Chapter 51: Living and Eating Together
After Lian Li got off the plane and retrieved her suitcase, she rushed to the hotel to find Jin Yan Ting without delay.
She left the hotel and cried on the street for a while. While waiting for a taxi, Jin Shi Yue appeared and ‘forcefully’ took her to the apartment.
She hadn’t drunk a single drop of water the entire time; it was all output and no input, so how could she not be thirsty.
Lian Li ignored him. The warm liquid flowed down her throat, and her breathing became smoother.
God of Wealth plopped down on the floor, squatting by Lian Li’s feet and leaning against her.
Jin Shi Yue leaned against the piano stand, watching Lian Li squat down to play with God of Wealth. The Tibetan Mastiff’s large physique made her appear even smaller.
Two days ago at the clubhouse, Zhong Yang regretfully said that Li Mei was supposed to go horse riding in the Capital Suburbs with them, but it was canceled for some reason. Without Li Mei, much of the joy was missing.
Xue Shu Fan said from the side that Li Li rarely changed her mind at the last minute, so she probably had something important to do, like Professor Lu arranging a difficult task for her.
He remembered that Jin Yan Ting’s business jet had flown to New York.
It hardly required the use of special privileges.
Jin Shi Yue had seen Lian Li’s identification card and casually checked her flight information using her ID details. As expected, she had booked the fastest flight to New York.
After all, she was Professor Lu’s prized student. If she encountered trouble and something happened, Elder Mei might hold him accountable later.
It just so happened that he wanted to take his dog for a walk somewhere else.
Jin Shi Yue brought the Tibetan Mastiff and took the same flight as her. Seeing her sprint, looking so eager, anyone would think she was rushing to the front lines of a war.
He followed her to the hotel. After watching her go inside, he returned to his residence in the city center.
When he came out again, he saw Lian Li walking hurriedly, dragging her suitcase. Her expression seemed normal, but her beautiful eyes, once full of hope, were like a wasteland scorched by fire, devoid of life.
Just as he was about to approach her, he suddenly saw her sniff and try her best to hold back tears as she answered a phone call.
After hanging up, she sat quietly on her suitcase, head bowed, fiddling with her mobile phone. Tears continuously fell from her eyes like clear pearls, like a meteor shower.
Junior Sister has strong self-esteem and definitely wouldn’t want acquaintances to see her crying.
He waited until she stopped crying and had calmed down a little before he walked over with God of Wealth.
The luxurious apartment was brightly lit and silent, with only two people and a dog in the living room.
Jin Shi Yue stared at Lian Li for a moment, tapped the piano stand twice with his long fingers, and lazily asked her, “Can you cook?”
Lian Li turned her head to look at him, thought for two seconds, and cautiously replied, “It depends on your definition of cooking.”
Her answer was mysterious, and Jin Shi Yue raised an eyebrow, asking with interest, “What do you mean?”
“If it means adding some oil, salt, and seasonings, and cooking it until it’s edible, then I can,” Lian Li lowered his expectations. “If it’s the kind of exquisite cuisine with perfect color, aroma, and taste found in a Michelin-starred restaurant, then I can’t.”
Upon hearing this, Jin Shi Yue solemnly declared, “Then you can’t.”
…Fine.
Lian Li rubbed the thick, soft fur of the Tibetan Mastiff with her five fingers. After a moment of silence, she added, “I can cook noodles. Do you have any noodles here?”
Jin Shi Yue watched her at his leisure. Her pair of bright, lively eyes clearly conveyed the message, “I’m hungry.”
The corner of his mouth curved lazily. He opened his lips and said, “Go look in the kitchen yourself.”
Upon hearing this, Lian Li immediately stood up, looked around, confirmed the direction of the kitchen, and walked over.
God of Wealth gracefully followed behind her, also heading to the kitchen.
The kitchen was spacious, clean, and beautifully designed, with custom-made cabinets polished by hand, white quartz countertops, and backsplashes. The kitchen appliances were so clean they looked unused.
Lian Li searched the kitchen and found dried noodles, as well as ingredients like vegetables, beef, and eggs.
She poked her head out of the kitchen, looking towards the living room.
Jin Shi Yue was sitting on the leather sofa facing the kitchen, his long legs slightly spread, his index finger supporting his temple, his posture casual and languid.
The distance was a bit far, so Lian Li raised her voice and asked him, “Do you want noodles too?”
If not, she wouldn’t cook so much.
Jin Shi Yue said, “Cook it first.”
This meant he would decide whether to eat it after seeing the finished product.
Lian Li simply cooked two bowls of beef noodle soup, garnished with vegetables. The green color made the noodles look even more appetizing.
She carried the two bowls of noodles to the dining table, arranged them, and then called the Eldest Young Master over to eat.
Jin Shi Yue glanced at the noodles, noncommittal, pulled out a chair, and sat down.
Lian Li didn’t care if he was satisfied or not; she was quite satisfied herself. As she was eating her noodles, a pair of chopsticks suddenly reached out from across the table. Jin Shi Yue picked the fried egg from his bowl and placed it in hers.
Lian Li looked up at him, confused, and asked, “Aren’t you eating the egg?”
“No.”
“Then why do you have eggs in your refrigerator?”
Jin Shi Yue raised an eyelid, his dark eyes glancing at her, and said, “The dog laid them.”
“…”
How could a dog lay eggs? Eggs were clearly laid by chickens.
The Eldest Young Master was spouting nonsense again, relying on his good looks.
Lian Li stopped talking and lowered her head to focus on eating her noodles.
Her culinary skills weren’t great, and the noodles she cooked tasted ordinary. She didn’t expect the Eldest Young Master to descend from his pedestal to show mercy.
After Lian Li had eaten her fill, she raised her face again, only to find that Jin Shi Yue had finished his noodles.
She was stunned.
“Put them in the dishwasher; someone will handle them tomorrow,” Jin Shi Yue instructed her, then stood up and went upstairs with God of Wealth.
After he left, Lian Li relaxed considerably.
In such a large house, with only her and Jin Shi Yue, it felt too strange.
Lian Li cleaned the bowls and chopsticks as he had told her, putting them in the dishwasher. After a while, she prepared to fulfill her “working obligation” and clean God of Wealth.
She stepped onto the spiral staircase to the second floor and walked to the door of the master bedroom suite, raising her hand to knock.
A moment later, the door opened from the inside. Jin Shi Yue’s tall, lean figure appeared in the doorway. He had changed into loungewear, a black hoodie and casual pants. His neat short hair was damp, softening the sharp edge of his powerful aura.
“Brother Shi Yue,” Lian Li looked up at him, greeted him politely, and then asked, “Where is God of Wealth?”
After a two-second pause, she added, “You promised to help it get cleaned.”
Jin Shi Yue looked down at her. “It’s asleep.”
Lian Li asked, “Then…” should we forget about it?
Before she could finish, Jin Shi Yue said, “Save it; we’ll wash it next time.”
“Okay.”
Lian Li blinked her long, curled eyelashes and said, “I won’t disturb you. Goodnight.”
Jin Shi Yue watched her graceful back. After she entered her room, he withdrew his gaze. God of Wealth lay on the master bedroom floor with its ears drooping.
Lian Li had never been in a relationship in her life and rarely spent time under the same roof with men.
Although Jin Yan Ting often ate with her, he never stayed overnight, and she was always alone in the house at night.
Now, living and eating with Jin Shi Yue, Lian Li was very unaccustomed to it.
Even though she hadn’t slept for nearly 28 hours due to the flight and emotional ups and downs, she still couldn’t sleep.
As the sky began to lighten with the color of fish belly, Lian Li finally fell into a drowsy sleep.
She slept deeper and deeper, her eyelids feeling heavy as if cast in lead, making it impossible to open them.
