“It’s not bad to go to the south.” Mrs. Lu sighed after she finished speaking. “But the special forces are different from the ordinary troops. I heard that the most challenging tasks are left to the special forces to carry out. After one becomes a special forces soldier, one would face greater danger.”
That was why Mrs. Lu was worried. When Lu Xingzhi said that he would participate in the special selection process, she was against it, though she kept it to herself. Lu Xingzhi had always been an opinionated person since he was young. When he told his family about that, it was just a notification; it was not up for discussion.
“I believe in his ability.”
Jiang Yao turned her head to comfort Mrs. Lu. “So, Mom, you have to believe in him too.”
Mrs. Lu looked at Jiang Yao, smiled softly, and did not say anything else.
Lunch was ready. Jiang Yao’s cake had not even started to bake yet, so she put the things in the kitchen and went to have lunch. After they had their meal, Mrs. Lu washed the dishes. Then Jiang Yao dragged Lu Xingzhi to the kitchen to continue baking the cake.
After she put the cake into the oven, Jiang Yao began to look forward to it; she was nervous about it. When she saw Lu Xingzhi’s face beside her, she glanced at the kitchen door to make sure that no one was looking. She tiptoed and pinched Lu Xingzhi’s face. “When it’s done, I’ll cut a piece for you to taste!”
Lu Xingzhi had his phone in his hand as he texted someone. He did not expect Jiang Yao to pinch his face, so he raised his eyebrows and said, “Oh.” He turned his face slightly and kissed her palm, then lowered his head and continued to text on his phone.
Jiang Yao thought Lu Xingzhi’s reaction was too dull; she was slightly dissatisfied, so she tiptoed to see who he was texting so seriously. However, just as she looked over, Lu Xingzhi looked up at her as if he had a pair of extra eyes. He seemed to think for two seconds, then bent down and kissed her on the lips. He said, “Be good, keep your eyes on the oven. I won’t eat it if it’s burnt again.”
Jiang Yao guessed that Lu Xingzhi was probably talking about work with someone, and it was probably about something that she should not overhear. She was not curious about it, so she continued to look at the oven.
The cake had a stronger aroma than the cookies. Jiang Yao had just taken the cake out of the oven when Lu Xiaoxiao’s dog-like nose smelled the scent. She stood at the kitchen door and rubbed her stomach, her petite face looking very conflicted.
As soon as Lu Xingzhi heard Lu Xiaoxiao’s voice, he put his phone away quickly and blocked the kitchen entrance. “Wait outside.”
“Brother, are you afraid that I’ll eat them all by myself? I was thinking about how many slices I’d get.” Lu Xiaoxiao did not believe that she had such a big appetite. She touched her stomach because she had wondered how many pieces she would eat.
“I know.”
Lu Xingzhi smiled. “I’ll bring it out later.”
Lu Xingzhi obstructed Lu Xiaoxiao until she decided to return to the living room. Then he closed the kitchen door and turned around to look at Jiang Yao. His wife had already cut a small piece and tasted it.
When Lu Xingzhi saw Jiang Yao’s expression, his eyes twitched, and he asked, “It’s not good?”
Jiang Yao thought for a moment and did not know whether she should shake her head or nod. Then, she took a small piece and fed it to Lu Xingzhi. “You’ll know when you taste it.”
Lu Xingzhi looked at Jiang Yao suspiciously, then opened his mouth and took a small bite. He only ate half of what Jiang Yao had brought to his lips. Then, his eyebrows twitched a few more times.
