Liu Duo, who was sound asleep, could vaguely make out the sounds of Hei Xiaomeng barking downstairs. He must be playing with Bai Xiaojiao.

And yet the noise was loud enough to wake her.

Her eyelids fluttered as she stirred awake, eyes squinting as they slowly adapted to the morning rays.

She moved about and turned her body to the other side as she muttered, Damn you, Liuzi and Mo. You two better not think about getting into bed with me like that again! You piss me off!

With the tray in hand, Ye Ling pushed the door open only to find Liu Duo lying face down on the bed, curled up in a ball.

"Duo Er, get up for breakfast. Eat your fill, then you can sleep again." His gentle voice rang into her ears.

"Ling?" Wrapped in the sheets, she turned to face him, her eyes barely open as she put on her womanly wiles. "Ling, I don't want to eat. I just want to sleep and not move at all."

Ye Ling chuckled and placed the tray on the desk before coaxing her patiently, "Duo Er, get up and eat something. It won't take much time. Your stomach can't handle going hungry."

Then he mixed the steamed egg with rice, and added other side dishes into the bowl before bringing that and a pair of chopsticks to her side of the bed. "How about I feed you? You just have to open your mouth."

"No, I haven't even brushed my teeth. I'll eat later after I've had enough sleep, alright, Ling?"

Liu Duo went on to cover her head with the sheet to hide from reality. Ye Ling found her actions quite hilarious. He shook his head. She was acting like a kid.

"Duo Er, I'll get some water for you then. Can you put on your undergarments first?" he said as his face began to flush.

Liu Duo's muffled voice could be heard through the blanket. "Don't trouble yourself, Ling. Just leave me be. I'll get down for food later."

For a moment, Ye Ling ran out of ideas. At a time like this, Liu Duo was behaving like a disobedient child.

Ye Ling looked at the food in his hands. It still retained some heat.

He left the bowl on the bedside table, and headed downstairs without a word.

Liu Duo peeked out of the covers when she did not hear Ye Ling's persuasion that usually followed, just in time to watch him leave. He's leaving just like that? That can't be right.

Ye Ling got downstairs, fetched some water in a bucket, found a spittoon and took off again.

"Duo Er, have a wash after you put on your clothes. Then have some food." Ye Ling placed the bucket and the spittoon at one corner of the room.

Liu Duo lifted the sheets when he came back. It turned out that Ye Ling did not continue to nag on her because he had left to fetch her some water so that she could wash up. He was such a nice guy!

After all that had happened, Liu Duo did not feel sleepy anymore and sat up. "Ling, can you get me some clean clothes from my wardrobe? And some clean underwear too."

Dongfang Ming's carriage slowly approached their destination. Hei Xiaomeng raced to the front and started barking.

Liu Ran called for Hei Xiaomeng to stop when he saw the carriage. "Xiaomeng, don't do that. We have a guest."

He'd barely finished speaking when the carriage came to a stop and Ming Yan leaped down, followed by Dongfang Ming, springing up very little dust as though they were as light as a feather.

The scene left Liu Ran awestruck.