Immersive work

Once again, he marveled at how there was simply no comparing people.

The double-door refrigerator was filled from top to bottom with high-quality ingredients.

The sight filled Yan Ningke with murderous intent.

He could still vividly remember haggling with vegetable farmers back in the day just to save a few cents.

Now, looking at three tomatoes that cost twenty-eight yuan, he nearly drooled.

You rich people and I are mortal enemies!

Uh, as expected of twenty-eight-yuan tomatoes. So delicious!

Yan Ningke couldn't make fancy dishes. His repertoire was plain home cooking.

It wasn't pretty, but it filled you up.

For this first meal, he had no intention of trying to please the husband he had never met.

He followed his own pace throughout.

Scrambled eggs with tomatoes, stir-fried broccoli, stir-fried beef, and a seaweed and egg drop soup to finish.

Cooking could be counted as one of his hobbies.

The saying that a man was most handsome when he was focused kept proving its worth.

The light outside gradually faded, while the kitchen lights shone bright and lovely.

Shao Ke sat in his wheelchair, concealed in the dim living room, his sharp gaze scrutinizing the person in the kitchen.

Yan Ningke's expression was focused as he worked deftly and methodically, as though carving a piece of art.

The moment this person had stepped through the villa's front gates, all his information had already been sent to Shao Ke's computer.

A pathetic devotee who chased after Shao Yang.

Neither parent loved him, and his own younger brother saw him as an enemy. Shao Yang had merely tossed him a negligible scrap of warmth.

Yet that had made him cling to it like a lifeline, giving everything he had in return.

Not even Lars would believe he had come here purely for work.

A cold sneer curled Shao Ke's lips.

Sending an idiot like this-did they really think so little of me?

Shao Yang, if you want to play, I'll play to the very end!

Just don't let it spiral out of your control in the end.

"Oh? You're downstairs."

Carrying the soup to the dining table, Yan Ningke spotted him.

The soup bowl didn't insulate against the heat, and he instinctively pressed his hands to his ears. "Perfect timing. Dinner's ready. Come eat!"

After speaking, Yan Ningke didn't go over to wheel him to the table, instead turning back to the kitchen to clean up.

This was a habit he had developed as a child. To save time, he used to clean as he cooked, so all he had to wash after eating were the dishes.

Even if he had no time to wash the dishes, at least the kitchen would be clean.

By the time he finished tidying up in a few quick moves, Shao Ke was already at the dining table.

The table was very low to accommodate the wheelchair's height.

Yan Ningke looked around and brought over a little stool. After comparing the heights and deciding it wasn't high enough, he fetched a cushion from the sofa to put on it.

The whole sequence flowed as smoothly as if he were in his own home.

Shao Ke watched his bustling with cold eyes. "Making yourself at home?"

Yan Ningke blinked. "What else would I do?"

I'm a live-in housekeeper!

How could I immerse myself in my work properly if I didn't treat this as my own home?

Yan Ningke gave him a look that said, You're not being professional.

Shao Ke understood it. "..."

That... seemed to make sense?

That was all well and good, but...

"All right, let's dig in! It'll get cold if we don't eat!"

Chopsticks in hand, Yan Ningke urged him with his eyes to start.

Although he made himself at home easily, he still understood this much etiquette.

Until the master of the house picked up his chopsticks, no one else could go ahead of him.

Shao Ke didn't move, stubbornly meeting his gaze.

The two stared at each other.

One was clueless, the other cold and obsessive.

Shao Ke thought, How could I let this idiot dictate my pace!

Unfortunately, the aroma of the food tempted his appetite like rolling waves.

Yan Ningke's eyes shifted before realization dawned. "Are you not hungry?"

He didn't doubt his cooking skills in the slightest.

Please, he called himself China's Little Master Chef!

He would sooner suspect Shao Ke of being picky than doubt his own skills!

"Oh, then I'll set aside a portion and put it in the warming cabinet. You can eat when you're hungry!"

As he spoke, he started getting up to fetch a plate. "But let me tell you, food tastes best fresh. It won't taste the same reheated."

His chatter gave Shao Ke a headache. "No need. I'll eat now!"

Yan Ningke sat down without a moment's hesitation. "That's more like it! Here, hurry and try it. Let me tell you, I think my cooking would be good enough for a state banquet!"

"Shut up!"

Shao Ke cut him off coldly. "No talking while eating or in bed! Did no one ever teach you?"

Yan Ningke froze briefly, then lowered his eyes, picked up some food, and put it in his mouth.

Mmm, delicious!

No, no one had ever taught him.

The orphanage had taught him that the strong preyed on the weak. If you didn't fight and grab, you got nothing.

School had taught him knowledge, giving him the confidence that he could feed himself in the future.

The workplace had taught him deceit and the ways of the world.

Yan Ningke had figured out all his manners and etiquette little by little on his own.

Still, hearing someone say that to him, he couldn't help feeling sad.

The room suddenly fell quiet.

Shao Ke had excellent table manners and didn't make a sound.

Yan Ningke unconsciously copied him, quieting the sounds of his chopsticks and chewing.

He even lowered his spoon bit by bit, afraid of making the slightest noise.

This wasn't deliberate, but a habit formed over many years.

Learning not to be the odd one out.

Learning to fit into society.

The atmosphere grew inexplicably oppressive. Shao Ke looked up to see the young man eating attentively with lowered eyes, even taking care not to let a single grain of rice fall out of his bowl.

His attitude was so earnest that it seemed like the last meal of his life.

Shao Ke sneered inwardly. What an act.

The Yan family might not wield power or influence, but they at least qualified for the bottom rung of the wealthy.

A rich kid might not be so wasteful as to eat one bowl and throw away two, but he certainly couldn't treasure food the way this one did.

It was laughably fake.

Shao Ke concealed the mockery in his eyes and went on eating his dinner.

The meal ended in silence.

Yan Ningke cleared away the dishes, then went to feed Lars according to the schedule.

The dog wasn't allowed indoors during meals, because Shao Ke had the same affliction as every domineering CEO.

An obsession with cleanliness.

It wasn't severe, but he still couldn't stand dog hair flying everywhere.

Rubbing the silly dog's head, Yan Ningke grumbled, "If you can't stand it, why keep a dog? You suffer, and so does the dog!"

He glanced down at the dog bowl.

He was the one who suffered most, having to feed both man and dog!

Damn it, why did the dog eat so well!

"Lars, is that beef jerky tasty?"

Slurp!

Yan Ningke pressed his lips tightly together, watching longingly as the husky happily gnawed through a strip of beef jerky.

It hadn't left him a single crumb!

Yan Ningke shot it a sidelong look. "Greedy dog!"

Having eaten and drunk his fill, his canine buddy took the initiative to carry his collar and leash over in his mouth.

"Woof!"

Poop scooper! Time to go!

Speaking of which, Yan Ningke had worked part-time as a dog walker in his previous life, so he had plenty of experience with energetic huskies like this one.

They really did have endless brute strength!

"Lars, let's make a deal. A nice stroll would be great, right? Running right after eating is bad for you. Your intestines will snap!"

Yan Ningke tried communicating with Lars, hoping it would understand his painstaking efforts.

Lars said, "Woof!"

Poop scooper, don't worry. I understand everything!

Satisfied, Yan Ningke said, "Very good! Let's go-aaaaah!"

"Stupid dog! Stop right now!!"

A wild horse breaking free of its reins was no worse than this!

Yan Ningke's heart-rending screams echoed throughout the villa complex!

In his study, Shao Ke took a deep breath.

The urge to tear up the agreement surged up once again!

He could already imagine the chaos of man and dog to come!