Chapter 42: Isn't it quite reasonable for a tutor to live in?

Zhai Da arrived home half an hour later than usual and hurried inside, pushing open the door.

The rich aroma of home-cooked food reached Zhai Da's nose even before the lights flickered on.

Yu Xiaoli, who should have been busy in the kitchen at this hour, was sitting on the sofa with a warm, matchmaking smile, pursing her lips toward Zhai Da.

Zhai Da looked toward the kitchen and saw a slender, graceful figure standing there, cooking with utmost concentration.

Today's head chef was Lu Wei.

The apron, which was far too large for her, was wrapped tightly around her slender waist, accentuating the gentle curves of her waist and hips.

Though just slightly.

With every movement of her hands, the ponytail resting against the small of her back swayed gently. Her movements were not entirely practiced, yet neither were they clumsy.

Zhai Da couldn't help lingering with his gaze for a few extra moments, while the focused Lu Wei seemed completely unaware that anyone had returned.

Yu Xiaoli lowered her voice and said, "Xiao Wei begged me all day at the mill, insisting on cooking tonight by herself. She wouldn't even let me help with the prep."

Zhai Da figured she must still feel guilty about wasting those ingredients that morning.

He put down his schoolbag, washed his hands, and just then, Lu Wei began carrying the dishes out to the table.

Seeing Zhai Da, she looked a little embarrassed. "I... I didn't cook very well."

Zhai Da spread his hands. "Managing to pull together a whole meal already puts you ahead of ninety percent of your peers."

How many kids her age knew how to use protection yet couldn't even light a gas stove?

Aside from using the morning's ingredients to fry an egg pancake and stir-fry a plate of shredded potatoes, Lu Wei had also made shredded pork with green peppers and sliced cucumbers.

The dietary habits of the northern region were heavily influenced by Lu Province, and eating these rolled pancakes stuffed with savory fillings suited the local palate perfectly.

The taste was quite good, too. Zhai Da even thought it would be even better if the ingredients had been a bit fresher.

Lu Wei blinked her wide, luminous eyes, awaiting the verdict from Zhai Da and Yu Xiaoli.

Yu Xiaoli smiled broadly and said, "It's really good."

Zhai Da gave an even more enthusiastic thumbs-up. "This wrap! Absolute perfection!"

The tension in Lu Wei's expression visibly melted away.

For someone lacking in confidence, a generous and even slightly exaggerated dose of encouragement and praise was always the right approach.

Zhai Da voluntarily took on the glorious task of washing the dishes; it made no sense to let Lu Wei do both the cooking and the cleaning.

As for Ms. Yu Xiaoli, the former backbone of the household, she could now comfortably stretch out on the sofa and watch television—specifically, her favorite *Country Love* series.

A sudden thought popped into his head.

Did this count as getting a sneak preview of a mother-in-law's retired life?

When Zhai Da finished washing the dishes and came out, he found no sign of Lu Wei.

The door to the small room was tightly shut. The girl must have locked herself inside, unwilling to disturb anyone.

Zhai Da walked up to the door and knocked. "Can I come in?"

Yu Xiaoli, sitting on the sofa, instantly perked up her ears.

From inside the room, Lu Wei replied in a small voice, "Yes..."

Then, realizing this wasn't her own house, she quickly added, "I mean, you can come in anytime."

Zhai Da pushed the door open.

The room could hardly be called spacious, but it wasn't cramped either. Other than a spring mattress, there was virtually nothing else inside, meaning stepping through the doorway essentially meant stepping right up onto the bed.

Lu Wei sat stiffly on the edge of the mattress, looking like a schoolgirl caught off guard during a dorm inspection.

Zhai Da felt it would be rather impolite to step straight onto the bed the moment he entered, so he simply stood near the doorway to speak.

He pulled an envelope from behind his back, handed it to Lu Wei, and said, "Inside is a thousand yuan. I've been meaning to give this to you for ages; if I don't give it to you now, I'm going to end up spending it myself."

"I don't want it."

Fearing Zhai Da might force it into her hands, Lu Wei immediately tucked both hands behind her back in an instinctive gesture of refusal.

This girl seemed to have a personal grudge against money...

Zhai Da simply placed the money directly onto Lu Wei's lap. "Just accept it. We agreed on this, and I can't go back on my word. Besides, you can use it to help cover household expenses, like buying groceries from time to time."

In the end, Lu Wei nodded, though she failed to notice