VFGRC Chapter 91

At 7 o’clock in the evening, the sun gradually descended in the west, while the moon lazily climbed up the branches.

Following his usual routine, when Yu Bai took a short nap in the afternoon, he usually slept for two or three hours before waking up.

Ji Rongyu estimated that Yu Bai should be waking up soon. He quietly opened a small door in the bedroom door.

Yu Bai, who was sleeping on the bed, shifted slightly, then quickly fell back asleep.

A soft and tender little hand lightly touched Ji Rongyu’s left calf.

Ji Rongyu looked down and met a pair of round ink-black eyes.

Xing Xing whispered, “I’m here watching Dad sleep, he hasn’t woken up yet!”

Ji Rongyu closed the bedroom door a little, and Xing Xing’s voice became a bit louder.

“After Dad wakes up, what is he going to eat for dinner?”

Ji Rongyu: “I’ve ordered a refreshing dinner suitable for pregnant people. It should be delivered soon…”

“Takeout?” Xing Xing pouted, “Which restaurant? Is it clean?”

Ji Rongyu: “…Absolutely clean.”

He had specifically hired a trustworthy chef who was skilled in making light and refreshing meals. This chef had received investments from the “G Group” and was helping prepare dinner for Yu Bai.

“What if the dishes you ordered aren’t what Dad likes?” Xing Xing grumbled, “I thought you would make dinner for Dad yourself.”

Ji Rongyu: “I don’t know how to cook.”

Even the picky eater Ji Rongyu had considered learning how to cook at one point. That way, he wouldn’t have to go through so much trouble searching for his preferred food around the world.

But… while God had opened a window for Ji Rongyu’s discerning palate, it had firmly shut the door to his culinary talents.

“If you don’t know, you can learn!” Xing Xing crossed his arms over his chest, “You’ve watched Dad cook for so long, haven’t you learned to make any dish?”

“Cooking isn’t as easy as you think.” Ji Rongyu lightly patted Xing Xing’s little head, “Washing, chopping, frying, seasoning… it all takes practice.”

Xing Xing immediately covered his little head with his small paw, and his round eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at Ji Rongyu.

“But some dishes are simple, just washing, chopping, and adding some sugar! Dad used to love sugar-coated tomatoes in the autumn and hot weather! ”

Ji Rongyu raised an eyebrow.

So Xing Xing had been talking to him for so long just to set him up to make sugar-coated tomatoes for Yu Bai?

This little scoundrel Xing Xing not only had as many holes in his mind as a sieve but also liked to beat around the bush when speaking.

Ji Rongyu: “So, you want me to make sugar-coated tomatoes?”

Xing Xing blinked his watery round eyes, and his gaze shifted slightly to the side.

“Dad won’t let me into the kitchen. Otherwise, I would have made this dish for him a long time ago!” Xing Xing looked at his own toes, “Doctor Uncle said that Dad needs to eat more fruits. Sugar-coated tomatoes are sweet and sour, they can stimulate the appetite and provide nutrition. Dad will definitely like them!”

“When Dad didn’t feel well or was sick before, he liked to eat lighter foods. Like fragrant and sticky millet porridge, sour cucumbers, spicy cabbage…”

Ji Rongyu: “Yu Bai can’t eat pickled foods.”

“I know that!” Xing Xing was eager, “So, we can make something Dad usually likes and can eat, right?”

Ji Rongyu furrowed his brows: “But what if I’m not good at cooking…”

“I’ll teach you!” Xing Xing patted his little chest, his chubby face carried a trace of pride, “I watch Dad cook every day. I’ve learned to make several dishes!”

Xing Xing believed that if he weren’t so young and if Yu Bai didn’t keep him out of the kitchen, he could definitely make a delicious meal for his dad!

He’s definitely not like someone, growing up this big and still not knowing how to cook!

Ji Rongyu looked at Xing Xing skeptically, “Are you sure you’ve learned?”

“I promise! I’m sure!” Xing Xing emphasized, “If Dad wakes up and finds a table full of delicious dishes prepared for him, he’ll definitely be happy!”

Xing Xing’s words successfully swayed Ji Rongyu.

“Well… let’s give it a try.”

—

Yu Bai woke up from a nap, realizing that the sky outside had turned dark.

Feeling drowsy, he picked up the phone by the bed and checked the time.

Yu Bai thought he had just dozed off for a while, but to his surprise, when he woke up, it was already 8 o’clock in the evening.

Yu Bai sat up, and the second child in his belly seemed a little hungry, causing his belly to occasionally shift uneasily, moving around.

Yu Bai got out of bed, and the second child gradually quieted down.

Pushing open the bedroom door, Yu Bai caught a whiff of a sweet and fragrant scent coming from the living room.

Yu Bai’s round eyes narrowed slightly for a moment.

“Dad! You’re awake!”

Yu Bai looked at Xing Xing.

Xing Xing grabbed Yu Bai’s hand. “Dinner is ready! Let’s eat together!”

Yu Bai walked to the dining table and found Ji Rongyu busy arranging the dishes.

Yu Bai furrowed his brows lightly. “You guys haven’t had dinner? You’ve been waiting for me until now?”

Ji Rongyu’s hand naturally wrapped around Yu Bai’s waist. “I wasn’t very hungry before, and… I wanted to have dinner with you.”

Xing Xing wasn’t to be outdone. His soft little hand pulled Yu Bai’s hand. “I also want to have dinner with Dad! I wasn’t hungry before either!”

After Xing Xing finished speaking, Ji Rongyu and Xing Xing exchanged a glance, and sparks flew between them.

Yu Bai, who was accustomed to the competition and jealousy between the little one and the big one, calmly found a seat and sat down.

“Let’s have dinner.”

Xing Xing and Ji Rongyu sat on either side of Yu Bai.

Ji Rongyu picked up a piece of braised beef and handed it to Yu Bai. “Yu Bai, this beef is marinated exceptionally well.”

Xing Xing then picked up a piece of shrimp and put it in Yu Bai’s bowl. “Dad! These stir-fried shrimp are crispy and bouncy. Dip them in sweet vinegar. They’re tastier and more nutritious than beef!”

Ji Rongyu: “Stir-fried celery with lily bulbs, it has a light flavor, you should like it…”

Xing Xing: “This is lotus root and pork rib soup, your favorite to drink…”

Seeing his bowl almost becoming a small mountain, Yu Bai immediately signaled them to stop.

Xing Xing and Ji Rongyu put down their chopsticks, both looking at Yu Bai with innocent eyes.

“I’ll serve myself…” Yu Bai added, “With so many dishes, I’ll taste them one by one slowly. You don’t need to help me.”

Around the dining table, the invisible tension, like smoke from fireworks, dissipated with Yu Bai’s words.

However, Yu Bai’s morning sickness hadn’t improved yet, and some dishes he used to enjoy were now hard to swallow.

As the dishes on the table turned, Yu Bai sampled them one by one. However, Xing Xing and Ji Rongyu couldn’t determine from Yu Bai’s expression whether he liked these dishes.

When the last dish arrived in front of Yu Bai, both Xing Xing and Ji Rongyu involuntarily held their breath.

Sliced tomatoes covered in sugar were spread out, and the dish had likely been left for a while, causing most of the sugar on the tomatoes to melt into the flesh.

Yu Bai put a piece of sugar-coated tomato into his mouth, and his eyes blinked lightly.

“Yu Bai, do you like the sugar-coated tomatoes?”

“Dad, do you like the sugar-coated tomatoes?”

Xing Xing and Ji Rongyu asked in unison.

While Yu Bai was asleep, Xing Xing and Ji Rongyu attempted to prepare some dishes.

However, unfortunately… the majority of the dishes ended in failure. Ji Rongyu managed to barely succeed with the simplest and least technically demanding dish—sugar-coated tomatoes.

“Hmm…” Yu Bai elongated his voice, “Not bad, quite tasty.”

Seeing a hint of joy in Xing Xing’s eyes, Yu Bai added.

“This sugar-coated tomato dish is the most appetizing one for me to eat.”

Yu Bai asked, “Where did you guys buy these dishes today? They all taste great. Next time, when we have time, we can go to the restaurant to try them… If I have the chance to meet the chef, I’ll praise their sugar-coated tomatoes, they’re really delicious.”

Xing Xing’s eyes gleamed, “Are sugar-coated tomatoes really that good? But I think they’re just okay. Dad’s sugar-coated tomatoes are the best!”

“Everyone’s taste is different. For example, this sugar-coated tomato dish… if less sugar is added, the sourness of the tomatoes becomes more pronounced, but it also becomes more appetizing.”

Yu Bai pinched Xing Xing’s chubby cheeks, “You like sweet things, that’s why you find this sugar-coated tomato dish average in taste.”

Xing Xing’s big round eyes twinkled.

So, Dad likes the sour sugar-coated tomatoes they made!

Xing Xing took a bite of the sugar-coated tomato with his chopsticks, and his lips unconsciously curled up, revealing two beautiful dimples on his chubby face.

Yu Bai asked, “Why are you smiling so happily?”

Xing Xing was serious, “Nothing! Just…”

Xing Xing thought for a moment, looking at the sugar-coated tomato on his chopsticks.

“Just… I actually think now that this sour sugar-coated tomato is delicious!”

Although Xing Xing only played a guiding role throughout the preparation of this sugar-coated tomato dish, his involvement was essential for its success.

Yu Bai enjoying this sugar-coated tomato dish was seen by Xing Xing as Yu Bai’s approval of his efforts.

Receiving Yu Bai’s approval, Xing Xing’s eyes curved into two adorable crescent moons.

After the three finished dinner, Xing Xing was in the bathroom freshening up, while Yu Bai and Ji Rongyu sat in the living room watching TV.

Ji Rongyu sat by Yu Bai’s side. With the little light bulb not around, Ji Rongyu became a bit bolder in his actions.

One of his hands wrapped around Yu Bai’s waist, his head resting on Yu Bai’s shoulder, and his body pressed against Yu Bai, like a large pendant.

“Ring, ring,” Ji Rongyu’s phone vibrated.

The reminder alarm he set went off.

Every evening at this time, it’s when Yu Bai eats fruits.

Ji Rongyu: “I can see you really like the sugar-coated tomatoes in the evening… Should I go get you another serving?”

Yu Bai: “How would you do it?”

Yu Bai: “Do you want to make another serving of sugar-coated tomatoes for me?”

Ji Rongyu immediately sat up straight: “Do you know I made the sugar-coated tomatoes?”

“With so many dishes in the evening, only the tomatoes in the sugar-coated tomato dish were unevenly sliced…” Yu Bai said, “When I was sick and had no appetite before, I liked eating sugar-coated tomatoes. But how did you know about this? Did Xing Xing tell you?”

Ji Rongyu nodded honestly.

“But rest assured, I made this sugar-coated tomato dish. I didn’t let Xing Xing touch the knife,” Ji Rongyu hesitated for a moment, “Is the sugar-coated tomato dish I made really delicious?”

“To be honest, the taste is average. The thin parts of the tomatoes are a bit sweet, and the thick parts are too sour… It would be better if the thickness were more even. But…”

Yu Bai’s lips curled up.

“You’re a beginner, and achieving this level is already quite good. This sugar-coated tomato dish is indeed my favorite among all the dishes in the evening… here’s a reward for you.”

The next moment, Yu Bai’s lips pressed against Ji Rongyu’s cheek.

Ji Rongyu’s heart skipped a beat in that instant. He held Yu Bai’s waist tightly. As he was about to kiss back, the sound of the bathroom door being pushed open came from behind.

“Dad, I’m done washing up!”

Yu Bai pushed Ji Rongyu aside in one swift motion and turned to Xing Xing, saying, “Then go back to your room and tidy up the bed first…”

It wasn’t until Xing Xing returned to his own room that Yu Bai refocused his attention on Ji Rongyu.

Ji Rongyu, who had been pushed aside, looked at Yu Bai with a pitiful gaze.

“You pushed me so hard just now.” Ji Rongyu covered his chest with one hand and complained, “You pushed me so hard that it hurts. I need to rub it to make it feel better.”

“You have thick skin and strong muscles, and you’re tough all over. It was your push that made my hand hurt. How could my push hurt you?” Yu Bai said, “If you want a rub, do it yourself.”

Ji Rongyu: “You’re so heartless.”

Ji Rongyu’s phoenix-like eyes brightened, “But… is your hand hurting? How about I help you rub it?”

Even though Ji Rongyu’s expression might seem innocent and pure, Yu Bai could still see the desire surging in his heart.

While Ji Rongyu mentioned rubbing his hand on his mouth, he actually had more in mind than just his hand.

Of course, Yu Bai wouldn’t give Ji Rongyu the chance to “rub.”

Yu Bai: “No need, my hand doesn’t hurt anymore.”

“Oh, I see…” A trace of disappointment crossed Ji Rongyu’s handsome face. He added, “I put a lot of effort into making the sugar-coated tomatoes today. Is this all the reward you’re giving me?”

Yu Bai: “What do you want to do then?”

“I want to…”

Behind them, the sound of Xing Xing pushing open his bedroom door resonated again.

Ji Rongyu paused.

Ever since Ji Rongyu and Yu Bai started living together, Ji Rongyu constantly missed the small house where Yu Bai and Xing Xing used to live. That house had only one bedroom and a living room, where he could find various reasons and excuses to sleep with Yu Bai.

However, after Yu Bai moved to a new house, the rooms became larger and the number of bedrooms increased. Since the day Ji Rongyu moved in, he had always been sleeping in a guest room. Despite his efforts, he couldn’t manage to sleep in the same room as Yu Bai.

Of course, Ji Rongyu understood that the relationship between him and Yu Bai had just started to change, and Yu Bai wasn’t used to living with him in the same room. He wasn’t accustomed to doing things that were more intimate in nature while awake.

However, Ji Rongyu knew very well that their relationship couldn’t remain stagnant like this. He needed an opportunity to break through, to take their relationship further.

Whispering softly near Yu Bai’s ear, Ji Rongyu said, “Yu Bai, I want to sleep with you.”

Yu Bai remained silent.

“…Sure,” he finally responded.