IM Chapter 54

Yu Xingqiao didn’t care whether he was happy about it or not; men can’t be spoiled, or they’ll develop a whole host of bad habits.

Zhou Chirui rolled up his sleeves and started working, determined to do it himself. He said that Yu Xingqiao only liked his cooking, implying that no one else’s food suited the omega’s taste.

Yu Xingqiao firmly denied ever saying such a thing, and if he did, it was definitely a slip of the tongue.

Shang Jue refused to be outdone, and the two of them ended up crowding the kitchen.

Shen ChiTai and Yu Xingqiao, standing by the door, exchanged glances.

“Is his cooking really that good?” Shen ChiTai asked in a low voice.

Yu Xingqiao shrugged. “It’s so-so. Don’t you know what polite talk is? Since he’s willing to do it, what can I say? Just don’t expect too much, as long as it doesn’t kill anyone.” As he spoke, he looked towards Shang Jue’s direction, his eyes full of relief. “But it’s good that your brother’s here; the more people cooking, the less dangerous it is.”

“…” Shen ChiTai nodded slightly, pondered for a moment, and muttered softly, “That’s not asking for much, but I think if everyone could cook together, the safety factor might be higher.”

Yu Xingqiao was stunned for a moment before he suddenly understood the deeper meaning in Shen ChiTai’s words.

“My fate is in my own hands, not heaven’s. The ancestors were right, you can only be self-sufficient by doing it yourself.” He said with considerable emotion, realizing that relying on others was indeed not as good as relying on oneself.

The four of them crowded the kitchen. Just as Shen ChiTai picked up the knife on the rack, they heard the doorbell ring from the living room.

Yu Xingqiao, who had his hands free, went to open the door.

Shang Jue’s expression turned as ugly as could be when he saw who it was, like a cat whose fur had been rubbed the wrong way. One pair came, and then another. Were they deliberately plotting to ruin his good time?

Xu Chen was the first to look at Shen ChiTai, calling out, “Senior.”

Before Shen ChiTai could respond, or even nod, Yu Xingqiao, as if seeing a savior, asked, “Hey, you’re just in time. Can you cook?”

“I…”

“Barely passable,” Shang Jue interjected, his tone full of defensiveness. Calling him “Senior” so affectionately, he was probably still harboring ulterior motives; he had to be wary.

Yu Xingqiao stared at Xu Chen with a complicated expression for a few seconds.

Yan Zhugui stepped out from beside Xu Chen, affectionately putting his arm around his shoulder, regardless of whether Xu Chen wanted him to or not. “The kitchen can’t hold so many people. Those who can’t cook can go to the living room and wait.”

“I’ve learned how to cook. I’ll stay and help my brother.” Shang Jue eagerly volunteered.

Shen ChiTai said helplessly, “A’Jue, three people are enough.”

Hearing this, Shang Jue pouted, feeling extremely aggrieved, as if his brother thought he was just getting in the way.

Seeing this, Zhou Chirui quickly said, “I have to stay and help Brother Xingqiao.”

“Didn’t you hear? We have enough people. You go out too.” Yu Xingqiao wasn’t as tactful as Shen ChiTai, and his simple words made Zhou Chirui’s face turn red and then white.

Zhou Chirui was momentarily speechless.

Xu Chen was very self-aware and bypassed Yan Zhugui to exit the kitchen before the others.

Shang Jue and Zhou Chirui stood at the kitchen door, exchanged a silent glance, and then reluctantly left the kitchen one after the other.

The three of them sat in the living room. Shang Jue crossed his legs, looking disgruntled. Xu Chen was looking at his phone, his expression indifferent. Zhou Chirui leaned against the sofa, his eyes wandering, occasionally glancing towards the kitchen.

The kitchen was lively. Yu Xingqiao’s voice was the clearest. Besides the clanging of pots and pans, the sound of their voices constantly tugged at people’s hearts.

The three inside were having a great time, while the three outside were silent, creating a tense and awkward atmosphere.

When the dishes were served, Yu Xingqiao took a couple of bites of Yan Zhugui’s cooking and immediately praised the alpha’s culinary skills. Zhou Chirui also took a bite, quietly swallowed it, and made no comment.

Shen ChiTai also ate a piece of braised pork and nodded unconsciously. To be fair, Yan Zhugui’s cooking was indeed good. Shang Jue, however, was like a sour radish pickled in a vinegar jar, originally fair and clean, but now completely soured.

He indignantly picked up a piece of the braised pork that his brother had praised, stuffed it into his mouth, chewed it twice, and had to admit that the taste was indeed no worse than in a restaurant.

He only ate one bite and never touched it again.

Xu Chen ate quietly the whole time, only occasionally stopping when he heard Shen ChiTai praise Yan Zhugui. He would first look at Shen ChiTai, then turn his gaze to Yan Zhugui, who was constantly putting food in his bowl, his eyes narrowed when he smiled, as if afraid others wouldn’t know their relationship was special.

He knew what the man was planning, but he couldn’t be bothered to pay attention to it.

Yan Zhugui took the initiative to move closer to Xu Chen and asked softly, “How does it taste?”

Xu Chen replied indifferently, “It’s alright. After all, eating the same thing every day, even the best food will get boring.”

“You’re right. Senior Shen’s cooking is indeed much better than mine. I concede.” As soon as Yan Zhugui said this, Xu Chen’s eyelids twitched violently. This was just something he had casually said before to annoy Yan Zhugui, wanting to make him uncomfortable, but he didn’t expect this person to be so petty.

Xu Chen was a little annoyed and said impatiently, “Shut your mouth and eat.”

Yan Zhugui smiled and said nothing more.

Shang Jue picked up a chopstick of food and held it to Shen ChiTai’s mouth, insisting on feeding him. Everyone at the table was watching, and Shen ChiTai originally wanted to refuse, but Shang Jue was relentless, almost poking the food into his face, forcing the omega to open his mouth.

Shen ChiTai understood his intentions and realized that it was better to comply than to continue the stalemate and become a laughingstock.

The omega cooperated and took a bite, but Shang Jue didn’t stop there and continued to feed him the next bite.

The others tacitly continued eating, but each had their own thoughts.

Just as Xu Chen moved his gaze away from the lovey-dovey pair, he looked down and saw an extra piece of meat in his bowl. He raised his head and glanced indifferently at Yan Zhugui, who was smiling at him.

Seeing that he didn’t resist, Yan Zhugui continued to put meat in his bowl.

Xu Chen was really tired of eating it. Seeing that someone was still cluelessly adding more, he finally couldn’t help but reach out and pinch the flesh on his thigh under the table. Yan Zhugui winced in pain, and the chopsticks in his hand almost fell to the ground. Only then did he stop.

The atmosphere on Yu Xingqiao’s side was much more harmonious and loving.

Zhou Chirui occasionally put some of his favorite dishes in the omega’s bowl. Yu Xingqiao wasn’t picky about food and had a good appetite.

“Brother Xingqiao,” Zhou Chirui called softly.

“Don’t talk, let me eat first.” Yu Xingqiao said vaguely, his mouth full of food.

“…” Zhou Chirui didn’t say anything more, just stared at him for a while, then reached out and gently wiped the oil stain on the corner of the omega’s mouth.

Yu Xingqiao was stunned for a couple of seconds and turned his head in confusion. “What are you doing?”

“I originally wanted to tell you that there was some oil on the corner of your mouth, but you wouldn’t let me say it.” Zhou Chirui also felt wronged.

Yu Xingqiao: “…”

The omega’s ears turned slightly red, and he quickly stuffed his mouth with food, trying to cover up his awkwardness.

Some were stuffed to death from the meal, while others were almost drowning in jealousy.

After the meal, Xu Chen didn’t sit for long before preparing to leave. He originally didn’t want to go, but Shang Jue’s face was constantly dark, his expression as if he wanted to skin everyone alive, which was inexplicably amusing.

Xu Chen found it interesting and deliberately sat for a while longer, enjoying the alpha’s rich and varied expressions, before finally getting up and leaving, satisfied.

Yan Zhugui offered to drive him back.

The car stopped steadily by the side of the road, and Xu Chen couldn’t wait to open the door and get out.

“Are you going to the company tomorrow? I’ll pick you up for dinner then,” Yan Zhugui said with a smile.

“We’ll see,” Xu Chen didn’t want to agree now, lest Yan Zhugui think he was eager to see him.

“Then it’s settled. Don’t forget our appointment.” Yan Zhugui smiled brightly, but it made Xu Chen’s palms itch, wishing he could beat him up.

“…” Xu Chen muttered inwardly, wondering who had made a deal with this guy. He hadn’t agreed to anything.

Xu Chen didn’t want to continue arguing with him, neither agreeing nor refusing for the time being. As for whether he would remember by then, it would depend entirely on his mood at the time.

After returning home, Xu Chen first took a quick shower in the bathroom. As soon as he came out, he saw a text message sent by Xu Ruzhou five minutes ago, saying that he had something to do tonight and wouldn’t be coming back.

Xu Chen knew with his toes that the omega must have gone to mess around with someone again. He was already so old, and still so shameless.

He had just sat down on the sofa in the living room and opened his tablet to read a document when he received a message from Yan Zhugui.

Yan Zhugui sent an emoji, just a dog leaning against the wall, its two dog legs crossed, with its hands on its hips, and a flower in its mouth, looking as flirtatious as possible. Xu Chen’s lips curled up unconsciously as he looked at the man’s actions, which were comparable to those of a kindergarten child.

He replied to Yan Zhugui, asking what was the matter.

Yan Zhugui replied almost instantly.

[Ruthless Yan: Wife, I miss you.]

…

Xu Chen selectively ignored this message, as if he hadn’t seen it.

[Ruthless Yan: I just thought about it. There’s no time like the present. Why don’t I come up and chat with my father-in-law?]

Xu Chen directly replied with a single word, “Roll.”

He got up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling windows, looking out at the courtyard gate in the distance.

Yan Zhugui hadn’t left yet.

This time, Xu Chen directly saved himself the trouble of typing and made a call.

“Why haven’t you left yet?” The beta’s tone was a bit disdainful.

“I just saw that there are no dogs in your yard. It would be great to have a dog to guard the house. What do you think of me?” Yan Zhugui said with a smile on the other end of the phone.

Xu Chen’s eyelids jumped violently, and the corners of his mouth twitched slightly. “Want to be a dog?”

“Can I?” Yan Zhugui asked back.

Xu Chen could even faintly hear a hint of anticipation in the other person’s tone.

What was so admirable about being a dog?

“No, you should go back quickly.”

Yan Zhugui was still laughing on the other end of the phone. “Wife, is my father-in-law coming back tonight?”

“…” Xu Chen, “What does that have to do with you?”

“It must be boring to be alone, right? Let me come up and keep you company.” The alpha enthusiastically recommended himself. “I’ll help you have a very wonderful night.”

Xu Chen’s eyes flickered for a moment, and he scoffed. “Dogs are much more loyal than people. If I’m really lonely, it’s better to have a dog than to have an ungrateful heartbreaker.”

After these words were sent, there were a couple of chuckles on the other end of the line, and then complete silence.