The morning sunlight streamed into the villa as Ye Chen stretched lazily. The house felt unusually quiet. He glanced at the clock and realized it was already mid-morning.
"I guess I slept in," he murmured to himself, sitting up.
He headed downstairs, where he found a note on the dining table. Jiayi's elegant handwriting greeted him:
> Ye Chen, we've all gone to work today. There's food in the fridge. Call me if you need anything. – Jiayi
Ye Chen smiled. "Looks like it's just me today."
He grabbed some breakfast from the fridge—a plate of neatly arranged sandwiches with a small sticky note from Lianyi that read:
> Eat well. Don't skip meals. – Lianyi
"Even when she's not here, she's looking out for me," Ye Chen said, chuckling softly.
He sat down to eat, the villa eerily silent compared to the usual lively mornings. After finishing his meal, he decided to tidy up the living room.
As Ye Chen moved around the room, straightening cushions and dusting surfaces, he stumbled across a magazine tucked under the couch. Curiosity piqued, he pulled it out.
"What's this?" he muttered, flipping it open.
It was a high-fashion catalog, filled with pictures of elegant clothes and accessories. He recognized some of the items as things Jiayi or Meixiu had worn recently.
"Is this where they get their ideas?" Ye Chen wondered aloud.
Setting the magazine aside, he continued cleaning. When he reached the bookshelf, he noticed a small, well-worn book tucked in the corner. Pulling it out, he realized it was a journal.
The front cover had Meixiu's name written in bold letters.
"Oh no," Ye Chen said, holding the journal like it was a ticking time bomb. "I shouldn't look…"
But his curiosity got the better of him. He opened it to the first page and found a list of workout routines and meal plans.
"Of course," he said, laughing. "Trust Meixiu to be this organized about fitness."
Flipping a few pages further, he found notes about her day-to-day life. One entry caught his eye:
> Ye Chen's been such a nice addition to the house. It's fun teasing him, but he's also really kind. I think he's starting to feel at home here.
Ye Chen's heart warmed. "So she does care, even if she hides it behind all that teasing."
He quickly put the journal back where he found it and continued his cleaning spree.
As the afternoon wore on, Ye Chen settled on the couch with a book he'd found on Lianyi's shelf. It was a novel about gardening and personal growth, something that reminded him of her gentle nature.
The sound of the doorbell startled him.
"Who could that be?" Ye Chen muttered, heading to the door.
When he opened it, he found a delivery man holding several large packages.
"Delivery for Miss Jiayi Chen," the man said, handing over a clipboard for Ye Chen to sign.
"Thanks," Ye Chen said, taking the packages and setting them inside.
Curiosity got the better of him as he inspected the labels. One box was marked clothing, and another had the word lingerie in bold letters.
Ye Chen's face turned bright red. "Why would she get this delivered here?"
He shook his head and decided to leave the boxes unopened.
Feeling hungry, Ye Chen decided to try his hand at cooking. He'd watched Jiayi cook plenty of times and thought it couldn't be too hard.
He found some ingredients in the fridge and started making fried rice. Everything was going smoothly until he accidentally added too much salt.
"Taste test," Ye Chen said, scooping a spoonful into his mouth. His face twisted. "Okay, that's bad."
Determined to fix it, he tried adding more rice, but it only made the pan overflow.
"Why does this look so easy when Jiayi does it?" Ye Chen groaned.
After several failed attempts, he finally managed to make a decent batch. It wasn't perfect, but it was edible. He plated it and sat down at the dining table, feeling oddly proud of himself.
As the day turned into evening, Ye Chen found himself sitting on the balcony, watching the sun set. The villa was still quiet, and he realized how much he missed the lively presence of his sister-in-laws.
"They've really made this place feel like home," he thought.
Just as he was lost in his thoughts, the sound of the front door opening broke the silence. Jiayi's voice called out.
"Ye Chen, we're back!"
He quickly went downstairs to greet them. Jiayi was the first to step in, carrying her work bag and looking as elegant as ever in a fitted blazer and pencil skirt.
"How was your day?" she asked, smiling warmly.
"Quiet," Ye Chen admitted. "I did some cleaning and even tried cooking."
Jiayi raised an eyebrow. "Tried?"
"Let's just say it wasn't as good as your cooking," Ye Chen said, scratching the back of his neck.
Meixiu entered next, tossing her bag onto the couch. "You survived a day without us? I'm impressed."
"Barely," Ye Chen said, earning a laugh from her.
Lianyi came in last, holding a small bouquet of flowers. She handed it to Ye Chen with a shy smile.
"I saw these on the way home," she said softly. "I thought they'd brighten up the house."
"Thank you, Sister Lianyi," Ye Chen said, touched by her gesture.
Jiayi walked over and patted his shoulder. "You did well holding down the fort. Maybe next time we'll leave you with more responsibilities."
"Or we could take him to work with us," Meixiu suggested, smirking. "He'd definitely liven up the office."
Lianyi giggled. "He'd be popular with everyone."
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Ye Chen said, laughing along with them.
As they settled in for the evening, Ye Chen felt a deep sense of gratitude. Even a quiet day alone couldn't compare to the warmth and joy his sister-in-laws brought into his life.