Chapter 64 - Eat
“Isn’t it too obvious who the water armies are trying to blacken?” The passersby couldn’t stand it anymore. “If you’re going to talk about who set themselves up as a noble son, don’t mention Li Zhao, okay? I’ve never seen a noble son sit in a pig truck, carry a piglet or squat on the streets and sell sweet potatoes so happily.”
“I am a Seclusion Mountain Forest variety fan and I find it a bit funny when I see this. Li Zhao is so down to earth that he hides in a kitchen and eats bacon secretly. Where did he sell himself as a noble son?”
“The sunspots are too ugly. Is it that some programs saw Seclusion Mountain Forest was on fire and feel a psychological imbalance, so they’ve started to use unscrupulous means?”
“Why? Isn’t this the last issue of Seclusion Mountain Forest? Don’t be so ugly when eating.”
The online bickering didn’t enter Li Zhao’s ears. He had lunch with Yan Ting, took a bath in the afternoon and slept beautifully. Then he got up and lay on the windowsill to take a look. He had planted an onion in a flower pot a few days ago and it was starting to grow green shoots.
He happily took a photo of the onion with his phone and couldn’t wait to share it on Weibo.
Li Zhao V: My onion has finally sprouted [Photo].
“The onion planted by the noble son Zhao Zhao must not be an ordinary onion.”
“Yes, this must be a type of onion with an extremely mysterious power that only noble sons can afford.”
“In addition, that vase, it is crystal clear and translucent. At first glance, it is a natural glass gem and is worth a lot of money.”
Li Zhao looked at the comments and knew that his fans were talking nonsense again. Li Zhao replied to a netizen: What glass gem? This was the container left behind after eating a can of yellow peaches. It is 12 yuan a can and buying three cans will give you one for free.
“Hahahahaha.”
“Baby, don’t do this. What about your noble son image?”
Li Zhao, “???”
What noble son image? He was so poor that he couldn’t even afford a house. Did a noble son even have anything to do with him?
Zhang Xiaoyuan called and the moment it connected, Zhang Xiaoyuan’s laughter was heard. “Zhao Zhao, you really hit back. But it is all thanks to your imagination that you can raise an onion in a can of yellow peaches.”
“What’s going on?”
“Someone deliberately blackened you on the Internet, saying that you’re selling yourself as a noble son.” Zhang Xiaoyuan couldn’t help laughing as he told Li Zhao the cause and effect of the incident. “The team was trying to help you but you just perfectly shattered this rumour.”
What noble son would raise onions on their balcony? It should be said that few popular artists would show off a sprouting onion.
It was because Li Zhao dared to show off and the Li fans dared to praise him in an exaggerated manner that it became a wonderful act in the entertainment industry.”
“What’s wrong with raising an onion?” Li Zhao murmured. “It is economical, environmentally friendly and practical.”
“Right, you’re right.” Zhang Xiaoyuan held back his laughter. “Do you want me to send a few large pots over so you can also grow some garlic or small vegetables?”
Li Zhao thought about it for a moment. “Forget it. I’m afraid that after Ting Ting knows, he will chop down all the flowers in the garden to create an open space for me to grow vegetables.”
Zhang Xiaoyuan, “……”
Wasn’t this friend too good to Zhao Zhao? He and Zhao Zhao had known each other for so many years and it was impossible for him to do something like that. What touching brotherhood? However, there seemed to be no garden at his own home to clear.
“I call Sister Xia and the others tomorrow night to eat together. Do you want to come?” Li Zhao finally remembered business.
“I’m not available tomorrow night. I have to write a publicity plan.” Zhang Xiaoyuan sighed. Now his income had risen a lot but he was also busier.
“Then I’ll invite you along next time.” The two of them were already familiar and didn’t need to be polite. “I’m telling you that the hotpot tomorrow night is very delicious. You are losing out if you don’t go.”
“Li Xiaozhao, I’m your publicity agent. You must not offend me or I will pit you.” Zhang Xiaoyuan pretended to be angry.”
“I’m open a noodle…”
“Don’t mention that word!” Zhang Xiaoyuan interrupted Li Zhao. “My baby has entered the rebellious period. Father is very disappointed with you.”
“Brother Xiaoyuan, you are dreaming again. You can’t give birth to such a handsome son.”
The two people teased each other before Zhang Xiaoyuan suddenly asked, “Will Yan Ting go with you?”
“Yes.” Li Zhao reached out to touch the small onion sprout. “I want to introduce Ting Ting to them.”
Zhang Xiaoyuan heard this an inexplicably felt that something was wrong. Why did it feel like a son taking his wife to meet his mother?
Shaking his head and getting rid of this absurd idea, Zhang Xiaoyuan coughed. “Okay, pay attention to disguising yourself when you go out. Your current popularity means you aren’t as invisible as before.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve booked a box.”
“That’s it. I’ll hang up first. Don’t look at those marketing accounts on the Internet and don’t worry about it.”
After talking to Zhang Xiaoyuan on the phone, the first thing Li Zhao did when going downstairs was to have the housekeeper find the electronic scale and put it in front of Yan Ting. Yan Ting watched Li Zhao and Li Zhao watched him.
The house was quiet for a few seconds. Finally, Yan Ting gave in and stood silently on the electronic scale.
“Yes, you’ve actually lost 1 kg in the days when I haven’t been here…” Suddenly, Li Zhao stopped talking. He bent over to look at the electronic scale before standing on it himself.
“Ting Ting, we are really worthy of being good brothers. You’ve lost 1 kg and I’ve also lost 1kg.” Standing down from the electronic scale, Li Zhao sat on the sofa with folded arms. “Come, let’s discuss the matter of leniency when confessing honestly and resistance to severity.”
Yan Ting, “…”
He silently turned to look at the caretaker, implying that this method of adjusting the electronic scale wasn’t good. The housekeeper’s scalp was numb as he had to step forward. “Mr Li, the scale might be broken but the boss truly has been eating well these two days.”
“Really?”
“Really!” The housekeeper inexplicably got the illusion that he was the grandfather who had no bottom line when spoiling his grandchild while LI Zhao was a strict father raising a child.
“Okay.” Li Zhao stood up and pulled Yan Ting’s sleeves. “Let’s go for a walk in the yard before having dinner.”
Yan Ting followed Li Zhao and they walked in the yard full of flowers. Yan Ting glanced at Li Zhao beside him and even if Zhao Zhao didn’t say anything, Yan Ting could get a moment of peace in his heart.
The night wind blew slowly. Yan Ting had never felt like this, wanting life to stay in this moment.”
“Ting Ting, my new movie will start in 10 days but the shooting location is basically in Beijing. I should be able to come back at night.”
“It doesn’t matter if you don’t come back as long as you take care of your body.”
“If I don’t come back then who will stare at you to make sure you eat on time.” Li Zhao elbowed him. “If you can be a bit better then I don’t have to worry as much.”
Li Zhao lightly bumped into him. Yan Ting could hear his own heartbeat.
Thump!
Thump!
Thump thump thump.
His heart was jumping like it couldn’t wait to jump out of his chest and let the person in front of him see the quivering heart. Yet he didn’t dare. He didn’t dare let Li Zhao know that he had a different, dirty, unspeakable mind toward Li Zhao. He even thought darkly that it was best to let Zhao Zhao worry about him for a lifetime, never caring about others.
“Why aren’t you speaking?” Li Zhao continued to elbow him gently. “Don’t you want me to take care of you?”
Yan Ting lowered his eyes. “I’ll let you take care of me, take care of me for a lifetime.”
Li Zhao just laughed. Ting Ting would have a lover sooner or later and there would be children. How could Li Zhao manage his life?
The garden was quiet again. Flowers hung from the branches and shook gently in the breeze, waiting for the moment they would bloom.
***
The moment it was time to get off work, Zhu Xia hurriedly packed her desk and prepared to leave work.
“Sister Xia, you’re getting off work so early today. Aren’t you working overtime?” Her colleagues were surprised to see her get off work so early. After being transferred to the assistant department, Zhu Xia worked very hard and worked overtime until after 10 p.m. every night.
“My brother is treating a guest to dinner.” Zhu Xia said with a smile and left the office with a big bag on her back.
Zhu Xia left the building and saw Zhou Ming waiting for her downstairs with a motorcycle. She trotted over to sit in the back and said, “Go, don’t let Zhao Zhao wait a long time.”
Beijing’s spring nights were a bit cold. Zhou Ming put his jacket around Zhu Xia and wrapped it tightly. “Sit tight.”
“Xiao Ming, Zhao Zhao said he would be bringing a friend. Do you think we should’ve prepared a meeting gift?”
“You aren’t meeting your sister-in-law. What meeting gift?” Zhou Ming didn’t think much about it. “It is just a few siblings and everyone will eat and drink. Being too polite will make people uncomfortable.”
Zhu Xia, “……”
To be honest, she was really afraid that it was a ‘sister-in-law’ but she couldn’t speak.
“However, when I see Zhao Zhao’s friend later, I have to raise two cups to him in respect.” Zhou Ming said. “In the past six months, he has been taking care of our family’s Zhao Zhao.”
Zhu Xia thought, ‘Perhaps in a little while, Zhao Zhao won’t be our family.’
“Why aren’t you talking?”
“I’m tired, I don’t want to speak.”
The thing that was most tired was her heart.
In the congested city of Beijing, the advantages of a motorcycle were evident. The couple quickly reached their destination. It was currently peak hour but there wasn’t a single guest in the dining area. It was a bit weirdly quiet. It was just that the entire place was lit up brightly so it didn’t seem closed. Did they go the wrong way?
“Are you Mrs Zhu and Mr Zhou?”
“Yes.” Zhou Ming nodded.
“Mr Li is waiting in a box. Please follow me.”
Zhu Xia and Zhou Ming glanced at each other, eyes wide at the same time. That naughty child actually booked a box? Money shouldn’t be wasted!
The two people had made up their minds to educate Li Zhao about consumption but once they saw his smiling face at the door, the anger was gone. What was wrong with their own child doing this?
He didn’t steal it. it wasn’t easy to rely on his own ability to earn money. How could the parents blame the child?
“Sister Xia, Brother Ming, sit down.” Li Zhao hadn’t seen them for a while and was very affectionate to them. “Tonight we were lucky enough to encounter the hotpot store doing an activity. I had booked the box in advance so the manager said out of good faith, he wouldn’t cancel my booking. Thus, we are the only people eating hotpot here today.”
It also happened that the last time he came here with Ting Ting to eat hotpot, they met a service upgrade. This time, he brought Ting Ting to meet his family and the restaurant happened to have closed for an activity. It was simply spending an ordinary amount of money to experience a chartered service. What good luck was this?
He took to look at Yan Ting. The moment he took Ting Ting out, there would be good luck. He introduced them and started cooking the hotpot.
Then Zhu Xia saw that Li Zhao, who usually loved hotpot, could hardly care about what he was eating. He held the public chopsticks and cooked food for Yan Ting. From time to time, he would remind Yan Ting to be careful of the heat and to not eat too spicy. Zhu Xia felt that she was the evil mother-in-law in a family ethics drama, looking at her baby take care of his lover while feeling hungry and she didn’t feel good.
“You eat too.” Yan Ting learned from Li Zhao’s appearance and fed Li Zhao.
Zhu Xia’s mood was finally better.
“Your craftsmanship has improved. You didn’t overcook it.” Li Zhao ate it while not forgetting to praise Yan Ting.
Nonsense! Zhu Xia thought that this was a bit overcooked.
“Zhao Zhao, do you have Mr Yan usually eat like this?” The soul of the evil mother-in-law in Zhu Xia couldn’t hold back.
“Like what?” Li Zhao gave the cooked beef balls in the white broth to his three friends from the welfare home and then secretly gave Yan Ting one more.
His friends liked to eat spicy dishes while Ting Ting didn’t like things too spicy. Thus, one more beef ball was very fair. Li Zhao glanced at his friends. Yes, very fair.
Zhu Xia replied, “Take care of each other when eating.” She looked at the beef balls that were in Yan Ting’s bowl and the soul of an evil mother-in-law roared.
“It’s not needed.” Li Zhao shook his head. “There is the housekeeper aunt and sister at Ting Ting’s house. At home, I just need to move my mouth to eat.”
Aunt? Housekeeping sister?
Thinking about how the other person was rich with two buildings, the soul of an evil mother-in-law in Zhu Xia’s heart suddenly died. Her family’s Zhao Zhao was obviously going to have a wife. As parents, how could they not carefully accompany him?
The author has something to say:
Baby Ting Ting asked Baby Zhao Zhao: Answer me. Am I important or is your brother and sister more important? If we fall into the water, who will you save first?
Baby Zhao Zhao: ???
Sister Xia: No, I can swim by myself!