The sun blazed down, and the orphanage's reconstruction was a tedious affair.
They had to rebuild not only the orphanage's walls and roof but also construct a road from the foot of the mountain to the summit to make travel easier.
Seeing how hard they were working, Bai Su bought bottled water and passed it out.
Lu Tingyan sat under a tree, his face etched with its usual aloof expression.
His left eye had been blinded, and the scar extended up to his left eyebrow, breaking its arch. Hidden beneath the brim of his military cap, his gaze was dark and sharp.
Just by sitting there, he was the personification of danger, his presence overwhelming.
Bai Su walked over with a bottle of water and held it out to him. "Here."
Lu Tingyan glanced at the water in her hand before looking away. "I don't need it."
Seeing him acting all tough when he looked thirsty enough to spit dust, Bai Su felt her lip twitch. She shoved the bottle into his hand. "Here. Drink it or don't. I don't care."
But to her surprise, Lu Tingyan had an extreme reaction. He violently knocked the bottle away, flinging her hand back in the process. "Don't touch me!"
Bai Su jumped in surprise. "You..."
Lu Tingyan's face was deathly pale. He whirled around, grabbing a tree stump as if he were about to be sick.
Bai Su said, "...Was that really necessary?"
Lu Tingyan had, in fact, lost his composure.
Annoyed at his own involuntary reaction, he politely created some distance between them. "Miss Bai, please refrain from touching me. Thank you."
Bai Su retorted, "You hate me that much? Then stop eating the food I make."
A flicker of loathing crossed Lu Tingyan's eyes. He looked at her mockingly. "Why do I hate you? You should know better than anyone."
Bai Su gave him an impassive glance. "Believe it or not, I've turned over a new leaf. I hope you won't continue to judge me based on the past."
Lu Tingyan looked as if he'd just heard the world's biggest joke, and a storm erupted in his eyes.
But just as quickly, as if remembering something, he forcibly suppressed the tempest in his gaze. "In any case, I'll ask again, Miss Bai. Please do not touch me."
Unable to get any more information out of him, Bai Su let a flash of disappointment show in her eyes. "Well, I've said my piece. Believe it or not, that's up to you."
She turned to pass out water to the others. "You've all worked so hard! Take a break and have some water! It's all been chilled!"
"Don't be shy!"
She called out enthusiastically, passing out water to everyone with a bright smile.
Behind her, the intensity of Lu Tingyan's gaze was palpable.
It took all her effort to resist the urge to turn and look back.
Only after she'd finished handing out all the water did she head back to the orphanage.
Under the tree.
Lu Tingyan was still staring, lost in thought, at her retreating figure.
His assistant, who had appeared at his side at some point, couldn't help but grin foolishly at the sight. "Miss Bai really is different from other females."
"I've never seen a female so poised and natural. So refreshingly straightforward."
Lu Tingyan clicked his tongue in annoyance and shot him a sidelong glance.
The assistant looked back, confused.
Lu Tingyan grabbed the water bottle and started down the mountain.
Lu Tingyan's adjutant, Yodel, patted the assistant's shoulder sympathetically. "You got here late, so you wouldn't know. Our Major General can't stand that exiled young lady from the Bai family. You really put your foot in your mouth there."
"Huh?" The assistant was dumbfounded. "Then why is the Major General so insistent on eating her cooking?"
'And he's always staring off in Miss Bai's direction.'
'I thought our Major General had taken a liking to the little female!'
Yodel shrugged. "Don't even try to guess what the Major General is thinking."
The assistant grumbled, "And here I thought this female was different. Turns out, aside from being a little more outspoken and poised in public, she's exactly the same! Just another snob looking down on our Major General. Pah!"
Yodel gave him a speechless glance. "Easy for you to say now."
The assistant broke into a grin. "Anything to serve the Major General!"
At noon, Bai Su prepared another meat-heavy meal as usual, with a few vegetable dishes on the side.
Lu Tingyan had actually given her money for the meals.
He gave her three thousand a day—more than enough for the children to eat their fill of meat.
With such an abundance of ingredients, she was energized to cook.
For lunch, she made several braised golden pomfrets. This type of fish has very few small bones and a wonderful texture.
She also made braised pork belly, beef brisket stew with quail eggs and potatoes, Mouth-watering Chicken, and several other spicy meat dishes.
For the beef brisket, she'd specially prepared it with a Sichuan hot pot seasoning base, and its fragrance filled the air as it simmered on the stove.
Outside, the aroma attracted many of the workers, who stared toward her kitchen, practically drooling.
Even the neighbors from down the mountain, who had come to watch the goings-on, were drawn over by the tantalizing smell. "Bai Su, what is that coming from your kitchen? How can it smell so good?"
"I've never smelled meat this fragrant before, holy hell! Is that really meat?"
"Bai Su, you didn't stew all your little cubs, did you?"
Bai Su waved them away, amused. "Get out of here! It's illegal to eat children! This pot isn't even enough for my own little cubs, so there's definitely none for you!"
The fragrant aroma of food didn't just attract the neighbors and workers; it also lured a few of the little cubs downstairs.
The most eager to eat, as always, was Bai Xiaolang.
He was always the first to rush down, wash his hands, and take the seat closest to the stove.
Bai Su shot him an amused glance. "Go get yourself as much rice as you want. When you're full, you can help me deliver a meal to Major General Lu outside."
"Awooo," Bai Xiaolang replied obediently, his eyes glued to the Mouth-watering Chicken in Bai Su's hands.
Bai Su brought all the dishes to the table, and the small group dug in with gusto.
Thanks to her tireless efforts over the past several days, the children had been well-fed, their skin becoming fair and smooth. Her own skin had improved a lot as well.
When she first transmigrated into the book, she'd been big, dark-skinned, and overweight. Now, her skin was so fair and supple it looked like you could squeeze water from it.
After the meal.
Bai Xiaolang took the lunchbox up to Lu Tingyan, who was supervising the work halfway up the mountain.
He was sitting under a tree, resting and watching the workers from afar.
Bai Xiaolang walked over and silently handed him the lunchbox. "Major General Lu."
Lu Tingyan took the meal and glanced at him. "Thank you."
'The boy looks fairer than he did a few days ago,' Lu Tingyan noted. 'His eyes are brighter, too. The wolf fang at the corner of his mouth is quite prominent. He doesn't look like an abused child.'
Bai Xiaolang sat quietly to the side, waiting for him to finish.
Because Lu Tingyan was paying so much for the meals, Bai Su had bought a dedicated lunchbox just for him.
Bai Xiaolang had to wait for him to finish so he could take the container back to be washed.
Lu Tingyan had actually noticed the boy before. The child's injuries were almost identical to his own: a blinded left eye and a severed tail.
However, his upbringing forbade him from speaking while eating, so he never asked.
The moment he opened the container, a mouthwatering aroma wafted out.
He hadn't expected Bai Su to pack such a large portion for him.
It was less of a lunchbox and more of a large pail. Inside were at least five or six pounds of braised pork belly, Mouth-watering Chicken, and beef brisket stew. The rice, by contrast, was a small portion.
Beside him, Bai Xiaolang couldn't help but gulp, his eyes glued to the food.
Lu Tingyan noticed his stare but said nothing.
'In the past, I might have given the little guy some of my food.'
'But things are different now. I desperately need this food to heal my own injuries.'
Breathing in the fragrant aroma, Lu Tingyan couldn't help but swallow. He picked up a perfectly square, tender piece of beef brisket and placed it in his mouth.
Instantly, a rich, spicy flavor exploded on his tongue. The brisket, stewed to incredible tenderness, was soaked in a savory broth.
As he bit down, it felt as if the meat was bursting with juices.
'This is incredible!'