Chapter 32 – “Just got family punishment”

Even the most intense news would dull over time. The popularity of this matter declined after starting as a public denunciation to getting recognized as a misunderstanding to the marriage finally turning into the focus. This entire process occurred over a short week, and the ones involved returned to their normal lives.

The day he was discharged, Ji Ruzhang came personally, expressing indirectly that Zhinong was welcome to come home. But she had come late. By the time she asked, Chen Qing had already invited Ji Zhinong into Li Shaoyao’s car. In the end, Ji Ruzhang could only pass on Father Ji’s apologies through the car window.

Wen Che obviously understood that Father Ji simply wanted to latch onto Li Shaoyao with this. It was just that he couldn’t very well slap an apologetic person, and he also pitied Ji Ruzhang being forced to be the mediator in a household that favored males over females. As a result, he gave a gentle, indirect answer that he would go home a few days later.

At the entrance to the villa, Ah Jing welcomed Ji Zhinong with a smile, even more eagerly attentive than before.

The room was completely unchanged. The flowers on the table were still fresh roses, but their true owner wasn’t present.

Since Zhinong woke up in the hospital, he hadn’t seen Li Shaoyao. Even the series of marriage procedures were completed with Chen Qing substituting.

They hadn’t taken pictures together or exchanged rings, but their relationship was legally recognized and protected.

This relationship had completely pulled Ji Zhinong out of the mud and could be said to be the gift of rebirth.

But Wen Che didn’t know how he should repay the debt. In the past few days, he’d been wondering what Li Shaoyao wanted exactly. Material repayment was too vulgar, and Li Shaoyao wasn’t the type that needed anything either, so he could only repay him with his feelings.

Perhaps he could only act the role of “substitute” better.

In the past, he’d seen this exchange as work and drew a clear line. He didn’t feel very hurt when they separated either. But today, Wen Che knew that he had to see this relationship in a different light.

Ah Jing picked up a landline telephone call and walked over to say that Mr. Li would return that night.

So Zhinong hurried to make dinner for him. The refrigerator was already filled with fresh meat, vegetables, and a bonefish. Seeing him pick up that expensive fish, Ah Jing was shocked and said hurriedly, “Mr. Ji, don’t push yourself. This fish is very hard to handle.”

“I have experience.”

Young master Ji picked up the knife, removed the fish organs and the fish gills, and cut off the fish fin and tail. Then he made several diagonal slices on both sides of the fish. Next, he turned on the fire and heated up the oil. He didn’t even have to go through the recipe to easily make the braising sauce in familiarity. His series of movements were natural, and not long after, a fresh aroma was wafting from the fish.

Ah Jing was sure that this fish definitely tasted better than the fish he cooked just from the smell.

But why did Ji Zhinong have cooking skills with his background?

Could he have attended the New Oriental Cooking School¹a school started in 1988, it is “the first brand of Chinese culinary education” (Basically, a super good Chinese cooking school)?

Under Ah Jing’s shocked and envious gaze, Ji Zhinong made four dishes and left the matsutake mushroom soup to simmer in the pot. When Li Shaoyao returned, he would be able to drink warm soup.

The two brought the dishes to the dining room table and set the table.

Ah Jing couldn’t help asking, “Mr. Ji, I really couldn’t tell that you had this skill.”

Ji Zhinong was in high spirits and answered without thinking it through. “I frequently cooked for my boyfriend. I learned it for him.”

“…” Ah Jing was convinced that he’d heard something he shouldn’t have and hurriedly played dumb. “I-it must’ve been delicious.” Wen Che realized that he made a slip of the tongue, but seeing that Ah Jing didn’t have any ulterior motives and also being afraid of making things worse, he just laughed it off.

When the soup in the pot finished simmering, it was nearly six, and the door finally opened.

Li Shaoyao’s hair was unkempt, and he was wearing a loose, gray sweatshirt. It was a huge contrast from his normal elitist look, lacking the ferocity that kept anyone from approaching and having a more youthful feel. In all fairness, Wen Che preferred this relaxed version of him more.

They separated last time because of a fight, so they were currently in the midst of a cold war.

Someone had to lower their head first.

Ji Zhinong walked forward and took the initiative to hold his wrist. “Are… you hungry? I cooked a table of food. ”

“……” Li Shaoyao glanced at the dishes on the table.

Braised bonefish, spicy chicken, mapo tofu, and light cabbage.

“When I ate with you before, I noticed that you prefer spicy dishes, so I just… yeah. If you think it’s too greasy, there’s matsutake mushroom soup simmering in the pot.”

He observed Li Shaoyao’s expression closely, but he couldn’t read it.

Li Shaoyao didn’t complain about the food, but he only glanced towards the table a few times before turning, leaving the dining room, and going upstairs silently.

Ah Jing, who was standing at the side, strongly felt like his bread and butter was in danger. Even something like this couldn’t catch his employer’s eye. Then wouldn’t he, a non-graduate of the New Oriental Cooking School, be in greater danger?

Wen Che was never modest about two things. One, his acting skills. Two, his cooking skills.

In order to conquer Lu Yuankong’s stomach back then, he went out of his way to learn from a Michelin chef for two years. He was successful: those who tried his food unanimously agreed that he could start a restaurant and make a family fortune if he weren’t an actor.

But Li Shaoyao ignored his works. This definitely wasn’t a problem with the food, so it could only be a problem with him.

He had been careless. He’d thought that Li Shaoyao risking everything to whitewash him and help him out of his predicament was really the so-called “taking the initiative to reconcile” Chen Qing described. This was actually just a considerate way of putting it in front of others. In reality, Li Shaoyao probably didn’t want to just leave the matter at that.

‘Since you’re going to ignore me, then why did you waste $6 billion to marry me?’

Ji Zhinong closed his eyes, imagining the tragic life he would have post-marriage from emotional abuse.

In order to prevent this kind of tragedy, he had to explain it early on, so he went upstairs as well.

The carefully cooked dishes were of no interest to anyone in the end.

When Ji Zhinong got to the bedroom, he was worried that Li Shaoyao had locked the door from the inside. Fortunately, he hadn’t, and Ji Zhinong successfully walked into the master bedroom.

The dark gray blanket on the bed was bulging like the Amah Rock.

Ji Zhinong stepped on the rug, as quiet as a cat approaching its owner. When he walked in, he noticed that Li Shaoyao was sleeping on his stomach with the blanket covering half of the back of his head. As far as Wen Che, a “health expert”, saw it, this truly was extremely unhealthy and childish as well.

“Mr. Li?” He had just said it out loud when he felt like this form of address was too distant. Since they had already gotten married, he changed to “Shaoyao? Um, Ah Yao?”

The “Amah Rock” moved slightly. From the look of it, he hadn’t fallen asleep yet.

Only now did Ji Zhinong pull away a corner of the blanket for him. “Isn’t it stuffy?”

　　“……”

“…..”

Seeing Li Shaoyao ignore him, Ji Zhinong could only talk to himself. “Um… About what happened recently, thank you. If it weren’t for your help, I’m afraid I would have ended up with a criminal record.”

“The stuff from my past is pretty disgraceful. Me not remembering it doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. Since I did it before, then I should take responsibility for the consequences, whatever they are. I just didn’t think that it would implicate you…”

“Chen Qing probably told you that I signed all those formal agreements for marriage. He said the Li Corporation’s damage can only be stopped this way…”

“I’m actually not worth you risking the entire corporation over. If you’re regretting it now, since we haven’t gotten a marriage certificate nor exchanged rings, you can just… pretend nothing happened.”

“Or I can cooperate and act with you for a few years in consideration of the corporation. Believe in my acting. I can act along with you to keep up appearances. When this storm completely passes, we’ll both recover our freedom and not hold each other back.”

“Um… what do you think?”

Ji Zhizhi was as nervous as if he were attending his thesis defense²To get a master’s degree, one has to write a thesis and also attend a thesis defense, during which teachers ask you questions about your thesis. The “teacher” stayed quiet for a long while under the blanket. After hearing “not hold each other back”, he straightened up and glanced at the “student”, brutal and stern. “I insist on holding you back for a lifetime.”

Ji Zhinong: “…..” He didn’t think that Li Shaoyao would have this kind of attitude. “Are you planning to wage a post-marriage cold war to hold me back?”

Teacher Li: “The Cold War ended long ago in 1991, after the Soviet Union collapsed.”

Ji Zhinong: “…That’s not funny at all.”

After a minute, Ji Zhinong finally reacted—he was telling bad jokes. Who would tell bad jokes in the midst of a cold war?

“Y-you’re not angry?”

“I got fed up with the anger long ago.” Li Shaoyao fell back into the pillow and continued laying down. “What else can I do? You’re officially mine now. I’ll just take getting fed up with the anger as saving the money for a meal. We still have to get along. It’s not as if we can get divorced.”

“Why is that so funny coming from you?”

“If you want to laugh, then just laugh. This isn’t the Ji family. You don’t have to hold yourself back.” His voice was slightly hoarser than normal, and Zhinong’s ears numbed upon hearing it. It was like a warm current of electricity had passed through his heart.

“If you’re not angry at me, then why aren’t you eating the food I made?”

When Ji Zhinong said this, he patted the blanket covering Li Shaoyao gently. He didn’t use much strength, but he felt Li Shaoyao’s body under the blanket stiffen very clearly. Li Shaoyao’s expression instantly paled a little as well.

He finally realized something was wrong. “What happened to you?” He pulled the blanket away abruptly. The sweater fabric clung to his back, faintly oozing with red.

Ji Zhinong carefully rolled up the edge of Li Shaoyao’s clothes. He had only pulled a third of it when he saw a loop of white gauze.

Then he rolled up the entire sweater before he was able to clearly see that Li Shaoyao’s back was covered with gauze. There were two areas that were still oozing blood.

“W-what is this? Who hit you? Who had the guts to hit you?!” Zhinong was so anxious he didn’t have a filter. “Where’s my knife?”

Li Shaoyao enjoyed seeing him anxious and hugged the pillow while saying aggrievedly, “I’m fine. I just got family punishment.”

“My dad whipped me with a cane. One hit for every hundred million.”

“???!”

• 1
  a school started in 1988, it is “the first brand of Chinese culinary education” (Basically, a super good Chinese cooking school)
• 2
  To get a master’s degree, one has to write a thesis and also attend a thesis defense, during which teachers ask you questions about your thesis