Yue Linze remained unmoved, staring at Tao Yu for a long time, only turning his gaze to the dining table after she left the rehabilitation room. 

The exquisite cuisine, the balanced nutrition, the expensive tableware—every detail screamed refinement. Yet, he lowered his eyes. "I'm not hungry."

"Sir, you haven't eaten breakfast. Please have something." The housekeeper pleaded.

Yue Linze didn't even look at him. The helpless housekeeper pushed the wheelchair towards his room, softly suggesting as they went, "Perhaps I could have the kitchen prepare some soup for you, sir, to have after your afternoon rehabilitation session. What do you think?"

Yue Linze's silence was his refusal. The housekeeper, unable to persuade him further, resignedly escorted him back to his room. After settling Yue Linze down for rest, he headed towards the staff dining area at the back of the estate.

Having arrived after the lunch rush, the dining area was nearly empty. He immediately spotted Tao Yu, who was in the middle of her meal. She, too, saw him and, putting down her chopsticks, waved him over with a smile.

As the housekeeper approached, Tao Yu politely stood. When he arrived, she smiled and asked, "Are you here for lunch as well?"

"Yes. If you don't mind, Dr. Tao, may I sit here?" The housekeeper returned a kind smile, as if he had never witnessed her near-frantic state on the surveillance footage.

‘Of course I mind,’ she thought, ‘but even if I did, you'd sit here anyway.’

Looking at the wrinkles around his eyes, she said gently, "Of course not. Please, have a seat."

After he sat, Tao Yu resumed her own seat. Glancing at the housekeeper's empty table, then at the abundance of food before her, she sighed inwardly, making no move to pick up her chopsticks.

The housekeeper noticed this, glanced at her food, and initiated conversation. "Dr. Tao, you have quite an appetite."

"Being a physical therapist is quite demanding," Tao Yu said demurely, eyeing the large plate of black pepper beef and rice, along with fries, a burger, and a variety of fruits.

Her unrestrained eating stemmed from two reasons: her genuinely large appetite, and the fact that her consciousness was currently linked to Yue Linze's mind. She could enjoy the delicious food without any real-world consequences to her figure.

The housekeeper, unaware of this, looked at her half-eaten meal and sighed. "If only the master had such a good appetite."

"Is his appetite poor?" Tao Yu feigned concern.

The housekeeper's tone was laced with helplessness. "He always ate lightly, but since the accident, he's barely touched his food. We've changed chefs countless times, but nothing seems to work."

"That's not good. Later stages of rehabilitation require strength. If he doesn't eat properly, he might not be able to keep up." Tao Yu expressed her worry, then visibly relaxed as a servant approached with the housekeeper's meal. If it hadn't arrived soon, hers would have gone cold.

Those with a proper aristocratic upbringing never speak while dining. True to form, after his meal arrived, the housekeeper smiled at Tao Yu, ending their conversation. "You've worked hard this morning, Dr. Tao. Please enjoy your meal."

"Thank you." Tao Yu nodded contentedly and picked up her chopsticks.

Having slept late that morning, Yue Linze skipped his afternoon nap, choosing instead to lean against his headboard, reading a book in German. After a while, his gaze drifted to the phone beside him.

He stared at the dark screen for a moment before opening the surveillance system and pulling up the feed from the staff dining area. There, he saw Tao Yu sitting across from the housekeeper, eating with uncontainable gusto. The joy the food brought her was evident.

Thirty seconds later, he watched as the housekeeper answered a call, and Tao Yu, having barely eaten a third of her food, hurried out of the dining area.

He heard the housekeeper's voice through the landline. "Sir, Dr. Tao has gone to find the gardener, as you instructed."

"Did she say anything else?" Yue Linze asked indifferently.

"She seemed puzzled by your request to have her weed the garden, but upon hearing that refusal would result in dismissal, she immediately complied."