Honestly, only Shangguan Ning could make him move whilst no one else dared. They didn’t even address him by his full name but courteously called him “Master Jing”, let alone asking him to cook.
Jing Yichen was Zheng Jing and Mu Qing’s good friend and leader. Although they spent quite a lot of time together, they still couldn’t help but be influenced by his powerful charisma and distant arrogance. That had nothing to do with the background. That was only because Jing Yichen was a man with strong power.
After Jing Yichen frightened off Zhao Anan, he swept his wife into his arms and held her waist softly.
For the very first time, Shangguan Ning didn’t resist.
Because her heart was aching.
She heard what Zhao Anan had said.
He had been forced to eat… grass roots and insects by Jing Zhongxiu?
Jing Yichen was perfectly charming, maintained hygiene every single day and ate half done beefsteak and newly ground coffee as well as the most exquisite dishes.
Shangguan Ning couldn’t possibly imagine that this man in the white shirt, who was so handsome and distant, could have swallowed down grass root and disgusting insects.
“Yichen…”
Shangguan Ning’s voice trembled. She put an emphasis upon “Chen” so that the word sounded full of love and concern.
Jing Yichen knew her well. The moment she spoke, he immediately understood what she was thinking.
This silly woman was feeling sorry for him again.
That was his past, which he didn’t care about much. He had gone through difficulties and had already become used to them.
But her concern for him made him feel unbelievably warm so much so that he didn’t feel a twinge of regret when he was reminded of the brutal days of the past.
There was one woman who loved him wholeheartedly and cared about every bit of his past and present.
Ignoring the four people who were busy with cooking in the kitchen, he lifted Shangguan Ning and placed her onto his thighs as he leaned down and covered her soft lips, kissing her intensely.
“It is history. Everything is fine now. Just a few insects, nothing serious.”
Shangguan Ning flushed. She was a bit embarrassed and unaccustomed to kissing Jing Yichen in front of others.
But the concern overcame the embarrassment and she caressed Jing Yichen’s face contours with her fingers. Her eyes were full of affection.
“I won’t complain about you being particular about food any more. We will only eat the best food.”
Jing Yichen smiled and covered Shangguan Ning’s small hands with his large one and said calmly, “I didn’t starve to death under those terrible conditions. Eating was the most important thing of all. But now we are living a good life and of course we must eat the best food. You, especially, must eat the best and the most delicious things so that you can be well prepared to breed the next generation.”
He said this in such a natural and serious way that Shangguan Ning felt her heart skipping a beat.
Sitting on his thighs, she leaned into his arms and then said guiltily after a while, “Should we go in and help them? It is not proper when they are all busy and we are idling around here.”
“Not improper.” Jing Yichen lowered his head and looked at his wife who was getting more and more adorable.
He said, “If they like cooking, just let them be. Mu Qing cooks okay, but I haven’t eaten Zheng Jing’s food yet. I cook, but I only cook for you, not for anyone else.”
Shangguan Ning felt sweetness spreading inside her heart. She mustered her courage and gave a kiss upon Jing Yichen’s face. “Kiss as an award!”
While the couple outside the kitchen was feeling extremely happy, the atmosphere inside the kitchen was delightful as well.
Zhang Anan carried the dish to Zheng Lun and started talking as if Jing Yichen had not brushed her off. “Lun, try this eggplant dish I made. It is very tasty. Ning praised me and said that I could be a chef!”
Mu Qing burst into laughter and appreciated Shangguan Ning for her dishonest praise. What a good friend she was to praise her for making such a tasty dish although she knew that Zhao Anan had not made it.
Zheng Lun was innocent, so when she saw the dish, she assumed that Zhao Anan really made it. With eyes widened, she let out a voice of admiration before eating, “Anan, you are so smart for learning so fast. I can’t even tell different vegetables apart!”
Having been praised by a beautiful girl, Zhao Anan got very excited. She couldn’t help but present the plate to Zheng Lun. “Try!”
Zheng Lun scooped it out with fingers instead of chopsticks.
She smiled brightly as she put the food in her mouth. “Anan, you did make a good dish. So tasty! I want to learn to cook too!” She wanted to braise the rib bone soup for her brother and made beefsteak for him.
Zhao Anan burst into laughter. “Great, let’s learn cooking together. Then we can open a luxurious restaurant and be the managers.”
Zheng Lun had never thought about opening a restaurant. She grew up in a wealthy family and had never been worried about money. She didn’t need to care about anything at home, because her parents and brother had taken care of everything. What she needed to do was to play the piano, paint and live a happy life.
But what Zhao Anan had just proposed, excited her. She also wanted her brother to know that she was capable and could take care of herself as well and that she would not drag him down. She was going to grow up.
“Alright, Anan, that is a deal, let’s open a restaurant, and bring Ning in as well!”
Zhao Anan was just saying that. She was a woman who had only short enthusiasm for some matters, and she had almost forgotten about the western restaurant that she had opened.
But if Zheng Lun was interested, she could do that with her.
Maybe they could really achieve something!
Zhao Anan nodded and smiled. When she saw Zheng Jing smiling, she suddenly came up with an idea and said excitedly, “Hey, Zheng Jing, try my dish too. Lun, take some and feed your brother.”
She was putting forward a very reasonable request, because Zheng Jing’s hands were full of fish meat and bones.
It was not weird if a sister fed her brother.
But Zheng Lun was panicking. After hearing what Zhao Anan said, she stiffened. She knew that Zhao Anan was creating an occasion for them but she was unwilling to feed her brother in front of so many people.
They had not fed each other for a long time since they grew up.
But Zheng Jing smiled and casually said, “Sure, I must try what Chef Zhao has made. Lun, give me a large piece.”
Zheng Lun couldn’t delay it after Zheng Jing requested for it.
She picked up a dice of eggplant from the plate and put it into Zheng Jing’s mouth in a gentle way.