Yan Zhen sprawled on the bed, staring at the ceiling for a moment before pulling on some clothes. Her clothes from last night were ruined, and Chen Huaixu had promised to buy her new ones, which would be delivered that afternoon. For now, she had to wear his shirt, the loose fabric barely covering her thighs. She opened the bedroom door and wandered out.

The aroma of food made her stomach rumble even louder. Yan Zhen assumed Chen Huaixu had ordered takeout, but as she drew closer, she saw him cooking.

Standing behind him, she rose onto her tiptoes, resting her chin on his shoulder, utterly surprised. "You can cook?"

Chen Huaixu's movements were practiced and fluid. He hummed in affirmation. "I learned when I was studying abroad."

She frowned. "But my brother studied abroad too, and he can only make noodles, and badly at that."

His voice remained calm. "That's because he's shameless. He used to come over and scrounge off me all the time."

Thousands of miles away, Yan Zhao suddenly sneezed.

Chen Huaixu's cooking was so good it was almost unbelievable. "How come I never knew you were such a good cook? Do you cook every day at home?"

"Not very often." Chen Huaixu placed a rib in her bowl. "If it's just me, I usually order takeout."

That made sense. He was such a workaholic, practically working 24/7. Where would he find the time to cook every day?

They continued eating, but Yan Zhen was distracted, glancing at him repeatedly as he chewed slowly, seemingly lost in thought. She hesitated, unsure how to begin.

"What is it?" Chen Huaixu asked without looking up.

She sighed, feeling a little lost. "It's just…I still find it a little strange. You're my brother's good friend, how did we…?" She'd been swept away by the moment, but now, in the clear light of day, it felt…wrong.

"I keep feeling like…" She nibbled on her chopsticks, searching for the right words. "Like we're doing something wrong behind my brother's back. Like…inc3st."

Chen Huaixu almost choked on his laughter. He stood up, reaching for her. "Is that how you use the word 'inc3st'?"

Yan Zhen quickly dropped her chopsticks and dodged him. "You know what I mean! I've always thought of you as an elder!"

"An elder?" Chen Huaixu raised an eyebrow. "Which elder did you draw turtles on their business cards? A whole box of them? Which elder's slippers did you deliberately kick to Chocolate so he could chew them to pieces?"

"You remember all that?" Caught by him, Yan Zhen struggled, gritting her teeth. "Why are you such a nitpicker?"

"I remember everything about you." He gave her bottom a light swat. "Unlike you, you're heartless."