63 Master's Lunch Box

The black Pagani Huayra BC stopped right in front of the hospital bearing the mark of a wolf. Instead of Hou Wei Yan coming down from a luxurious car, it was Fang Tao that came out wearing his formal get-up. Today, he returns to his job as a guard.

It was quite a break he had, though he didn't get enough beating for it to be called satisfying. If only they held on to Han Yu Shou, perhaps he can call it worthwhile.

As soon as he stepped foot in the hospital, Fang Tao can already feel that something was amiss. As usual, there were people gossiping, but their attitude seems more hideous than last.

Despite all the murmuring, Fang proceeded with his job and paraded straight to Hou Wei Yan's office. "Madame"

"Fang" Hou Wei Yan exclaimed in surprise. His sudden entrance made her bolt up from her comfortable position on the couch alongside Xie Na. "You're back"

Fang glanced at Qiu Meixiu who was obviously handling all the running and securing the protection of the two women. It must have been quite a handful. "Sorry for leaving things to you, Miss Qiu"

"It's fine" she casually replied. It was indeed quite tiring but at the end of the day, she was always paid by their smile and gratitude.

"Did you finish your business already?" Hou Wei Yan asked when Fang finally settled down with them.

Fang stared at her for a while before nodding his head. As he said earlier, it wasn't satisfying at all. "Yes, but I dislike how it ended"

For all the trouble that Han Yu Shou caused due to his arrogance and recklessness, the beating he received wasn't enough. Perhaps he needed a hundred more for him to count it as satisfying. All of them were always on alert so they can aid him and shield him from harm. Even if he initiated the fight, they were still called to respond and defend him, when in fact he was the one that needed the beating.

They shrugged it as their duty because no matter how idiotic he may seem, he was still a part of the Crowns, the co-creators whose existence and hard work made Palisades possible. Their continuous supervision and aid made their organization prosper.

Aside from that, there was no denying, that Han Yu Shou was a higher being who managed to recruit a lot of their men and even trained one of the best medical teams in their organization. He is a valuable asset to them and he cannot be replaced so easily.

After giving a piece of his mind to Han Yu Shou, Fang looked around the office and easily spotted a huge box covered in cloth on Hou Wei Yan's desk. It was bigger than normal, but it was obviously a bento box. Curiosity crept through him as he raised his brows at their Lady Boss. "You already ate? But Uncle Gu just delivered your lunch"

"No. It's for my husband" she answered without delay which made Fang utterly surprised. "I made it myself"

"Made it? Where?" he asked once more because she was told not to get near the kitchen for a while.

Hou Wei Yan took a sip of her tea before giving him a wide smile. "Here"

When this word left her mouth, Fang can't help but turn toward the cameras. The room was deeply monitored and ever since Lu Huan's attempt to sabotage her, they improved the security and technology of the office. The one monitoring or even their master can send a message through the tablet attached to the wall. This is now their new form of communication and yet—why was it not used during such a crisis?

"No one stopped you?" he asked with curiosity and yet somehow, he knew what could have happened.

"I made a deal with them" she bluntly answered with a goofy smile. They weren't the easiest people to talk to given their firm and serious messages, but the negotiation wasn't impossible. In the 10 years she spent in the States, Hou Wei Yan had developed a somewhat, special talent to communicate and negotiate to a monstrous and enticing degree. "We're friends now, so when I asked them they didn't say much anymore"

Fang can only sigh at this. He knew it! "You're unbelievable"

Palisades is an organization to behold. Although they have married men in the group, it was still undeniable that they were well trained to lay away from temptations during missions. His men, especially those whose skills lie in monitoring and gathering information, are trained never to succumb to anything. Whether it be objects, persons, possessions, or passion, they already graduated from gruesome training and were pro at saying no.

Yet, surprisingly they had given up on her plea and even became friends with her. [ What were Einstein and his team even doing!? He should be the one preventing such matters! ]

"Can you bring it to him?" Hou Wei Yan suddenly blurted out which took back Fang's attention. "I can't contact him nor meet him in the open"

Fang stared at the box that was now in her hands and getting offered to him. Once again, he sighed at her silliness before accepting it. "Please don't do this again, the kitchen space here is small"

"Can I do it in the house then?" Hou Wei Yan dared to ask in hopes that Fang will immediately agree to it.

"I'm not the caretaker of that house" he replied with the truth. "If you want permission you need to ask Uncle Gu"

His reply however made the woman pout and cross her arms like a little kid in a tantrum. "But he said I was forbidden in the kitchen"

After she cooked for her husband and cooked some more during the night without their permission, she was asked to step away from the kitchen until their master permits her to return. She was in the wrong for not asking permission but banishment is quite extreme in her perspective.

"I don't think that's enough to hold you back" Fang said while glancing at her sulking face. She managed to befriend his men, there's no way Butler Gu or her husband's words can stop her from pursuing the matter again. He bet that just a few days from now, she will receive the permission she's been longing for. "I'll be going then"

"Take care" the three women on the couch said while waving their hands at him.

Fang nodded his head and headed right straight to the door. However, he stopped before stepping outside and looked back. "Ah, and congratulations on becoming Master Han's apprentice"

Hou Wei Yan smiled warmly at him. "Thanks Fang"

.....

A soft knock on the door interrupted the Emperor who was meticulously signing contracts for their new project.

Ji Li Zhao stopped signing for a while and pressed the button which opened the door and allowed whoever it is beyond it inside.

"Delivery!" the man said while carrying a box covered in dotted clothe.

"What are you doing here?" Ji Li Zhao asked, quite surprised by the sudden visitor. "Fang Ren"

The man who has the same hair color and eyes as Fang Tao smiled before fully entering the room. Fang Ren and Fang Tao have similar features that they were almost identical although they weren't blood-related at all.

Their difference lies in their hairdo and attitude. Unlike Fang Tao, Ren is quite a goofy ball of sunshine totally opposite to the cold-hearted Fang Tao. Fang Ren also prefers to style his hair up and highlight his forehead and due to his worsening eyesight, Fang Ren wears eyeglasses. Overall, their height and body proportion are the same.

For this reason, their identity became a blur to the masses. Many people believed that Fang Tao and Fang Ren are one and the same!

Ren raised the box with a huge grin on his face. "I was asked by someone to deliver this to her husband"

"Wei Wei" Ji Li Zhao softly mumbled filled with love and affection.

"She made it" Ren blurted out before placing the box on the table for his master to savor. "Somewhere...said, Tao"

Ji Li Zhao immediately looked seriously at him. "Is he guarding her again?"

"He went to the base to finish some reports" Ren replied while nodding his head. "Once he finishes, he's going back to her side"

"Tell him not to stand out too much, some ants are beginning to linger"

When Ji Li Zhao said this, Fang Ren who was smiling earlier turned awfully serious. So they are finally making moves against them.

"Is the prime minister finally showing up?" he asked referring to Ji Li Zhao's delusional uncle, Ji Boqin.

Ever since his revolt, Palisades decided to call him the Evil Prime Minister. In the Ji Empire, his uncle holds high authority, however, he plotted against Ji Li Zhao's older brother who was chosen to rule the Empire leading to his death. This resulted in him getting kicked out and sent far away.

But the bastard continues to pursue the Ji Empire by placing the blame on Ji Li Zhao. He wants everyone to believe that Ji Li Zhao was the cause of Ji Bao Shi's death when in fact he was the one who killed him. When no one bought his lies, he stopped spreading such rumors and instead acted like he was a saint. Now that Grandfather Ji is on the verge of death, he wants to claim his rights as the rightful owner of the Ji Empire.

[ See? He was obviously deranged! ]

"His men are, but not him. As of now, he's keeping it low in Antarctica" Ji Li Zhao answered with hate.

Ren knew just how much hate he holds for Ji Boqin. Although they were only half brothers, Ji Li Zhao and Ji Bao Shi share a deep bond. It's hateful how his Grandfather let his crime slip and only punished him with a little banishment.

"I doubt his keeping it low at all. Your uncle hates seeing you hogging all the fortune of the Jis"

"He has no right over my success" he immediately replied. Ji Boqin can go all crazy as he wants, he will make sure he won't get what he was after. He was the one that made Ji Empire prosper, he won't just hand it over to the one who murdered his brother.

"Yeah yeah. But jealousy is really something you know. It doesn't know common sense, it's reckless and insane" Ren blurted out before taking a pause. "Well, I'll be leaving first. Enjoy your lunch, young master"

"Ren" Ji Li Zhao called out. His voice held seriousness in them. "Be careful. You're one of the members always out in the open"

Fang Ren was of course a member of Palisades but unlike others whose identity remains hidden, he was one of those who fights with his face out in the open. Since he has the same features as Fang Tao, he handles Fang Conglomerate in his stead.

Everyone believes Fang Ren and the feared Fang Tao of the underworld society are one and the same, that Fang Tao is his identity in the underground. Since Fang Tao's face was never leaked out and only his notorious name and call sign are revealed everyone brought their plan of deception. That's why various attacks are targeted at him.

Fang Ren smiled at his boss. There's no reason to worry. He took on this role for a great reason. He who was stuck in hell devotes himself to his savior, Fang Tao. Their similarities make it easier for him to repay the great debt he owns.

"Yep, don't worry, Boss. I may only be his assistant, but I am a thorough product of Palisades" he confidently answered. Although he's not part of the King of Kings and his prowess lower than Fang Tao, he is still a member of Palisades, the strongest organization there is.

Ji Li Zhao nodded his head and stared back at the box on his table as a fragment of his memory drifted back to his sweet childhood with Hou Wei Yan.

-----

21 years ago...

In the middle of an open field encircled by flowers of various types, lays a little kid. His body proportion wasn't thin or overweight. However, he was rather normal with some baby fats on his cheeks.

While he lays there with his eyes closed, a unique bird covered in black and white spots was pecking some fruits and seeds beside him. The weather wasn't too sunny that's why both of them enjoyed the field more than ever.

"Little Panda! Little Panda!" a brunette child called out from afar. She ran from the flower field to the greenery and rolled beside the kid when she reached them.

The male child opened his eyes and was quite stunned when he saw the child, her hair drifting along with the wind. "Hou Wei Yan"

The chubby child pouted when he called out her name. "Seriously! Bro Zhao, I told you to call me Wei Wei"

"But---"

When a word of protest came from his mouth, Hou Wei Yan immediately covered his mouth and childishly pinched his side. "Awww come on, call me Wei Wei"

Ji Li Zhao smiled at her before touching her hands and releasing his lips from her grasp. "Wei Wei"

"That's good" the child said with a huge smile on her face. That's more like it. "You should practice calling me wife next"

This sudden statement from his 7 years old friend made him blush like a ripe tomato. "Wha---"

Hou Wei Yan cutely laughed at how he turned into a blushing mess with her words. This big brother is her future lover, she had already written it on her planner that's why there's no reason to be shy. "Come on, don't be shy now, hubby"

With the child's flirty words, Ji Li Zhao blushed even more that he had to cover his face to hide it. "Stop it"

"Alright, alright" Hou Wei Yan said, quite defeated by his blush. She sat up and slowly pulled the child up. "By the way, I brought lunch for us"

Ji Li Zhao sat up and stared at the bento box covered in flower-patterned cloth. Hou Wei Yan eagerly smiled and placed the box on her lap.

"I cooked it for you" she said as she opened the box.

His eyes sparkled when he saw countless treasures in her bento. There were eggs, meatballs, fried rice, karaage, beans, and weiner shaped in octopus. Hou Wei Yan handed him the chopsticks which Ji Li Zhao immediately accepted.

"Wow, this is so delicious, Wei Wei!" he exclaimed after gulping down his first bite of the chicken karaage. It was spicy but not too much. It was enough to tickle his taste buds which he ultimately liked.

Hou Wei Yan smiled when he said this and chuckled at how he gobbled her food. "Hehe. I practiced hard for Bro Zhao"

After she befriends Ji Li Zhao she began practicing cooking in order to serve food to the foodie Ji Li Zhao. He was obviously picky that's why she needed to improve in order for him to remain her friend.

One of their maids mentioned before that 'The way to a man's heart is through his stomach'. If that's true then she will persevere to become a great cook.

"You'll make a good wife someday" Ji Li Zhao said before ruffling her hair with a smile.

"I'll be your good wife someday" Hou Wei Yan said out of nowhere with a huge grin on her face. She's not cooking to be someone else's wife. "After all, Bro Zhao promised to marry me"

It was quite silly for two children to promise marriage, but they did. Ji Li Zhao who was already 10 years old already knew what marriage means and Hou Wei Yan although still at the young age of 7 was already a genius and was trained on becoming a proper wife as per family tradition. They weren't oblivious to what marriage entails.

"Right, hubby?" Hou Wei Yan asked once more making Ji Li Zhao nod with a huge blush on his face. After answering, she gave off a goofy smile. "We should think of our children's name after you eat"

Hou Wei Yan's statement took Ji Li Zhao by surprise that he spat out his food. She immediately handed him some water. "Wei Wei!"

Ji Li Zhao's outburst didn't affect Hou Wei Yan given that he was blushing like crazy. Instead, Wei Yan chuckled cutely at him. "Okay maybe the wedding date first"

"What do you think, Little Panda?" Hou Wei Yan asked the parrot they named Little Panda in honor of his black and white stripes.

The parrot who was pecking on the seeds given to him earlier flapped his wings before flying on Hou Wei Yan's shoulders. "Wedding, Wedding! Cake! Cake!"

Both of them chuckled at the parrot's display of intelligence. Hou Wei Yan stared at Ji Li Zhao before going near him. His eyes widened in surprise as his beloved whispered in his ears.