Leaving the shooting club, he arrived home around five o’clock.
Meng Peisheng went to his room, took a shower, changed into a shirt and suit, and didn’t even have time to eat dinner before heading out.
This showed how tight his schedule was.
Being able to spend an afternoon with Meng Xici practicing was already very rare for him.
Sang Miao and Meng Xici also went to their rooms to shower.
When they came downstairs, dinner was almost ready.
Sitting at the dining table, the two of them realized how hungry they were.
After exercise, their appetites were surprisingly good, and they ate a lot.
Both of them buried their heads in their meals without any conversation.
Dinner was made according to their usual portions, yet they were still a little short on food.
Looking at the plates that were nearly wiped clean, Sang Miao thought: …that was a mistake.
Noticing that she wasn’t eating enough, Meng Xici deliberately slowed down with his eating, eating even less than usual.
After dinner, they took Youyou to the garden for a walk.
The Border Collie followed them enthusiastically.
Now that they were familiar with each other, they sometimes played together, but as they played, they often ended up fighting.
With the energetic cat and dog, Sang Miao and them walked for a while, covering almost half the villa, and they got more tired.
Because they hadn’t eaten enough for dinner, and it wasn’t even ten o’clock yet, Sang Miao started to feel really hungry.
It was easy to imagine that there wouldn’t be any instant noodles or the like in the villa.
Neither Meng Peisheng nor Meng Xici had the habit of eating late-night snacks, so by this time, neither the chef nor the aunt responsible for meals was on duty.
Although they provided 24-hour service, calling them to make food in the middle of the night seemed like too much trouble to Sang Miao.
She put on some clothes and went downstairs, planning to see if there was anything she could snack on.
There were definitely no leftovers in the kitchen, so she could only check if there was anything ready to eat.
Since Meng Peisheng hadn’t returned yet, the lights in the living room were still on, but the lights in the dining room were also on, casting a warm yellow light.
The villa was only occupied by the three of them, and the other servants and butlers lived in the annex building.
Now it was just them two.
Sang Miao didn’t care who else was there and directly walked toward the kitchen.
The fridge door was open, and hearing someone come in, Meng Xici peeked his head out.
He froze for a moment when he saw her.
It was a coincidence that they both came to find food at the same time.
Sang Miao didn’t find it strange.
Meng Xici had done the same amount of exercise and eaten the same as her today.
As a growing teenager, it would be weird if he wasn’t hungry.
She casually walked up to him and asked, “Is there anything to eat?”
Meng Xici, wearing a casual hoodie, had slightly long hair that covered his eyebrows.
His eyes were still bright.
He had slightly opened the fridge, indicating for her to help herself.
To ensure freshness, the villa didn’t keep much food stored.
Almost everything was bought fresh every day, but there was enough to make a nice midnight snack.
Though Meng Xici wasn’t spoiled, he had never really cooked himself.
The ingredients didn’t really catch his attention.
After looking for a while, he finally grabbed a box of yogurt.
“I’ll eat this, do you want some?”
Since she was right there, he asked casually.
Sang Miao looked at it and decided it would do.
It was late, and she was too lazy to cook, so anything to eat was fine.
Recently, her appetite had become spoiled by more refined food, but eating nothing but cookies for several days just a few months ago wasn’t a big deal.
When she wasn’t picky, she was really not picky.
Meng Xici poured two bowls of yogurt and said, “I’ll cut some fruit.”
Okay, he was more thoughtful than her.
He was so proactive, so Sang Miao just sat back and enjoyed.
There were quite a few fresh fruits, and Meng Xici washed some blueberries and strawberries, removing the stems from the strawberries, and mixed them into the yogurt.
It looked quite appetizing.
The two of them sat at opposite sides of the table, eating slowly.
Even though they were hungry at this hour, they still couldn’t eat too quickly to avoid indigestion.
Not even halfway through, there was a sound from the door.
Meng Xici instinctively looked toward the door, while Sang Miao kept eating, not even lifting her head.
At this time, who else could it be?
Meng Peisheng had just finished a multinational meeting and returned from the company.
He was wearing a gray coat over his arm, the Windsor knot of his tie slightly loosened, and the top two buttons of his shirt were undone.
He gave off a relaxed, lazy vibe, indicating that work had just finished.
As he entered the living room and saw the two of them eating together so late, there was a brief flash of surprise in his eyes.
It was already past ten o’clock.
Meng Xici, a teenager still growing, usually went to bed before ten, and he had always followed a strict routine.
It was rare for him to be eating a late-night snack at this time, and even more unusual for him to be eating with someone else.
He put his coat on the sofa and walked into the dining room, looking at Meng Xici. “Didn’t you eat enough for dinner?”
Perhaps influenced by the evening atmosphere, his cold voice carried a hint of gentle concern.
Meng Xici replied, “…Hmm.”
Sang Miao secretly glanced at the man next to her. Why did his tone and expression seem a little guilty?
Could it be that Meng Peisheng is so strict with him that even when to sleep and eat late-night snacks is regulated?
It wasn’t impossible.
Come to think of it, Meng Xici’s self-discipline didn’t seem entirely natural.
It might be that his father had been very strict with him all along.
It was evident that the father’s authority was pervasive.
Even though his tone seemed caring, Meng Xici still couldn’t relax completely.
Indeed, Meng Xici felt a sense of guilt, as though he had been caught.
Meng Peisheng sat down next to Meng Xici and glanced at them both, saying in a low voice, “Just this?”
Sang Miao’s hand paused for a second as she scooped the yogurt, “…”
The way he said it made the fruit yogurt bowl sound so pitiful and meager!
Alright, it was quite casual.
But Sang Miao assumed his words were meant for Meng Xici, so she didn’t answer.
Meng Xici replied, “It’s more convenient.”
Meng Peisheng looked at the small bowl of fruit yogurt and asked, “Is this enough? Should I make you some noodles?”
You guys?
Both Meng Xici and Sang Miao were surprised and looked up to meet his gaze.
What? Was there some for her too?
Noodles? She wanted them, she wanted them…
But she only thought about it in her mind.
Sang Miao first glanced at Meng Xici, asking with a calm questioning look.
After all, she thought of herself as a secondary guest, not wanting to take the lead.
But in reality, she desperately wished her eyes would communicate to him to just accept the noodles, and not shy away!
Although she didn’t show much emotion, Meng Xici somehow read her intentions.
His dad had just come home from work, and Meng Xici didn’t want to trouble him so late, but such an opportunity was rare.
Moreover, someone beside him was clearly hoping for it.
In fact, he also wanted to eat the noodles his dad made.
Meng Xici nodded and admitted, “I’m still a little hungry.”
Sang Miao blinked, indicating her agreement.
“You two wait a bit.”
Meng Peisheng stood up and walked to the kitchen.
He opened the fridge and looked around before turning to ask the two outside, “Shrimp seafood noodles okay?”
Sang Miao wasn’t picky, so she waited for Meng Xici to speak.
Meng Xici had no objections.
Soon, Meng Peisheng had picked out the ingredients and placed them on the counter.
He walked back to the living room, took off his suit jacket, unbuttoned his cuffs and wristwatch, and rolled up his shirt sleeves to expose his forearms.
Sang Miao watched his smooth, graceful movements and thought to herself, when they first got their marriage certificate, she never expected to see this man making dinner.
Although she was the one mooching, it was still a win for her!
Wait, this should be pretty good, right…?
Sang Miao wasn’t the only one surprised.
Meng Xici had never seen his dad cook.
They never had late-night snacks like this before.
Even if they ate something at night, it was always before 9 p.m., and the kitchen staff were still around.
Tonight, this was a pleasant surprise.
Meng Peisheng had already started busying in the kitchen.
Both of them looked at their bowls of yogurt, no longer finding it as appetizing.
But adhering to the good tradition of not wasting food, Sang Miao and Meng Xici finished the remaining small portion.
Sang Miao patiently rested her chin on her hand, occasionally glancing at the kitchen.
The kitchen partition door was open, and before long, a delicious aroma wafted out.
Everything the person in the kitchen did was orderly.
The shirt and trousers outlined his narrow waist and long legs, blending perfectly with the kitchen’s cooking atmosphere.
No wonder people say men who can cook are the most attractive, and this man was not only handsome but also wealthy.
Although he wasn’t hers, she had no reason to refuse enjoying it.
Looking at Meng Xici who was frequently glancing over, she guessed he probably hadn’t eaten much before.
Meng Xici turned around and saw Sang Miao watching him curiously, not understanding why.
Sang Miao lowered her head and moved a little closer, whispering, “Is this your first time eating food your dad made?”
“…” Who’s the same as you?!
Meng Xici turned his head away, not wanting to talk to her.
He was getting too easily annoyed, and Sang Miao almost laughed out loud.
The sound of turning off the stove and plating came from the kitchen.
Soon, Meng Peisheng came out with a tray.
On the tray were three bowls of noodles, each bowl not too big about half the portion of a regular meal.
He placed the tray down, “The portions aren’t large, it’s late, don’t eat too much.”
Sang Miao and Meng Xici nodded and took their bowls.
Meng Peisheng prepared a bowl for himself and sat down next to them to eat.
The meal wasn’t complicated, but it looked good.
The broth was rich, and the shrimp and seafood were fresh and large.
Sang Miao moved her chopsticks, waited a few seconds for the noodles to cool down, and then took a bite.
It was delicious the broth was fresh and had a little spice.
The three of them had eaten together a few times.
Usually, the chef prepared dishes that suited all of their tastes, with a bit of spice, so they were somewhat consistent.
Meng Peisheng just adjusted the seasoning according to their usual preferences.
The three of them ate in a very refined manner.
The noodles weren’t much, and they finished in ten minutes, but Sang Miao still felt very satisfied.
She finished the hot soup, and her stomach felt very comfortable.
…
The next day, the chef and the aunt who cleaned the kitchen noticed the signs of use in the kitchen from the night before.
After discussing for a while, they went to find Shao Ying.
Auntie: “Shao Butler, it seems like Mr. and the others made their own late-night snacks last night without asking us.”
Shao Ying was surprised to hear this.
She had been here for years.
Though she was officially the housekeeper, her actual position and pay were similar to Meng Peisheng’s special assistant at the company, with an annual salary in the million range.
Apart from Uncle Zhou, she was one of the people who knew the family best.
She managed not only the daily life of the villa’s owners but also all the small matters, personnel management, and event coordination.
Since there hadn’t been a female head of the house before, she was also responsible for arranging banquets and guest accommodations, managing the upkeep of artwork, and overseeing the transplanting of trees within the villa.
All of this was done according to the owners’ habits and preferences.
Eating late-night snacks had never happened before.
Even when Meng Peisheng worked late, he didn’t eat snacks.
Meng Xici was a student and slept early, so after nine, he never ate anything.
So, initially, Mr. Meng had said no one needed to be arranged for the night shift, and they should rest early.
Auntie asked, “Since Mr. and the others wanted late-night snacks, should we arrange someone to be on duty?”
Normally, workers looking for unnecessary work were just bored.
But here, the environment and pay were good.
Most of the time, the work was light, and the family didn’t ask for much.
After a long time, it was easy to develop feelings.
The servants in the villa were all carefully selected, practical and sincere, with high pay and 24-hour service.
If the family didn’t require it, it was fine, but now that there was a need, they couldn’t just be idle.
Shao Ying thought that this might just be an occasional occurrence, so after a moment of thought, she said, “It’s fine, just do as usual. Mr. and Mrs. will let us know if they need anything.”
However, she was secretly calculating that if this happened again, she would need to ask for permission.
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.