Chapter 2 – Skipping a Meal

Intolerable or not, adhering to the principle of not mixing work and personal life, Lin Ganzhi picked up his chopsticks and began to wolf down his food at lightning speed.

Uncle Yan was stunned by the sight of the boy devouring his meal. One might think his cooking was exceptionally delicious. He had been a butler for so many years and had never set foot in the kitchen back at the main house. It wasn’t that he didn’t know how to cook, but his cooking was truly mediocre. He followed the recipes to the letter, but it always lacked a certain something. In the Zhong family’s words, it was bland and tasteless, with only the natural flavor of the ingredients and salt coming through. Fortunately, Uncle Yan excelled in other areas, or he wouldn’t have been a butler for the Zhong family for so many years.

But honestly, seeing Lin Ganzhi eat with such gusto brought a faint sense of joy to Uncle Yan’s heart. After all, eating heartily was the greatest compliment to a cook.

“Ganzhi, eat slowly. Gulping down your food is bad for digestion.” Uncle Yan handed Lin Ganzhi a glass of orange juice.

The orange juice was freshly squeezed and delivered that day, completely different from the kind sold in supermarkets. Lin Ganzhi swallowed the food in his mouth, took a sip of orange juice, and let out a satisfied burp. He temporarily slumped back in his chair, letting his slightly bulging belly air out.

“Ganzhi, would you like more rice?” Uncle Yan picked up Lin Ganzhi’s empty bowl.

How could Lin Ganzhi let an old man serve him like this? He was a chameleon with principles. He quickly stood up and took his bowl. “Uncle Yan, don’t be so formal with me. I can get my own rice!”

Uncle Yan was worried that Lin Ganzhi was too embarrassed to eat more. Weren’t celebrities very particular about managing their figures?

But then he saw Lin Ganzhi heap another mountain of rice into his bowl. …

Lin Ganzhi felt Uncle Yan’s gaze and shyly lowered his head, but it didn’t slow down his eating in the slightest.

He polished off the four dishes and one soup, not leaving even a scrap of food behind.

Not a picky eater, ate a lot, and wasted nothing—Lin Ganzhi had checked all the boxes that elders appreciated. Unconsciously, Uncle Yan’s fondness for him had increased by several points.

He refilled Lin Ganzhi’s glass with a large cup of orange juice.

Lin Ganzhi said his thanks and gulped it down. In truth, Uncle Yan’s cooking was average, but the high quality of the ingredients more than made up for it! Lin Ganzhi felt like he was about to ascend to heaven from sheer bliss.

After five minutes of one watching with relish and the other eating with relish, it finally dawned on them.

“Did I forget to save any food for my husband?”

…The two looked at each other in silence.

“It’s fine. The master doesn’t eat until two or three in the afternoon. I’ll just make some more.” It was only twelve o’clock, so there was still time. Uncle Yan rolled up his sleeves, and Lin Ganzhi quickly stood up.

“Uncle Yan, let me do it.” Lin Ganzhi was full of fighting spirit. This was a crucial moment to showcase his professional abilities!

Uncle Yan hesitated, looking at Lin Ganzhi as if he were a young master whose hands had never touched a drop of dishwater.

The master was already tormenting himself like this. If this kid added fuel to the fire, wouldn’t the master…?

“Um, Ganzhi, maybe Uncle Yan should do it. The master is a bit of a picky eater.”

Lin Ganzhi hesitated. Could this be the highest realm of pickiness: as long as it has flavor, it’s fine?

“Uncle Yan, I’ll just make something simple. Besides, I want to find an excuse to go see my husband~” Lin Ganzhi rubbed his hands together, his shy demeanor truly resembling that of a pure-hearted young man who had just fallen in love.

Uncle Yan’s expression was complicated. He found that every time Lin Ganzhi expressed his love for the master, it left him speechless. He didn’t know if he was shipping it, but his teeth were definitely aching from the cringe.

While Uncle Yan was still hesitating, Lin Ganzhi, as nimble as a cat, slipped into the kitchen. He gave Uncle Yan a “you can count on me” look and closed the kitchen door.

Let’s just say, he was very afraid.

Lin Ganzhi knew very well that people with stomach problems couldn’t eat spicy or irritating foods. During that period before, his mouth had become so bland he could have sprouted feathers. Before he hit rock bottom, he had studied various recipes to make something good for himself, making all sorts of adjustments for his stomach condition, and the results were quite fruitful.

To let his boss know that hiring—no, marrying him was an absolutely correct decision, Lin Ganzhi put his heart and soul into making this meal.

He found fresh shrimp, tofu, and mushrooms in the refrigerator. As he skillfully prepared the ingredients, he carefully considered his current situation.

The original owner of this body had been seen by Zhong Jingyi at a party, pretending to be drunk and rubbing against Luan Yuanzhou. Zhong Jingyi said nothing, only his eyes reddened. But one of his followers, Sang Xiangwen, the general manager of a listed company, couldn’t stand it. He investigated Lin Ganzhi’s family background and gave his bloodsucking aunt’s family three million. His aunt then cajoled and tricked him into marrying Yan Shengping.

Yan Shengping had no right to refuse. Sang Xiangwen had only mentioned it to Father Zhong, who agreed to the marriage on Yan Shengping’s behalf without a second thought.

Since the original owner had a terrible reputation in the entertainment industry and thought Yan Shengping was just an ordinary rich second-generation kid, he agreed under the coercion and enticement of his aunt’s family. It wasn’t until he arrived here that he realized he had been completely deceived, which was why he had thrown a huge tantrum and made a scene yesterday.

Two universally loathed people getting together brought joy to a circle of onlookers.

As an 18th-tier artist constantly plagued by slanderous material, Lin Ganzhi knew what kind of insults were being hurled at him online without even looking.

In such a predicament, if it weren’t for the one million in pocket money, Lin Ganzhi wiped his mouth.

Then he continued to console himself. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. And for now, Yan Shengping wasn’t as bad as he had imagined. A little temper was harmless. It couldn’t crush him. He would just treat it as a little spice in his million-a-month salary.

Uncle Yan glanced worriedly at the kitchen, because he had just clearly heard a sinister cackle coming from inside.

About half an hour later, Lin Ganzhi emerged from the kitchen holding a tray. On it was a medium-sized bowl of noodle soup, topped with pan-fried shrimp and tofu with fresh mushrooms, and sprinkled with a layer of finely chopped green onions. Needless to say, the presentation was excellent, and the aroma alone was countless times better than the meal Uncle Yan had made. A glass on the side was filled seven-tenths full with coconut milk.

Uncle Yan was stunned. This kid really knew how to cook?

Lin Ganzhi grinned and was about to carry the tray upstairs.

“Hey, hey, Ganzhi,” Uncle Yan suddenly remembered something.

Lin Ganzhi cut him off, speaking with an air of ordinary confidence. “Don’t worry, Uncle Yan, I’m quite confident in my cooking skills!” With that, he headed straight upstairs.

Uncle Yan, left behind, thought: Ah, no, that’s not it. What I wanted to say was, the master doesn’t eat green onions.

Having eaten his fill, Lin Ganzhi’s strength had returned. He effortlessly held the tray with one hand and knocked on the door with the other, but there was no response from inside.

Was Lin Ganzhi the type to be easily deterred? His goal wasn’t high. As long as Yan Shengping treated him like an ordinary employee and let him stay, he would be eternally grateful. So, Lin Ganzhi swiftly cast aside his fragile heart and knocked on the door like a monk striking a bell, over and over again.

Finally, after three minutes, Yan Shengping shifted his gaze from the computer screen and looked at the door with a gloomy and impatient expression. “…Come in.”

The knocking at the door stopped immediately. Then, the door slowly opened a crack, and a little pink head squeezed through the gap like a mushroom after the rain, followed by a faint, fragrant aroma that wafted into the room.

The scent tugged at Yan Shengping’s stomach, causing a sharp pang of pain, but he showed no sign of it on his face. The look he gave Lin Ganzhi was now tinged with more disgust than he would give a stranger.

“Hub—”

“If you call me that again, get out,” Yan Shengping spat out coldly.

“Why do you look like I’m taking advantage of you? This is the first time I’ve ever called anyone that!” Lin Ganzhi grumbled with faint dissatisfaction.

Yan Shengping’s sharp gaze swept over Lin Ganzhi, and he changed the subject. “And you want there to be a second time?”

Lin Ganzhi blinked, clearly not understanding the hidden meaning in Yan Shengping’s words. “Practice makes perfect,” he said earnestly.

Yan Shengping’s face instantly darkened. When had he ever been so humiliated by a nobody kid? But this was perfect. If Lin Ganzhi wanted to leave, he wouldn’t stop him, and the Zhong family wouldn’t pressure him either. In fact, they would probably think it was for the best.

“In that case, I won’t stop you.”

Lin Ganzhi’s eyes lit up. He quickly scurried over, moved Yan Shengping’s laptop aside with one hand, and placed the lunch right in the center with the other, acting incredibly bossy. “Husband, time to eat!”

He had all the bravado of a warrior shouting for a meal!

***

Only then did Yan Shengping realize they were on completely different wavelengths.

Taking a deep breath, Yan Shengping tried to be as simple and direct as possible. “What I mean is, if you hate me, you’re free to leave. I don’t like to force things.”

Hiss. This universally loathed character wasn’t so bad after all. He even gave the original owner a way out. It’s a shame the original owner was also a drama queen and literally acted himself to death.

Lin, top student of acting, Ganzhi, was back online. His eyes reddened in three seconds, his eyelashes glistening with tears, and his voice grew hoarse. “I don’t hate you. You’re very good. I like you, and I don’t want to leave you. Yesterday, I was just following what an expert taught me. But you can hate me, just don’t make me leave. I… I finally have a home of my own. Don’t kick me out.” By the end, Lin Ganzhi had gotten so into character that his voice broke with a sob, and the tip of his nose turned red. Don’t kick me out, my one million~

Yan Shengping stared at Lin Ganzhi in disbelief. His fingers, hidden behind the desk, curled up in a fluster. Had he… just bullied him to tears?

“No one is kicking you out!” Yan Shengping’s voice held an uncharacteristic panic. He had to take several deep breaths to calm himself down.

Lin Ganzhi had achieved his goal. The tears vanished in a second. “I knew my hubby was the best!”

Tsk!

A good upbringing was the only thing stopping Yan Shengping from the urge to curse!

But despite his thoughts, it didn’t change Yan Shengping’s belief that whatever Lin Ganzhi was saying now was complete bullshit.

“I don’t eat at this time.” Yan Shengping’s gaze swept over the food on Lin Ganzhi’s tray. He saw a hateful shade of green and frowned tightly. “What is this stuff? Take it away!”

After he’d said all that, any normal person would have been unable to stand it and would have left.

But Lin Ganzhi followed Yan Shengping’s gaze and saw the green onions in the bowl.

A terrifying thought rose in his mind. No way, no way, there’s actually someone who doesn’t eat green onions! Back then, I could have devoured a whole pot of them!!!

“Is it… you don’t like green… onions?”

Yan Shengping didn’t speak, just averted his gaze, not even wanting to look at it.

Lin Ganzhi took a deep breath, telling himself, one million, one million, and managed to suppress the urge to hit someone.

“Right, right, I almost forgot you don’t like green onions. I’ll pick them out for you right now.” He pulled out a tissue and quickly used his chopsticks to remove the green onions. His movements were swift and neat. In less than thirty seconds, not even a speck of white onion was visible in the bowl.

Yan Shengping never expected Lin Ganzhi to go to such lengths. He couldn’t help but look up at him. As it happened, Lin Ganzhi was also looking at him, his round eyes filled with expectation and seriousness, shining like fireflies in the night with a faint but heartwarming glow.

Yan Shengping thought of an even more drastic action. Would sweeping the bowl to the floor make Lin Ganzhi completely give up?

But… Yan Shengping hesitated for a minute. Under Lin Ganzhi’s sparkling gaze, he finally picked up his chopsticks. “Don’t do unnecessary things in the future. I don’t eat at this time.”

“If you don’t eat at noon, are you trying to become an immortal?” Lin Ganzhi saw Yan Shengping pick up his chopsticks but didn’t have the sense to leave.

The most important thing now was to nurse this person back to health. If his partner kicked the bucket too early, how could he retire early and live a peaceful life?

With that thought, Lin Ganzhi pulled over a large chair and obediently sat across from Yan Shengping, not moving.

Yan Shengping was so choked up he couldn’t say a word. He could only eat resentfully. The moment the warm noodles and shrimp entered his mouth, Yan Shengping was visibly stunned.

“This wasn’t made by Uncle Yan.” After the incident, Yan Shengping had become highly vigilant. Because he lacked a sense of security, he would eat a little of Uncle Yan’s food every day, even though it was mediocre.

“I made this. You have a stomach condition, so I made it extra light.” Lin Ganzhi would never miss an opportunity to take credit!

Yan Shengping’s dark eyes swept over Lin Ganzhi, a hint of surprise in them. But in the end, he put the noodles from his chopsticks into his mouth. The taste was excellent, far better than Uncle Yan’s cooking, and it felt more comfortable than eating at the Zhong family’s house.

If it wasn’t for the marriage the Zhong family had arranged for him, he wouldn’t have needed to show such hostility towards this person. He was twenty-eight this year; the twenty-three-year-old Lin Ganzhi was like a child in his eyes.

But precisely because of that, not holding him back was the right choice.

As Yan Shengping ate, neither of them spoke again. The quiet study was filled only with the faint sounds of him eating. Having received an elite education, table manners were an important part of it. Yan Shengping was truly a sight to behold when he ate. After all, his natural good looks were there for all to see, and he barely made a sound while eating.

He took small, neat bites, yet he looked efficient. The key was that he was incredibly handsome.

This was a complete contrast to Lin Ganzhi’s wolf-like eating style.

Lin Ganzhi admired him for a while before lowering his head and pulling out his phone to wait for Yan Shengping to finish.

The original owner’s phone was the latest model, and it was incredibly smooth to use. But seeing the seven zeros in his bank account balance made Lin Ganzhi feel even better. The small grievances he had just suffered instantly vanished.

He casually opened a game he was familiar with. A new character had just been added to the card pool. In the past, Lin Ganzhi could only squeeze in half an hour of daily quests during his evening break, never managing to save enough materials to pull for new characters. But now, he could just top up directly!

Lin Ganzhi’s eyes narrowed slyly. This entire scene was witnessed by Yan Shengping, who was eating across from him. A thoughtful look crossed his deep eyes.

Hmm, next time I can use the temptations of the outside world to lure him away. For a kid, the world outside is much more exciting than this dull suburban villa.

Unlike him, who could only be trapped here.

A self-deprecating glint flashed in Yan Shengping’s eyes.