CH 48

When Su Mingxi opened the door, she saw that Gao Boyun was indeed still standing outside. She hadn't expected this young man to be so persistent.

Upon hearing the sound of the door opening, Gao Boyun quickly looked up and greeted Su Mingxi with a smile, "Hello, Auntie."

Su Mingxi nodded casually and said to him, "Come in."

"Thank you, Auntie!" Gao Boyun hurriedly went inside, afraid that if he hesitated for a second, Su Mingxi might change her mind.

After sitting down at the dining table, Zheng Baozhu came out holding the freshly cooked dishes. Placing the dishes on the table, she took a glance at Gao Boyun. His ears were red from the cold.

"Have some rice soup; it's hot," Zheng Baozhu said as she picked up a thermos filled with rice soup and poured half a bowl for Gao Boyun.

Rice soup and rice wine looked somewhat similar, and Gao Boyun hadn't had rice soup in a long time. "You're so cultured, even making rice soup."

Zheng Baozhu replied, "Our hotel's restaurant specializes in farmhouse cuisine, and the rice we serve is steamed white rice, so of course, we have rice soup."

Gao Boyun had heard before that Zheng Baozhu had a hotel, but he hadn't asked for more details. Now, he just learned that the hotel's specialty was farmhouse cuisine, "Did you also make steamed white rice today?"

"Yes, paired with our hotel's signature dishes," Zheng Baozhu pointed to the two dishes she had just served, "This is Bean Curd Beef and this is Double Pepper Pork Liver. They are both masterpieces from me and the head chef. You've come to the right place today."

Gao Boyun looked at the well-prepared dishes; they were well-presented, showing some culinary skills, "I really couldn't tell that you can cook."

"Heh," Zheng Baozhu chuckled, "I know, you ordinary folks have biases against us. You think we can't do anything except seduce men."

"...I didn't say that."

"I won't argue with you; let's eat," Zheng Baozhu went into the kitchen and brought out the rice, "Help yourselves to rice since we have rice soup, I didn't cook any other soup."

Seeing Qu Zhi also come over from the living room, Zheng Baozhu called out to Su Mingxi, "Mom, come and eat too. Don't worry; I won't run away."

"..." After going through all this trouble in the morning, Su Mingxi naturally gave in. She moved the chair away from the door, walked over, and sat down at the dining table, "Let's all use chopsticks; the dishes should cool down a bit."

With that said, everyone picked up their chopsticks and started eating. Most of the dishes on the table were leftovers from yesterday's preserved vegetables. Everyone naturally wanted to taste the two dishes cooked by Zheng Baozhu.

However, the dish Bean Curd Beef had a lot of red oil in it, making it look fiery red. Gao Boyun hesitated for a moment and moved his chopsticks to the Double Pepper Pork Liver. This dish didn't seem spicy, but it contained a lot of chopped green peppers and small chili peppers.

Zheng Baozhu noticed that Gao Boyun shook off all the chili peppers from the pork liver and couldn't help but correct him, "The double peppers in this dish are essential; it tastes better when you eat them together with the chili peppers!"

"I don't eat spicy food," Gao Boyun replied.

He tasted a piece of pork liver; it had a sweet and sour flavor, not very spicy, but incredibly delicious and aromatic. His eyes brightened, and he exclaimed, "This is so delicious! I never expected your cooking skills to be this good!"

"I told you, I learned from the master chef. Our hotel's restaurant at Starlight Farm is well-known for this," Zheng Baozhu said proudly.

"In that case, I must bring my friends there some time," Gao Boyun replied.

"During the peak season, we don't accept individual customers or small groups. If you can meet the standards of a tourist group, then we can consider accommodating you," Zheng Baozhu said arrogantly, "But if you book a room at our hotel, of course, you can dine at the hotel restaurant."

"..."

Gao Boyun fell silent for a moment. Zheng Baozhu was even more arrogant than he remembered her from the film set. After finishing the Double Pepper Pork Liver, Gao Boyun's eyes turned greedy as he glanced at the Bean Curd Beef.

Zheng Baozhu said, "Why are you staring at it? Eat!"

Gao Boyun hesitated, "But it looks really spicy."

Zheng Baozhu earnestly said, "It's not spicy; go ahead and try it!"

Qu Zhi: "..."

Gao Boyun held his chopsticks but still hesitated.

Zheng Baozhu turned to Qu Zhi, "Qu Zhi, why don't you try it first to show him it's not spicy!"

Qu Zhi looked at it, scooped a spoonful of the bean curd into his bowl, and took a bite.

Gao Boyun asked him, "How is it?"

Qu Zhi replied, "It's delicious, the tofu is tender, and the flavor is great," Then he added, "It's not spicy."

Zheng Baozhu said, "See, I told you it's not spicy; it just looks red!"

Gao Boyun believed them and used a spoon to scoop some bean curd into his bowl. The tofu was coated with chili oil, emitting a dangerous and alluring signal. The aroma wafted into his nostrils, but Gao Boyun couldn't resist and took a bite of the bean curd.

Zheng Baozhu and Qu Zhi stared at him without blinking. The moment Gao Boyun tasted the bean curd, his face twisted, and he exclaimed, "Ah! It's hot and spicy!"

Worried, Zheng Baozhu asked, "What's wrong? Is it too hot?"

Gao Boyun looked at Zheng Baozhu with teary eyes and said, "It's both hot and spicy!"

Zheng Baozhu said, "You're such a child! When Qu Zhi ate it earlier, he blew on it to cool it down!"

"...The point is that it's spicy!"

Qu Zhi saw Gao Boyun's accusatory look but didn't show any change in his expression, let alone any sense of guilt.

"I do think it's not spicy," he asserted.

Zheng Baozhu tasted the bean curd herself and told Gao Boyun, "It's really not spicy!"

Gao Boyun remained silent.

Su Mingxi sighed softly and spoke, "Both of them like spicy food."

Gao Boyun glanced at them, picked up the bowl of rice soup beside him, and drank some without touching the bean curd.

Zheng Baozhu continued, "Then, why don't you try the beef? The bean curd might have more chili oil, so the beef should not be spicy."

Gao Boyun glanced at her skeptically, "Do you think I'll believe you?"

Zheng Baozhu looked particularly innocent, "I didn't realize you're so afraid of spiciness. How about you try eating it with rice? It won't feel as spicy then."

At first, Gao Boyun firmly refused to try the bean curd beef again. However, he couldn't resist the temptation and eventually tested it using Zheng Baozhu's method. After the spiciness blended with the rice, it did become much milder.

After the meal, he offered to help with washing the dishes. Although he usually had a housemaid taking care of him at home and didn't do household chores, today he wanted to stay a bit longer here to delay the time, so he rolled up his sleeves and got to work.

Qu Zhi stayed in the living room and continued chatting with Zheng Baozhu's mother, hoping to find some breakthrough.

In the kitchen, Gao Boyun stood by the sink, glanced towards the living room, and then asked Zheng Baozhu in a low voice, "Is there really nothing between you and that old classmate of yours? Why do I find it hard to believe?"

Zheng Baozhu clicked her tongue impatiently, "My mom even tried to introduce someone to him yesterday. What can there possibly be between us?"

Gao Boyun was still doubtful, "So, on that day when you were in his room, you really didn't do anything?"

"Well, not really..."

As soon as she said that, Gao Boyun raised an eyebrow as if saying, "I knew it."

Zheng Baozhu looked at him speechlessly, "Are all directors' minds as complicated as yours? That night, I slept in the bedroom, and he slept on the couch. I fell asleep there because I was too tired from filming during the day!"

Gao Boyun observed her and felt that she wasn't lying, so he said somewhat cryptically, "Is this old classmate of yours not up to par?"

"............"

Sighing, Zheng Baozhu gave Gao Boyun a slight smile, "If you directly say this to him, be prepared to get punched for the second time today."

"..."

Gao Boyun tried to look nonchalant, "I made a reasonable inference based on your words."

"What's so reasonable about that? Let me tell you, Qu Zhi holds grudges if you offend him. Don't be fooled by his calm appearance. Once he finds an opportunity, he'll come back with a vengeance," Zheng Baozhu warned.

"..."

Is it that scary?

"But you've been friends with him for so many years, you must genuinely care about him."

"..."

Zheng Baozhu fell silent for a moment, "Can you focus on washing the dishes properly?"

As Gao Boyun washed the dishes, he said teasingly, "I do think he's interested in you. Otherwise, who would travel all the way to the set just to see an old classmate? Do you really think he's a Bodhisattva?"

Zheng Baozhu: "..."

Qu Zhi appeared at the kitchen entrance without them noticing and stared at their backs with sharp eyes.

"What were you two talking about?"

Zheng Baozhu and Gao Boyun were taken aback when they suddenly saw him. Gao Boyun chuckled twice and said to him, "When did you come? Why didn't we hear any sound? You scared us."

Qu Zhi didn't answer his question and repeated his previous inquiry, "What were you two talking about?"

Zheng Baozhu replied, "He was praising you, saying that you are like a Bodhisattva."

Gao Boyun: "..."

Qu Zhi glanced at Zheng Baozhu and then walked into the kitchen, saying to Gao Boyun, "I'll take over. Aunt Su wants to talk to you."

Gao Boyun asked nervously, "What does she want to talk about?"

"How would I know?" Qu Zhi pushed him away from the sink and rolled up his own sleeves, "If you're scared, you can leave now."

Gao Boyun was indeed afraid of Su Mingxi, but the matter with Zheng Baozhu wasn't resolved yet, so how could he leave?

As he pondered how to handle Su Mingxi later, a series of hurried footsteps approached. Su Mingxi was holding her phone and ran to the kitchen door, saying, "Baozhu, your uncle said your grandmother fell and is currently at the hospital!"

Zheng Baozhu was stunned for a moment, then quickly removed the plastic gloves from her hands, "Let's go to the hospital now. My car is parked downstairs."

"Okay," Su Mingxi was too worried to pay attention to Gao Boyun at the moment, so she quickly packed her things and prepared to leave with Zheng Baozhu.

"Aunt Su, please don't worry," Qu Zhi reassured Su Mingxi, "I'll go with you guys to the hospital and see if there's anything I can help with."

Su Mingxi nodded and glanced at Gao Boyun, saying, "You can go back home now."

Although Gao Boyun also wanted to go to the hospital, he felt that it wouldn't be appropriate. In the end, he nodded and left on his own.

Zheng Baozhu's car was parked in the community parking lot. When they reached the car and were about to get in, Qu Zhi placed his hand on her wrist, saying, "I'll drive."

Zheng Baozhu looked up at him, seemingly not understanding his intention. Qu Zhi explained, "You seem a bit emotionally unstable right now. I'll drive."

Zheng Baozhu hesitated for a moment, seemingly surprised, "You have a driver's license?"

"..."

Qu Zhi lightly pulled the car door open, "I got my driver's license abroad, and when I returned, I exchanged it for the local one." He reassured her, "Don't worry, I'm a skilled driver."

Zheng Baozhu: "..."

After Qu Zhi sat in the driver's seat, she moved to the back and sat with her mother. Once everyone had fastened their seat belts, Qu Zhi drove the car out. Qu Zhi turned on the navigation and drove in the direction of the hospital.

Zheng Baozhu sat in the back, comforting her mother, telling her not to worry too much. They had already inquired with her uncle earlier, her grandmother's injuries were not particularly severe. After getting her cast fixed, she would be able to go home. However, due to her old age, the family was still concerned.

As the car approached the hospital, the traffic conditions worsened. Even during the Lunar New Year, it was crowded as usual. Finding a parking spot in front of the hospital was challenging. Zheng Baozhu originally planned to drop off her mother and Qu Zhi first and then find a parking spot for the car. Unexpectedly, Qu Zhi's driving skills were truly exceptional, and he elegantly maneuvered the car into an empty space.

His parallel parking skills were truly remarkable.

"...Wow," Zheng Baozhu was both astonished and composed as she unfastened her seatbelt, "You're really good at this."

Qu Zhi glanced at her from the rearview mirror and also unfastened his seatbelt, "Let's get out."

Once the three of them got out of the car, they went straight to Zheng Baozhu's grandmother's hospital room. It was a double room, and the other patient wasn't there at the moment, so the room was occupied by Zheng Baozhu's family.

Zheng Baozhu's Grandfather, uncle, aunt, elder cousin, cousin-in-law, and even little Yao Yao, who was still in elementary school, all came.

Zheng Baozhu's grandmother's right leg was in a cast as she was sitting on the bed. Besides her pale appearance, she seemed relatively alert. Zheng Baozhu had experienced a similar scene during her senior year of high school, but back then, her elder cousin and Yao Yao weren't there. As soon as they entered the hospital room, everyone's eyes focused on them, and then their performance began.

Because of the previous incident, and considering the timing of her grandmother's fall, Zheng Baozhu couldn't help but suspect that they were acting again.

However, based on the appearance of her grandmother's leg in a cast, it didn't seem like a fake.

"Mom, how are you? How did you fall when you were doing fine?" Su Mingxi hurriedly approached the hospital bed, looking a bit anxious. Beside her, Zheng Baozhu's aunt patted her hand and said, "The doctor said it's not serious, but it's just that elderly people take longer to recover due to their weaker physical condition."

Su Mingxi nodded, feeling slightly relieved, "Does she need to be hospitalized now? Falling for elderly people is not a small matter. Shouldn't she undergo a full examination?"

Zheng Baozhu's Aunt said, "The doctor said she doesn't need to be hospitalized, but she does need to rest at home. Don't worry, she has already undergone all the necessary examinations, and there are no major issues."

Zheng Baozhu's hand holding her phone trembled slightly as she discreetly opened her phone and looked at the screen.

Cousin: Baozhu, I'm sorry. This time it's all because of Yao Yao who sent your photo to the group.  It seems like she found out about it today. It was a neighbor who called my dad and that's how we rushed over. 

Cousin: This time it's true, not acting. 

Zheng Baozhu: "......"

How did her grandmother, who wouldn't even browse the internet, find out about this so quickly? Who was spreading rumors in front of her!

"Baobao," her grandmother suddenly spoke to Zheng Baozhu, and Zheng Baozhu's whole body tensed up in guard.

"Grandma," she forced a smile and greeted her grandmother, pulling Qu Zhi's sleeve beside her as they walked closer to the hospital bed.

Grandma Su glanced at the two of them, and she said, "What's going on between you and Qu Zhi? Are you dating?"

Zheng Baozhu: "......"

If she said they were dating now, could she use that to cover up the acting incident?

Qu Zhi's expression also froze for a moment, as though he was somewhat unsure how to respond. In the end, Su Mingxi broke the awkward silence, "Mom, you still recognize Qu Zhi?"

"What are you saying? How could I not recognize him?" Grandma Su looked at Su Mingxi and continued, "Qu Zhi grew up together with Baobao since they were little. Besides, he hasn't changed much in appearance; he has always been so handsome."

After praising Qu Zhi, Grandma Su returned to the main topic in a very rational manner, "So, are you two dating? You came to the hospital together."

Su Mingxi replied, "Qu Zhi happened to be with us today, and he drove us here."

"Oh..." Grandma Su responded and then looked at Su Mingxi, asking, "Mingxi, do you know about Baobao taking up acting?"

"..."

Su Mingxi didn't expect to be involved in this matter as well, but she could only nod and said, "I just found out last night."

"Then why didn't you tell me?" Grandma Su said with a hint of displeasure and frustration, "I heard about it from Old Jiang."

Su Mingxi pursed her lips and explained, "I didn't want you to get angry."

"Am I not angry now?" Grandma Su looked at Zheng Baozhu and asked, "Baobao, tell me what's going on."

"..." Zheng Baozhu hesitated for a moment, then could only force a smile and said, "Grandma, let's not talk about this for now. The most important thing now is for you to take good care of yourself and recover."

"Don't try to hide it from me. Do you think I don't know how I fell?" As Grandma Su spoke, her face turned serious, "Our family can't have a second celebrity."