Who wants to take the civil service exam after being reborn?

Chapter 670 Unrequited Love is the Longest Gaze (Part 2)

"Can you still cook?"

After a while, Yi Baoyu seemed to come out of his daze, his eyes filled with confusion and hesitation.

Because her judgment of Yu Xuan's character as a "green tea bitch and gold digger" seems to be untenable.

"I can't say yes."

The Sichuan girl smiled, revealing a row of neat, fine white teeth: "It's just a matter of throwing the vegetables into the pot and letting them cook on their own."

Wu Yu shrugged her shoulders again, it seemed like she was having a hard time holding back her laughter.

Chen sighed softly, rubbing his forehead. Everyone could tell that the cosplay girl was teasing the princess.

Of course, this teasing wasn't sharp; it was more like using a playful personality to "poke" at the princess's superior armor.

"Let's eat first."

Chen Zhe was afraid that Gege would get angry if she heard this, so he quickly tried to smooth things over.

There were quite a few people at dinner that night. Besides Chen Zhe and Yu Xian, Wu Yu and her secretary, Yi Baoyu also brought a female bodyguard.

There were also two female staff members from Pace Gallery who came back with General Manager Li Xianglan to have a hot meal.

However, Li Xianglan did not recognize Yi Baoyu and assumed he was also a student at Sun Yat-sen University. She glanced at him but did not pay much attention.

She's been very busy lately, since it's during an exhibition and she has a lot to talk about even while eating.

Everyone sat down around the square table. Yu Xian naturally sat next to Director Chen. But just as she picked up her chopsticks, she suddenly seemed to remember something and deliberately switched the chicken stew with mushrooms and the sweet and sour pork in front of Yi Baoyu.

"what?"

Yi Baoyu watched helplessly as the "bitter melon and beef" dish in front of him was taken away, looking completely bewildered.

"Aren't you from Harbin?"

Yu Xuan pointed to the chicken stew with mushrooms: "This is a common dish in your area."

"I……"

Yi Baoyu blinked.

"Doesn't look authentic?"

Wu Yu noticed Yi Baoyu's reaction and even said, "Xianmei specifically looked up the recipe for this dish on Baidu."

"Oh."

Gege remained silent for a few seconds, pouted, but didn't say "thank you."

"Miss Yi, please have a taste."

Yu Xuan picked up a piece of chicken leg meat and put it into Yi Baoyu's bowl, asking with great anticipation, "How does it taste? Is there anything that needs to be adjusted?"

Gege raised her head, looked at the bright and enthusiastic eyes of the "little vixen," and then at Chen's encouraging gaze. After hesitating for a moment, she took a bite with some skepticism.

Instantly, a rich, oily aroma mixed with the unique fragrance of mushrooms spread across the tongue, and the chicken was so tender and juicy that it fell off the bone, making it incredibly appetizing.

"Hmm... how should I put it?"

Yi Baoyu picked up a napkin, wiped his mouth, and said indifferently, "It's edible, but it's far inferior to the cooking skills of the imperial chefs at Taiye Pond."

"Cut~"

Wu Yu couldn't stand it anymore and turned her head away, muttering, "You're drooling, and you're still being hypocritical."

"What did you say?"

Princess Gege and Wu Yu sat facing each other. Although they couldn't hear clearly, it certainly wasn't anything nice.

"Nothing said, nothing said."

Chen tried to smooth things over while glaring at Wu Yu.

Yi Gege is someone who can't take a joke; why did you provoke her?!
"Don't eat!"

Princess Gege is not only a tough character, but also unreasonable, and her temper can flare up at any moment.

Or rather, when she discovered that Yu Xian was just a glamorous girl who was actually a girl who had helped Chen build his business from scratch and could cook a whole table of dishes, she suddenly felt a tightness in her chest.

At this point, it's just using this as an excuse to start something.

"Lieutenant Zhuang, let's go!"

Yi Baoyu suddenly stood up and slammed the door shut with a loud "bang," sending a gust of cold air into the living room.

Everyone looked at each other.

After a moment, Wu Yu said softly, "I knew it all along, Miss Yi doesn't understand jokes."

"If I'd known, why did you still go and provoke her?"

Xianmei spat at her best friend.

"I rely on!"

Wu Yu cried out in protest: "Weren't you teasing her the whole time? It's a double standard – only the magistrate is allowed to set fires, while I, Wu, am forbidden even to light a lamp!"

"what happened?"

Li Xianglan, who was on the phone inside, was also startled by the commotion and hurriedly came out.

"fine."

Chen kept saying "It's nothing" while rubbing his chest with his hands.

He didn't blame Wu Yu, but he felt that it was easy for things to go wrong when many women got together.

If they can't afford to play mahjong, they'll definitely start arguing.

Who is that girl?

Li Xianglan asked, her tone quite protective: "Such a temper at such a young age, you should avoid associating with her in the future."

"Her father is Yi Aoxiang."

Chen said.

Who is Yi Aoxiang?

Li Xianglan didn't react for a moment, but the surname had already made her subconsciously wary.

"Her uncle is Yi Boxiang."

Chen continued to respond.

Aunt Lan is technically part of the "Beijing circle." Although she rarely pays attention to news in the internet industry, how could she not know about "Yijia"?

She stood there frozen for a few seconds, then suddenly slapped Wu Yu on the head:
"You brat! I told you to read more books, but you insist on raising pigs and messing with just anyone."

"Ouch, that hurts! Who is she? I was just joking. There has to be a reason for everything."

"That surname is unreasonable! And who brought her here?"

……

It was another noisy argument between women.

Adding Faye Wong's "Fleet of Time" as background music at this moment would be very suitable.

"I hope Xiaoyu will be alright. Will this affect your collaboration?"

Seeing how serious Aunt Lan was, Cosplay patted her boyfriend on the shoulder and asked with some concern.

"It's not a big problem."

Chen sighed and said, "It's a bit mentally taxing. I'll go over and take a look. Get two insulated food containers and put some of the dishes on the table into them."

"Is that enough? If not, I'll go and apologize on Xiaoyu's behalf."

The cosplayer's eyes swept across the room with concern, but under the light, the slightly upturned corners of her eyes shimmered with an alluring moisture.

"What are you talking about!"

Chen patted Yu Baibai's hand: "Your man is right here. Even if the sky falls, I'll hold it up. There's no reason for a woman to apologize."

"Tch, Director Chen still carries quite a heavy burden of male chauvinism."

Yu Xian affectionately pinched her boyfriend's ear, then turned and went to the kitchen to find a food container.

During this exhibition, Yu Xuan is both an exhibiting painter and a staff member, and occasionally he brings meals to the exhibition hall.

Watching the cosplayer bending over and rummaging through things, Chen Zhe felt a pang of doubt. He had known Yi Baoyu for quite some time, and although Gege was often impatient, she shouldn't be so angry over such a small matter.

Why is it?

It's best not to issue a formal apology yet, lest a small matter escalate into a major issue. The best approach is to lighten the situation with a joke.

After a while, Yu Xian carefully packed the dishes for dinner and then said to Chen Zhe, "Go on, I'll wait for you to come back before I rest."

"hold head high."

Chen paused almost imperceptibly.

It seems like Sweetie said something similar not long ago.

No matter how much wind and rain there is outside, the light at home will only truly shine when you return.

……

Pudong Shangri-La Hotel.

Yi Baoyu came to Shanghai this time purely because of his own worries, so apart from his biological father Yi Aoxiang, no other family members knew about it, and he didn't even stay in the garrison compound.

Chen Zhe wasn't slow either; he arrived almost right after her. Yi Baoyu had just returned to the private room and hadn't even had a chance to sit down when Chen Zhe's call came in.

She was initially annoyed and didn't want to answer, but Chen sent a message saying he had something important to report.

"What could possibly be wrong!"

Despite saying that, Yi Baoyu still sent over the room number.

Not long after, Chen Zhe appeared in the suite carrying a food box.

"Speak your mind quickly, and then get the hell out of here!"

Yi Baoyu turned her face away and bluntly threw out a sentence.

Chen Zhe was almost desensitized to Gege's attitude, and even felt that this was the normal way Yi Baoyu spoke. He put the food box on the table first and said with a smile:

"Before I came here, I had already given Wu Yu a serious reprimand. She realized her mistake and was crying her eyes out, terrified."

"Later, I couldn't bear it, so I comforted her, saying that Miss Yi is a person of high status, a figure in the heavenly palace, whose vision encompasses the mountains and rivers and the great trends, and she wouldn't care about our insignificant voices."

"Furthermore, if she were to say a few words to you, it would not be to hold a grudge, but rather to show you respect and offer guidance on how to conduct yourself. Of course, given Miss Yi's magnanimity, she would not take such a trivial matter to heart."

……

Yi Baoyu's lips twitched.

Although she really didn't want to forgive him so quickly, this scoundrel's words were too pleasing to the ear; his flattering "treacherous words" struck a chord deep within her.

"Do I need you to teach me how to do things?"

Princess Gege feigned a tough stance, still coldly saying, "What else do you want to say? Report it now!"

"Um……"

Chen hesitated, seemingly considering how to begin.

After hesitating for half a minute, just as Yi Baoyu was about to send him away, Chen Zhe suddenly asked, "Miss Yi, are you very interested in knowing about my past with Yu Xuan?"

Upon hearing this, Yi Baoyu was stunned. She thought that Chen Zhe had seen through her secret thoughts.

A wave of embarrassment washed over her, and her usually impatient gaze now darted away in a flustered manner, unsure of how to respond.

Fortunately, Chen Zhe didn't think that way. He found a reason for Yi Baoyu: "Miss Yi has seen how I get along with Song Shiwei, so she is also curious about my daily life with Yu Xuan and wants to learn some dating experience, right?"

This was the only explanation Chen could come up with for Yi Baoyu's visit to Shanghai after much thought.

According to Yi Aoxiang, his daughter had never been in a relationship before.

Therefore, Chen felt that her several blind dates in the capital always ended in failure.

So, Gege wanted to see more about other people's dating patterns, and she, being a scumbag, just happened to be able to provide a ready-made "model".

As for Wu Yu, she just ran into Yi Baoyu, who had failed in his blind date. It's normal for a young woman like her to be a little temperamental when her marriage prospects are not going well.

Thinking about it this way, the logic of the whole line instantly becomes self-consistent.

"Cough... um... you're right..."

Yi Baoyu's cheeks were burning hot, like molten lava. In fact, she didn't even know what she was saying; she just wanted to get through this as quickly as possible.

Seeing that Gege had also admitted it, Chen suddenly felt that this silly girl was also a bit pitiful. Her understanding of the current situation in China was outdated, and she was like a child who had just begun to understand love.

"Alright, I'll tell you about it then. I hope my experiences can provide some reference for you when you meet the right Mr. Right in the future."

Chen found a chair and sat down.

As he pondered where to begin, he caught a glimpse of "Lieutenant Zhuang" still standing in the corner of the room like a guardian deity.

Although she had no expression, Chen knew that her small ears under her shoulder-length hair must be standing up.

Who doesn't love to hear gossip?

"cough……"

Chen coughed lightly and said with a smile, "I'm naturally a shy person. With another person around, I get so nervous that I don't even know how to start a conversation."

Yi Baoyu was prepared to listen to the story, but seeing him become pretentious again, he could only roll his eyes and say to the guard, "Lieutenant Zhuang, why don't you go next door and get a room to sit in?"

"Yes!"

With good discipline and habits, the other party agreed without hesitation.

"correct!"

Feeling guilty, Chen quickly said, "There's some food I brought with me. Would you like to take it over and try it, beautiful lady?"

Lieutenant Zhuang didn't say anything, but silently accepted the food box. One could imagine that she was secretly complaining.

Why can't I enjoy delicious food while listening to gossip?
"that……"

Yi Baoyu suddenly remembered that unforgettable taste and couldn't help but add, "Remember to save some for me."

"Yes!"

The guard, who had been as sharp and capable as a young cheetah, now slumped his head almost imperceptibly.

Now I can't even eat first, I can only sit and wait next door.

……

After dismissing the "unauthorized personnel," only Chen Zhe and Yi Baoyu remained in the room, sitting facing each other.

To better explain his story, Chen pulled his chair closer.

He was simple-minded, but Gege had already caught a whiff of the man's faint scent.

Yi Baoyu felt a slight burning sensation on the skin behind her ears. To conceal this momentary panic, she subtly switched the position of her crossed legs—

I switched from putting my left leg on top to putting my right leg on top, trying to regain a normal breathing rhythm.

"I think……"

Nothing more went wrong on Chen's side. He stared at a corner of the carpet and, driven by countless memories, slowly said, "Unrequited love is probably the longest gaze one has ever given in their life."

"What do you mean?"

With just a simple sentence, Yi Baoyu was drawn into the atmosphere.

"I've liked Yu Xuan since high school..."

Chen continued to gaze at that corner, but his eyes seemed to soften as he recalled those scenes.
"At that time, she could be said to be the goddess of all the boys in our school, because Yu Xian was more down-to-earth and not as distant and unapproachable as Song Shiwei."

"Actually, I was really shy in high school. To put it this way, if I was late for the morning exercise, I would have to jog past my classmates with my head down."

Chen gave a self-deprecating laugh.

"You must have hated doing exercises during breaks in high school."

Yi Baoyu, empathizing with the situation, spoke from the perspective of someone else.

"No, quite the opposite!"

Chen shook his head: "Back when I was in school, the happiest time of the day was during recess."

"why?"

Gege was taken aback: "Are you a masochist?"

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(Two parts combined, please vote with monthly tickets. I'll be staying up late tonight to catch up on materials, and also check everyone's comments.)
(End of this chapter)