---
Dong Hai closed his eyes and sighed happily. "It's so warm," he murmured, the contentment in his voice almost sleepy.
Lin Xin swallowed his mouthful slowly, gaze lingering on the bowl. "It's… much better than what I made yesterday," he said quietly, his tone awkward but sincere. "I didn't know you could cook."
Han Yan looked up, his eyes curving with a smile. "There are many things you don't know about me."
Lin Xin blinked, momentarily caught off guard, then huffed softly and lowered his gaze again not wanting to ask further but the faint smile tugging at his lips didn't fade.
Han Yan watched them both quietly. Outside, sunlight spilled across the courtyard. Smoke from the hearth twined lazily into the blue morning sky. Inside, laughter light, fleeting rippled through the calm, and for a moment, everything felt whole.
"Now go freshen up before you eat any more," he told them as he covered the pot of porridge.
