13. Learn to say no to such Aunt Ye

Because she didn't sleep well last night, after getting up early in the morning, Ye Shiyu took a nap and didn't wake up until almost noon. Yan Huan had already returned.

"Shiyu, you're up."

"Oh, Shiyu, come and try the caramel pudding your little brother made, it's really tasty."

As soon as she came downstairs, Ye Shiyu saw on the dining table in front of Ye Lan and Aunt Chen, small pieces of golden-yellow pudding on their plates.

The surface of the pudding was smooth, adorned with the color of caramel just right and a hint of vanilla essence diffusing through the air, making it look exceptionally stylish and appealing.

Aunt Chen was inviting her to come down and taste it, while Ye Lan was busy taking photos of the pudding with her phone.

Ye Shiyu walked downstairs, looked towards the kitchen, and saw Yan Huan had just taken off his apron and hung it on the hook.

Soon after, he came out with another plate of pudding and smiled at her,

"Sister Shiyu, this pudding is for you. We happened to have molds and ingredients at home, so I made some for you to try."

"..."

Home...

Listening to him speak as if he already considered this place his home, Ye Shiyu looked again at the black ceramic piece he held that bore her name.

An involuntary chill hung between her brows, but Ye Lan's voice came from behind just in time,

"Shiyu?"

"...Thank you."

The chill did not vanish but was instead subtly withdrawn into her eyes.

Her expression returned to normal, then she nodded and took the pudding Yan Huan passed to her.

After sitting down, Ye Lan who had finished taking photos of the pudding, tasted it, and the sweetness was just perfect, eliciting a satisfied sound from her.

She turned to Yan Huan and asked,

"Hmm, the taste is really good. Xiao Huan, you can even make desserts for yourself?"

"No, I learned it at the place where I work. It's a bar that also sells desserts and snacks like fries, not to mention making pudding is a piece of cake."

"A bar, huh? That environment must be pretty chaotic, right?"

Ye Lan frowned, holding a strange prejudice against such places, but Yan Huan quickly explained with a smile,

"It's just a small pub with a resident singer, no weird people go there, and my coworkers all take good care of me. Plus, the pay is quite high."

"Oh, I see. You've really been working hard, Xiao Huan..."

Upon hearing about the pay, Ye Lan showed a look of understanding on her face.

Indeed, what other choices could a high schooler have for living and tuition expenses? Any part-time job would do regardless of the environment, whether tough or not.

Ye Lan assumed that Yan Huan had no choice but for the money. In reality, there was a slight misunderstanding; Sister Tong's pub was quite proper.

Listening to the conversation between her mother and Yan Huan, the darkness in Ye Shiyu's eyes, quietly holding her spoon, grew richer.

The more attentive Yan Huan appeared, the more revulsion she felt towards him.

She symbolically took a bite of the pudding. Even though it was made quite deliciously, at the moment it tasted as bitter in her mouth as chewing on tree bark.

Ye Shiyu's gaze swept across him and Ye Lan chatting and laughing, and even her usually expressionless face could barely mask the darkness within.

Yan Huan, who knew about the existence of the modifier, even glanced at her imperceptibly, sensing this even more acutely than Ye Lan.

Yet, he continued to talk to Ye Lan, fluently responding to all her inquiries and concerns, and even managing to make her laugh even harder.

In the midst of the conversation, he brought up a topic on his own.

"By the way, Sister Shiyu, have you chosen courses on the school management system?"

"Choosing courses?"

Ye Lan glanced at Ye Shiyu next to her, puzzled,

"Doesn't everyone at your school take the same classes?"

"Ah, in Dragon Country, it's like that, but here we have five mandatory courses and then choose two electives, usually in the afternoon. You can take them with students of different grades and classes."

"Principal Hermes didn't seem to inform us?"

"Because you can also go to the school administration office and apply for the courses in person when the time comes. The teachers there will explain in detail the content of each course, which can't be seen during online course selection, that's probably why Principal Hermes didn't notify us about online registration beforehand."

Yan Huan explained to Ye Lan with a smile,

"But I'm quite familiar with the school's courses. I can explain them to Aunt Ye and Sister Shiyu, and we can choose them now too."

"I see… Shiyu, go get your mom's computer, and have Xiao Huan help you choose the courses. Mom wants to see how high school courses are selected here too."

Ye Shiyu stopped using her spoon as a knife to viciously gouge at the pudding and nodded, getting up to go upstairs.

As she left, Aunt Chen mentioned she was going to prepare lunch, and Yan Huan's voice offering to help was heard again.

"No need, you stay here and help the young ladies with course selection. Xiao Huan, you've made such tasty pudding, Aunt Chen will cook something special for you too. What dish would you like?"

"Really? Then I want ribs, I just saw them in the fridge."

"Hey, you spotted that? Alright, Aunt Chen will make some for you all later."

"Ah, Xiao Huan, take a seat. Can you tell us more about your school's courses?"

"It's like this, Aunt Ye..."

Hearing their conversation, Ye Shiyu's steps upstairs slowed down bit by bit.

The harmonious and bustling atmosphere was probably better than when she was alone at home, right?

After all, she wasn't much of a talker, spending more time in her room with her dolls, so the atmosphere at home was always lukewarm...

Or maybe, he was actually more suited to be a member of this family, which is why their mother's attention was always on him.