Rumor Has It I Don’t Follow A-Class Morals - Chapter 43

Su Yin was pulled to the kitchen door by Aunt Chen. As she looked at the person inside, walking around in front of the stove with an apron on, she suddenly felt like she didn’t recognize her at all.

Why would she be cooking?

Hadn’t Ming Muyao said before that she hated cooking? She even found the smell of oil and smoke disgusting, and had never once stepped into the kitchen—let alone kick Aunt Chen out and cook by herself.

Ding dong—

Just then, the doorbell rang.

Ming Muyao clearly heard it too. She opened the door and said to Aunt Chen, “That’s the food delivery I ordered. Can you get it for me?”

As she said that, she noticed Su Yin had just come back and smiled, saying, “Home from school? Go change and take a break. Dinner should be ready in about half an hour. If you’re hungry, there are some snacks in the living room. You can have a few to tide you over.”

The way Ming Muyao said all this so naturally completely stunned Su Yin.

When have I ever seen this side of Ming Muyao?

Her hair was tied into a neat ponytail behind her head, and she wore a dark gray apron. There was a sweet, homey aroma of food clinging to her, and her smile toward Su Yin was surprisingly gentle.

While Su Yin was still in a daze, Aunt Chen came back in holding a small cake. She looked confused as she said, “Muyao, you ordered a cake?”

The little cake wasn’t much bigger than a palm—probably a four-inch one—but it was very delicately made. It was clear someone had put real thought into it.

Ming Muyao looked a bit surprised to see the cake too. Taking it from Aunt Chen, she frowned and said, “It said it was for two people… I didn’t think it’d be this small.”

Su Yin’s gaze also fell on the little cake.

Even though the size was off, it didn’t take away from how pretty the cake looked. The round shape was topped with big, juicy strawberries, red and glossy—just looking at them made her mouth water.

Ming Muyao looked helplessly at the cake in her hands and said, “It’s fine. It should be enough for the three of us.”

After placing the cake on the dining table, Ming Muyao went back into the kitchen to continue cooking. Aunt Chen, on the other hand, examined the little cake with a smile, snapping a photo as she said, “You have to admit, Yin Yin, this little cake is really pretty—like a piece of art.”

Su Yin stared at the cake for a while before snapping out of it. She turned to Aunt Chen and said, “I’m going upstairs to change.”

With that, she slung her backpack over her shoulder and headed upstairs.

Her mind was full of the image of Ming Muyao in an apron holding a spatula. The whole thing felt so bizarre her body was starting to heat up, her ears especially burning like crazy. She reached up to rub at them, only to find the more she rubbed, the redder they got.

Back in her room, Su Yin set her backpack on the desk—and immediately noticed something new in the corner.

It was a potted plant. More specifically, a small potted strawberry plant.

At first, Su Yin thought it was fake. After all, strawberries were out of season. But when she gently touched one of the little flowers, she realized it was a real plant. The strawberries growing on it were plump and round, looking unbelievably sweet.

The small strawberry plant sat quietly on her desk. Just looking at it, Su Yin could already guess who had put it there.

What’s going on with Ming Muyao today?

First cooking, and now giving her a little strawberry plant. So weird…

Su Yin sat down in front of her desk, tilting her head to look at the bright red fruit growing from the plant. Somehow, her heart felt completely full because of this tiny thing.

After a while, Su Yin changed into a fresh set of clothes and headed back downstairs. She saw Aunt Chen had given up trying to stop Ming Muyao and was tidying the living room. She was putting snacks into a basket and, when she saw Su Yin, waved her over excitedly and said, “Come look, these are all your favorites.”

Su Yin walked over and glanced at the basket. It was filled with sweet snacks, along with dried mangoes and other preserved fruits.

“Why so many snacks?” Su Yin asked curiously. “Muyao bought all of these?”

“Yup,” Aunt Chen replied while organizing. “I don’t know what got into her today. She called me around three in the afternoon and said she was at the supermarket. Bought a whole bunch of stuff. Then when she got back, she went straight into the kitchen and started cooking. I offered to teach her, but she didn’t want help—insisted on doing everything herself.”

Aunt Chen let out a sigh, then smiled and said to Su Yin, “Let’s see later if she actually manages to cook something edible.”

Su Yin glanced toward the kitchen, at the figure still bustling inside, and slowly nodded.

Soon after, Ming Muyao brought out a whole table’s worth of dishes.

Aunt Chen was the first to rush over for a look and was surprised to find that Ming Muyao’s cooking was actually pretty good. The dishes covered all the bases—meat, fish, vegetables—and were nicely presented too.

“Muyao, since when did you know how to cook? I had no idea,” Aunt Chen said as she picked up a piece of braised pork with her chopsticks. “This tastes great. Doesn’t seem like someone cooking for the first time.”

Ming Muyao smiled and replied, “As long as it tastes good. I just followed a recipe. Tasted everything before serving—thought it came out pretty well.”

Aunt Chen didn’t hold back with the praise. “You even fried the fish perfectly. But didn’t you used to hate green onions? Why’d you use them this time?”

Ming Muyao glanced at the plate of fish and saw she’d really sprinkled chopped green onions over it. She blinked, then smiled and said, “It just looked better that way.”

Aunt Chen didn’t think too much about it. She set down her chopsticks and went with Ming Muyao to the kitchen to help serve the rice.

Su Yin walked to the dining table and glanced toward the kitchen, then back at the spread of dishes. Something about it all felt off.

Ming Muyao never used to cook. She hated the smell of oil and even green onions… and now all of that’s changed?

Can someone really make something this decent just by reading a recipe once?

Su Yin was especially puzzled.

After dinner, Ming Muyao—having spent two hours cooking—was too tired to fight over who washed the dishes. Instead, she made herself a cup of coffee and relaxed on the sofa.

Su Yin brought over a fruit plate and set it in front of her.

“Thanks.” Ming Muyao was just craving some fruit. She picked up a piece of apple with a toothpick and said, “You didn’t eat much cake earlier. Don’t you usually love sweets?”

Su Yin looked at her and said softly, “I was full. I couldn’t eat any more. I’ll save the rest for later—maybe eat it while doing homework tonight.”

Ming Muyao nodded. “That works. I noticed you ate a lot today. Appetite’s been better lately?”

“Yeah, I’ve been eating more than before.”

“That’s good.”

Ming Muyao glanced at Su Yin’s petite frame and added after taking another bite of apple, “You used to be too skinny. I think you’ve put on a little weight lately—makes you feel a lot nicer to hold.”

As soon as she said it, she realized she’d let something slip again. She quickly tried to cover it up. “I mean… gaining a little weight is good for your health. You were way too thin before, and that’s not healthy.”

Su Yin didn’t react right away. It took a second before her ears turned red, and without saying a word, she stood up and walked away.

“Where are you going?” Ming Muyao quickly asked.

Su Yin turned back and looked at her, visibly annoyed. In a muffled tone, she said, “Upstairs to do homework.”

Once Su Yin had gone upstairs, Ming Muyao popped another piece of apple into her mouth, the corners of her lips curling with amusement.

At ten o’clock that night, Su Yin had already finished her homework and was reviewing the lessons she missed earlier. But her gaze kept drifting to the little strawberry plant on her desk, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t focus on the textbook anymore.

She finally closed the book and lay down on her desk, staring at the cute little plant. She couldn’t figure out what Ming Muyao was thinking. Last time she gave her sunflowers, and today it was strawberries.

What’s with this woman and giving me things that bear fruit?

Su Yin thought of the sunflowers and began daydreaming. If I ever get a pet in the future, I’m totally naming it Guazi—sunflower seed. Cute and easy to remember.

As for the strawberry… it didn’t feel like a fitting pet name. I’ll figure it out later.

While she was spacing out and staring at the strawberry, someone knocked lightly on her door from the outside.

Su Yin immediately sat up straight. When the door opened, she saw Ming Muyao standing there in a silky green nightgown, her long hair flowing lazily down her back. Her eyes were fixed on Su Yin as she asked, “Did you finish your homework?”

Just seeing Ming Muyao like that, Su Yin knew her “treatment” was about to start.

“All done,” Su Yin said, still sitting in her chair as she looked up at Ming Muyao walking toward her step by step. After a long pause, she added, “Should we… go to the bed?”

The words came out sounding a bit suggestive—even Ming Muyao seemed momentarily thrown off. But then she noticed Su Yin realizing her own awkward phrasing, her ears going red all over again.

Ming Muyao didn’t tease the kid this time. She simply reached out a hand and said, “Alright, come here.”

Su Yin didn’t hesitate and followed her to the bed. The two of them sat on opposite sides, stiff and upright, as if discussing something serious.

To help Su Yin relax, Ming Muyao thought for a moment and asked, “It’s Saturday tomorrow. You don’t have school, right? Planning to go out, or just staying home?”

Su Yin looked up and said, “I’m going to visit my mom at the nursing home.”

“Alright.” Ming Muyao gently released a bit of her pheromones and said calmly, “Then I’ll take you. It’s still hard for you to walk too much.”

The sweet, intoxicating scent of rum filled the small room. Su Yin felt her body start to warm up, but she still replied, “I can go on my own, really.”

“I mostly just want to see your mom,” Ming Muyao said. “Check how she’s doing at the nursing home.”

“Mm…”

Su Yin’s breathing was soft and shallow. She propped herself up with one hand on the bed, her head feeling a little fuzzy. “She should be doing fine… I went to see her last week…”

Ming Muyao looked at the glimmer in Su Yin’s eyes and reached out, her voice soft. “Feeling weak? Want to come into my arms?”

Su Yin looked up at her.

Ming Muyao’s cheeks were slightly flushed too, her breathing faster than usual, her chest rising and falling. The sight made Su Yin feel like her whole body was on fire.

That silk nightgown didn’t leave much to the imagination. Su Yin’s heart was burning, and in the end, she closed her eyes and reached out to hold Ming Muyao’s hand.

As soon as she touched her, Ming Muyao pulled her straight into her arms. Looking at those cherry-red lips, she didn’t hesitate for a second before lowering her head and kissing them.