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

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

dumplings right before Zong Jinghao. “I’m sure that

giant bowl in shock. This is enough to

it, Daddy!” Lin Xichen reminded him, echoing Lin Xinyan’s thoughts. He pulled his sister over and asked, “Look! Daddy’s eating your

course!” she chirped. “Do you like

Zong Jinghao fell silent.

am I going to say

up and stirred the suspicious mixture of dough and

aren’t you eating, Daddy?” Lin Ruixi asked curiously. She had looked forward to the moment that her

vinegar. “It’ll taste better

tastes better

hands together anxiously. How

an empty bowl and saying, “Give me some, I’ll help you

and scooped a mouthful of the doughy mixture into his mouth. He figured that he could stomach anything that his wife and kids had

it was an indication that Zong Jinghao would rather suffer

Xinyan scooped a few dumplings into her bowl in

forced a smile onto her

the night tossing and turning on his bed,

morning at the

times throughout the night begging for water, while his grandmother returned to consciousness for

She collapsed onto the sofa at dawn, and

morning 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 Peichuan and Zong Jinghao, after which he left with Shen Peichuan. He could not recall anything else beyond

and surveyed his surroundings. Did Shen Peichuan just

and saw Qin Ya sprawled on the sofa without a blanket. The heater was on, but the cold wintry winds could

off his body, he walked over to Qin Ya and covered her with it, only

hasn’t been