The old man’s single remark made both of them blush like tomatoes.
He Jingchen handed the phone to Tong Yue as if it were a hot potato.
Tong Yue didn’t even have time to wipe her hands before holding the phone to her ear.
“Hello, Grandpa.”
“Good, good! Starting today, you’ll be living together with Jingchen. You two should get along well. If you run into any trouble, tell him about it. And if he ever bullies you, just tell Grandpa, okay? I’ll help you teach him a lesson!”
He Jingchen was speechless. Bullying her? Did he look like that kind of person?
Tong Yue knew it was just polite talk, but her heart still felt warm.
“Grandpa, don’t worry. How could he bully me? I think Jingchen is a really good person, very genuine—”
He Zhiguo was surprised and delighted. It seemed the two of them got along well.
That put his mind at ease. Apparently, that brat was just stubborn with his words.
Such a pretty girl—he didn’t believe he could hold back!
“Good, get along well, you two. I knew from first glance that you were a perfect match. Grandpa’s judgment is never wrong, never wrong. Trust me.”
This remark made Tong Yue feel even more embarrassed.
She and He Jingchen both knew perfectly well that they were playing the role of a married couple, just to make Grandpa happy.
She felt a little guilty, but since it made him happy, she felt much better about it.
Besides, she would pay back that one million bride price.
After hanging up with Grandpa, Tong Yue continued cooking.
She had been busy all morning, showing off her skills, and made a whole table full of dishes.
He Jingchen had been sitting on the sofa playing with his phone the whole time, with various fruits and nuts arranged on the coffee table in front of him.
Watching Tong Yue carry the dishes out of the kitchen, he felt rather awkward just sitting there.
He wiped his hands, got up, and went into the kitchen to help carry the dishes.
Seeing him come to help, Tong Yue was secretly delighted.
She liked men who could see what needed doing.
Soon, the table was filled with dishes—five dishes and a soup, plus a bottle of red wine.
He Jingchen’s family had professional chefs hired from five-star hotels.
In terms of presentation, Tong Yue’s dishes couldn’t compare, but somehow they just made him feel hungry.
“Sit down. You’ve been busy all morning—you must be hungry.”
Tong Yue handed him his chopsticks, and the two sat facing each other and began to eat.
He Jingchen picked up a piece of freshly stir-fried beef and put it in his mouth.
He paused slightly.
The beef was smooth and tender, with a hint of spiciness.
It made him unconsciously take a big mouthful of rice.
He almost suspected these dishes had been made by a chef—how could the cooking be this good?
A rich family’s daughter who could actually cook?
It truly shattered his stereotypes about that group.
He Jingchen had a cousin—his uncle’s daughter—who, let alone cooking, couldn’t even tell the seasonings apart.
His opinion of Tong Yue improved somewhat. At least living with this kind of woman wouldn’t be too much trouble.
“Is it good?” Tong Yue asked.
He Jingchen nodded slightly in response.
Tong Yue bit her lip and smiled secretly. It seemed the food suited his taste—in no time, half the rice in his bowl was gone.
No one had ever said her cooking wasn’t delicious!
He Jingchen tasted every dish, and every one was delicious.
It was then that he casually noticed a band-aid wrapped around Tong Yue’s finger.
“What happened to you?”
Tong Yue glanced at her finger and rubbed it gently, saying nonchalantly, “It’s nothing. I accidentally cut my finger earlier. The bleeding has stopped—it’s no big deal.”
There was still a blood scab on the bandage; it was clearly quite a deep cut.
“I’ll do the dishes after we eat,” He Jingchen offered.
Tong Yue looked at him in surprise.
The words sounded subtle, and her heart inexplicably warmed a few degrees.
He must have noticed the cut on her hand, which was why he offered to do the dishes.
Tong Yue loved this feeling of mutual care. It was so warm and cozy.
After the meal, Tong Yue and He Jingchen cleared the table together.
He Jingchen had never washed a dish in his life—he’d never even washed a cup.
He stared at the sink full of dishes, at a loss.
But he wasn’t stupid either. After a glance at the dish soap and rag on the cutting board, he got to work.
He found a vegetable-washing basin in the kitchen, squeezed some dish soap into it, added hot water, and put the dishes in, wiping them one by one. Finally, he rinsed each one clean under the tap.
His movements were methodical and serious.
Like a researcher handling precision instruments in a lab.
Tong Yue sat on the sofa sipping tea, sneaking glances at him.
A man who could do housework was really handsome.
Holding her phone, she secretly snapped several photos of him.
She couldn’t help thinking of Grandpa He, and quickly opened WeChat, picking the best shot to send over.
When He Zhiguo saw the photo, he was thrilled.
[Good, good! Well taught! A man ought to do housework!]
Tong Yue replied:
[Grandpa, Jingchen is really wonderful. See? He’s very capable.]
[Right! Grandpa’s telling you, you’ve got to put a man to use. He shouldn’t just know how to earn money—he should know his way around the kitchen too. And of course, he needs to have stamina in bed as well!]
Tong Yue’s face flushed red.
Grandpa was too blunt.
How could she possibly do that kind of thing with He Jingchen?
Tong Yue had never done that kind of thing—she didn’t even dare think about it.
That was also why her ex-boyfriend Su Qing had cheated—because she wouldn’t let him.
Tong Yue looked at He Jingchen’s tall, straight figure and broad shoulders, and swallowed.
He Jingchen’s build was just right.
He Jingchen turned around and caught her gawking like a lovesick fool.
Caught red-handed, Tong Yue gave him a sheepish grin and scurried back into the bedroom.
He Jingchen glanced at his own exposed arm, the corner of his lips curving slightly.
Quite the lovesick fool, wasn’t she…
In the afternoon, it suddenly started raining, so the two of them stayed cozy at home.
He Jingchen worked on his laptop at the desk in the bedroom.
Tong Yue sat on the living room sofa, sending out résumés.
From time to time, she looked up.
The door to He Jingchen’s bedroom was open, and from this angle, she could see his cold, chiseled profile.
He Jingchen said he worked in sales. Did people in sales really have this many documents to process?
After working for a while, He Jingchen picked up his phone. Grandpa had sent a message.
[You stubborn brat, still denying it! Yueyue says you washed dishes at home? Didn’t you never set foot in the kitchen?
Good job—keep it up! Win Yueyue over soon! Give me a grandchild!]
He Jingchen pressed his lips together, his face darkening.
He couldn’t sit still.
Phone in hand, he headed to the living room. Tong Yue was frowning at her laptop, the picture of innocence.
He replied immediately.
[Grandpa, who told you I washed dishes? I did NOT wash dishes!]
Who would have thought that the very next second, Grandpa would actually send over a photo of him washing dishes.
He was a bit annoyed, feeling as if someone had dug up his embarrassing past. Grandpa seemed to sense his embarrassment and quickly offered comfort.
[Don’t be shy. Seeing how you’ve changed makes me really happy. Keep it up, keep it going…]
He Zhiguo held his phone, feeling delighted inside.
His grandson had a great career—the only thing that worried him was his love life.
He Jingchen had grown up by his side and his wife’s.
He had a younger brother who had always lived with their parents and was much doted upon.
The lack of love had made He Jingchen competitive and combative. To win, he would do anything—he was cold-blooded.
He Zhiguo hoped Tong Yue could change him, warm him up. Life isn’t just about money; only a good relationship can give life more warmth.
He Jingchen put away his phone, feeling restless and irritable.
After thinking for a moment, he walked to the door and said to Tong Yue with a dark expression, “From now on, don’t send everything to my grandpa.”
Tong Yue looked up in a daze.
Staring at his cold, stern face, she pressed her lower lip tightly.
She quickly realized what was going on.
The smile froze on her face, and she nodded awkwardly. “I understand.”
She felt like someone who had done something wrong and been caught red-handed.
After speaking, He Jingchen shut the bedroom door with a cold face.
Looks like she really needed to protect herself.
……
That evening, Tong Yue made wontons.
After they ate, He Jingchen washed the dishes.
Then he shut himself in his room again.
Tong Yue sat in the living room, sent out some job applications for a while, then started watching TV.
As night fell, Tong Yue’s heart pounded rapidly!
She had never been alone in a house with a man before.
Although they weren’t sleeping in the same bedroom, she still felt very uneasy!
There was a flustered feeling of both hoping something would happen and fearing that something would happen!