Chapter 7
Yu Congyan’s chopsticks froze in mid-air.
He watched as Xia Wansheng across the dining table quite naturally placed the plate of stir-fried lamb with scallions beside himself.
He didn’t even offer a polite gesture, asking Yu Congyan if he wanted to try his cooking.
This was too unusual.
The previous Xia Wansheng had given him “handmade” heart-shaped cookies, diligently delivering them for a whole month.
Unfortunately, after a few tries, Yu Congyan realized they were just store-bought. The taste was refined but repetitive, and occasionally there were traces of adhesive from torn labels.
However, it wasn’t the right time to expose him then, so he just instructed his assistant to distribute the cookies to his subordinates as snacks.
As a singer and somewhat of a public figure, Xia Wansheng at the time didn’t care about his public image at all, wholeheartedly going to the Yu Group building every day to stage photos.
He even trended on Weibo several times, almost affecting the Yu Group’s stock price.
Yu Congyan calmly picked up some food with his chopsticks, but the aroma of the stir-fried lamb lingered, his thoughts drifting away.
So, Xia Wansheng actually knew how to cook.
Then why did he use store-bought cookies to deceive him before? Did he guess that even if Yu Congyan knew, he wouldn’t say anything?
Housekeeper Zhang, standing behind them, was always perceptive, “Mr. Xia, why don’t you give everyone a chance to taste your dish?”
Housekeeper Zhang said “everyone,” but his eyes darted towards Yu Congyan, desperately hinting to Xia Wansheng.
He practically spoke for his young master directly.
Xia Wansheng followed the housekeeper’s gaze and only reacted after making eye contact with Yu Congyan.
“Do you want to try some?” Xia Wansheng asked perfunctorily.
He wasn’t very hopeful. After all, as the standard CEO in the book, having a sensitive stomach was a basic setting for Yu Congyan.
“No, thank you.” Yu Congyan’s reply was brief.
It was harder for him to admit his desires than to climb a mountain, not to mention the plate full of red chili peppers was already making his stomach uncomfortable.
Xia Wansheng thought, as expected. After the formality, he continued to eat heartily.
Yu Congyan hesitated, thinking, had the previous dishes all been catered to his taste?
Then his previous inability to eat spicy food was also a lie fabricated to please him.
As if the gaze from across the table was too obvious, Xia Wansheng stopped eating and looked up in confusion, “What’s wrong?”
Yu Congyan looked away, saying indifferently: “I remember you said before that singers need to protect their voices, why are you trying chili peppers now?”
He was testing him.
The previous Xia Wansheng had never mentioned anything about protecting his voice.
Xia Wansheng swallowed his food and said naturally: “I haven’t been in a good mood recently, so I wanted to try something new. I won’t do it again next time.”
Even such a tiny out-of-character detail could be detected by the CEO. Xia Wansheng felt like crying inwardly.
It seemed he could only order a month’s worth of Sichuan hot pot with nine compartments after going back.
“As you wish.” Yu Congyan didn’t intend to interfere with others’ preferences, and Xia Wansheng’s answer was impeccable, so he could only let it go.
For a while, the two of them ate in silence at the dining table, truly practicing the rule of not speaking while eating.
The atmosphere gradually quieted down.
In the increasingly silent atmosphere, Xia Wansheng gradually lost his appetite.
For as long as he could remember, he had been alone, eating alone, going to school alone, doing everything familiar or unfamiliar alone.
After he started working and left the orphanage, Xia Wansheng kept a television constantly playing in his rented room.
But even without it, it wouldn’t have mattered. His roommates often made noise late into the night, and he could often hear loud arguments from his neighbors.
After working overtime, Xia Wansheng would tiptoe back to his rented room in the urban village under the cover of night, looking at the increasing numbers in his bank account, calculating how much he could save by the end of the year.
He was inexplicably afraid of sudden illness or accidents, and after much deliberation, he couldn’t bring himself to move out.
The dishes on the table were to his liking, each one meticulously prepared, but Xia Wansheng still felt like he was chewing on wax.
“I’m full.” Xia Wansheng quickly finished the rice in his bowl, having only taken a few bites of the delicious dishes, and prepared to go back to his room.
He was used to working overtime, and now, suddenly living a life without work, Xia Wansheng, a long-time wage slave, felt a sense of disorientation and emptiness.
Suddenly, someone knocked on his bedroom door.
Xia Wansheng closed the food magazine in his hands, composed himself, and went to open the door.
Yu Congyan outside the door looked like he had something to say, “Let’s talk.”
A moment later, the two sat facing each other on the only small sofa in the corner of the bedroom. Its worn pattern clashed with the other brand-new furniture in the room.
Yu Congyan gritted his teeth, “You don’t have to be so obvious about your displeasure.”
Xia Wansheng looked innocent: “Not at all, I’m just sentimental.”
Actually, he was just too lazy to change anything. He didn’t know how long he would be staying in the villa, so he didn’t want to make a big fuss.
After a few days of interaction, although Xia Wansheng felt Yu Congyan was different from the cold and heartless CEO described in the book, he didn’t let his guard down.
After all, his ending of being drowned in the river was still looming. No matter how nice Yu Congyan was to him now, he would still be capable of killing him after knowing the truth.
Appearances could be deceiving.
Yu Congyan adjusted his posture. The old sofa creaked jarringly.
Yu Congyan spoke, his tone probing: “Your recent behavior has been very strange.”
His every move was inconsistent with his previous understanding.
Xia Wansheng feigned composure: “I haven’t been in a good mood lately, so I wanted to change my lifestyle.”
“Why didn’t you tell the housekeeper about your seafood allergy?” Yu Congyan asked.
“I forgot.” Xia Wansheng looked sincere.
“Then why did you cook yourself? You’ve never been in the kitchen before.” Yu Congyan pressed on.
Xia Wansheng was a bit confused. Hadn’t the original owner given the CEO handmade cookies in the book?
So, the oven didn’t count as part of the kitchen?
“I just wanted to experience cooking…” Xia Wansheng felt a bit guilty making up excuses.
He wondered why this person was so sharp, magnifying every little discrepancy.
But speaking of sharpness, Yu Congyan hadn’t even realized the person inside had changed.
It seemed they really weren’t close before.
“There’s no need to go out of your way to accommodate me. I’ve already told you, you won’t get what you want from me.” Yu Congyan crammed his long legs onto the small sofa, his tone sharp.
He had simply chosen not to pursue Xia Wansheng’s previous clumsy tricks, but that didn’t mean he was susceptible to sweet talk.
Although his previous memories were somewhat blurred, the pain of being utterly betrayed was still vivid in his mind.
He couldn’t repeat the same mistakes.
Xia Wansheng was completely bewildered: What I want? I just want to reasonably go offline.
Seeing that Yu Congyan didn’t intend to explain, Xia Wansheng struggled to say: “Well… my memory hasn’t been good recently, I can’t remember many things. Did I ask you for anything before?”
Resources in the entertainment industry? Or some expensive properties?
Yu Congyan stared at him for a long time, trying to judge whether he was lying.
Xia Wansheng didn’t even need to act this time, he genuinely knew nothing about it.
After a long silence, Yu Congyan folded his hands, his voice drifting: “…You said you didn’t want anything, just recognition.”
After speaking, he slightly turned his head away, avoiding eye contact with Xia Wansheng.
Xia Wansheng: !!!
Had the original owner gone too far with his act?!
It was difficult for him, a transmigrator only seeking five million, to pick up where he left off!
Xia Wansheng took a deep breath.
Calm down.
He must stay calm.
He couldn’t reveal any flaws in front of the protagonist. If his act failed, he might end up like the original owner, drowned in the river.
“I…” Xia Wansheng composed himself and spoke through gritted teeth, worried that any delay would arouse Yu Congyan’s suspicion.
Only a warm yellow table lamp was lit in the corner of the bedroom, casting a soft glow on the pale walls, illuminating the side of Xia Wansheng’s face.
Xia Wansheng forced a smile: “I don’t care about those things anymore.”
His voice trailed off like a sigh.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Yu Congyan was just about to speak when he looked into Xia Wansheng’s eyes, seeing stubbornness and bitterness, the corners of his eyes reddened, tears welling up. The vulnerability was startling.
The warnings and probes he had prepared were stuck in his throat. He couldn’t utter a single word.
Yu Congyan couldn’t sit still any longer. He stood up from the sofa and stiffly dropped a sentence, “That’s for the best.”
As he closed the door, he took one last glance. He saw the person in the bedroom sitting alone with his back to him, his hand seemingly touching the corner of his eye.
Yu Congyan rarely lost focus while working at his computer in the study.
Could Xia Wansheng be crying… just because he wanted to draw a clear line with him?
Or was this another tactic to get his attention?
Yu Congyan didn’t want to think about it anymore. As a competent CEO, he never wasted precious time on such trivial matters.
At this moment, Xia Wansheng, his back to the door, heard the sound of the bedroom door closing, and felt a sense of relief. He relaxed his body, slowly sliding down from the sofa.
He seemed to have gotten away with it.
As expected, one’s acting skills could instantly improve under pressure. Hopefully, Yu Congyan didn’t become suspicious.
Playing the original owner’s role was more difficult than he imagined, but as long as he got through tonight, it would be fine. Tomorrow, when his agent, Ji Yang, arrived, he could learn more about the original owner’s background and experiences.
He just needed to get through tonight.
