Chapter 70

Chapter 70

Jiang Yiyan's phrase "rely on yourself for food and clothing" was deliberately said for Wen Mochuan to hear, and naturally, he took it to heart.

The next evening, when Jiang Yiyan returned from outside, she was suddenly informed that Feng Ma and Fang Fang had temporarily gone back to their hometown.

"Back to their hometown?" Jiang Yiyan was shocked, so much so that she didn't bother managing her expression. This was too sudden; neither Feng Ma nor Fang Fang had mentioned it to her beforehand.

"When did they leave? I only went out at noon; why didn't they say anything before that?" It was too sudden and strange, causing Jiang Yiyan to instinctively doubt Wen Mochuan's words.

Wen Mochuan was in the kitchen, busy with something behind the central island. Hearing this, he glanced at his wife.

Then he lowered his gaze and replied calmly, "Right after you left, their hometown called with an emergency. Since I was home, I gave them a few days off."

Was that really the case? Was it truly that coincidental? Jiang Yiyan remained skeptical.

However, Wen Mochuan sounded convincing, so even if she didn't believe him, she didn't show it.

"Oh." She responded softly, then realized what he was doing. "What are you doing?" As she asked, she walked over to him and curiously added, "Are you cooking?"

Wen Mochuan usually dressed casually at home and didn't slick his hair back, leaving some strands on his forehead. His already gentle face looked even younger now, like a friendly neighbor.

As Jiang Yiyan approached, he slightly moved to make room for her.

"Do it yourself, and you'll have enough food and clothes," he said calmly. "Since Feng Ma and the others will be away for a few days, we can't eat out every day."

Jiang Yiyan looked at him suspiciously, unsure if his "do it yourself, and you'll have enough food and clothes" was a subtle mockery of her. But seeing his focused demeanor, it didn't seem intentional.

Perhaps it was Wen Mochuan's gentle nature; even though their relationship was awkward, Jiang Yiyan felt comfortable being herself around him.

"So we'll be eating at home for the next few days?" Jiang Yiyan asked. As she spoke, she started helping out.

She wasn't idle; although she didn't do household chores often, she occasionally helped.

She couldn't cook, but she could wash vegetables and dishes, and assist without any issues.

Standing side by side at the central island, one washing and the other cutting, they worked together quite well. When there was a lull, Wen Mochuan answered Jiang Yiyan's question: "If you want, we can eat at home for the next few days."

What did she want? She didn't care.

This decision wasn't hers to make. If she made it, she might end up having to cook, which she couldn't do.

Moreover, she didn't have the time; she would be busy again soon.

Jiang Yiyan quickly said, "I don't mind; you decide."

Seeing her quick dismissal, Wen Mochuan looked at her and unconsciously smiled.

But he didn't make the decision himself; instead, he called Meimei over.

Wen Mochuan asked his daughter, "With Feng Ma and Aunt Fang Fang away, we'll be three together. Do you want to eat out every day or have Mom and Dad cook for you at home?" He included his wife in the decision.

Without hesitation, Meimei replied, "Of course, I want to eat what Mom and Dad cook at home!"

Wen Mochuan smiled. "Alright, starting today, until Feng Ma returns, Mom and Dad will cook all your meals."

Meimei happily made a "yay" gesture, while Jiang Yiyan looked dismayed.

"Okay, Mom and Dad understand. You can go play now," Wen Mochuan said gently.

"Got it!" Meimei obediently ran back to the living room corner to continue playing.

Wen Mochuan glanced at Jiang Yiyan, noticing her pained expression. After a moment of silence, he asked, "Did you just come back from the store?"

"Mm." Jiang Yiyan responded listlessly.

Wen Mochuan continued engaging her in conversation. Seeing her low spirits, he asked, "Have you been very busy lately?"

"Very busy," Jiang Yiyan thought, you know yet you ask?

And she didn't appreciate his concern, finding it insincere. He had already made the decision, so why ask about her workload now?

Jiang Yiyan let her frustration show clearly.

Wen Mochuan then said, "If you're busy, I'll prepare all the meals for the next few days."

Jiang Yiyan stared at him in disbelief.

"You... mean it?" Jiang Yiyan found it hard to imagine him cooking. Not that she doubted his ability, but she was curious about his willingness to cook every meal.

After all, he was a wealthy scion used to having everything done for him. Even if he knew how to cook, he would only do it occasionally for novelty.

Now he was offering to cook every meal for several days. Jiang Yiyan couldn't help but wonder.

At this moment, she noticed that he was chopping and preparing ingredients skillfully. It seemed he had done this before.

But it didn't make sense; Wen Mochuan, the third son of Shenzhen's top tycoon, shouldn't be so proficient at cooking.

Jiang Yiyan tried to recall details from the book but couldn't find any clues, so she stopped thinking about it.

In the book, Wen Mochuan was just a supporting character, and little was said about his personal life.

Curiosity got the better of her, and she started chatting with Wen Mochuan.

"Someone like you, a wealthy heir, does household chores at home?" Jiang Yiyan asked with interest.

Everyone knew that Wen Mochuan, the third son of the Wen family, was elegant and polite, a refreshing contrast to his brothers. Yet, little was known about his past.

Before he was brought back to the Wen family at the age of nine, he was just an orphan in a small town, living with his mother. Without a father, in such a small place, he endured countless cold shoulders.

But his mother was an extremely gentle woman. She never taught him what hate was; instead, she showered him with love. Even when she later fell ill and knew her days were numbered, she still held his hands tightly on her deathbed, urging him to live well and not to hate anyone.

So, after being brought back to the Wen family, he always remembered his mother's words.

His elder brothers cultivated their own power bases within the company, engaging in fierce competition behind the scenes. He did not covet more of the Wen family's wealth and had long since withdrawn from the battle for assets. With a small share of the Wen family's stock, he ran his own small company and found joy in it.

He was not greedy, which is why he had good relationships with both his elder brothers.

Many in their circle lamented his early withdrawal, thinking it was a pity. But he knew exactly what he wanted and had never regretted his decision. He had no grand ambitions; having enough money to live a stable life was sufficient.

Compared to making a lot of money or achieving high status, he valued family more. Living a peaceful and quiet life, with children around, was all he needed.

If the person he spent his life with was someone he loved and who loved him back, that would be even better.

After a day of consideration, Wen Mochuan decided not to follow Xie Mingfeng's approach to courting women. Though inexperienced, he planned to try his own way.

Wen Mochuan was a sincere person, and he intended to play the sincerity card.

People are emotional beings. Once they open up to each other and understand each other deeply, feelings naturally develop. If not, perhaps they really weren't meant to be together. At least he would have tried and wouldn't regret it.

"I used to do it frequently before I turned nine," Wen Mochuan said calmly.

"Hmm?" This opening seemed to hint at a story, and Jiang Yiyan immediately perked up her ears. "How so?" Before he turned nine? What happened to him before he was nine? Did he suffer some inhumane treatment?

Wen Mochuan then recounted his little-known story to Jiang Yiyan in a calm tone. It turned out that he wasn't born into the Wen family. His mother was a young woman from a small town whom the chairman of the Wen family met during a business trip there.

In his youth, the chairman was handsome and wealthy, with a bit of a playboy streak, leaving many romantic entanglements outside. Wen Mochuan's mother was one of them.

Wen Mochuan's mother only learned about his identity later, through television. By then, Wen Mochuan was already in her womb.

She was naturally kind and gentle. Even knowing that her child was the offspring of a wealthy man, she never sought financial gain. Instead, she silently gave birth and raised the child alone.

In the small city over twenty years ago, unwed mothers faced significant stigma. To give birth to Wen Mochuan, she severed ties with most of her relatives.

Later, when she fell ill, fearing that her son would be left without care after her death, she mustered the courage to contact Wen Mochuan's father. By then, the chairman had long forgotten about her.

He barely remembered the gentle Southern girl until he saw Wen Mochuan. Feeling indebted to his mother, the chairman did everything he could for Wen Mochuan. He gave him shares in the company, invested heavily in his education, and even considered handing over the Wen family business if he proved capable.

However, Wen Mochuan didn't care about this and voluntarily withdrew.

Though the chairman found it a pity, he respected his choice. Their relationship was neither close nor strained.

Perhaps influenced by his mother, Wen Mochuan harbored no resentment towards his father. He might blame him for abandoning his mother, but he didn't hate him deeply.

The chairman likely felt guilty about his mother and treated Wen Mochuan, his youngest son, more gently than the others.

The novel hadn't mentioned these details, so Jiang Yiyan knew nothing of Wen Mochuan's past.

Hearing him recount it himself, Jiang Yiyan was stunned for a long time.

"Uh... this..." With the atmosphere already set, how could she comfort him?