better with

her hands together anxiously. How is he going to finish

before walking up to him with an empty bowl and saying,

into his mouth. He figured that he could stomach anything that his wife and kids

Jinghao would rather suffer on his own than

inside as Lin Xinyan scooped a few dumplings into her bowl

smile onto her

turning on his bed, his stomach bursting at the

morning at

for water, while his grandmother returned to consciousness for a brief moment in the middle of the night before falling into a deep

wink that night. She collapsed onto the sofa at dawn, and not even the rising sun could wake

aching all over. Flipping over and opening his eyes, he took in the unfamiliar surroundings as the events of last night flooded into his mind; he had been out drinking with Shen

 Did

looked to the side and saw Qin Ya sprawled on the sofa without a blanket. The heater was on, but the cold wintry winds could still seep through the

body, he walked over to Qin Ya and covered her with it, only to notice the

been sleeping