My heart trembled, and I turned to look at her.

The face that had just been smiling brightly now turned so dark that it could almost drip water, with a hint of malice in her eyes.

She stared at me with a stern face for a few seconds, then silently carried the dishes into the kitchen.

"Why can't you eat?" I murmured, looking at my boyfriend who was busy playing games.

His attention was still focused on the little characters he was killing in his hand, without any response.

For the next half day, I secretly observed my boyfriend's reactions.

He seemed completely normal, except for a sudden increase in his water intake.

It was Aunt Yu who remained silent in the kitchen until dinner time, when she came out carrying the food.

She seemed to have transformed back into that kind-hearted woman with gentle brows and kind eyes.

On the dinner table, there was still a plate of pickled fish eyes, unchanged as always.

Perhaps it was due to the argument during the day, but looking at those round and sauce-colored balls, I had no appetite at all.

Aunt Yu's smile seemed frozen at the corner of her mouth, appearing more deliberate under the warm yellow light.

A chill traveled up my spine.

"Auntie, you go ahead and eat. I didn't meet my required livestreaming hours this month, so I need to make up for it tonight," I said as I served myself a bowl of rice, intending to find an excuse to retreat to my room.

"Wait," Aunt Yu called out, still enthusiastic in her tone. "Bring the pickled pearls with you too. Eating more of these is good for your health and can increase your chances of having children."