With his eerie behavior, it became even more chilling. At this moment, Sinen even entertained a terrifying thought: Could he... be planning to kill me? Sinen's heart skipped a beat. She took a deep breath, suppressing her emotions, and calmly asked, "Is there something you need?"

Zhou Yuedong glanced at her for a moment before retracting his gaze. His lean face was beginning to reveal a hint of attractiveness, but his eyes conveyed more of a sinister coldness.

Indeed, those who could become bosses in novels were not ordinary people.

Zhou Yuedong, gripping the straps of his school bag, turned and walked away without a word.

"Surreal," Sinen muttered to herself, feeling somewhat exasperated by the encounter. She turned to put the noodles in the pot and began adding pork fat, soy sauce, and chopped scallions to each bowl.

As the soup was poured over the noodles, oil droplets floated to the surface, emitting a fragrant aroma of scallions and pork fat. The simple scallion oil noodles were ready.

Meanwhile, in Zhou Yuedong's room, Zhou Yuehan sat dumbfounded in front of his brother, still holding his sister who was sucking on a piece of candy.

"Brother, what should we do?" He swallowed hard, looking at his sister holding a cookie in one hand and a White Rabbit milk candy in the other, unable to comprehend the situation.

Zhou Yuedong wiped his sister's drool and said, "Let's wait a few days and see."

"But, but Grandma Liu said that Sister was bullied by that bad woman," Zhou Yuehan anxiously held her sister tightly, unwilling to let her go to anyone else.

"What do you think of Grandma Liu?" Zhou Yuedong's eyes were deep, not typical of a ten-year-old child.

Zhou Yuehan paused for a moment, then frowned and said, "I don't really like her. Her cooking is terrible, and she always likes to... argue with Dad..."

As he said this, he suddenly froze.

Zhou Yuedong held his sister in his arms, carefully examining her rosy cheeks, and said, "Yes, she loves to lie."

*Knock knock knock*

The door was knocked.

Outside, Sinen's gentle voice came, "Elder Brother and Second Brother, it's time for dinner."

The two brothers exchanged a glance, then got up and walked out of the room.

Sinen looked at the two children, both dressed in gray cloth clothes with many patches. Despite the hot weather, they had sweat on their foreheads from the long walk.

The two children looked quite similar, but Zhou Yuedong had a colder expression while Zhou Yuehan seemed more cautious.

Without showing any traces, Sinen withdrew her gaze, but she felt a tug on her skirt.

She glanced down and saw Yoyo's grape-like eyes shining as she looked up at her, extending her little hand for a hug. Sinen's eyes softened, and she bent down to pick up the little darling before heading downstairs.

Children's reactions were always the purest; they liked whoever treated them well. It was evident that Yoyo liked her. However, Yoyo didn't like Grandma Liu because she never asked Grandma Liu for a hug.

Zhou Yuedong lowered his gaze and followed with his brother.

There were several steaming bowls of noodles on the table, each topped with a golden fried egg emitting a tantalizing aroma, causing the two hungry children, who hadn't eaten all day, to involuntarily swallow saliva.

Sinen sat down and glanced at the two boys. "Dig in. If it's not enough, there's more in the kitchen."

As she spoke, she began to feed Yoyo with noodles herself.

This time, Zhou Yuedong didn't stop his brother from eating her food. The two children wolfed down the noodles eagerly. They had eaten noodles before, but these were the first time they had tasted something so rich and flavorful, unlike the bland wheat taste they were used to.

The food made by their stepmother was hundreds of times better than Grandma Liu's, and the two children rarely got the chance to eat until they were full.

After finishing their meal, the two boys voluntarily cleaned up the dishes and went into the kitchen to wash them. Sinen was relieved, having just made the noodles; she was covered in their aroma. Just as she returned to her room to change into pajamas and take a bath, someone knocked on the door.

Thinking it was Yoyo coming to find her, she smiled and turned around while slipping on her clothes. "You little rascal, couldn't stay away from me for even a moment..."

But before she could finish her sentence, her smile froze.

Zhou Yueshen quickly closed the door with lightning speed.

Sinen: "..."

Her scream got stuck in her throat.

Expressionless, she put on her coat, reflecting on why she hadn't locked the door properly. After changing into her pajamas, she walked out and saw the man standing at the doorway with his back to her.

Sinen subconsciously looked him up and down.

The man had a square, upright face and was wearing a gray vest. Sweat had soaked a large area of fabric on his back, faintly outlining the curves of his muscles. His arms and shoulders were deeply tanned, and his muscles, though not exaggerated, were very toned and lean.

His arms were veined, and his fingers were thick and long—a sign of strength.

Sinen unconsciously swallowed, and by the time she snapped out of it, the man had already turned his head. Her gaze fell to his lower body...

Zhou Yueshen: "..."

"Can I borrow your room to take a shower? The public bathroom's pipes are broken," he said, his voice deep, as he glanced at Sinen.

Sinen immediately averted her gaze, a faint blush coloring her soft, fair face. "Sure, go ahead," she replied.

"Sorry for the trouble," Zhou Yueshen nodded politely and walked in without looking around.

Sinen had assumed he would return late every day, so she hadn't thought much about it today either. She hadn't even bothered to lock the door when changing clothes. Thankfully, this man still behaved like a gentleman.

She sighed with relief, went downstairs, and entered the kitchen to cook noodles for him. Despite receiving so much money from him, Sinen was still willing to cook for him a few meals.

Zhou Yueshen showered quickly, returning downstairs in just ten minutes with a mist of water clinging to him. He discreetly surveyed the house—it was just a day's work, but the house was now clean and organized. Previously, there had always been mosquitoes and the place was a mess, which was rather irritating.

But now, everything was neat and tidy, the air crisp, and the floors shining. Without a doubt, it was the work of that woman. It was rare to see floors so clean in the countryside.

On the dining table, there was a glass vase with wildflowers commonly seen on the roadside, adding a touch of warmth to the whole house.

Glancing at the sofa, Zhou Yueshen saw the two elder siblings doing their homework while little YaoYao lay on the sofa watching TV. Normally a dirty little thing, today she looked clean and fresh, her clothes spotless. She seemed to have gained some weight too.

Raising an eyebrow, Zhou Yueshen walked over and scooped up the child, immediately catching a whiff of sweet milk scent. She still held half a cookie in her hand—things they didn't usually have at home.

Zhou Yueshen had never raised children before and didn't know how to be meticulous. He had thought as long as there was food to eat, everything would be fine. His work kept him too busy to care for the children, but he made sure they lacked for nothing financially. Yet no matter how much money he provided, these children remained as thin as beans.

Zhou Yueshen had considered finding a woman, but the ones he had encountered before had wicked intentions and almost harmed the children. Afterward, he had to rely on someone to come and cook for the three children, but the effect was not obvious.

"Dad."

"Father."

The two elder siblings, upon seeing him, instinctively straightened up, respectfully addressing him.

"Hmm." Zhou Yueshen sat his little daughter on his lap, observing the two children who bore a resemblance to their sister. They both looked at him with reverence and fear because Zhou Yueshen's face naturally carried a stern expression. During his years in the military, even those soldiers would walk with their tails between their legs when they saw him, let alone these two little ones.

"How's the studying?" he asked casually.