The Marriage Partner Is The Villain Boss Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Chop, chop.

The sound of vegetables being sliced was rhythmic and orderly.

Xu Zhiyi leaned against the doorframe, trying to remain as quiet as possible. Her gaze lingered on the busy woman for a moment before she instinctively looked away.

It really had been… too long.

She didn’t remember Pei Qingyan’s knife skills being this proficient. In the past, the other woman rarely stepped into the kitchen, leaving their three meals a day to be handled by her assistants.

She wondered how many assistants had come and gone by her side over the years.

Suddenly, Xu Zhiyi was choked by an obscure, indescribable emotion, losing her composure slightly.

—Why did she care about such things?

How many assistants the other woman had—what did it have to do with her?

No, there shouldn’t have been any connection at all.

“What’s wrong?”

The woman seemed to notice her low spirits and said softly, “If you’re tired, go rest on the sofa for a while. You can leave the kitchen to me.”

“I thought you would let an assistant handle these trifles.”

Xu Zhiyi pursed her lips, trying her best to appear indifferent.

“This isn’t a trifle, at least not to me.” Pei Qingyan stopped what she was doing and looked at her intently. “I want to cook a proper meal for you.”

Her eyes were light, perfectly reflecting the boiling heat within.

Xu Zhiyi didn’t remember how she replied. The woman turned back to the stove, her tone as casual as small talk. “Also, I no longer employ assistants. I only hire secretaries to organize work materials.”

“My private life has always been reserved for you alone.”

“…The apron strings came undone.”

Xu Zhiyi didn’t know what to say, so she hurriedly changed the subject.

Seeing the water in the pot bubbling, Pei Qingyan was busy cooking the noodles and couldn’t free her hands. Xu Zhiyi simply stepped forward and helped tie the apron strings for her.

“Let me stir-fry another dish.”

“Wait a moment,” the woman curled her lips into a light smile, her tone cheerful. “We agreed that I would be the one cooking today.”

Helpless, Xu Zhiyi could only let her have her way.

She wasn’t blind to the other woman’s desire to show off her skills, and because of that, she felt a faint sense of anticipation for dinner.

…

“It’s delicious.”

Xu Zhiyi ate a few bites of noodles slowly. Meeting the woman’s nervous gaze, she gave her evaluation.

“Really?” Pei Qingyan scooped a spoonful of soup and brought it to her lips half-doubtingly. “You can tell the truth, I’ll improve next time… Ugh, too much salt.”

“It’s only a little bit salty.”

After Xu Zhiyi finished speaking, she noticed the woman staring straight at her, and her face couldn’t help but heat up. “What?”

“It was like this before, too.” Pei Qingyan rested her chin on her hand, murmuring thoughtfully to herself. “Even if it tasted bad, you would still smile and say it was delicious.”

“It wasn’t like that every time…”

Xu Zhiyi refuted in a low voice. At the same time, she briefly searched the depths of her memory; it seemed she really hadn’t ever told the other woman that anything was bad.

But catching a glimpse of the woman’s satisfied expression, she couldn’t help but wonder if Pei Qingyan was imagining things in some strange direction.

“Can I stay tonight?” the other woman asked her once more for confirmation.

“Mhm.”

Xu Zhiyi was startled for a moment before responding softly.

Since the matter of the marriage was set in stone, there was no need for her to deliberately maintain a distance. Besides, the current Pei Qingyan was like a clingy large dog, never leaving her side.

—This wasn’t something she could avoid just because she wanted to.

“After we get married, do you want to move into my place?”

The woman’s eyes lit up. As if thinking of something, she looked at her nervously and quickly added, “Or I can move into yours.”

“We’ll see.” Xu Zhiyi hesitated for a moment and lowered her eyes. “Either is fine with me.”

She didn’t have many requirements for where she lived, as long as it was close to her workplace. Of course, it would be even better if it were also close to where Pei Qingyan worked.

However, Xu Zhiyi would not say those words out loud.

In a daze, she heard the woman seem to say something.

“Can I kiss you?” Pei Qingyan’s gaze was burning, but her tone was exceptionally gentle. “Sorry, I can’t help myself.”