Susan Mills’s mouth twitched. She’d met Claire Xu before—and she was even a fan. The person Mom was describing just didn’t add up; their personalities couldn’t be more different.

Claire Xu is nothing like what Mom said. She’s easygoing and always polite, whether fans ask for autographs or photos. How could she be the person Mom described?

“Mom, are you sure you’re talking about Claire Xu?” Susan Mills couldn’t help but ask.

“I ran into Mrs. Xu at afternoon tea today—it came straight out of her mouth. Why would I make that up?” her mother replied, unwavering.

He Mother had never actually met Claire Xu before. During afternoon tea with the other wealthy ladies, the conversation turned to matchmaking for their children, as it often did. When Claire Xu’s name came up, she’d just gotten curious and asked a few questions.

To her surprise, Claire Xu turned out to be the model her own son liked.

What had begun as innocent curiosity took a turn when Mrs. Xu’s next words left her stone-faced.

Claire Xu’s reputation wasn’t great, mostly thanks to May Lee, who constantly badmouthed her within high society circles. Many people who didn’t know Claire Xu personally formed a negative opinion of her based on May Lee’s slander.

Meanwhile, at the Xu house, May Lee sat in Hannah Xu’s room, face twisted in disgust at the mention of Claire Xu.

“That brat! I can’t believe she managed to land the He family’s young master. Talk about dumb luck.”

The He family were titans in the oil business—respectable, discreet, without a hint of scandal. Plenty of people in Ancheng would love to have ties with them.

When Mrs. He approached her today, May Lee had felt flattered, but hadn’t expected the subject to be that idiot, Claire Xu.

“If Claire Xu marries into the He family, what about me? She’d lord it over me forever, laughing at my misery.” Hannah Xu was fuming at the thought of Claire Xu beating her to a better marriage. Why should Claire Xu get the upper hand?

May Lee collected herself. “Don’t worry. I won’t let her marry into the He family. If anyone marries them, it’ll be you.”

Emboldened by that, Hannah Xu’s face lit up with smugness.

...

Claire Xu had just finished washing up. In her loungewear, she lay on the bed scrolling through videos when the door lock clicked. Henry Mills was home.

He’d been busy lately, barely coming home until late at night.

She opened her door to see Henry Mills, looking exhausted, collapsed on the sofa. She remained at the doorway, hesitating to go in.

“Did I wake you? Sorry about that.”

Claire Xu took a deep breath. She wanted to ask why he came back so late again, but the words caught in her throat. Instead, she said, “Didn’t I tell you a few days ago to move back to your own place? Why do you keep staying here?”

A flicker of hurt flashed in Henry Mills’s eyes, but it disappeared quickly.

“Can I move back in a couple days? The hospital’s been hectic lately. There was an emergency surgery tonight—I just finished work.”

For some reason, when Claire Xu heard this, her chest tightened with an inexplicable feeling.

“Have you eaten?” she asked eventually, unable to stand seeing him so worn out. Sympathy welled up in her heart.

Henry Mills shook his head, sinking into the sofa and closing his eyes, spent.

“Go shower first. I’ll make you some noodles.”

With that, Claire Xu turned and went to the kitchen.

After a while, Henry Mills heard the clatter of pots and pans and couldn’t help but smile—the exhaustion in his eyes melting into a sly, playful glint.

Claire Xu brought out a bowl of tomato and egg noodles. She wasn’t a great cook, but for Henry Mills, this was more than enough.

“It’s nothing fancy, but it’ll fill you up. If you don’t like it, you can just order delivery.”

Henry Mills dove in, cheeks puffed out with noodles. “It’s delicious. The best noodles I’ve ever had.”

Claire Xu rolled her eyes at his flattery. “You’re such a charmer.”

She knew her cooking wasn’t anything special, but seeing him enjoy it so much, she couldn’t help feeling pleased.

Henry Mills finished the noodles down to the last drop of soup. Afterward, he lifted his gaze to Lauren Shaw.

“Claire Xu, would you cook noodles for me—forever?”

He stared at her intently, voice soft but utterly serious. Claire Xu was taken aback.

After a long pause, she looked away, flustered.

“What are you talking about? Who could eat noodles every day for life? Wouldn’t you get sick of it?”

“If you’re the one making them, I never would,” Henry Mills said gently. His voice was so quiet, Claire Xu thought she might’ve imagined it.

“Claire Xu, I mean it. I swear, you’re the only one I’ll ever want to marry. If I have to pick someone for the rest of my life, I hope it’s you.”

Henry Mills looked at her, eyes burning so intensely she could almost feel the heat. His sincerity, his devotion—they were all there for her to see.

These days of living under one roof—of course she’d been moved. She’d be lying if she said otherwise.

A voice inside her shouted, "Just accept him! You only get one life—why keep holding back? Take the plunge and enjoy the present."

When she said nothing, Henry Mills steeled himself for rejection. His feelings for Claire Xu weren’t a secret, and he’d been rejected plenty of times before. Even if it happened again, he wouldn’t back down.

She looked so stunned that he chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. “Just pretend I was kidding tonight, all right? Don’t worry, I’ll move out tomorrow. No need to feel bothered—I’ll never stop liking you...”

“Who said I’m bothered? You think your feelings are a problem for me?” Claire Xu blinked, her mind suddenly clear. In this moment, her decision was made.

Henry Mills stared at her, bewildered. “What do you mean?”

“You said you wanted me to cook noodles for you for a lifetime. As long as you don’t get tired of it, that’s fine with me.”

Claire Xu smiled, eyes serene at last.

“So... you’re really willing to cook noodles for me, forever?” Henry Mills asked, disbelief in his voice.

“Wouldn’t it get boring, just noodles? From now on, you have to cook for me sometimes. Whatever I can’t make, you’ll have to learn.”

If he couldn’t understand her meaning now, there was no hope for him.

Henry Mills beamed, his joy radiating off him. “So you’re really saying yes? You’ll be with me?”

Claire Xu didn’t answer, but shot him a teasing look. Unable to contain himself, Henry Mills swept her up from her seat, spinning around in delight.

“Yes! Claire Xu finally agreed to spend her life with me!”

Claire Xu clung to his neck, her ears filled with his laughter. “Put me down! You’re making me dizzy.”

She was genuinely afraid he’d lose his balance and drop her.

But Henry Mills refused to let go, holding her tightly. “Claire Xu, say it again—the thing you just said.”

Claire Xu clicked her tongue. “Good things don’t need to be said twice. If you missed it, tough luck.”

Henry Mills only clung to her tighter, unwilling to let go.

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

Claire Xu patted his shoulder. “Put me down. Seriously.”