Chapter 30: Thinking a Meal Is Enough to Dismiss Me?

Zhu Yuan was worried about her grandfather, so she took a long time to eat her meal, and the rice in her bowl was only half gone.

Suddenly, the phone placed to the side rang.

The caller ID showed the number from the hospital.

She hurriedly answered it.

"Miss Zhu, I am one of Tu Ge's subordinates. Your grandfather has woken up, but he is still weak. He fell back asleep not long after waking, so you don't need to worry; the doctor said this is a normal phenomenon."

Zhu Yuan was stunned.

It seemed to be the same Bodyguard who had driven her home from Sheng Tang last time.

He was actually calling her from the hospital's landline.

Was it at Sheng Yu's instruction?

"Okay, I understand, thank you."

After hanging up the phone, Zhu Yuan let out a sigh of relief. Looking at the remaining half bowl of rice, her mood suddenly lightened, and she began to eat faster.

……

As evening approached the end of the workday, Situ took a document and knocked to enter the President Office.

After Sheng Yu finished signing, he asked, "Young Master Yu, are you working overtime tonight?"

"What is she doing?" Sheng Yu leaned against the back of his chair and tapped a cigarette out of the pack.

He didn't name anyone, but Situ understood immediately who he was asking about.

Recalling the call from the Bodyguard at the Hot Spring Villa ten minutes ago, he answered truthfully, "She is cooking."

"What?"

The motion of lighting the cigarette paused, and Sheng Yu raised his eyes to look at him.

That look was like a reprimand, so Situ answered again, "Miss Zhu is cooking."

The man crushed the unlit cigarette in his hand and tapped his fingers on the desk twice. "Go get the car."

"Yes."

Sheng Yu stood up, picked up his coat from the rack, and threw it over himself. He loosened his tie with one hand and strode out of the office with his long legs. The lights from outside the open door cast onto him, stretching his tall shadow infinitely across the floor.

The elevator doors opened, and he saw Sheng Hongyao inside.

His gaze paused only slightly, but his footsteps did not stop; he walked straight in without any intention of greeting him.

The originally spacious elevator car became cold and pressurized because of his entry.

The special assistant and executives beside Sheng Hongyao didn't dare to breathe loudly. Sheng Yu's behavior of answering the phone in public during the executive meeting today had already made Sheng Hongyao very displeased, and now he was even more arrogant; no one wanted to be caught in the crossfire, so they all lowered their heads to minimize their presence.

But fortunately, other than the eerie atmosphere, no one spoke.

The elevator reached the first floor.

Sheng Yu stepped out first.

"Your grandmother called and told you to come back for dinner." No matter how angry Sheng Hongyao was, he would not scold Sheng Yu in front of outsiders.

This was the first time the father and son had spoken since Sheng Yu hit Shen Yijing in front of him last time.

"I have food to eat."

"What kind of dinner party is more important than your grandmother?"

Sheng Hongyao took it for granted that someone had arranged a dinner party, so he felt displeased by this.

Sheng Yu stopped his footsteps and leisurely put on his suit jacket, leaving the collar open just like that, as if saying it casually: "It is quite important."

"A woman?" Sheng Hongyao narrowed his eyes.

Sheng Yu rarely attended dinner parties, let alone saying that a dinner party was "quite important."

No wonder people often say that no one knows a son better than his father; even though their relationship was like fire and water, Sheng Hongyao was the one who understood him.

Sheng Yu chuckled. "Want to know?"

He was taller than Sheng Hongyao, and he lowered his eyes to scan the other man's cold, stern face. "Then send someone to follow me."

After dropping this sentence, he turned and left the lobby of the Sheng Group.

Of course, Sheng Hongyao would send people to follow Sheng Yu; he also wanted to know who the woman beside Sheng Yu was.

But his men lost Sheng Yu again.

A cunning rabbit has three burrows, and Sheng Yu had countless properties outside; he was a drifter, and where he went tonight depended entirely on his mood.

He had once dispatched men to surround his various houses, but he still couldn't find any information about that woman.

Except for one place, of course.

The Hot Spring Villa.

But that place was left behind by Sheng Yu's mother and was heavily guarded; however, he did not believe Sheng Yu would take a woman there.

……

The black sedan drove into the Hot Spring Villa.

Before the car even pulled up, Sheng Yu saw the lights on in the small white building. He narrowed his eyes slightly, the expression in his eyes unclear.

Zhu Yuan brought the dishes out from the kitchen and heard the sound of an engine outside. She couldn't help but grip the plate tightly, forgetting that the bottom of the plate was not heat-insulated, and burned her fingertips.

She flinched, snapping back to reality, quickly placed the plate on the table, and raised her hand to blow on it a few times.

The door opened, and she immediately lowered her hand.

The tall and long-legged Sheng Yu walked in from outside, wearing his usual indifferent expression.

He scanned the dishes on the table faintly.

At a glance, everything was red.

Chili peppers.

Even the soup was not spared.

Situ, who had entered the room behind them, took one look and was just about to remind Zhu Yuan.

Sheng Yu strode over with his long legs, pulled out a dining chair to sit down, and stared at Zhu Yuan, "What, are you treating me to an all-chili feast?"

Zhu Yuan felt uneasy under his gaze.

She glanced at the dishes on the table and explained, "I didn't know what you liked to eat, so I just made a few things. I grew up in Yucheng, so I only know how to cook spicy food. But don't worry, even though it looks like there are a lot of chilies, it's actually not very spicy."

She had used a low standard for the amount of chili, fearing that Sheng Yu wouldn't be used to it and would find fault again.

"You didn't ask me what dishes I like and just took it upon yourself to decide; is this the sincerity of your gratitude?"

There was no need to think to know that making a table full of dishes like this was to thank him for his help earlier today.

Zhu Yuan choked, "You can just consider it as the guest following the host's convenience."

"Hmm?" Sheng Yu raised an eyebrow.

Zhu Yuan realized she had said the wrong thing; this was Sheng Yu's territory, so she hurriedly corrected herself, "The host follows the guest's convenience."

Sheng Yu scoffed, "You should be glad that I'm not a picky eater."

Situ had gone out at some point, and only Zhu Yuan and Sheng Yu were left in the room.

Sheng Yu picked up his chopsticks, preparing to eat, but as Zhu Yuan passed by him, she was suddenly gripped tightly by the wrist.

The man's warm fingers completely wrapped around her wrist, and Zhu Yuan was startled, wanting to pull her hand back.

Sheng Yu saw her instinctive reaction, yet he pulled her toward him effortlessly, "Did you buy the groceries yourself?"

Zhu Yuan braced one hand against the dining table to keep from falling into his arms.

Her heart was beating wildly, and unable to keep up the pretense, she looked toward the outside of the villa and said, "I didn't know where to buy groceries, so I wrote the list for the Bodyguard at the door and asked them to help buy them."

Sheng Yu chuckled, "You dare to order my people around?"

He lowered his eyes to look at the slender wrist gripped in his palm; Zhu Yuan had rolled up her sleeves while cooking, and the marks left by his fingers that night had already faded quite a bit.

"It's not ordering them around." Zhu Yuan only felt her wrist burning as if it were on fire, "It was asking them for a favor; cooking for you, you aren't losing out."

It was the first time Sheng Yu had heard someone talk about inconveniencing others with such righteous confidence.

He couldn't help but pull her a few inches closer, staring at her with deep, dark eyes, "I helped you with such a big favor, and you want to dismiss me with one meal?"