Chapter 13

Chapter 13

In the end, that lovingly prepared lunchbox didn’t make it into Li Yanchuan’s mouth.

The assistant who finished it off was naturally more than happy, eating with gusto.

Watching him wolf down the food, Li Yanchuan couldn’t help but frown.

Was it really that good? He wondered to himself.

Meanwhile, the oblivious Song Nian, upon seeing the empty lunchbox returned, was overjoyed. Believing the meal had suited Li Yanchuan’s taste, he prepared dinner with even more enthusiasm.

As he carried the last dish from the kitchen, debating whether to bring it upstairs or call the man down, he suddenly heard the elevator running.

Then the doors slid open, and Li Yanchuan appeared in his wheelchair.

He wheeled himself to the dining table, scanned the dishes, looked at Song Nian, and remained silent, making no move to leave.

“Husband, dinner’s ready.”

Seeing this, Song Nian’s eyes sparkled warmly as he eagerly invited him.

Surprisingly, this time Li Yanchuan didn’t refuse. He gave a slight nod in agreement.

Upon receiving the confirmation, Song Nian’s face instantly broke into a bright smile. He cheerfully scooped rice for both of them, then sat down beside him, beaming.

“Did you enjoy the lunch dishes?”

“Mm...”

Li Yanchuan’s eyes darted away as he responded softly.

“Here, try this—see if it’s good.”

With that, Song Nian’s eyes crinkled into crescents, and he picked up some food for him with his chopsticks.

Not in a hurry to eat, Li Yanchuan also raised his chopsticks and, following suit, picked up food for Song Nian.

Not just one dish—he picked food from every dish on the table for him.

“Huh? Husband, why are you giving me so much?”

Looking at the mountain of food in his bowl, nearly blocking his face, Song Nian blinked slowly, curious.

“Eat more.”

Li Yanchuan replied indifferently, his words belying his indifference.

Was this concern for him?

His mind wandering, and recalling that morning Li Yanchuan had his assistant help clear the table, a warm feeling spread through Song Nian’s heart. He felt his cheeks flush.

So thoughtful—guess he’s not that mean after all.

With this thought, Song Nian scratched his cheek shyly, feeling sweet inside, and dug into his food.

He couldn’t help but think that the food picked out by his ideal type tasted even better.

With his rose-tinted glasses on, his judgment was completely clouded.

What he didn’t notice was that Li Yanchuan, eyes narrowed, had yet to pick up his chopsticks.

Only after seeing Song Nian take a bite of every dish without any ill effect did he look away.

—Confirmed: no poison in the food. Safe to eat.

Coming to this conclusion, he finally began to eat.

If Song Nian knew this thought, he would probably freeze in shock.

It might sound paranoid, but Li Yanchuan had to be cautious.

Because something like this had actually happened in his childhood.

Back then, his stepmother, wanting to eliminate him as a threat, had indeed stooped to the underhanded method of poisoning his food.

If Li Yanchuan hadn’t been alert enough to knock the bowl over, the consequences would have been unthinkable—he might not have survived.

Still not trusting Song Nian, when faced with Song Nian’s eager invitation to dinner, he feared Song Nian might do the same. So he took no chances, testing the waters first.

But seeing Song Nian wolf down the food, it seemed there was no issue.

The moment he took a bite, Li Yanchuan’s eyes widened—he instantly understood why his assistant loved the food so much.

Tender and flavorful, with a rich taste, despite using ordinary ingredients and simple cooking methods, the flavor was stunning.

With the first bite, the ingredients burst in his mouth with fresh flavor, perfectly salted—unforgettable.

Even after eating at Michelin-starred restaurants, he had to admit the cooking was truly impressive.

“How is it? Is it to your liking?”

Seeing him take the first bite, Song Nian set down his chopsticks, leaned in, and looked at him expectantly.

Those moist, puppy-like eyes were veiled in a watery gleam. When they shone with anticipation, it was like moonlight crushed and scattered on a lake, stirring gentle ripples.

The surface glittered, soft and inviting.

“It’s okay.”

Li Yanchuan replied casually, then took another bite.

For someone as discerning as him, “okay” meant far above average.

Song Nian smiled broadly, feeling a great sense of achievement.

“When did you learn to cook?”

While eating, Li Yanchuan suddenly asked.

Given Song Nian’s personality, he shouldn’t have learned to cook, nor had opportunities to practice. So how did he develop such excellent culinary skills?

“Uh, just when I’m in the mood, I sometimes follow recipes.”

Taken aback, Song Nian stammered, inventing an excuse.

Afraid of giving anything away, he gave a vague reason.

Not sure whether Li Yanchuan believed him or not, but he didn't press further, which made Song Nian feel slightly relieved.

"By the way, husband, do you have any dietary restrictions?"

After the meal, neither of them was in a hurry to leave the table, so Song Nian took the opportunity to ask.

Watching Song Nian pull out a notebook and pen from somewhere, Li Yanchuan raised an eyebrow and leaned his head on his hand, asked in reply:

"Are you going to write down my taste preferences?"

"Mm-hmm."

Song Nian nodded eagerly.

He saw the earnest expression on the face of the person across from him. His fair and delicate features were gentle, without any hint of aggression, full of sincerity.

For a moment, Li Yanchuan felt a bit dazed by the attention, and in a low voice, he gave an ambiguous answer.

"I have no dietary restrictions."

"Any food preferences?"

"None either."

That was like saying nothing at all. Looking at the empty page, Song Nian pouted but quickly stopped worrying.

It's okay, he would find out after spending more time together. He could gradually explore.

With that thought, he closed the notebook, tilted his head slightly, curled his lips into a smile, and looked at the man.

"Then, husband, don't forget we're having breakfast together tomorrow."

He thought he might not get a reply, but unexpectedly the man across from him pressed his lips together as if thinking, and then answered in a barely audible voice.

"...Mm."

He heard Li Yanchuan say.

--------

The next morning, without Song Nian having to call him from upstairs, Li Yanchuan appeared at the table right on time.

He came downstairs early, and Song Nian was still busy in the kitchen. Hearing the noise outside, he poked his head out and greeted the man.

"Good morning, husband. Just wait a moment, breakfast will be ready soon."

The usually neglected kitchen was filled with the aroma of cooking, filled with the cozy warmth of home cooking. Sunlight streamed into the room, illuminating that corner, and coating the person holding the spatula at the counter with a layer of light gold.

The warm sunlight softened his features, and the dappled light like crushed diamonds nestled in the tips of his hair, softening his outline and making his already gentle face even softer.

Coupled with his usual bright smile on his fair face, it made the cold house feel a few degrees warmer.

Somehow, looking at the scene before him, Li Yanchuan was momentarily distracted, forgetting to look away.

"Come and taste the wontons I made."

Only when Song Nian brought the bowl over did he snap back to reality.

"By the way, is your assistant coming today?"

While they were eating, Song Nian suddenly remembered.

"Do you need him for anything?"

Hearing this, Li Yanchuan stopped his movements, raised his eyebrows sharply, and his tone grew cold.

"I saw he really liked my cooking yesterday, so I thought he might come see you around this time again today, so I prepared an extra portion of breakfast."

Not detecting the displeasure in the man's words, Song Nian blinked and explained innocently.

Seeing that the assistant ate a lot yesterday, he had specially prepared three portions of wontons in the morning.

"He's off today."

After a pause, Li Yanchuan added.

"He won't be coming to the villa to see me for a while, so no need to prepare food for him."

"Oh, okay."

Slightly disappointed, Song Nian nodded to himself without giving it much thought.

He had thought the three portions of wontons would be left over, but in the end, nothing was left over.

Song Nian looked at his own bowl, which hadn't changed, then at Li Yanchuan's bowl, and pondered.

So his appetite was actually quite big; he had eaten the assistant's portion as well. It seemed he would need to cook more in the future.

He couldn't help but think to himself, gaining a new understanding of the man's appetite.

He didn't notice the man's small gesture under the table: rubbing his stomach because he was too full.

On the other side, the assistant, who was suddenly told by his boss not to come to the villa to find him for the time being, silently wept.

—Can't go to the villa anymore, how am I going to get free food!

Is the boss trying to keep all the food for himself, so he won't let me go? Where's the justice?

And there is no justice? Someone, please do something!!

--------

During this time, Song Nian and Li Yanchuan had been eating together at the same table, in perfect harmony.

It wasn't an illusion; Song Nian felt that their relationship had gotten closer. At least Li Yanchuan no longer showed obvious hostility like before.

Moreover, through observation, he discovered that although Li Yanchuan said he had no dietary restrictions, he was actually quite picky.

For example, he didn't like cilantro, nor ginger or garlic.

Also, he didn't like fish, but boneless fish was acceptable.

Additionally, his taste was on the lighter side; he basically didn't eat much spicy food and had a low spice tolerance.

However, Li Yanchuan's pickiness was different from other picky eaters.

For dishes he didn't like, he would still eat them, but only a little.

He would just take a small bite as a gesture, and it was obvious that the frequency with which he took food was lower than for dishes he liked. Probably influenced by his childhood experiences, he wouldn't easily show his likes, dislikes, or emotions, so even for dishes he disliked, he would still eat them.

Having realized this, Song Nian felt even worse for him. From then on, he mostly tailored his cooking to the other’s tastes. Even though he personally preferred heavier flavors, he still made mostly light dishes.

————

One day, the vegetables in the fridge were almost gone, so Song Nian decided to go out to buy groceries.

Although the villa wasn’t in the city center, the area had all the necessary amenities within easy reach. A few minutes’ walk would take him to an imported supermarket, which was extremely convenient for Song Nian, who couldn’t drive.

Before heading out, he wanted to let Li Yanchuan know, but when he looked back, he realized Li Yanchuan wasn’t on the first floor. Too lazy to go upstairs, Song Nian figured he’d just send a text.

However, as he opened WeChat and was about to tap on the chat window, he realized a serious issue.

—he didn’t seem to have Li Yanchuan’s contact information.

Not just WeChat, he didn’t even have his phone number.

He went silent.

What kind of married couple had been married for several weeks and still didn’t know each other’s phone numbers?

This relationship was way too superficial.