In the kitchen, Jiang Ling drank a bottle of nutrient solution. The slight morning hunger in his belly was instantly replaced by a feeling of fullness. However, he couldn’t claim to be enjoying it. The nutrient solution was a tasteless, thick liquid that did nothing to stimulate his taste buds.
In theory, Jiang Ling didn’t need to rely on nutrient solution to satisfy his hunger. But recently, there had been a renowned chef in the palace known for his expertise in Chinese cuisine from the Burke Star, a specialist in Chinese cuisine research. However, after trying it once, Jiang Ling refused to eat it again. He’d rather drink the nutrient solution; the strange taste had been rolling around in his stomach for days.
After stepping away for a moment, he heard the sound of someone pounding the tabletop from the dining table outside the kitchen. Following that, the villain impatiently called out, “Come here!”
Since the last time he hadn’t waited outside the study, Chu Wenyu seemed to have become more sensitive to his presence, making increasingly unreasonable demands. Jiang Ling rubbed his temples, hoping to wait safely until the male lead made his move. Then, he might be able to take advantage of the chaos and return to Charles. For now, he had to endure a bit longer.
Chu Wenyu was neatly dressed, attentively watching Jiang Ling as he walked in from the kitchen. The table in front of him was untouched; he was specifically waiting for the Alpha to pick and serve his food. This anticipation had surprisingly made the usually most boring time of the day quite exciting.
“Why are you dawdling?” Chu Wenyu’s tone wasn’t pleasant, and his expression was sour. However, he hadn’t truly been as angry with Jiang Ling as he had been in the past. After all, he had experienced Jiang Ling’s temper, and as long as he still enjoyed this state to some extent, he tried to be considerate.
“What would you like to eat, Your Majesty?” Jiang Ling asked in a businesslike manner, picking up his chopsticks and preparing to serve Chu Wenyu.
Chu Wenyu looked at the dishes on the table; he didn’t have much of an appetite, but he still selected a few items. He watched as Jiang Ling added the food to his plate, expecting him to continue serving. However, Jiang Ling showed no intention of eating himself.
Initially, Chu Wenyu had wanted to witness the scene of Alpha feeding him, but now he couldn’t eat either. He pursed his lips, abruptly pushing the plate in front of him aside and asked with each word pronounced distinctly, “Why aren’t you eating?”
“I’m not hungry,” Jiang Ling casually replied, just wanting the man to stop causing a scene.
However, Chu Wenyu didn’t think so. He snorted and had someone summon the imperial chef. If Jiang Ling didn’t like the food prepared by this person, then they needed to find out why.
When the royal chef entered the palace, he was taken aback by the mess on the floor. He couldn’t figure out the reason. He had always been preparing these dishes, and His Majesty couldn’t have suddenly become dissatisfied today. Moreover, he wasn’t boasting, but no one could be dissatisfied with his dishes.
He carefully observed Chu Wenyu’s expression and nervously asked, “Your Majesty, what brings you to summon me?”
“These dishes…are not good. Redo them until I’m satisfied,” Chu Wenyu didn’t even glance at the kneeling chef, occasionally glancing at Jiang Ling instead.
Jiang Ling never imagined it was because he hadn’t eaten. He had thought the villain was causing trouble again, given his unpredictable nature.
The chef was sweating profusely and couldn’t help but defend himself, “Your Majesty, these are all authentic Chinese dishes. If you don’t like this type of cuisine, I can’t…”
Thinking about the dark and complex seasonings, the intricate variety of ingredients, and the mysterious flavors, Jiang Ling’s mouth twitched. This was far from authentic Chinese cuisine.
“Really? But Prince Jiang Ling doesn’t seem to like it,” Chu Wenyu mused, contemplating the need to find out what people in Charles Star enjoyed eating. Alpha’s continually expressionless face had been affecting his mood.
It turned out it was because of this hostage.
The palace chef, feeling somewhat offended, said, “Then the Prince must understand Chinese cuisine better than us.” He had never received criticism before.
Just as Chu Wenyu was considering replacing the chef and sending him away, he overheard his muttering and paused for a moment. Suddenly, he thought of something more interesting, a mischievous smile playing on his lips, and he let the chef go.
His stomach felt quite uncomfortable, but Chu Wenyu paid little attention to it as he casually rubbed his belly. Then, he looked at Jiang Ling and said, “Since these dishes are already ruined, how about you make something new for me?”
He seemed surprisingly unafraid of eating experimental dishes, his eyes filled with curiosity.
Jiang Ling, on the other hand, noticed the pale hand covering the other’s stomach and suppressed the urge to refuse. He was going all out to tease him, even if it meant disregarding his own well-being. Under this pity, Jiang Ling couldn’t bring himself to be angry; after all, who made the villain’s bad ideas so cute.
In his previous life, he had lived alone and knew how to cook, but he could only prepare some simple home-cooked meals. However, they were much tastier than what was served here. But he wasn’t sure if Chu Wenyu could handle it.
Seeing Jiang Ling enter the kitchen without a word, Chu Wenyu was somewhat surprised. He had hoped to see a more irritated reaction. But for some inexplicable reason, he felt a softness in his heart, like it had melted for the first time. This was the first time he had been treated softly, not because of the monarch’s coercion or intimidation.
Chu Wenyu followed, pushing his wheelchair into the kitchen, simply wanting to enjoy the sight of Jiang Ling bustling about.
“Why are you coming in? The floor here is greasy,” Jiang Ling said as he prepared to make winter melon and pork rib soup, along with two simple side dishes. He didn’t mind if the villain ate or not. Seeing the villain who was born with an annoying title on his head following him into the kitchen, the wheelchair’s tires pressing onto the possibly slippery floor, annoyed him.
To avoid safety issues, Jiang Ling pushed Chu Wenyu out, leaving him standing there, seemingly unbothered by the fact that a hostage had quite the audacity.
His anger didn’t last long. Chu Wenyu glanced up to find that Jiang Ling’s glasses had fogged up, obscuring his gem-like eyes. Without any hesitation, he reached out and took them off.
Alpha blinked, feeling uncomfortable but not objecting to being seen without his glasses. He simply felt that wearing glasses while cooking wasn’t practical, so he didn’t say anything and put the wheelchair back into the kitchen.
Chu Wenyu’s anger disappeared without a trace, replaced by a sense of submission as he obediently held the glasses outside. His complexion wasn’t attractive, and his eyes lacked vitality, as if he hadn’t reacted yet, and the next moment he suddenly felt threatening Charles Star to surrender the hostage might have been a good decision.
Well, even if Jiang Ling’s cooking turned out to be inedible, he would reluctantly take a few bites.
Chu Wenyu felt that it was rare for him to be kind.
Jiang Ling worked quickly, and once the soup was ready, he served the dishes on the table. The aroma wafted from the kitchen to the dining table.
Chu Wenyu had never smelled such a refreshing scent before. Just a whiff made him strangely hungry, the first time he had ever felt such a craving for food.
He still had Jiang Ling put food on his plate and filled a small bowl with soup. Chu Wenyu first took a sip of the soup, its sweet and savory flavor spreading in his mouth. The aroma filled his nostrils, and the rich milky white color in the bowl looked appealing. It warmed his stomach, making him feel comfortable. He took a few more sips, and his eyes lit up.
After filling his belly and quenching his thirst, he regained a hint of his royal aura, saying, “The taste isn’t bad at all.” Originally, he just wanted to see what Jiang Ling’s cooking looked like, but he hadn’t expected it to be so delicious.
He propped up his cheek, playing with his glasses in one hand, then tossed them into the trash can. He glanced at Alpha’s face, and with a very casual tone, he said, “No more wearing these in the future.” It was one thing to hide them in front of others, but he shouldn’t hide them in front of him.
Jiang Ling, looking into Chu Wenyu’s eyes, inexplicably felt a bit strange. Even though his tone was somewhat cheeky, his eyes seemed soft.
Jiang Ling replied perfunctorily, still not liking the idea of the villain interfering with his daily habits.
The other’s eyes drooped, wearing that kind of indifferent expression again, which made Chu Wenyu impatient. Why was he getting angry again? He thought about what happened a few days ago and asked awkwardly, “Do you really dislike Wilson so much?”
Jiang Ling thought to himself, this question, let alone Wilson, he didn’t really like the person in front of him either.
Chu Wenyu assumed that Jiang Ling had tacitly agreed. He rubbed his temples, looked somewhat irritated for a moment, but ultimately said, “It’s going to be hard to handle Wilson’s family in a short time. We’ll have to keep him around for a bit longer. Don’t be in a hurry.” He didn’t want Jiang Ling to get annoyed with him over this matter again; it would only make him more impatient.
Jiang Ling thought he must have misheard. He just watched the villain deep in thought, seemingly figuring out how to deal with Wilson. Wait, what was the purpose? Wasn’t this the villain’s chief guard?
“What did Wilson do wrong…?” Jiang Ling asked somewhat strangely.
“Don’t you hate him?” Chu Wenyu looked at him with a completely natural expression, his soft black hair covering his ears, and even a strand of stray hair, his gloomy demeanor suddenly vanished.
Jiang Ling: … Do you even understand who I am and who he is?
Oh no, it’s over, it’s over, what should I do if I suddenly find the tyrant cute?
This is so frustrating.
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
