Chapter 188: Being the Girlfriend of My Love Rival for 24 Hours
Lin Yibai had no strength left to fight back.
She even wondered, if her love rival suddenly had bad thoughts at a moment like this… would she be in danger?
Maybe her attitude had changed a bit, but one thing never did, she never backed down in a fight, especially when her love rival started acting like a “bossy CEO.” The more controlling he acted, the more rebellious she became.
Finally, the food was ready. Lin Yibai tried to get up to fill her empty stomach. This time she’d really used up too much energy. She felt like she could eat at least three big bowls of rice.
But just as she was about to get up...
She leaned forward, using both hands to push herself up from the bed, trying to reach her phone that was still charging.
At that moment, her love rival walked into the room, carrying a tray of food in his hands.
Lin Yibai was in an awkward crawling position on the bed, facing Xia Changyu as he walked in. The carelessly wide collar of her shirt offered an alluring glimpse of her big mountains.
“......”
And suddenly, a line from an old song popped into his head. ‘I heard that the snowy mountain peak is very beautiful.’
He asked, “What are you doing?”
Lin Yibai kept crawling on the bed, finally grabbing her phone from the other side. She let out a long breath and said, “We’re about to eat, right? I was just grabbing my phone.”
Then she noticed the food he was holding, and couldn’t help but think it was a bit too much, right?
Like… wasn’t this so exaggerated?
She was just weak, not dying!
Wasn’t this a bit too dramatic? Lin Yibai tried to explain again.
“I’m not that fragile, you know. You don’t have to treat me like I’m so weak. I can move, I can walk, I can go eat by myself.”
Xia Changyu stared at her and said firmly, “Stop talking nonsense.”
Lin Yibai replied, “But—!”
Xia Changyu cut her off, “No buts. You really need to be taken care of right now.”
Lin Yibai frowned and asked, “Taken care of like a baby?”
Xia Changyu looked at her seriously for a moment.
This girl really was too strong and independent.
After he set the food down, they stared at each other for a few seconds… And finally, he gave in.
She wasn’t wrong.
Being caring and gentle was a good thing.
But the one he was taking care of wasn’t a baby who needed coddling. It was the girl he liked.
There were many dishes on the bedroom table. No matter what type of food it was, everything looked carefully made. It was clearly very different from Lin Yibai’s usual cooking style.
Lin Yibai took a bite and commented, “Tastes really good. Looks like a classy city-style dinner. Your cooking isn’t worse than mine at all!”
Xia Changyu gave a bitter smile.
He knew his own skill level. He only knew a few basic tricks in the kitchen. To cook for the girl he liked, he had already given it everything he had.
That so-called “classy style” was really just about making the food look nicer when served. But honestly, the portions were much smaller too!
And meals like this also made people eat more carefully.
He clearly noticed Lin Yibai really liked the cola chicken wings. But since there weren’t many, she probably didn’t eat more out of politeness.
Gradually, Xia Changyu began to realize the difference between his cooking and Lin Yibai’s.
He remembered how many times he had gone to her place for meals. Every time, he ate a lot.
It was a feeling that reminded him of the simple joys of life.
Xia Changyu became serious and said with honesty.
“The dinner you’re eating now is the best I can do. I’m not that great at cooking, I just tried really hard to make it nice. But your food, Baiyi… your cooking tastes like a real chef made it.”
Lin Yibai shrugged and said, “Don’t joke. I learned from my grandma. She used to be the head cook at a state-owned factory’s cafeteria. Though the leaders there often asked her to make special dishes for important guests.”
She always felt that her cooking, taught by her grandma, was more like big hearty meals. Not like those fancy, pretty little dishes.
Compared to others’ “classy” cooking style, her food might seem less refined.
But actually, she forgot to consider if her grandma could win over the stomachs of all those big-shot leaders at the factory. Then clearly, her food wasn’t anything to look down on, right?
Lin Yibai knew she could cook, but she never thought of herself as a professional chef. What she didn’t realize was that the cooking skills she learned from her grandma were actually incredibly good.
Xia Changyu wanted to prove that the girl’s cooking was amazing. He quickly scooped some old duck soup into a bowl for her and asked, “Try this soup. What do you think?”
Lin Yibai took a small sip. The flavor was light and sweet.
So, did he really spend so much money and effort just for the subtle sweetness of the old duck soup?
She raised her eyebrows, paused for a moment, and then gently said,
“If all you wanted was a light soup, why not make clear pork rib soup? Duck soup should be rich and full of flavor. You added rehmannia root and goji berries, but the soup still tastes kind of plain… Honestly, I think your cola chicken wings were much better.”
A little fancy dinner was okay for a love rival like him. But when it came to big dishes like duck soup, braised pork, stewed pork knuckle, or beef, lamb, and fish.
She didn’t say it out loud, but in her mind, none of his dishes could compare to even a single strand of her own.
After one bowl, she already felt full.
Still, she praised him and said, “You did really well. It’s already very tasty.”
Xia Changyu came over to clean up the dishes and smiled bitterly.
“I know how limited my cooking skills are. Honestly, I’d rather eat the pork knuckle you make!”
Lin Yibai laughed, “What pork knuckle?”
Xia Changyu replied slyly, “Didn’t you say only a good wife can make proper pork knuckle?”
A good wife’s pork knuckle?
Actually… she had been joking when she said that!
But still, she went along with it and said, “Alright, alright. If I get the chance, I’ll make you a pork knuckle that only a good wife would make.”
Xia Changyu said, “Then I want to eat it when you’re feeling better.”
Lin Yibai gave him a side-eye and teasingly asked, “In such a hurry, huh?”
Well, with such a beautiful girl, who wouldn’t be in a hurry?
But Lin Yibai had her own way of thinking.
After dinner, she leaned against the big window, looking out at the glowing neon lights and the traffic outside. Her love rival was in the kitchen cleaning up.
She checked her “transformation value” progress bar: 38%!
It had jumped by 3% all of a sudden.
She sighed softly and said, “I’ve been playing around way too much these days. It makes sense that my transformation value jumped like this. The stock market might be crashing, but my own stats are going straight up!”
But even so, Lin Yibai still wanted to say that sneaky love rival, he really is the type who can’t eat hot tofu because he’s too careful. And even if he wanted tofu… maybe she didn’t have any to give him anyway?
So, she decided to get straight to the point.
Leaving the pretty night lights behind, she walked over to the kitchen door and asked directly.
“Tell me, why are you being so nice to me? What do you want in return?”
Xia Changyu froze and quickly waved his hands.
“Baiyi, don’t misunderstand. The reason I got close to you, helped you, and treated you well… it’s because—”
But Lin Yibai was already looking a lot better now and cut him off,
“You got close to me, helped me, and treated me well… I know you’re not some pathetic guy begging for love, and I won’t let you become one either. So, just tell me what you do want.”
Xia Changyu said, “I’m really not that kind of person.”
Lin Yibai shrugged and said with a bit of pity, “So, you don’t want anything in return? No wish, either? Remember what I told you before?”
Xia Changyu: “Huh?”
Lin Yibai reminded him, “You can take what I give you. But if I don’t give it, you can’t try to steal it.”
Now, she was giving him permission to make one wish.
Depending on what kind of wish it was. She might grant it or she might not.
She said, “I’ll give you three seconds to decide. Three… two…”
You’re a guy! Be bold. Don’t be shy.
Finally, just before the countdown ended, Xia Changyu gritted his teeth and said what he wanted.
“24 hours.”
“What do you mean, 24 hours?”
Xia Changyu said, “Be my girlfriend for 24 hours. I want to know what it’s like.”
“......”
“......”
She replied: “Okay.”