Lei Dongyi slammed the door shut on Qin Shen, then went to the refrigerator to put away the groceries.
Next, he went to the bedroom to ask Ge'er what she wanted for lunch.
Ge'er pretended to be asleep, closing her eyes and ignoring him.
Lei Dongyi rolled up his sleeves. "Not telling, huh? Then I'll improvise."
He brought his laptop to the kitchen, searched for instructions on steaming sea bass, and began to follow the tutorial step by step.
It was the young master's first time in the kitchen, and he had to read the labels on the bottles to figure out what was oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar.
His shirt sleeves were rolled up high, and his hands were covered in water. As he worked, Ge'er suddenly called him from the kitchen.
"Lei Dongyi, Lei Dongyi, someone's calling you."
Lei Dongyi, his hands still wet, entered the room. Without even looking at the screen, he handed the phone to Ge'er.
"Take it for me."
Seeing how inconvenient it was for him, with even fish scales stuck to the front of his shirt, Ge'er could only help him by pressing the answer button.
Instantly, a sharp female voice came through.
"Lei Dongyi, where are you?"
"If you don't come home, is Old Lei not your father anymore? Are you still not going to take care of him?"
"I'm warning you, I don't care about your parents' past messes, and I can't control them. But since all the money Zhonghe is making now goes into your pocket, and you still carry the Lei surname, you have to bear the responsibilities that come with it."
"His condition hasn't been good these past few days. You don't have to come back to serve him, but if it really comes to that, and you still don't come back, I won't be the only one shamed. You figure it out!"
Without waiting for Lei Dongyi to respond, the caller hung up.
Although Ge'er didn't know what was going on, she could tell from the tone that something unpleasant had happened.
Lei Dongyi was the same age as her. By rights, his father shouldn't be so ill. How could his body be…
The phone screen slowly went black. Ge'er looked up at Lei Dongyi only after it had completely turned off.
His expression remained neutral, revealing neither happiness nor anger.
"I'm going to steam the fish. The tutorial says it only takes ten minutes, so please wait a little longer."
It wasn't just that she was already full; even if she weren't, with such serious family matters, Lei Dongyi shouldn't be so nonchalant about cooking.
Ge'er wanted to tell him to stop, but he seemed to be deliberately avoiding her, quickly leaving the bedroom.
Ten minutes later, Lei Dongyi returned to the bedroom, carrying a beautifully presented plate.
On the plate was a whole fish, garnished with finely shredded scallions and cilantro. The rich white broth contrasted with the green, making it look very appealing.
She couldn't help but ask in surprise, "Can you really cook?"
Lei Dongyi took it as a compliment and placed the plate on the bedside table, then crouched down to pick out the fish bones for her.
"Is cooking more complicated than arguing a case? I passed the bar exam on the first try. Learning to cook is as easy as pie."
Ge'er: "..."
He picked out a few mouthfuls of fish and placed them in a bone china cup for her. "Try it."
Although Ge'er didn't really want to eat, seeing how long he had been busy and considering his family situation, she accepted.
The taste was decent. While not extraordinary, it suited her current appetite.
Lei Dongyi continued to pick out fish for her until she had finished one side of the fish. "Do you want more?"
"No."
"Does it taste bad?"
"No."
"Haven't you taken your midday medicine yet?"
"Mm."
Lei Dongyi got up and went out, bringing the medicine back for her.
"Keep an eye on the time. Take it in half an hour. After you take it, get some rest. Don't get out of bed, and don't receive any more guests. I'm going out for a bit and will be back before dinner."
Ge'er knew he was going home and wanted to ask what his father's illness was, but seeing his indifferent demeanor and his apparent reluctance to discuss it further, she held back.
"Okay."
Lei Dongyi went to the bathroom to wash up, tidied his clothes, and gently closed the door.
With nothing else to do, Ge'er felt drowsy after eating.
She waited for half an hour, took her medicine, and then fell asleep.
The weather was good, and no one disturbed her. She slept soundly until she woke up with an urgent need to use the restroom.
When she opened her eyes, she instinctively looked towards the bay window. The sky had already darkened. She had slept for the entire afternoon.
The bay window was empty, and there was no sound from outside. Lei Dongyi seemed not to have returned yet.
Although she knew she shouldn't get out of bed, nature called. After indulging in a moment of grogginess under the covers, she had just started to sit up when the front door opened.
As she was halfway up, Lei Dongyi rushed in, radiating warmth.
Their eyes met. He tossed his jacket onto the floor and walked towards Ge'er.
"Just woke up?"
Ge'er's voice was hoarse. "Mm."
"Were you about to get up? Need to go to the bathroom?"
"Mm."
"I'm sorry I'm back so late. I'll carry you."
After taking her to the restroom, Lei Dongyi discreetly left. A moment later, he returned to carry Ge'er and asked her.
"What do you want to eat tonight?"
Ge'er was truly at a loss. She felt he had returned in a hurry, and her heart was still pounding. She couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt.
"I'm not hungry yet. If you're hungry, why don't you order takeout?"
Lei Dongyi was indeed hungry. He hadn't eaten lunch and had spent the afternoon arguing with his father.
But he didn't want to order takeout.
"I'll pick something simple to make. If you don't have any ideas, I'll decide. Just do me the favor of eating it."
"Go back and lie down. I'll get busy."
Feeling that he had been on his feet all day, and knowing he didn't owe her anything, Ge'er felt embarrassed.
"Lei Dongyi, you really don't have to do this."
Lei Dongyi, who had been about to leave, turned back when he heard her. "Then how do you want me to be?"
"..."
"You haven't been annoyed by me all afternoon, are you unaccustomed to it? Don't worry, it'll be fine tomorrow. I'll be in front of you all day, and you'll have plenty of time to be bothered."
Ge'er wasn't sure if she was overthinking it, but she detected a hint of forced bravado and deliberate teasing in his words.
Since she couldn't get rid of him, she decided to let it be.
"It's so boring staying in bed all the time. I want to go outside and watch some TV."
"Use my computer to watch. I'll bring it to you."
"You don't have to go that far, Lei Dongyi. I'm not made of paper. Let me go out for some fresh air."
Lei Dongyi surveyed the room. Although it was large, staying in it all day was indeed boring. He carried her to the sofa outside.
He tucked her in with a blanket, turned on the TV, and then went to open the refrigerator, get the ingredients, and find the tutorial.
Watching him busily move back and forth, Ge'er felt a mix of emotions and finally couldn't help but ask.
"Lei Dongyi."
Lei Dongyi looked at his phone. "Mm."
"Can I ask one thing? What illness does your father have?"
After about two seconds, he said, "Kidney failure."
Ge'er: "?!"
Lei Dongyi's tone was mocking. "You don't need to feel sorry, you don't need to pity him. He brought it upon himself."
"..."
"Do you think I'm unfilial? That I'll be struck by lightning for saying this?"
To be honest, Ge'er did think that.
That was his father, after all. As a highly educated person, he shouldn't say such things under any circumstances.
Perhaps it was the atmosphere, or perhaps Lei Dongyi had wanted to talk to her properly for a long time. He locked his phone and walked over.