Chapter 62: Ingratitude

When buying the last vegetable, Jiang Lai sent a message to Ke Zhongying.

【Chongying, please make sure to take me away tonight no matter what; I can't be under the same roof as Shen Xun.】

【It's on me!】

After sending the message, Jiang Lai slipped her phone into her pocket and turned to Shen Xun, saying, "Go back."

When she got home, Jiang Lai plunged straight into the kitchen.

Every pot and piece of cutlery in the kitchen was handpicked by her, all in styles Shen Xun liked, yet Shen Xun had never noticed.

Shen Xun, as always, sat on the sofa with the TV broadcasting news; his gaze periodically drifted toward the busy figure in the kitchen, and a smile gradually appeared on his face.

He liked this state very much.

It made him feel grounded.

A short while later, someone rang the doorbell.

Xie Yongsi arrived.

He carried a basket of fruit and laughed, "Brother Shen, why so sudden today? What delicious dish did Jiang Lai make?"

"Call her by name, call her sister‑in‑law," Shen Xun said, displeased that his brother addressed Jiang Lai by her name.

Xie Yongsi froze for a moment, his eyes darting, then immediately said, "My fault, my fault."

He thought to himself, is Brother Shen really not planning to divorce Jiang Lai?

What about Lin Shutong then?

Never mind, that's not his place to think about; anyway, whoever his brother calls sister‑in‑law, that person is sister‑in‑law.

Jiang Lai heard the commotion, looked over, saw it was Xie Yongsi, and the two sat on the sofa—one upright, one relaxed—their manner of speaking reminded her strongly of the day she unexpectedly learned the truth.

Jiang Lai lowered her eyes; the phone on the stove lit up—it was a message from Ke Zhongying.

She took the phone and opened the kitchen door, and both Shen Xun and Xie Yongsi on the sofa looked over at the same time.

"Chongying is here, I'll answer the door," Jiang Lai said as she walked to the entrance, just as the doorbell rang.

She opened the door, and Ke Zhongying thrust the red wine in her hand toward Jiang Lai, saying, "Look! I stole my brother's treasured red wine… ahem, I brought it."

She lowered her head, "Do you want to change shoes?"

"Change into these," Jiang Lai replied, pulling out a pair of new slippers.

Ke Zhongying blinked, "Did you just buy these new for me?"

"Yeah, I picked them up along the way; I guess your feet are only a size smaller than mine."

"Then I'll wear them back tonight!" Ke Zhongying said with an excited expression.

Jiang Lai said, "They cost a little over thirty bucks."

"And Jiang Lai sister bought them for me too!" Ke Zhongying laughed as she walked in, saw the two on the sofa, and gave a formal smile, "President Shen, Young Master Xie."

Xie Yongsi was a typical cynical rich second‑generation heir, but no matter how much the Xie Family strained, they could never reach the Ke Family; so when he saw the Ke Family Eldest Miss, he immediately stood up and respectfully called, "Eldest Miss Ke."

"Mm." Ke Zhongying nodded, set the red wine down, and followed Jiang Lai into the kitchen.

Xie Yongsi wiped a cold sweat, "Sister‑in‑law, why did you call the Ke Family Eldest Miss over? Are you that close?"

He had been shocked once at a banquet before, but that was just a formal gathering where everyone exchanged pleasantries; having a relationship that allowed private meals at each other's homes was another matter.

Shen Xun gave a brief "Mm," his voice slightly irritated, "We met at some point and became friends."

The kitchen door closed.

Jiang Lai looked at Ke Zhongying, "The kitchen is smoky; you can wait in the living room, I just can't talk with you there."

"So I'm here to keep you company. I can't help with the cooking—I might get in the way—but I can talk to you, hand you plates, anything. I can't leave you alone in the kitchen; the meal isn't just for you," Ke Zhongying said, hands on hips, ready for orders.

"My dad occasionally cooks for my mom; my mom, who can't cook, still stands by to lend a little help, or she goes 'Wow, you're really great' praising my dad. It's all so flamboyant; my dad is constantly praised to the point of being lost, and I feel especially speechless, asking why my mom, who can't cook, still has to squeeze together?"

"My mom says nothing is inherently someone's job; if you can't do it, just stay with them. I think this applies to everything—family, lovers, friends."

Jiang Lai thought of the beautiful and gentle Ms. Nian, smiled, and said, "You have a wonderful mother."

"Jiang Lai sister should be someone like a good mother figure."

"Hm?" Jiang Lai asked while chopping, "Why?"

"Because you're great too," Ke Zhongying said as she saw Jiang Lai finish chopping, handing over a plate, though she wasn't sure if that plate was appropriate.

Jiang Lai smiled, "My Dean Mom is wonderful, and the teacher's wife is also great."

She was delighted making this meal; at the table, whenever Ke Zhongying took a bite, she widened her eyes and exclaimed, "So delicious!"

Xie Yongsi said, "Eldest Miss Ke, what tasty food haven't you tried? That's an exaggeration."

Ke Zhongying's face darkened, and she turned to the two men, "People accustomed to white food don't know how to appreciate. When we eat out we have to pay, the housekeeper gets a salary each month. When someone cooks a meal for you and makes it so tasty, to be ungrateful and think others are exaggerating—it's ingratitude."

Xie Yongsi, stunned by being called ungrateful, turned to Shen Xun, "Is it really that serious?"

Shen Xun, feeling as if Ke Zhongying were also scolding him, immediately said, "Cooking is something she should be doing in the first place."

"If you say that, then washing dishes should be your job," Ke Zhongying retorted while eating, "Look at President Shen's delicate hands; they've never washed dishes. It's all Jiang Lai sister who handled everything, right?"

Shen Xun couldn't rebut; he looked at Jiang Lai.

Jiang Lai didn't look at him, busy picking vegetables for Ke Zhongying.

Ke Zhongying smiled brightly, thanked Jiang Lai, then turned to President Shen, "President Shen, with a multi‑million annual salary, how many dishwashers can you afford?"

Shen Xun set down his chopsticks, looked at Jiang Lai again, apparently letting her keep an eye on his friend.

Jiang Lai asked him, "Want a drink? The red wine Ke Zhongying brought."

"Yes! I got it from my brother; he has plenty." Ke Zhongying hadn't forgotten her mission today; she began pouring wine for herself, planning to sip a couple of times, pretend to be drunk, then take Jiang Lai sister away.

When Xie Yongsi heard it was the Ke family's treasured fine wine, he immediately got excited and poured glasses for himself and Shen Xun.

"Jiang Lai sister, may I take a photo? I just forgot."

Jiang Lai asked, "Do you want me to arrange it again?"

"No need." She just wanted to brag to her older brother, "You're on a business trip, I'm eating the meal Jiang Lai sister cooked herself, I'm so jealous of you!"

The photo was sent over.

Ke Zhongyu, who had just gotten off the plane, wished he could slap his sister.

Take his wine, and have Jiang Lai cook for her.

【You wait.】

【Then come back now.】

Just as the phone popped up with his sister's message, Assistant Zhou said beside him: 'President Ke, we're going straight to meet the partner now.'

Ke Zhongyu gave him a sideways glance: 'I just got off the plane.' He hadn't even taken a sip of water.

Assistant Zhou: 'This schedule was arranged by Secretary Jiang.'

Ke Zhongyu: '......'

What a sin.

He sent a message to Jiang Lai.

【Secretary Jiang, when I come back I want to see your 800-word self-criticism.】

Upon receiving the message, Jiang Lai replied with a question mark.

'What's wrong?' Ke Zhongying inadvertently saw her older brother's private green bubble avatar, 'Is my brother looking for trouble again?'

Shen Xun looked up.

Does President Ke often find fault with Jiang Lai?