Chapter 13: Not Poisoned

Chen Liyang picked up his chopsticks, put some food into Wanning’s bowl first, and only then took a mouthful of plain white rice.

He then looked at the children and said, “It’s been too long since I was last in the kitchen, so my skills are a bit rusty. Quick, try it and see how it tastes.”

The children exchanged glances, all feeling that this didn’t fit Chen Liyang’s usual behavior. They couldn’t help but suspect he had put something bad into the food.

Seeing his younger sister about to eat, Zhou Chengnan hastily stopped her. “Sister, don’t eat!”

Seeing the second brother react so strongly, Chen Liyang was no fool. Even without asking, he knew what they were thinking: they were afraid he had poisoned the food!

He felt thoroughly helpless. “Poisoning people will land me in prison. How out of my mind would I have to be to poison your food? If you won’t eat it, I will!”

With that, he picked up a bite of shredded potatoes with his chopsticks and ate it.

After chewing twice, his entire expression went sour, and he instinctively spat the potatoes into the trash can by his feet.

Why were these potatoes so salty? It was as if he had killed the salt seller^[1].

Seeing his action, the kids exchanged looks that said, See? I knew it.

They knew it. How could he possibly be nice enough to cook for them?

He couldn’t even swallow it himself, yet he wanted them to eat it. He truly harbored evil intentions!

Chen Liyang rinsed his mouth with cool boiled water, rubbed his nose awkwardly, and said in an unnatural tone, “Well… I accidentally oversalted the potatoes. It wasn’t poison.”

He then tasted the other dishes. Fortunately, the seasoning on those was just right.

He then tasted the other dishes. Fortunately, the seasoning on those was fine.

“Go ahead and eat. These dishes are fine,” Chen Liyang said as he shoveled rice into his mouth.

Seeing Chen Liyang eating so calm and unfazed, Zhou Chengdong finally picked up his chopsticks and began to eat.

With him taking the lead, the other three siblings naturally followed suit.

“Does it taste okay?” Chen Liyang asked, looking at them expectantly.

Made uncomfortable by his gaze, they instinctively nodded. Chen Liyang immediately beamed. “If you like it, eat more! I’ll cook us a fresh meal tonight!”

Looking at his genuinely happy face, the four children felt a warmth stir deep within their long-frozen hearts.

They couldn’t remember how long it had been since the whole family had sat together so warmly for a meal.

But deep down, they still didn’t dare believe that Chen Liyang had truly turned over a new leaf.

If push came to shove, the thorns on their bodies would still bristle toward him in self-defense.

As he ate, Chen Liyang didn’t forget to put food into Wanning’s bowl from time to time. If he didn’t, the girl would just keep eating plain white rice.

She truly took having no desires to the extreme; if she kept this up, she might as well become a Buddhist nun.

To be honest, Chen Liyang’s cooking was mediocre at best, barely palatable, but the children still ate with relish.

“Eat slowly, don’t choke. I cooked plenty of rice today. If you need more, just go get another bowl,” Chen Liyang said gently as he watched them wolf down their food.

They really had been starving for too long. Given the chance to eat their fill, their stomachs seemed like bottomless pits that could never be satisfied.

But he knew they were just afraid of going hungry during the next meal. Eating more now meant they could endure it even if they starved next time.

Hearing his words, Zhou Chengdong and the others finally slowed their frantic pace.

It was rare for him to be so agreeable, and they didn’t want to defy him right now. Otherwise, they would be the ones suffering in the end.

Soon, every dish on the table was cleaned out. Zhou Chengbei even poured the leftover broth over his rice to mix it in.

As for that plate of shredded potatoes, Chen Liyang had long since dumped it into the trash can.

When he threw it away, he could see the pained looks on the faces of the eldest and second brothers, but something that salty was definitely inedible.

After finishing the meal, Zhou Chengdong took the initiative to clear the table and wash the dishes. Chen Liyang didn’t stop him. After all, he had worked hard to cook for them, so it was only right that they handled the dishes.

Since he didn’t have the habit of taking an afternoon nap, he sat on the living room couch and turned on the TV, which was playing a crime mystery drama.

Zhou Wanning sat quietly beside him to watch as well. After all, this was the world inside a novel.

Chen Liyang didn’t recognize a single actor on screen. To him, they all looked almost identical, with oval faces, large eyes, and pointed chins, as if they had all come out of the exact same plastic surgery clinic.

Zhou Chengbei wanted to watch too, but with Chen Liyang sitting there, he didn’t dare sit beside him like his younger sister did. Instead, he stood at the bedroom door, watching secretly.

Catching sight of the little guy at the door out of the corner of his eye, Chen Liyang waved a hand. “Why are you hiding way over there? It’s not like I’m going to eat you. If you want to watch, come sit over here!”

Zhou Chengbei glanced at his third brother beside him, seeking confirmation on whether he could really go over.

“If you want to watch, go ahead. He seems to be in a good mood these past couple of days, so he won’t hit you,” Zhou Chengxi said. He couldn’t quite explain why, but he inexplicably believed that Chen Liyang wouldn’t lay a hand on them.

With his third brother’s reassurance, Zhou Chengbei finally walked over to the couch with peace of mind, picking the spot furthest away from Chen Liyang to sit down.

Before they knew it, it was time for the kids to head off to school. Chen Liyang had filled their water bottles with cooled boiled water ahead of time.

When he handed them over, the children could only stare blankly at the cups in front of them.

These water bottles had been donated free of charge by the community office after seeing their difficult living conditions.

Yet this was the first time Chen Liyang had ever filled their bottles himself. Since yesterday, there had been so many “firsts.”

They didn’t know what attitude to take toward this man who now wore such a gentle smile.

Even after stepping out the door, they still felt as though they were living in a dream.

Things they had believed were impossible had happened repeatedly over the past two days. Chen Liyang had overturned their expectations time and again, opening a crack in their iron-clad hearts.

“Big Brother, why did he change so suddenly? It’s like he’s a completely different person,” Zhou Chengxi said, clutching his water bottle, utterly baffled.

Then Zhou Chengxi seemed to realize something and let out a cold snort. “In a few days, it’ll be time for the government to issue the subsidy. That card is still in Big Brother’s hands. He’s probably eyeing the subsidy, isn’t he?”

Because everyone knew what kind of person Chen Liyang was, the staff helping them apply for the subsidy had handed the card directly to Zhou Chengdong for safekeeping. Even so, every time the money came in, Chen Liyang would find all kinds of excuses to demand it back.

Sometimes, he would put on an act and pretend to care about them, but as soon as the money was in his hands, he would instantly show his true colors.

Hearing what their third brother said, the cloud of doubt in everyone’s minds cleared away in an instant.

They had almost, almost been tricked again…

“Don’t forget how he treated us in the past. Even if he really does realize he was wrong now, “those hurts can’t simply be wiped away. Especially for our younger sister, Wanning, whom he hurt so badly that she hasn’t spoken a single word in over two years.”

“Mark my words: in this life, he and I cannot live under the same sky. If he thinks I’ll ever forgive him, he’s dreaming!” As he said this, intense hatred erupted from Zhou Chengxi.