Chapter 214: Chapter 212 The Sour Smell of Love
Early in the morning, Jian Xi got out of bed.
As soon as she descended the stairs, she saw a table laden with a sumptuous breakfast.
In the kitchen, Si Yuhuan was looking at a cooking app on his phone while preparing rice.
The apron looked a bit comical on him but didn’t detract from his handsomeness at all. The aura of a domineering CEO seemed to elevate the kitchen’s entire ambiance.
When Si Yuhuan saw Jian Xi come down, he lifted his gaze slightly and said, "Go to the dining room and wait for the meal."
Then he continued to meticulously cut fruit.
The warm sunlight fell upon him, and at that moment, Si Yuhuan seemed to be glowing.
Jian Xi couldn’t help but rub her eyes, doubting what she was seeing.
Si Yuhuan cooking?
And carefully cutting fruit for her?
As dishes were progressively served, Si Yuhuan took off his apron and sat opposite her. "What are you looking at? Eat!"
Then he served her a bowl of porridge.
"I followed a recipe. I don’t know how it tastes, so give it a try. Your fridge has nothing in it; it’s really lousy."
Jian Xi rolled her eyes at him. This man is better off not talking.
Did he think everyone was as wasteful as he was, with refrigerators full of delicacies waiting for him to taste any time he visited someone’s house?
Casually scooping up a spoonful of white rice porridge and putting it in her mouth, Jian Xi’s eyes brightened. "The taste is quite good. You have a bit of a talent for cooking."
The way Jian Xi looked at him changed.
Si Yuhuan’s lips curled into a cold smile, but then he suppressed it.
Yan Qing was right after all. Women are defenseless against men who can cook.
This simple task? He could easily handle it.
The next moment, Jian Xi ate the shredded potatoes he had made and exclaimed, "PTOOEY! PTOOEY! PTOOEY! Si Yuhuan, did you get into a fight with a salt merchant?"
Si Yuhuan took a bite with his chopsticks and spat it out as well.
"I might have mistaken the ingredients."
Jian Xi couldn’t help but laugh. "If you don’t have the skill, don’t take on the job. Cooking’s just not your thing."
Si Yuhuan’s face darkened. "Let’s go out to eat."
One of the few times he had cooked in his life was for her, and now it was mercilessly mocked. He was at a loss for words.
"Never mind, I’ll just have the porridge. I need to go to the company soon."
Jiang Qimeng’s Joyance was holding its launch conference and fashion show tomorrow. Jian Xi and Chu Xiao would be there, fully prepared to deliver Jiang Qimeng a fatal blow.
"I’ll take you."
Si Yuhuan adopted the posture of a gallant chauffeur.
"No need."
What a joke!
How could she possibly let him into the heart of enemy territory?
Si Yuhuan raised an eyebrow. "What? Got a secret admirer pursuing you, so now you’re starting to draw lines with me?"
"I wanted to draw clear lines with you even when no man was pursuing me," Jian Xi retorted stubbornly.
"Forgot about the time when you chased after me, pleaded with me not to leave you?"
The past was dredged up, laid bare and raw between them. The dead memories assaulted Jian Xi’s pride, making her wish she could shamefully burrow into a crevice and hide.
How could she have been so foolish back then!
"Si Yuhuan, don’t go too far. You really take advantage when given an inch. As for what I did before, please just treat it as if I wasn’t in my right mind, okay? Blind, loving the wrong person!"
Having said that, Jian Xi slammed the door and left.
Si Yuhuan touched his forehead. Had he said something wrong?
「Yaowang Group.」
All of Chu Xiao’s designed works were now on display as finished products.
Wan Yu had been admiring them for over an hour. When she saw Jian Xi arrive looking travel-worn, she immediately scolded, "Didn’t I tell you to rest at home? Why did you still come over?"
Jian Xi had told her about the bleeding incident from the night before, which had nearly scared Wan Yu’s heart out of her chest.
She swore that from now on, she would handle whatever she could herself and definitely not let Jian Xi know about it.
"After resting for one night, I’m not so incapacitated that I can’t get out of bed."
She looked at Chu Xiao in the distance, guiding the models. He was serious and professional, his whole presence seemingly radiating light.
"Him? He’s amazing! At first, I thought he was just a Little Naigou who knew nothing but indulging in food and fun. Only recently did I realize that in the field of design, he’s like a godlike figure! Many people in the company admire him now. Look, he’s even doing the model rehearsals ahead of time. I have to say, under his guidance, the models present the clothing’s characteristics very distinctly and with great finesse. If I were a customer, I’d be placing orders like crazy, without the slightest hesitation. He’s a natural-born business talent."
"Such high praise!" Jian Xi said with a laugh, though her heart was filled with admiration.
Stepping up to the challenge, shouldering the pressure, and demonstrating his abilities—Chu Xiao had grown!
"Come on, everyone, take a break. The Chairman has brought us coffee."
Wan Yu pushed Jian Xi to personally hand Chu Xiao his cup.
"Big sister, you’ve finally grown a conscience. How am I doing?"
"It’s truly impressive, exceptionally good. You’ve worked hard."
Chu Xiao scratched the back of his head. "Why does that sound so official?"
"It’s primarily encouragement. I’m going in to talk to President Li about company business cooperation now. You carry on."
Jian Xi patted his shoulder and left with a smile.
Watching her retreating figure, Chu Xiao’s face, which had been wreathed in smiles just moments before, suddenly froze.
Looks like it’s truly impossible.
He felt dejected.
Wan Yu noticed but didn’t say anything.
Some things, one has to get through on their own; outsiders can’t intervene.
Jian Mingcheng suddenly called.
Wan Yu quickly answered, flustered, "You... Is something wrong?"
Jian Mingcheng coughed. "Can’t I call you if there’s nothing important?"
He looked at the court documents he had just received, which included evidence proving it was impossible for him to have slept with Bing Xin. Jian Xi had told him all about it—Wan Yu had obtained these by running around to many places and pulling many strings.
"Yes, of course, you can! It’s just that you’ve never called me proactively before, so I’m a bit surprised."
Wan Yu found a quiet place and said with concern, "You should drink some chrysanthemum tea lately. I’m worried you’ll get stressed over the case."
"Mhm, my secretary received the express delivery. I’ve been drinking it."
After much hesitation, Jian Mingcheng spoke up, "Let me treat you to dinner."
"Sure!"
Having agreed, Wan Yu wished she could smack herself. As a woman, couldn’t she be even a little more reserved!
She knocked her head in annoyance.
After Jian Xi finished coordinating work with Li Bin, she checked the time and said, "Alright, I’m treating everyone to dinner as a way to relax before the show."
Constant work would wear down even machines. To ensure the confidentiality of information, the core team members hadn’t left the company premises for a long time.
In the end, Jian Xi chose an expensive Japanese restaurant.
Everyone was excitedly debating whether to go for karaoke after eating when Wan Yu spoke up, interrupting, "Actually, I’ll skip this one."
Jian Xi looked at her curiously.
"I, I, I’m quite busy. New Fashion Media is pretty busy lately."
After saying this, she grabbed her bag and hurried off, calling back to everyone, "Have fun!"
A male colleague sounded deflated. "Without Sister Wan Yu, we definitely won’t be able to get into the spirit."
Wan Yu was everyone’s ray of sunshine; wherever she was, the atmosphere was sure to be lively.
"Alright! Stop your unrequited pining. Sister Wan Yu is so outstanding, you don’t stand a chance," colleagues teased each other.
Jian Xi watched her best friend hurry away, hands crossed over her chest. She could smell the distinct aroma of budding romance in the air!
This sister of hers... something was definitely up!