"Isn't Mr. Chi the same?" Si Moshen's gaze landed on Chi Yu, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Leaving your work in the country and traveling all the way here to me. Was it really necessary?"
Chi Yu was taken aback by the words and couldn't help but laugh out of anger. "Wow, I didn't know that CEO Si was so eloquent. How come I never noticed this about you before? Is it because you're not fond of talking?"
"I'm indeed a bit inferior to Mr. Chi when it comes to eloquence. After all, you used to be a professor. If we're talking about speaking skills, I still have a lot to learn from you."
Jiang Zhirou, standing beside them, frowned in confusion as she sensed the intense rivalry between the two.
Wasn't Chi Yu invited by Si Moshen? Why did she feel like they had some sort of feud? Was it just her imagination?
"Mr. Chi, is the food ready? If it is, let's start now. Otherwise, Zhizhi will get hungry."
Si Moshen's voice suddenly interrupted Jiang Zhirou's train of thought.
She looked at the kitchen filled with ingredients and nodded. Before Chi Yu could say anything, she replied first, "It's been ready for a while. We've been waiting for you. Hurry up. I'm looking forward to your first meal ever."
Chi Yu stood by the kitchen door, looking extremely frustrated. Yet, he couldn't show his emotions.
After Si Moshen finished talking to Jiang Zhirou, he walked towards Chi Yu.
He walked past Chi Yu and headed straight into the kitchen.
Seeing Si Moshen's "smug" look, Chi Yu rolled his eyes a hundred times in his mind and reluctantly walked in.
Then he turned around, smiling at Jiang Zhirou, and firmly closed the kitchen door.
"Have you ever cooked before? You've been shouting about cooking. Do you even know how to do it? Be careful not to blow up the kitchen."
Chi Yu said to Si Moshen in a bad mood.
Compared to Chi Yu's anger, Si Moshen seemed much calmer. He was slowly washing the cooking utensils he would need later while calmly saying, "No one is born knowing how to do everything. Were you born holding a pot and a ladle?"
Chi Yu: "..."
"Did you eat gunpowder on your business trip? Why have you changed so much?
"For every word I say, you come back with ten. Are you really possessed by a ghost?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Si Moshen's hand paused for a moment. A strange look flashed across his eyes, and he quickly changed the subject.
"What do I need to do now?"
Maybe because he now knew he didn't have much time left, he subconsciously started to let loose.
Since taking over the Si Corporation after his parents' death, he had been on edge for more than a decade. He hardly ever had a full night's sleep. Now that he knew his time was limited, he suddenly felt a sense of relief. He wanted to say whatever he wanted, whether it was appropriate or not.
Chi Yu gave Si Moshen a meaningful look but didn't say anything else. He stuffed an eggplant into his hand.
"Slice it. You should at least know how to cut things, right?"
Si Moshen silently responded with a grunt. He picked up the freshly washed knife and started slicing clumsily.
What should have taken only an hour turned into three hours because of Si Moshen's "enthusiastic" participation.
Lunch had now become afternoon tea.
Jiang Zhirou looked at the table full of dishes and twitched the corners of her mouth slightly.
These dishes were completely different from the ones Chi Yu had made for her the other day. They didn't even seem like the same kind of food.
The dishes on the plates were either over - cooked or under - cooked. None of them looked normal.
Did Chi Yu secretly order takeout when she wasn't around the other day...
Just as Jiang Zhirou was thinking, Chi Yu seemed to read her mind and suddenly said, "Today's dishes were mainly made by Chef Si. I was just there to add a little something."
Jiang Zhirou: "..."
A rare look of embarrassment flashed across Si Moshen's face. "It's my first time cooking. I didn't master the heat well. I'll pay more attention next time."
"Let's consider today's cooking as an experiment. Zhizhi, I'll ask the kitchen staff to make something else for you."
Hearing this, Jiang Zhirou quickly picked up the chopsticks beside her, randomly grabbed a mouthful of food, and stuffed it into her mouth. "It's delicious. Don't waste it. It's really good for a first - time cook. I don't even know what I'd make on my first try."
Seeing Jiang Zhirou defending Si Moshen like this, Chi Yu couldn't help but secretly complain in his heart: Your first attempt wasn't any better. You two don't need to be so polite to each other.
Jiang Zhirou had food in her mouth, and her speech was a bit slurred. She didn't even know what she had put into her mouth...
It had no taste...
After Jiang Zhirou picked up the food, a look of joy flashed across Si Moshen's face. He confidently explained, "The dish you just picked is called 'Pure and Innocent'. It's stir - fried cabbage and tofu with soy sauce and salt..."
Jiang Zhirou didn't really hear what Si Moshen was saying. She stared wide - eyed at the dish she had just picked.
'Pure and Innocent' wasn't a suitable name. She thought 'Black and Messy' would be more appropriate. If Si Moshen hadn't said anything, she would have thought it was made of black beans, black rice, and black sesame...
It was just... completely black...
"The taste is quite good..."
Jiang Zhirou said, and her voice was obviously hoarser than before.
Seeing this, Chi Yu, who was standing behind Si Moshen on the right, bit his lip and tried his best not to laugh.
Anyone who often cooks knows that this means she had been overwhelmed by the salt.
A faint smile appeared on Jiang Zhirou's face. "Um... I'm suddenly a bit thirsty. Do you have something to dr—"
Before she could finish her sentence, Si Moshen suddenly pushed a bowl of soup in front of her.
"This is black chicken soup. Mr. Chi said it's very nourishing. Zhizhi, try it."
"Oh, right. I specifically put less salt in this. It might taste a bit bland."
Hearing that less salt had been added, Jiang Zhirou didn't think twice and picked up the bowl, gulping down a few mouthfuls.
This wasn't 'less salt'. There was hardly any salt at all. It had no taste at all. It was just like boiled water with a bit of oil...
To encourage Si Moshen, Jiang Zhirou forced herself to eat most of the dishes. In the end, her throat was so sore that she could hardly speak. She could only give Si Moshen a thumbs - up.
At one o'clock in the morning.
Jiang Zhirou's throat was hurting, and she tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep. She quietly slipped out of the bedroom, thinking of finding something to soothe her throat.
As soon as she opened the bedroom door, she saw Chi Yu walking up from the stairwell.
Jiang Zhirou instinctively wanted to close the door and pretend she hadn't seen him.
But Chi Yu didn't give her that chance.
"If you're not asleep, get up. I've made some rock sugar pear soup for you. It'll soothe your throat."
Hearing this, Jiang Zhirou stopped in the middle of closing the door.
She couldn't be stubborn when it came to her own health.
Just as she was thinking, Chi Yu had already put the bowl in Jiang Zhirou's hand. His voice came from above her head, "The temperature is just right. You can drink it directly."
"Don't worry. It wasn't made by Si Moshen."
He said half - jokingly.
Jiang Zhirou looked up at him slightly. A strange look flashed across her eyes. "… Thank you."