Chapter 3 I've Got Your Back

Lila spent twenty minutes in the kitchen preparing a Japanese-style omurice, along with a few cheese potato cakes, which she carried steaming to the dining table. "Lucian, come and eat!" Lucian glanced at the time—fifteen minutes until eight. He hopped off the sofa and, with his short legs moving with surprising grace, walked over and took his seat at the table. Upstairs, Noah wiped drool from the corner of his mouth and sneered, "It smells good, sure, but it doesn't look tasty at all." "Tasty." As if he'd heard his younger brother's voice from above, Lucian took a bite of each dish and calmly delivered his verdict. Lila smiled warmly. "If it's good, I'll keep cooking for you." Then she suddenly remembered something. "By the way, since you're here so late—where are your parents?" "Are you Mr. Quinn's friend's child?" Before she got married, she hadn't heard that Mr. Quinn had any kids. The little boy frowned slightly and nodded. "Sort of." "I see." Lila nodded quietly. "I didn't expect Mr. Quinn, though he's a bit ugly, to be such a kind-hearted man." At least, a friend's child could feel as comfortable in his home as in their own—that proved Mr. Quinn wasn't as brutal as the rumors suggested. "He's not ugly." Lucian took another bite of rice and murmured in defense. Upstairs, a certain man gave a cool glance at the little boy drooling beside him, his eyes seeming to say: *Look at your brother. Then look at you.* One trying his best to protect his father's noble looks. The other wishing everyone knew he was a monster. Noah pouted, looking pitiful. "I just don't want a stranger being my mommy." Adrian Quinn's brows furrowed slightly. He turned and walked away. Downstairs, Lucian finished his meal at 8:10. He had eaten slowly and meticulously. Finally, he placed the two leftover cheese potato cakes on a small plate, carried them upstairs, and said, "Go to bed early." As he stepped onto the final stair, he turned and looked at Lila, who was still standing there, dazed. "Relax," he said coolly. "From now on, I've got you." Though small in stature, he exuded an air of noble pride. When he turned back to speak, his gaze was domineering—nothing like a five-year-old's. For a moment, Lila was stunned. Moments later, watching his tiny back disappear upstairs, she couldn't help but laugh and shake her head. Even if she was struggling to adapt to this environment, did she really need protection from a child this young? She turned and began cleaning the kitchen and dining area. When everything was spotless, she hesitated—she didn't dare go back into that terrifying bedroom. Finally, the woman sighed and lay down on the sofa, covering herself with her coat. In the children's room upstairs. Lucian placed the fragrant potato cakes by Noah's bedside. The little boy faced the wall, leaving only a cold back to his brother. "I won't eat it." "Oh." Lucian moved the plate to his own bedside instead. Noah: "..." He pouted and started grumbling. "Didn't we agree to team up and stop that strange woman from becoming our mommy?" "You've betrayed us already? Traitor!" Lucian sat back on his small bed and glanced at his brother's back. "She cooks well." "Good cooking doesn't make her our mommy!" Noah pressed his small fingers into the wallpaper, voice trembling. "I want my real mommy. My real one!" On the opposite bed, Lucian sighed. He stared at the ceiling and said quietly, "But our real mommy is gone." He was more mature than his younger brother and understood clearly—his real mother wasn't coming back. And Father shouldn't stay alone forever. That woman downstairs wasn't bad. "She's not dead!" Noah clenched his tiny fists. "Mommy must still be alive, waiting for us to find her!" Lucian closed his eyes and stopped responding. The children's room fell silent. The scent of cheese lingered in the air. Eventually, the little dumpling climbed out of bed, tiptoed over, and cautiously reached for a potato cake from his brother's bedside. The moment it touched his tongue, his bright eyes lit up. This was too delicious! A thousand times better than the food the housekeepers made at home! "Take the plate downstairs." When Noah was halfway through his second cake, his brother's soft, childish voice floated across the room. "And don't scare her anymore." "I'm protecting her now." Noah: "..." He pursed his lips. "Bro, you're acting weird." Lucian had always been indifferent to his pranks before—why was he suddenly defending that woman? Was it just because her food tasted good? Thinking this, he bit into the potato cake hard. Yeah. It really was good. After finishing the cakes, Noah went downstairs to return the plate. Coming down, he saw the woman sleeping on the sofa. She was curled up, shivering slightly. He walked over and looked at her clean, pale face. She was actually quite pretty. And her cooking was amazing. Wouldn't it be perfect if she were his real mom? In her dream, Lila felt someone staring at her. She jolted awake—there stood the little boy again, holding the plate, staring at her. She rubbed her blurry eyes. "You… didn't eat enough?" Why was he standing there with a plate? Noah pressed his lips together. He knew she'd mistaken him for his brother, but he nodded anyway. "Mm-hmm." He really hadn't eaten enough. Looking at the boy's handsome, adorable face, Lila's heart melted. She reached out and pinched his cheek. "Then Auntie will make you something else." As she walked into the kitchen, she muttered to herself: *Didn't he say he wouldn't eat after eight?* And… hadn't she already made plenty earlier? Lila quickly prepared a light, child-friendly meal. The little boy finished every bite. Lila stared, stunned. Was this kid's appetite… a bit too big? Especially when he handed her the bowl, asking for more rice. When he finally finished, Lila couldn't help but ask, "Lucian, don't you think… your appetite's gotten a bit large?" Noah froze, then grinned mischievously. "Yeah, I can eat a lot." He raised two tiny fingers. "From now on, make me double portions!" Then, thinking his brother might leave the worse food for him, he added, "Make two identical portions, okay?" Lila was slightly shocked but nodded with a smile, collecting the dishes. "I understand. Kids your age need to grow strong." She handed him the gift she'd prepared for Mr. Quinn—a box of homemade cookies. "Here, for you." Then she smiled and ruffled his hair. "Grow up tall and strong, okay?" Noah's face turned red. He grabbed the cookies and dashed upstairs. Only then did Lila take a deep breath and return to the sofa to sleep. Upstairs. An expensive, luxurious phone buzzed twice on the desk. A man's long-fingered hand picked it up and unlocked it. Lucian Quinn: Approved. Noah's was a voice message. The boy crunched on a cookie as he spoke: "Temporarily approved. I don't actually like her." "But her food is too good. For the sake of my stomach, I'll make a compromise this time." The man set the phone down, tapped his fingers on the desk. "Arrange it. We'll get the marriage certificate tomorrow."