Chapter 63: The Loosening Seal and a Sweet Treat

At the same time, in the Lin family home, Lin Xiangwan hung up the phone.

After ending the call, the gentle expression on her face was instantly replaced by one of solemn gravity.

She looked at her husband, Su Shan, who was sitting on the sofa reading a newspaper. Her voice was low, laced with concern.

“Mianmian’s seal… I’m afraid it has completely loosened. She just said… her body has fully feminized.”

Upon hearing this, Su Shan’s hand, holding the newspaper, paused. A look of astonishment crossed his face.

“That quickly? Last time she was home, didn’t you check? You said the seal, though weakened, was still stable?”

Lin Xiangwan’s brows furrowed deeply as she shook her head. “I’m not sure. Perhaps something unknown has happened to Mianmian recently, or she’s come into contact with something… something that accelerated her bloodline awakening.”

She sighed, her voice resolute. “Her true identity… it won’t be a secret for much longer. Before then, we must make thorough preparations.”

This included preparing for any trouble that might come knocking, and more importantly… protecting their daughter.

***

In the bathroom, Su Mian splashed cold water on her face, trying to compose herself and appear normal. She took a deep breath, then opened the door and stepped out.

Xiao Moyuan was standing by the living room’s floor-to-ceiling windows. Hearing the movement, he turned around.

His gaze fell upon her eyes, still slightly red and clearly tear-streaked. He frowned subtly.

“Why did you take so long in the bathroom?”

He had, of course, faintly heard her muffled voice from inside.

Su Mian dared not meet his eyes. She lowered her head and offered a vague explanation. “I was on the phone with my family.”

Xiao Moyuan’s eyes flickered, but he didn’t press further.

He keenly sensed that something about Su Mian, after emerging from the bathroom, felt different.

He couldn’t quite pinpoint it, but the curves belonging to a young woman seemed more exquisitely defined, and the natural allure in her eyes appeared to have intensified. Moreover, the subtle, yet intensely attractive aura she possessed for others seemed even clearer.

‘Could it be… that the brief intimate contact just now unknowingly accelerated her body’s transformation?’

According to the secret records of the Tushan clan he had consulted, the gender differentiation of mixed-blood descendants was closely related to their gender identification with the ‘person who stirred their heart.’

‘So… this little fox, during that intimate contact, did she… fall for me?’

This realization brought an indescribable surge of pleasure to Xiao Moyuan’s heart, like the confident certainty before capturing a long-awaited prey.

He suppressed his thoughts, adopting a serious expression, and asked, “What do you want for dinner tonight?”

Su Mian was still absorbed in the shock of her body’s changes and her subsequent plans. At his question, she paused, then instinctively looked up.

“Ah? Didn’t we just finish lunch not long ago?”

She felt as though only a short while had passed.

Xiao Moyuan raised his wrist, pointing to the time on his watch. A hint of无奈 [TL: helpless/resigned] amusement touched his voice.

“It’s been over three hours since we had lunch. It’s almost four in the afternoon now. If we start preparing ingredients and cooking, it’ll be close to dinner time by the time we eat.”

Su Mian was stunned again, a look of surprise on her face. “Brother… are you… are you going to cook yourself?”

She hadn’t even considered that possibility.

Xiao Moyuan walked towards the open kitchen, skillfully tying on an apron. He countered, “We won’t go out to eat tonight; we’ll just eat at home. Why, does it surprise you that I can cook?”

In Su Mian’s perception, a ‘young master’ of Xiao Moyuan’s superior family background and noble temperament should be someone who had never lifted a finger, raised by servants from childhood.

That he could cook for himself was truly beyond her imagination.

She nodded honestly, openly admitting, “It is a bit surprising…”

Then, as if afraid he might misunderstand, she quickly waved her hands and added, “I don’t mean to look down on Brother! I just feel… that Brother is already so perfect. You’re handsome, have good grades, can drive, and you can even cook… that’s just too amazing, even more perfect!”

She tried her best to flatter him, attempting to cover up her earlier slip of the tongue.

Xiao Moyuan was amused by her clumsy and eager attempt at flattery. As he took fresh ingredients from the refrigerator, he remarked, “You have quite a sweet tongue.”

He placed several vegetables and cuts of meat on the counter, then began to process them deftly. Without lifting his head, he spoke to Su Mian.

“If you’re bored, you can watch some TV, or there’s a computer in my study if you want to play games.”

Su Mian’s mind was currently consumed with how to ‘turn back’ and how to ‘keep’ Xiao Moyuan. How could she possibly be in the mood for entertainment?

She shook her head, silently walking to a high stool beside the kitchen island and sitting down. Resting her chin in her hands, she watched Xiao Moyuan quietly.

It had to be admitted that Xiao Moyuan in the kitchen looked completely different from his usual aloof demeanor.

Washing vegetables, chopping, seasoning, tossing in the wok… his movements were fluid and precise, carrying a steady, confident aura as if everything was under his control.

The warm yellow light outlined his focused profile, revealing a strange, domestic tenderness that left Su Mian somewhat captivated.

About an hour later, several dishes, appealing in color, aroma, and taste, were placed on the dining table.

It was a simple meal of four dishes and one soup, yet their presentation was no less impressive than those from a restaurant, and the aroma was incredibly enticing.

“Just looking at it won’t fill your stomach,” Xiao Moyuan said, handing Su Mian a bowl of rice and chopsticks. “Try it and see how it tastes.”

Out of curiosity, Su Mian picked up a piece of stir-fried seasonal vegetable and put it in her mouth. Her eyes instantly lit up. “Wow! It’s delicious! The taste is absolutely on par with the restaurant from lunch.”

She tried the other dishes, each one astonishing her. “Brother, your cooking is so good, why do you usually prefer to eat out?”

She couldn’t help but ask.

Xiao Moyuan sat opposite her, slowly eating his meal. At her question, he offered a faint smile. “Cooking takes time and effort, and my time… is usually quite precious.”

He paused, then suddenly lifted his gaze, looking at her with profound eyes. His tone became serious and focused, as if making an important promise.

“Of course, if I’m cooking for you, my little one, I believe this time… is very well spent.”

His gaze was too direct, his words too sincere. Su Mian’s heart inexplicably skipped a beat again, and a faint blush crept up her ears.

She hurriedly lowered her head, poking at the rice in her bowl, deliberately using a slightly jealous, coquettish tone to hide her fluttering heart.

“Hmph! Brother is so good at talking, so good at charming people. Do you often bring other girls home, cook for them, and… say the exact same things?”

Xiao Moyuan put down his chopsticks and looked at her, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable certainty. “In all the places I’ve lived, I’ve never invited anyone over.”

He paused, then added, “You are the first.”

Su Mian was momentarily stunned. Her first reaction was that he was lying, and she pouted. “You, you’re not using that word correctly, are you? Haven’t your parents ever visited your home?”

She instinctively retorted, thinking she had found a loophole in his words. The moment the words left her mouth, she abruptly froze.

She suddenly remembered that on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, Moyuan had mentioned in a very flat tone during their voice call that he had no family.

‘Could it be… that the reason he possessed such wealth at such a young age was because his parents passed away early, leaving behind a large inheritance? Am I digging into his old wounds by asking this?’

This realization tightened her heart. She cautiously lifted her eyes to look at Xiao Moyuan.

Indeed, she clearly saw a fleeting, almost imperceptible trace of loneliness and gloom flash through Xiao Moyuan’s eyes. Though it vanished instantly, the aura around him seemed to cool by several degrees.

He offered no explanation, merely picking up his chopsticks again. His tone reverted to its previous flatness, even carrying a hint of aloofness.

“Let’s eat first. After we’re done, I’ll take you home. Tomorrow… I do have some matters to attend to.”

Hearing “take you home” and “have matters tomorrow,” Su Mian’s internal alarm bells immediately began to clang!

‘How could this be permissible?’

‘He’s definitely going to find Shen Zhixia again tomorrow!’

She no longer cared about eating. She immediately put down her chopsticks, lifted her small face, and put on a wronged, teary-eyed expression. Her voice was soft and sweet, filled with deep attachment and reluctance.

“Brother… are you… are you chasing me away?”

“Tomorrow… tomorrow I want to be with Brother too… Can’t Brother just push off your plans and stay with me…?”

As she spoke, she secretly observed Xiao Moyuan’s reaction, pulling out her trump card. Her voice held a shy implication, almost inaudible.

“And… the ‘sweet treat’ I promised Brother last time… I, I haven’t given it to Brother yet…”

Su Mian had made up her mind.

No matter what, she absolutely could not leave tonight!

Even if… even if she had to pay some ‘price,’ she had to shamelessly stay here and completely cut off any possibility of him going to find Shen Zhixia tomorrow!