Chapter 167: Turns Out She's Really Skilled
While eating breakfast, Lin Muqing noticed that someone was watching her, but she didn’t think much of it. Compared to that, eating breakfast was clearly more important.
Of course, there was also interaction with the two Aunties.
Halfway through the meal, Lin Muqing was surprised to find that she and Meng Yue had the exact same taste in food.
They both liked sweet things, didn’t like egg yolks, but if the egg whites and yolks were fully mixed before cooking, then she’d be fine with eating it.
“Wow, what a coincidence! You two might as well just be mother and daughter.”
Ye Ziming’s mom, sitting nearby, was so surprised she couldn’t help commenting with a half-joking tone.
As soon as she said that, everyone at the table turned to look at Lin Muqing. Among them, Meng Yue looked the most nervous.
“Huh?”
Lin Muqing froze for a moment, then turned to look at Meng Yue beside her. Deep down, a hint of discomfort surfaced. Even though she knew it was just a joke, she still couldn’t really accept the idea of casually calling someone else mom or dad.
“Ah, that’s right! I think there’s a pack of chicken wings in the fridge. I’ll go buy some cola later, we can have cola chicken for lunch...”
Sharp as always, Ye Ziming’s mom quickly noticed Lin Muqing’s reaction and immediately changed the subject, smoothly shifting the conversation to what they’d eat for lunch.
On the other side, a hint of disappointment flashed through Meng Yue’s eyes, but she hid it well and quickly returned to her usual self.
At that table, Ye Ziming was the calmest one, because he knew Lin Muqing well enough.
“Auntie.”
After they finished talking about lunch plans, Lin Muqing softly called out.
“Hmm?” With a face full of smiles, Ye Ziming’s mom turned her head, puzzled.
“When you cook later… can I help out a little?”
A bit hesitant, Lin Muqing actually wanted to learn how to cook but was too shy to say it directly, so she asked if she could help instead.
But Ye Ziming’s mom didn’t think that deeply. She just thought Lin Muqing was being sweet and thoughtful. She was about to politely turn her down, praise her for being considerate, and then ask her son to take her out to play…
“She said your cooking is really good and she wants to learn from you.”
Right before she could say anything, Ye Ziming cut in and said what Lin Muqing was too shy to admit.
This surprised Ye Ziming’s mom even more. Knowing her son well, she understood he rarely lied, he just says whatever he’s really thinking.
So, hearing that, and looking again at the girl sitting beside her son, she suddenly realized. Had she underestimated her future daughter-in-law?
“Aww…”
Lin Muqing gave an embarrassed smile and looked a little awkward. But yes, that’s exactly what she was thinking.
“Well, this works out perfectly.”
Ye Ziming’s mom’s eyes lit up. She suddenly thought of a great idea.
“Your Aunt Lin’s cooking is even better than mine! She made this breakfast, tastes great, right?” As she spoke, she sneakily nudged Meng Yue under the table, giving her a not-so-subtle hint.
This was a perfect plan. Meng Yue could grow closer to Lin Muqing, and Lin Muqing could learn something useful, and the Ye family might end up as the biggest winner in the end.
Getting the hint right away, Meng Yue quickly joined in and immediately agreed to teach Lin Muqing some cooking herself, step by step, hands-on.
“Mm-hmm, thank you, Aunt Lin!”
Hearing that Meng Yue would be the one teaching her, Lin Muqing looked even more excited, because she already had a really good impression of Meng Yue.
“If you like it, you should come over to my house sometime. I’ll cook for you every day!”
Meng Yue smiled brightly too, even giving an open invitation, welcoming Lin Muqing to visit her home anytime.
But someone as simple and kind-hearted as Lin Muqing didn’t think that deeply about it. She just took it as a polite comment. So, she nodded without thinking and replied, “Next time for sure.”
The four people at the table were enjoying their time together. They looked just like a real family, and the breakfast was full of laughter and warmth. During the meal, Ye Ziming accidentally shared a small story about how Lin Muqing had once asked the chef at the coffee shop to teach her how to cook. This made Mother Ye and Meng Yue think even more highly of Lin Muqing, so much so that they almost stood up to give her a certificate of honor on the spot. What a surprise, she’s definitely a keeper.
The “defeated trio,” who didn’t speak at all during the meal, weren’t just zoning out. They were quietly gathering information. After analyzing everything that happened, the three of them glanced at each other and thought of the same thing.
By politely saying she wanted to learn cooking, Lin Muqing made herself seem shy and respectful, while also building a closer connection with Mother Ye.
In the end, even though she didn’t "win" anything, she still gave everyone a great impression, and even gained more points with Ye Ziming.
The more they thought about it, the more scary it seemed. Her actions were perfect and smooth, without a single flaw. Even when the three of them worked together, they couldn’t find anything to criticize.
They even realized that Lin Muqing had taken the initiative first and gave them a warning right from the start.
The final conclusion? This girl is terrifying.
If we fight her one-on-one, none of us will win. We must team up to have a chance.
Lin Muqing: Huh? What are you all talking about?
……………………………………
“Lin Muqing, you don’t need to help with this, go take a break over there,” Mother Ye said after breakfast when Lin Muqing tried to help clean up. She stopped her and gave Ye Ziming a look, signaling him to go handle the "defeated trio" on the sofa.
“Listen to Mom. Come with me,” Ye Ziming said.
Getting the hint from his mom, Ye Ziming gently patted Lin Muqing on the head, then held her hand and led her to sit on the sofa. He had a rough idea of what his mom was planning, and guessed that the three girls being here at this time probably wasn’t a coincidence, but part of her secret plan.
Basically, the goal was to take care of the three who were sticking too closely to him, to send a strong message by making an example out of them.
Otherwise, they wouldn’t even know when Ye Ziming would be home or where he was.
As the two of them walked over to the living room, tension was already rising. The three girls were secretly exchanging messages with serious faces, coming up with strategies. And when Ye Ziming and Lin Muqing sat down, it was basically a silent declaration.
The battle has begun.
……………………………………
“Hey, have you seen my phone?”
After sitting down, Lin Muqing patted the shallow pocket of her pajama pants, then looked surprised, it was gone. Just a moment ago she clearly remembered having it with her, but now it had disappeared.
“It’s right here.”
Ye Ziming scratched his head awkwardly. When they sat down, he noticed her phone had slipped out of her pocket and landed on the sofa, just about 10 cm away from her. Anyone who lowered their head a little could’ve seen it.
“Wow~ Thanks, boss!”
Lin Muqing happily picked up her phone and opened a delivery app to search for nearby stores.
They had just talked about making Coca-Cola chicken wings. Mother Ye offered to have the housemaid go buy the ingredients, but Lin Muqing said she had a no-minimum-spend discount coupon, so it’d be cheaper to order. Plus, it would save the maid the trouble. After all, there wasn’t a convenience store in their complex, you had to go outside to find even a small supermarket.
But Lin Muqing didn’t realize that in the eyes of the three girls, her casual actions looked like she was deliberately ignoring them.
How hateful!
She acted like she didn’t even notice the hostility they were sending her way, what kind of confidence and pride is that?
And if you thought carefully about it, you’d realize that Muqing was skillfully avoiding their attacks and had already taken the upper hand, even before making any move.
Truly terrifying.