Lu Xi had casually mentioned the issue with Mrs. Xia to Xie Yizhao, and thought it would take some time to resolve.
But just three days later, she got a call from the security captain.
His voice sounded familiar. When he introduced himself, she immediately remembered. He was the same person who had investigated Zhou Wenyuan for her before.
Back then, he had been incredibly efficient, finding accurate information at lightning speed. She had been thoroughly impressed.
And now, he was helping her again.
He worked for a security company under Xie Yizhao’s name and was highly efficient. Investigating Zhou Wenyuan required a trip out of town, which took some time. However, Mrs. Xia’s social connections were practically out in the open, simple and straightforward.
The security captain figured that if Lu Xi didn’t mind the trouble, she could have figured it all out herself with just a few phone calls.
When Lu Xi finished listening, she couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.
How should she put it…? She could more or less understand why Mrs. Xia was targeting her.
It was both within her expectations and yet also unexpected.
So, Mrs. Xia was actually Xiao Feiyuan’s aunt?
That day, when Xiao Feiyuan harassed her and got beaten up, he had lain by the pool for at least ten minutes. At the time, Lu Xi hadn’t paid attention to the greenhouse area, but those ladies’ group members must have seen it. Mrs. Xia had been among them.
This was confusing.
If she wanted to stand up for her nephew, why didn’t she step forward at the time? After all, it was Xie Yizhao who beat the guy up!
Was it because she found Xie Yizhao too difficult to deal with, but thought that Lu Xi—being just a ‘fleeting new favorite’ of his—was easy to bully? So, she deliberately came after Lu Xi instead?
Lu Xi was speechless.
She felt that Mrs. Xia was simply too low-level. So low that if she put effort into dealing with Mrs. Xia, it would feel beneath her.
Besides, all Mrs. Xia did was spread some rumors here and there, the combat effectiveness was pitifully weak. Lu Xi couldn’t even be bothered with her.
When Xie Yizhao came home from work, Lu Xi casually mentioned the matter to him.
Holding her tablet, she continued watching her drama in high spirits. Mrs. Xia’s antics hadn’t affected her mood in the slightest.
With a relaxed expression, she said, “I don’t care how you handle it, just make sure Mrs. Xia stays far away from me and stops buzzing around me.”
A few days ago, she had told him the same thing, and the very next day, he had contacted Mr. Xia.
He had been polite on the phone. After all, even though Mr. Xia was on a downward trajectory in every aspect, Mr. Xia was still older than him. Xie Yizhao had no intention of using his current power to seem like he was bullying Mr. Xia.
His father had taught him years ago that the higher one stands, the more humility they should maintain.
However, his attitude was firm.
He made it clear to Mr. Xia that he didn’t want Mrs. Xia to have any further contact with his wife, in any way, because Mrs. Xia was causing his wife distress.
Based on Mr. Xia’s reaction at the time, Xie Yizhao was certain that Lu Xi wouldn’t be harassed again.
But he didn’t tell Lu Xi about this. He knew she didn’t like to be disturbed while watching her dramas, especially by mentions of people she disliked.
So, he simply walked over, gently ruffled her hair, glanced at her screen, and casually asked, “What are you watching?”
She seemed completely engrossed.
Lu Xi beamed. “A celebrity cooking show. It’s actually pretty good! Do you want to watch with me?”
She patted the seat beside her, enthusiastically inviting him.
“No, I have some things to take care of in the study.”
For some reason, a rather unpleasant memory surfaced in Xie Yizhao’s mind.
He frowned slightly, his gaze lingering on one of the guests’ chef hats.
He couldn’t help but ask, “Do celebrities even know how to cook?”
Lu Xi shot him a glance. “Of course! Why are you so biased?”
She pointed at the male guest standing in the center, skillfully flipping a pan. “Take him, for example—handsome, great at cooking, and even has the same surname as you.”
Xie Yizhao : “…”
After a brief pause, a helpless smile appeared on his handsome face. “Is that so? Then I suppose I should start learning from him.”
If he didn’t get the hint now, he would have lived in vain all these years.
Lu Xi deliberately blinked, her bright almond eyes full of innocence. “I wasn’t implying anything.”
Xie Yizhao chuckled, his fingers running through her silky hair before brushing against her cool earlobe. “Mm, you’re just motivating me.”
Lu Xi giggled at the ticklish sensation and dodged slightly. “Yes, it’s love-driven motivation!”
One way or another, Xie Yizhao knew he had to take action.
He sent a message to Li Xiao, telling him that he wouldn’t be coming to the office tomorrow and that he had something to take care of at home.
As an assistant, Li Xiao naturally complied with whatever his boss required. Given Xie Yizhao’s intense work schedule, he probably deserved a few days off anyway.
However, out of curiosity, Li Xiao asked, “Is there anything I can help with?”
There was a brief silence on Xie Yizhao’s end.
Perhaps because he was at home and had just finished talking with Lu Xi, his usual imposing aura had softened considerably. With a lighthearted chuckle, he replied, “Not much… but do you know how to cook?”
Li Xiao was momentarily stunned.
Of all the things he expected his boss to ask, this was definitely not one of them.
But he quickly recovered and responded, “I can’t do anything too complicated, but I can handle basic home-cooked dishes. Are you planning to learn how to cook?”
Xie Yizhao responded with a simple “Mm,” then added, “I’m planning to cook for my family on New Year’s Eve, just some home-style dishes. Do you have any beginner-friendly recipes?”
When it came to cooking, Xie Yizhao readily admitted he was a complete novice. He knew his limits.
With little time left, he couldn’t afford to be overly ambitious. Rather than attempt a grand feast and risk a disaster, he decided it was safer to stick to simple home-style dishes.
Li Xiao suddenly realized what was going on. CEO Xie was planning to impress his wife… or at least, show off just a little.
And from Xie Yizhao’s tone, he could detect a hint of unease.
Clearly, cooking was a skill that lay completely outside his boss’s expertise.
Suppressing his amusement, Li Xiao earnestly recommended a dish: scrambled eggs with tomatoes.
“Isn’t that too simple?” Xie Yizhao frowned slightly.
Li Xiao defended his choice seriously: “Not at all. Tomato and egg stir-fry may be simple, but it’s the most beloved home-style dish in the country. Most people love it. It’s flavorful, balanced with both protein and vegetables, and has a great sweet and tangy taste. It was the first dish I ever cooked, and I nailed it on my first try.”
Xie Yizhao raised an eyebrow.
He was somewhat tempted.
He remembered that Lu Xi did, in fact, love this dish—and never seemed to get tired of it.
“Thanks, I’ll give it a try tomorrow.”
After hanging up the phone, Xie Yizhao immediately searched for a recipe on his phone. It did seem quite simple.
But he liked to be thorough in everything he did.
So, early the next morning, after waking up, he put on his usual running attire. He walked to the bedside, leaned down, and planted a gentle kiss on Lu Xi’s cheek before quietly leaving the room.
But today, he had no plans to go for a run.
With only a few days left until New Year’s Eve, he decided to take advantage of his day off. Since Lu Xi was still asleep, he would attempt the dish in advance.
If it turned out well, he could also make a bowl of tomato and egg noodles—another of Lu Xi’s favorites.
That way, when she woke up, she could enjoy a breakfast made by him.
Xie Yizhao headed toward the kitchen, but as he approached the door, he saw several servants standing there, looking troubled.
As soon as they spotted him, they looked as if they’d seen their savior. “Master, please go in and take a look! Young Master is inside, and he kicked us all out. He said he wants to make breakfast himself.”
They were on edge. Xie Heng didn’t even know the basics of cooking—he couldn’t even turn on the gas stove properly! Wasn’t he just making a mess?
Xie Yizhao’s gaze darkened slightly.
Unexpected. Normally, he and this rebellious son of his had no tacit understanding. And yet, today, they had somehow managed to have the exact same idea.
“It’s fine, I’ll go check,” Xie Yizhao reassured them. Then, as if remembering something, he asked, “By the way, do we have tomatoes and eggs in the kitchen?”
The servant paused for a moment. “Yes, sir. Would you like tomato and egg noodles for breakfast? I can make it for you.”
Xie Yizhao : “No need, I’ll do it myself.”
Servant : “…?”
Oh no. Oh no.
One was bad enough. Now there was another one?
These two had never set foot in the kitchen before, why were they suddenly determined to cook?!
Xie Yizhao didn’t bother with their reactions. He strode into the kitchen and immediately locked eyes with Xie Heng, who was munching on a raw carrot.
Xie Heng crunched down noisily and frowned. “What are you doing in here?”
Xie Yizhao glanced around the kitchen and spotted the refrigerator. Walking over, he opened it and began searching for the ingredients he needed. Without looking back, he answered calmly, “The same thing you are.”
“…Seriously? There’s another kitchen in the house, you know. Can’t you go there?”
Xie Yizhao : “No. If you want to go, go ahead.”
Of course, he knew there was another kitchen. But it was an open kitchen, and it was located close to Lu Xi’s bedroom. He didn’t want to risk waking her.
Xie Heng had obviously considered the same thing, so he had no intention of leaving either.
Before long, Xie Yizhao took out a tomato and two eggs. Ignoring Xie Heng’s startled expression, he retrieved bowls, chopsticks, and a clean plate from the disinfection cabinet. He placed the eggs aside and prepared to slice the tomato first.
Xie Heng watched his Dad’s smooth, efficient movements, and suddenly felt a little uneasy.
Why did his Dad seem so… steady?
Could it be… his Dad was secretly good at cooking?
As Xie Yizhao rinsed the tomato, he noticed Xie Heng stepping closer out of the corner of his eye.
“Dad, you’re not seriously making tomato and egg stir-fry, are you? Isn’t that too basic?”
Xie Yizhao remained unfazed by his son’s childish taunt. He simply countered, “Oh? And what are you making?”
Xie Heng puffed out his chest proudly. “Fish-fragrant shredded pork1! Ms. Lu loves it!”
Xie Yizhao curled his lips into a subtle, silent smile. “Doesn’t matter. She likes tomato and egg stir-fry more.”
“…”
Neither of them had shut the kitchen door.
So, outside, the housekeepers heard every word of their conversation.
By this time, the butler had also woken up. Upon hearing about the situation, he hurried over.
One of the servants anxiously whispered, “What should we do? Both Master and Young Master are cooking. Do they even know how? Should we wake Madam and ask her to stop them?”
The butler pondered for a moment before making a wise decision. “Send someone to Madam’s favorite restaurant and buy some dim sum. Just in case she wakes up and has nothing to eat.”
- 鱼香肉丝 (yú xiāng ròu sī) is a classic and extremely popular dish from Sichuan cuisine. Despite its name, which literally translates to “fish-fragrant shredded pork,” it does not contain any fish. The name comes from the fact that the dish is prepared using a specific seasoning sauce that is traditionally used for cooking fish in Sichuan. This sauce is what gives the dish its unique, complex flavor. ↩︎