Cooking for Him

System 66: "Congratulations, host, for becoming the lover of the number one male protagonist, Gu Tingyan. Keep up the good work."

"Thank you, Mr. Gu," Jiang Nuannuan's heart blossomed with joy, her eyes curved with a radiant glow that captivated the man's gaze.

He pressed his cigarette out after only a few puffs, withdrew his gaze, and stood up. "Tomorrow night, there will be a birthday banquet for the old lady at the Zhai family's old mansion. You and I will attend."

The Zhai family's birthday banquet, Gu Tingyan wanted to take her there, undoubtedly because of Fu Shiliu.

"Alright, here is my bank account number." Jiang Nuannuan handed over her bank card and smiled, saying, "Please take note of it, Mr. Gu."

Half an hour later, Jiang Nuannuan, sitting alone in the living room, received a sum of money as nearly two-year salary.

She smiled with satisfaction, ordered herself a luxurious takeout meal, and went upstairs to find a room to sleep in at random. She slept until noon. When she woke up, wearing a bathrobe, she got up to wash her face, her messy hair disheveled as she walked downstairs barefoot.

She ordered some groceries from a supermarket for lunch, planning to cook for herself. Passing by the study on the second floor, she caught a glimpse of a figure behind the desk. She paused for a moment, and then she turned back.

The study was open, and the tall figure of a man was bathed in the sunlight streaming in through the window. He lowered his head, a pair of gold-framed glasses perched on his nose, his eyes focused on the documents in his hands. He exuded an aura of elegance and restraint, giving off an air of scholarly asceticism.

Gu Tingyan hadn't left the house this morning.

System 66 timely reminded her, "Fu Shiliu has always been the gentle."

Jiang Nuannuan quickly adjusted her state of mind and walked in, knocking on the door and softly calling out, "Mr. Gu."

The man looked up, his narrow eyes slightly stunned. With her soft hair cascading down her shoulders and her innocent face just waking up, her gaze was gentle and warm. Seeing that, he quickly regained his composure.

Jiang Nuannuan spoke tenderly, "Have you eaten?"

"No," Gu Tingyan put down his pen and stared at her intently. "I'll cook a dish, shall we eat together?" Jiang Nuannuan had just finished asking when System 66 reminded her, "Fu Shiliu doesn't know how to cook."

"It's okay, he will eat for the sake of these eyes as well."

"Alright." As expected, Gu Tingyan didn't refuse. He nodded slightly, his half-lowered long lashes hiding his momentary loss of composure.

He was usually cold, but only when he looked into her eyes could a hint of warmth be seen, and he agreed to her request.

Jiang Nuannuan heard the doorbell ring downstairs and smiled at him. "Do you have any dietary restrictions?"

"Whatever you like."

She nodded. "Then I'll go downstairs to get the ingredients for the takeout. I'll let you know when it's ready." Both of them were quite polite to each other.

On her first day as a substitute, she had to satisfy her boss and not let him feel that the five million spent on her was a waste.

Gu Tingyan had a stomachache and couldn't eat spicy food. Coincidentally, she, from the south, didn't like spicy food either. (Note: People in the southern China prefers the lighter food.)

She made two light dishes and a soup that were good for digestion. Before she could go upstairs to call him, the man had already come downstairs.

"There's something I forgot to mention last night." He sat down at the dining table, his gaze returning to calm as he spoke softly, "I don't like my things being touched by others. I hope you handle your relationship with Ji Yanshen well."

"I also forgot to tell you." Jiang Nuannuan placed the chopsticks and bowl in front of him and sat down beside him. "I have severed ties with the Jiang family. I'm just an ordinary person, otherwise I wouldn't have come to see you. Ji Yansen is Jiang Meng's husband and has nothing to do with me. I am innocent. As for those negative rumors online, I will handle them carefully and not cause you any trouble."

Gu Tingyan glanced at her a few more times, gave a low response, and picked up his chopsticks.

His dining etiquette was impeccable, not uttering a word while eating, and Jiang Nuannuan followed suit.

The peaceful atmosphere was shattered when a phone call came in.

Jiang Nuannuan walked into the kitchen to answer the call. "Nuannuan, the jewelry design you created has been adopted by a foreign buyer. They want to sign a purchase contract." Seeing that she didn't speak, System 66 explained proactively, "It's your assistant, Lu Jin, calling. Your previous profession was a jewelry designer, right? It matches your identity."

Although Jiang Nuannuan was tripped up by love, her design talent was quite outstanding. After a few murmurs from the other end, she quickly said, "There's been some family matters recently. I'll send you the contract later via email."

"Is it because of Ji Yansen? Haven't you resolved the issue of him stealing your design to create Jiang Meng's all-around persona?"

Jiang Nuannuan raised an eyebrow. This annoying matter again? "It's almost done. I have something to do, so I'll hang up."

When she returned to the dining table, Gu Tingyan had finished the bowl of rice she served him and left.

At 2:30 in the afternoon, the stylist and makeup artist hired by Gu Tingyan arrived at Jiang Nuannuan's door with piles of things, ready to serve her.

She had a refined and simple updo hairstyle and wore a silk white dress, resembling the attire of a Roman goddess. The long veil cascaded down from one slender shoulder, revealing her milky-white skin, exuding an air of nobility and elegance.

He halted in front of her, his eyes filled with admiration and a fascination that saw through her to another person. "You look stunning, Miss Jiang," he said. The designers and makeup artists discreetly left the room.

"How about using a more intimate name? We are no longer in an ordinary relationship," Jiang Nuannuan smiled at him, still polite. "Of course, if you find it inappropriate, we can stick to the original."

Gu Tingyan evaded her question and remarked, "You have changed compared to before."

Before bringing her back, he had thoroughly investigated the good deeds she had done in recent years. Her conduct was poor, but somewhat understandable. "I now depend on you for survival, Mr. Gu. Beggars can't be choosers" Jiang Nuannuan smiled innocently.

Gu Tingyan fell silent for a moment. "Call me whatever you like."

She was his lover, albeit newly appointed, but she did require certain privileges. "Tingyan," Jiang Nuannuan hooked her arm around his, sensing his slight stiffness, and deliberately asked, "Can I call you that?"

System 66: "Alipay received: 1 million, Gu Tingyan's favorability increased to 3%." System 66: "Host, you're amazing! How did you know that Fu Shiliu loves to cling to his arm and call him so softly?"

"Do I really need to explain that?" Jiang Nuannuan rolled her eyes inwardly. "Isn't that how most dramas play out? Do you think I've read a thousand romance novels about CEOs for nothing?"

Gu Tingyan lowered his gaze, a smile that wasn't quite a smile on his lips. "At the Zhai family banquet, will you address me the same way in front of Ji Yanzhong?"

"To maintain our private relationship, I will refer to you as Mr. Gu in front of others, but I truly do not love Ji Yanzhong," Jiang Nuannuan replied firmly, her eyes clear and devoid of any lies. "I don't love him."