“I’m not going to let you touch me. Do you think I would forgive you easily just by saying a few words about liking me?” Changqing lowered her head, feeling extremely aggrieved, and she said, “Liking someone isn’t about saying it. You might say you like me, but the moment something happens to Song Yunyang, you would still abandon me and leave. I don’t want to be a spare tire or a shield.”
Song Chuyi watched quietly as her eyes gradually reddened. He loosened his grip on her arm and said gently, “Alright, I’ll take it down a notch. There’s still a long way to go and I have plenty of opportunities to prove myself. You’re tired today too—take a nap first.”
After finishing his piece, he bent down, picked her up and walked towards the bed.
“Don’t think I will forgive you just because you carried me to sleep. Put me down. I want to drink some water before sleeping.” Changqing pouted and kicked. “I’m thirsty.”
“I’ll help you get water. Don’t move.” Song Chuyi took her cup and went downstairs.
After a while, he brought half a cup of lukewarm water up. Changqing was a little surprised by the favor. When they were the most intimate, he would never help her get water except when she was down with a cold.
She took a few sips. It was actually lukewarm, so she was unhappy. “Why did you get warm water on such a hot day? It should be iced.”
“Ice isn’t good for a woman’s womb or digestive system.” Song Chuyi felt helpless. “Don’t you always complain about menstrual cramps? You might not feel it now, but you will know when you get a little older.”
Upon hearing that, Changqing stared at him with displeasure. “Do you still want to make up? I was talking to you about a cup of water, yet you’re linking it to all that. That’s why I say it’s not good to be with a doctor.”
Song Chuyi squinted. He wanted to talk in a peaceful and amicable tone, but this woman simply liked to make trouble.
He took in a deep breath. Forget it. He didn’t want to bother with this woman. “Go to sleep quickly.”
He picked up the book he left on the couch and continued to read quietly.
Changqing closed her eyes and hugged her pillow. No matter what, her own bed was most comfortable.
Perhaps it was the occasional soft sound of pages flipping in the bedroom, but she kept having wild thoughts before she slept and kept thinking about that password.
Song Chuyi Likes Qing Bao.
Mm. In conclusion, the feeling of being confessed to still wasn’t bad.
Changqing pressed her lips together and drifted off to sleep.
She slept until the sun went down. An orange glow was cast in the bedroom.
The person who was reading on the couch had long disappeared, leaving only an open book lying face down on the coffee table.
Changqing sat up. Her stomach growled for a while and she climbed up to wash her face and go downstairs. To her surprise, she saw Auntie Zhang sitting in the living room, but the kitchen lights were on and there was a shadow moving inside.
“Did Auntie Shen come over?” she asked.
“No.” Auntie Zhang lowered her voice secretively. “It’s Song Chuyi.”
“He’s cooking tonight?” Changqing took in a deep breath. She thought about the cucumber with ham and egg, the only dish of his she had tried before. It didn’t taste bad, but she thought it didn’t require much skill.
Auntie Zhang nodded. “He said we’ll be having some beef from Japan. In any case, it’s beef from Japan and also some fish I’ve never seen before. He also said knife skills were important when it comes to food like that. In any case, I’m not sure; I don’t know how to make Japanese food.”
“Wagyu beef.” Changqing’s eyes lit up. The name itself could make her, a hungry woman, drool.
“Yes, yes, yes. That’s the name.”
“I’ll go take a look.” Changqing ran to the kitchen door.
Song Chuyi had a pastel yellow apron on and was standing by the kitchen counter quietly. He was holding a sharp kitchen knife in his hands and was cutting up a huge piece of beef. His knife flew quickly, cutting the meat into thin and delicate pieces. His eyes were slightly squinted and his elegant face looked solemn.
Er…
Although this image looked good, she still couldn’t help but think about Song Chuyi in the operating room.
And she was imagining not beef underneath his hands but a human…
Changqing shuddered and couldn’t help but say softly, “You’re not cutting this piece of beef like human meat, right?”
“…” Song Chuyi turned his head powerlessly. “Stop spouting nonsense.”
Changqing pouted her full lips. “Why did you suddenly get Wagyu beef?”
“Weren’t you coming back for dinner?” he said lightly.
Therefore he specifically got Wagyu beef because she would be back in time for dinner?
Changqing was a little satisfied. To get beef like this from Japan must’ve definitely required him to preorder a few days in advance. “I’m not easily won over with just a piece of beef.”
“Mm, I know.” Song Chuyi nodded his head. “It’s also to curry the favor of your dad and Auntie Zhang.”
“…” Changqing was furious. “You really planned it that meticulously; how scheming. My dad is even harder to win over.”
“I can’t not do it just because it’s hard.” Song Chuyi continued cutting the beef seriously.
Changqing was stumped. She pondered that sentence slowly and felt her heart softening slightly. However, it hardened again quickly. “What did you mean by that? So it was mainly to curry my dad’s favor and not for me at all?”
Song Chuyi sighed helplessly. Among all the unreasonable women, she could be considered the cream of the crop. “Aren’t I currying the favor of your family members all because of you?”
The knife paused. His clear gaze swept toward her for two seconds. Changqing could faintly see the pampering look in his eyes and her heart stopped at that very moment. She turned her face to the side a little unnaturally and snorted lightly. “My dad has very high expectations. With just your culinary skills, the outcome is still uncertain. How worrying.”
She shook her head and turned to leave.
Song Chuyi raised his eyebrows. Looking at the piece of Wagyu beef in his hands, he became slightly frustrated.
It seemed like in order to curry the favor of his father-in-law, it wasn’t enough to make one type of beef cuisine.
He thought for a while and decided on making Shabu-shabu for dinner. Although it was summer, there was air-conditioning at home so it wouldn’t be hot.
When Yan Lei got home after work, he smelled the enticing fragrance and saw the soup base on the dining table and complimented, “Why’s there steamboat today? Also, this soup is different from what we usually have. Is this new?”
“It was prepared by Mr. Song,” Auntie Zhang said.
Yan Lei was stumped. He swept a glance at his daughter, who was lying in the living room drinking yogurt leisurely. He thought for a while but still reminded her, “It’s almost time to eat; don’t drink so much.”
“Yogurt helps with digestion. I just wanted to empty my stomach so I can eat more later.” Changqing stared at her dad. He really didn’t understand his daughter.
Yan Lei really didn’t understand his daughter. No matter how well it helped with digestion, drinking it would still make you somewhat full.
Lin Yiqin arrived not long afterward. When Yan Lei saw him, he was slightly surprised. “Why did you come over suddenly?”
“Chuyi said there’s good food, so I came over.” Lin Yiqin chuckled.
Yan Lei frowned unhappily. “Since when were you so close to him?”
Lin Yiqin’s smile froze and he quickly coughed softly and said, “Actually, there was a little problem that cropped up at my construction site and Chuyi found some contacts to help me out.”
Changqing snorted. “Brother-in-law, just because he helped you, you changed your allegiances so quickly. You really have no backbone. Do you believe me when I say I’ll go and tell my sister?”
“Changqing, Brother-in-law isn’t the kind of person to change allegiances quickly,” Lin Yiqin quickly said softly. “Brother-in-law is going deep into the tiger’s den for your sake, getting closer to Song Chuyi so that I can understand his true colors.”
Changqing rolled her eyes. He even came up with the “going deep into the tiger’s den” excuse. Can’t stand him.
At 7 pm, Song Chuyi came out with the cut beef and washed vegetables, sorting them properly.
Auntie Zhang blinked as she watched. It wasn’t like they hadn’t had steamboat at home before. However, it was the first time the fresh vegetables were arranged so neatly and enticing. Just the droplets of water on the lush, green vegetables increased her appetite, not to mention the plate of well-marbled, thin beef and sashimi slices which weren’t the least crumpled. Even someone like her with decades of cooking experience couldn’t do that.
Yan Lei didn’t want to talk initially and only wanted to act like a quiet pretty boy having dinner. However, after seeing the food, he still couldn’t resist the urge and said, “You made it look a little like it was ordered from a restaurant.”
Changqing nodded silently inside. How was that “a little like”? It was simply even neater than how restaurants prepared it. Indeed a doctor with OCD and mysophobia.
“However, this beef… and sashimi looks like they were cut outside and brought back,” Lin Yiqin said with a chuckle.
“I cut them myself,” Song Chuyi said with a smile.
Yan Lei, Lin Yiqin and the others all began to inspect the thin pieces of beef slices carefully with disbelief. Even Changqing herself was doubtful; they were simply even thinner than the ones she’d seen in restaurants previously.
So if he stopped being a doctor int he future, he could still work in some restaurant.
“Dad, let me have some drinks with you tonight.” Song Chuyi bravely took out a bottle of red wine he had prepared beforehand.
Yan Lei accepted it and took a look. His eyes lit up. “Hey, 1982? That’s not cheap.”
“I got a friend to bring it back from France. Have a taste.” Song Chuyi took a bottle-opener and opened the bottle himself.
Yan Lei was quite satisfied with his performance. “Aren’t you a poor drinker?”
“A little red wine is still fine.” Song Chuyi poured the wine out for them and began to dip the beef into the pot.
He gave the first piece of cooked beef to Changqing, then to Yan Lei and Lin Yiqin. Even Auntie Zhang wasn’t left out.
Auntie Zhang was surprised by his sudden actions and was debating whether she should be nicer to him as she took a bite of the beef. It was so delicious she almost swallowed her tongue.
“Mm. Delicious.” Lin Yiqin nodded and praised. “A pity Changxin isn’t around. She loves steamboat. That glutton would be delighted.”
“She should be back from her studies next month,” Song Chuyi said with a smile.
“Yeah.” Lin Yiqin quickly took another two pieces. “Your steamboat soup base was really well done. Much better than mine. Did you cook often in the past? You must be very good at cooking.”
“No. When I lived alone, I found cooking too troublesome, so I would usually just make a soup base and dip dishes in it. That way, I wouldn’t have to cook lunch or dinner,” Song Chuyi explained softly.
Changqing was speechless from hearing that. No wonder his cooking skills were so ordinary but he could make such delicious steamboat. So that was the reason.
“I see.” Lin Yiqin laughed. “This is indeed a great way to skive. Here, here, here, cheers.”
Lin Yiqin always improved the atmosphere. With him around and a few glasses of wine down, Yan Lei began to talk more in no time at all.