Sitting in the living room watching TV, Huayan wasn’t actually watching; she was daydreaming. Hu Li’s lips had been so cold earlier, making Huayan feel like she was eating ice cream. Through the TV screen, she saw herself with a silly, sweet smile. She silently cursed herself for turning into a lovestruck girl. She glanced toward the kitchen, reassured that Hu Li was busy cooking and hadn’t noticed her. But Hu Li had already seen Huayan’s lovesick expression and chuckled to himself, his hands never stopping.
Tonight, Hu Li was preparing boiled fish, sweet and sour ribs, grilled rice balls, lettuce, and green onion pancakes, along with tofu mixed with green onions—an array of homestyle dishes. Hu Li had recently learned these recipes from a Chinese chef. He used to cook Western food but never actually made it.
Ever since he discovered Huayan’s love for food, Hu Li couldn’t wait to put on an apron and get busy in the kitchen. Besides himself, Huayan was the first person to taste his cooking.
Hu Li was now slicing the fish into thin pieces, then marinating it for twenty minutes with pepper, egg whites, cooking wine, several slices of ginger, several segments of green onion, cornstarch, and salt.
During this time, Hu Li began grilling the cooked rice balls. Crispy on the outside and glutinous on the inside, the rice balls turned a golden yellow as four or five of them were grilled to perfection, just as the fish finished marinating.
He poured an appropriate amount of oil into the pot and heated it, adding ginger slices, garlic slices, Sichuan peppercorns, and dried chili segments, which produced a delicious aroma.
“Cough, cough, cough...”
“You’re getting choked up. Go wait in the living room; it’ll be ready soon.” Hu Li carefully watched the spices in the pot to prevent them from burning, while urging Huayan to leave.
“You can make grilled rice balls, boiled fish slices, and that tofu with green onions—are you preparing tofu mixed with green onions?”
“Tonight’s dinner is supposed to taste like home, so the dishes aren’t very novel. But I guarantee they’ll be delicious, just like the ones you often eat at home. You’re not unhappy with my lack of creativity, are you? I just want our first date to have the taste of home.”
“I’m starting to see you as a block of ice slowly melting. Looking at your appearance, who would have thought you’d be so homely?”
“Are you complimenting me or insulting me?” Hu Li pretended to look offended.
“Seriously, focus on cooking. Stop pretending.”
“Miss Huayan, if you keep this up, the master will end up being henpecked.” Hu Da chimed in, feeling sorry for Hu Li. Seeing Hu Li dressed as a homemaker was more than Hu Da could handle; his master had never endured such “suffering.”
“Don’t worry, no matter what, your master won’t turn into a henpecked husband.” Then she whispered, “Look at your master’s expression now.” Hu Da glanced and saw Hu Li, sweating and looking displeased.
“Your training has been too gentle lately. Go to the basement for three hours of intense training.”
“Master...” Hu Da pleaded, but Hu Li’s eyes narrowed, and Hu Da quickly left. Hu Er stood quietly in the living room. Hu Da, concerned for Hu Li, had forgotten that a man in love can’t be judged by normal standards. He ended up taking the hit. Hu Er was secretly pleased and thought to himself that it had taken him a long time to learn to observe and consider these everyday details from Miss Huayan; otherwise, he would have been even more oblivious than Hu Da.
While enjoying the dinner, Huayan and Hu Li chatted. Hu Li asked, “Xiaoyan, how do you find the dishes this time?”
“Very good. I’d give you nine out of ten.”
“Not a perfect score?”
“Just one meal—how can I give you a perfect ten? Cook for me a few more times, and I’ll decide then.”
“Hmm, good idea. I’ll cook for you whenever I can.”
"Hu Li, I can only say that your behavior and your appearance are completely mismatched. You're such a contradictory man. Cold and meticulous. Worldly-wise and pursuing simplicity, a fusion of ice and fire."
"Indifference is only for others, never for you."
Huayan pouted and said, "Hmph, and who was that with a stern face just now?"
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"When I saw you in someone else's arms, I couldn't control my emotions." In truth, Hu Li wasn’t being completely honest. He had actually exercised a great deal of restraint. If he hadn’t, that secretary would have met his end by now.
"Fine, be careful next time. I've pretty much determined that you're a jealous guy." Huayan laughed as she spoke. Hu Li didn’t refute her; gaining a reputation for being jealous, if it meant Huayan would be less intimate with others, was a good deal. The upward curve of his lips indicated just how happy he was inside.
Ke Shaozheng had already moved to a modest hotel, under 24-hour police surveillance, unable to do anything. Until the customs drug case was resolved, he couldn’t leave the country.
Several other major drug lords had called him multiple times, demanding an explanation for why the drugs were seized by mainland police again. They wanted him to come back quickly to discuss future plans. With such strict inspections on the mainland, they needed a new strategy. And they wanted revenge. Revenge on the person who had thwarted them twice.
Hiding behind the curtains and peeking cautiously at the plainclothes officers outside, Ke Shaozheng spoke into the phone, "I've told you, I'm under police watch here and can’t do anything! Do you even know who’s been messing with us twice? Everything takes time. Many departments in the mainland aren’t ones we can just get information from easily."
"Money’s not the issue, but we must find the one who’s been disrupting our plans."
"I’ll try my best, I’ll try. Should I use force against the Hu family?" Ke Shaozheng somewhat blamed Hu Li for not cooperating, attributing the drug smuggling failure to him.
"Don’t act rashly for now. We’re only seeing the tip of the iceberg with the Hu family. They aren’t something you can handle at the moment." The other party's tone was steady, with an undertone of authority. Ke Shaozheng had to heed his words.
His aunt cared about the Ke family, but she also loved her husband and that cold son of hers. She wouldn’t agree to any unreasonable actions against the Hu family, just as she wouldn’t want the Hu family to go after the Ke family.
When his uncle was in charge, he would show some leniency towards the Ke family out of respect for his aunt. Now that Hu Li had taken over the management of the enterprise, he rarely considered his aunt’s feelings and dealt with the Ke family more and more by the book.
"I heard you’ve done quite a number on the Cheng family. Their company’s losses are incalculable, and they might even lose their daughter," the person on the other end of the phone chuckled. From his tone, it was clear he took a bit of grim satisfaction or schadenfreude in their misfortune.
"They walked into it themselves; it’s none of our concern."
"Well said, it has nothing to do with us." The two laughed in sync.
Cheng's father's hospital room was heavy with gloom. Cheng’s mother, with red and swollen eyes, silently held her husband’s hand, crying. Cheng Jie sat further away, silent. Cheng’s father’s weathered face still held some determination.
"Xiaojie, how’s your sister?"
"I haven’t seen her in person, but Shangguan Ning said it’s not too bad."
"This huge mess has caused unavoidable financial losses. Money can be earned back, but if a person’s lost, nothing can bring them back... Do whatever it takes to save Yunqi."
"Father, that’s nearly impossible. Even the Shangguan family doesn’t want to get involved."
"Nobody can handle five kilograms of drugs..."
"It’s my fault for not being vigilant..." Cheng Jie said, lowering his head in self-blame.
"It’s not your fault. When something’s destined to happen, you can’t avoid it. Try to get in touch with Cheng Cheng."
"Father, do you really think the Cheng family can handle what the Shangguan family can’t?"
"Things aren’t always as they seem. The Shangguan family is formidable in the north, but the Cheng family’s roots are there too. Yet Cheng Cheng smoothly commands a military district in the south. Have you ever wondered why?"
"The Cheng family is deeper than they appear? If that’s the case, Yunqi might really have a glimmer of hope." Cheng Jie’s face lit up with a smile, like crops in a drought finally getting rain.
"Yes, give it a try," Cheng's father said, his words filled with deep meaning.
Cheng Cheng, in the United States, was currently in the academy library. Surrounded by dense English books, a few alluring, young, vibrant girls across from him sent flirtatious glances his way, some even entwining their legs with his under the table.
Cheng Cheng withdrew his leg to avoid contact, his eyes and mind focused on the knowledge in the book. In his serious demeanor, Cheng Cheng seemed like a dedicated scholar, uninterested in women, single-mindedly pursuing knowledge.
He deliberately ignored the news from home, so he had no idea about the Cheng family's trouble until Cheng Jie finally reached him.
When Cheng Jie’s call came through, Cheng Cheng didn’t rush back immediately. That night was the first time he drank since going abroad.
Soon after, Cheng Cheng appeared at the gate of the Cheng family's seaside villa. The servants were both surprised and delighted to see him. Cheng’s mother, tears of joy streaming down her face, ran out from inside to hug him and scrutinize him.
Cheng Cheng smiled and chatted briefly with his mother before entering Cheng's father's study.
"What brings you back?" Cheng's father wasn’t particularly pleased with his return; rather, there was more pain in his voice.
"I know you're very unhappy about this, but I want to give it a try. I want to use those resources," Cheng Cheng said firmly, looking into his father’s eyes.
Cheng's father stared at his son for several minutes. Then he asked, "Are you sure? Once you use them, you must be willing to inherit them, living forever with dual identities, one public, one secret."
Cheng's father's increasingly stern words were meant to convey the gravity of the situation, but Cheng Cheng remained resolute, saying, "I’m ready."
Cheng's father felt a pang in his heart. Turning away to look out the window, he said in a low voice, "Alright, then go ahead."
"Thank you, Father."
Cheng Cheng mobilized the Cheng family's hidden resources and finally secured Cheng Yunqi's release. However, the outside world had no idea that it was the Cheng family who saved her, and even within the family, no one knew. Cheng Cheng’s flawless handling of the matter eased some of Cheng's father's concerns. He was convinced that Cheng Cheng was ready to take on that role.