Chapter 138: Nothing More to Say. Just Wait for Disaster
Tell me clearly. You annoying love rival, what do you really mean?
Xia Changyu’s plan, of course, was to take the girl in front of him to nicer places, to treat her to something better.
The mistake?
He thought this dinner was just some random takeout that Lin Yibai had packed from a fast food shop.
But if he had known that all this delicious food he was eating was actually handmade by Lin Yibai...
Well, what would he say then?
Lin Yibai wasn’t going to just let this slide. She began to hint at the truth, saying, “Stinky—uh-huh, I mean, Mr. Xia, have you ever thought that this duck soup might be, you know… good for the kidneys and really healthy?”
Xia Changyu: “??”
She continued, “And these braised pork pieces? Made with super fresh ingredients. Taste aside, this is definitely healthy pork belly, freshly cooked, not leftovers.”
Xia Changyu felt a chill: “!!”
Then Lin Yibai opened the disposable chopsticks, stirred the stir-fried greens, and continued,
“Now look at these seasonal vegetables. Don’t they look like they were just bought and just stir-fried?”
Xia Changyu suddenly sat up straight, a serious look on his face. A bad feeling crept into his heart. Could it be...?
But before he could confirm anything, a couple walked out of the business building nearby and started gossiping from a distance.
“Tsk tsk tsk…”
Lin Yibai knew that guy. He worked in international trade too. Basically, a rival from the same building.
He looked at Xia Changyu and Lin Yibai, then at the food in the takeout boxes, and burst out laughing.
“Hahaha! Xia Changyu, don’t tell me your company is going broke? You’re eating this kind of takeout now?”
A little # mark popped up on Lin Yibai’s forehead.
Oh, so you too look down on this takeout? Wait, no, you're saying my handmade meal is cheap?
Then the rival’s girlfriend clung to his arm like she was made of glue, acting all sweet and fake.
“Oh no~ I’d never eat fast food~ I’d never let my boyfriend eat something so unhealthy! She must not really care about Xia Changyu, huh?”
Lin Yibai: What!? I am what!? You think I’ll just let this slide?
Even if these people think I’m Xia Changyu’s girlfriend, fine, let them think that for now.
But insulting my cooking? Saying I don’t care about him?
And just because you know how to act cute, you think you’ve won?
Lin Yibai suddenly leaned in close to Xia Changyu, grabbed his arm, and said in a soft, hurt voice.
“Oh no... is it really not healthy? But my grandma always said that duck soup is super nourishing! I… I simmered it carefully for hours… I didn’t know it was unhealthy… I’m really sorry! I just really care about my dear Changyu!”
Oh god!
Xia Changyu sat up even straighter after hearing that! The girl in front of him wasn't just firing back at that rival couple. She was also making him feel super guilty!
‘I regret it, I should have just been honest earlier, arrrgghhh!!!’
But… being hugged by her felt so nice.
Her big chest pressed against his arm... so warm, so soft...
Oh no! This weird mix of guilt and happiness, what kind of feeling is this!?
And it wasn’t over yet.
Just when you think only guys can be dramatic, Lin Yibai turned it up even more.
She pointed to the braised pork and veggies again and said, “The meat is fresh pork belly. The veggies, I washed them one by one with my own hands. So why would they be unhealthy?”
Did you hear that?
She personally picked out the meat, and washed every single vegetable herself!!
And you DARE say it’s bad!?
At this point, there’s nothing left to complain about.
Then Lin Yibai stared at the rival’s girlfriend, eyes sharp, and delivered the final blow.
“Since you love your boyfriend so much, I’m sure you also cook him a big table full of delicious food every night, right?”
The guy’s face twitched. He knew his girlfriend all too well.
Cook? She probably couldn’t even tell the difference between salt and MSG!
Then he looked again at Xia Changyu’s girlfriend and felt the bitter taste of defeat.
Suddenly, he realized she looked super pretty too. Damn it, now even her looks are far better than his girlfriend’s.
The final blow came when Lin Yibai took out a spare set of disposable bowls and chopsticks, scooped some duck soup for the rival, and handed it to him, saying, “Try it! I made it myself!”
He thought he could make fun of Xia Changyu if there was anything wrong with it. But after one sip…
The rich, fragrant taste made him want to grab a bowl of rice and pour the duck soup over it to make soup-soaked rice. He quietly put the bowl and chopsticks down.
He then grabbed a piece of the braised pork. It was tender, fragrant, and fatty without being greasy. It had the taste of food that was clearly homemade, not from a restaurant.
He lost. Completely lost. He couldn’t find any flaws.
He had already lost to Xia Changyu in business, and now, in terms of girlfriends. He was defeated again.
“Honey, how was it?”
“Shut up. Don’t ask me again.”
“Zhu Jiande, what do you mean? Tell me clearly, who’s better, me or her?”
“What do you mean? Stinky woman, you should go learn how to cook. You’re absolutely useless in the kitchen, you’re worse than a hair on her head!”
“I’m done with you!”
Hair? What hair? That’s all gone, thanks to the system. It’s clean and neat down there!
Unexpectedly, the couple started arguing, and it looked like they were going to break up.
Great.
The rival, Zhu Jiande, and his girlfriend walked off, leaving just Lin Yibai and Xia Changyu.
It was time to deal with the real issue now. Ugh, no, it’s time to deal with the annoying love rival.
Lin Yibai cleared her throat, about to snap, when Xia Changyu already raised a white flag and said, “I’m sorry, I didn’t know you made this yourself!”
Lin Yibai gave him a glare.
Dude, I haven’t even started yelling yet, and you’re already surrendering?
Come on, can’t you at least let me finish my rant first?
Annoyed, she let go of his arm, and after the “big lumps” on his arms were gone, Xia Changyu felt a sense of loss for a moment.
Lin Yibai was also completely confused, not understanding how things had developed this way.
‘Didn’t I say I was going to punish him? But now, no matter how I look at it, it feels like I’m rewarding him.’
Ah, this was not what she expected at all. She felt so frustrated, like she was being outdone by a guy.
Should she keep getting mad at him? Wouldn’t that make her seem petty and childish?
Maybe she should just drop it. But that didn’t feel right.
She really wanted to punch him, leave angrily, and make him chase after her, comfort her, and apologize sweetly.
Wait! Lin Yibai frowned slightly.
‘What’s going on with me? Why do I want him to comfort me? I’m not a girl, why am I thinking like this?’
‘Am I really gonna end up saying again that no matter how I look at it, it's all that stupid love rival's fault?’
It's over. This time, it's really over.
It was all because of that annoying love rival. Wait... why was she blaming him again?
She was starting to act more like a girl. No, she couldn’t let that happen, especially not in front of her annoying love rival.
What was she supposed to do now?