Gu Qingjiao, having reaped the benefits, entered a life of ease where she spent money like water. These days, she was busy frantically shopping on her phone.
She bought several sets of beautiful clothes, top-tier skincare products and bags, and even bought a barbecue grill and hot pot base. She could only blame the fact that the meals in web novel wealthy families were all too rare, while those down-to-earth foods were nowhere to be found. With no other choice, whenever cravings struck, she simply had to buy the ingredients and make them herself.
At six in the evening, just a second after finishing two abalones, Gu Qingjiao went out to the garden to set up the barbecue grill, dug out some cookable vegetables from the kitchen, and enjoyed a delightful midnight snack all by herself.
The rich aroma of barbecue drifted into the air, swirling around and catching the attention of many people. Passersby originally thought some master chef was cooking a private meal in secret, but when they walked closer, it turned out to be none other than Gu Qingjiao!
[Quick, grab some melon seeds! That person actually knows how to grill vegetables. Unheard of [Picture] [Picture]]
[What is that? It looks so delicious!]
[I smelled it from the garden earlier! Such a unique scent, I really want to taste one!]
[Starting to eat again right after dinner, not even pigs eat this much.]
[People eat and do not even gain weight, what are you worrying about?]
[Why eat these things? Is our family chef’s skill not good enough?]
System: [Host, they are mocking you.]
Gu Qingjiao coated a freshly grilled piece of small tofu thoroughly in finely crushed chili powder, shoved it into her mouth in one bite, and then filled a cup with a small drink of wine.
“Whatever.”
The system continued: [For every day you do not switch identities, every day you get mocked.]
Gu Qingjiao took out that treasured diamond card and flashed it at the system across the air. “I want to switch too, but he gives me money.”
The system was extremely disdainful: [Host is lustful and greedy for money, you will suffer a huge loss sooner or later.]
Gu Qingjiao had no time to spare for it right now, focusing entirely on eating the table full of barbecue. Before long, this fresh little food stall gradually attracted even more people.
Some passersby smelled the scent and stopped by to take a look, while others rushed over specifically because of group chat messages. None of them had ever tried this way of eating before. They used to think that searing a layer of skin onto food over charcoal fire was neither clean nor tasty, but now seeing it firsthand, they suddenly found it immensely novel. Moreover, watching Miss Gu eat with such relish inexplicably stirred up their appetites, growing a sour, hungry little worm in everyone’s stomach.
Having read their chat history in the group, Gu Qingjiao knew some people were already craving it. Since she was in a good mood today, she generously shared a little bit with everyone, leading to the current scene where several people sat around her and intermittently ate with her.
After it ended, the various small chat groups resumed their discussions.
[Hiss, ha! I have decided to eat this once every day from now on!]
[Miss Gu’s barbecue is too fragrant!]
[Right, especially that chili, it simply blows off my skull! So spicy and addictive!]
[Still want to eat! Will she make it tomorrow?]
[Were you guys drugged? One and all are so obsessed.]
Even the system found it strange: [Host, did you drug them? Otherwise, why are they all starting to praise you?]
Gu Qingjiao: “???”
Clearly, it was all due to pure skill, okay!
Late at night, Jason walked toward the study holding a tablet, unable to hold back his laughter the moment he closed the door.
This rough-man-like laughter gave Shi Lijin, who had finally managed to get some free time to read a book, a headache. Supporting his forehead with his left hand, his thumb and middle finger naturally massaged both of his temples.
Jason: “Hahaha, the movie Miss Gu put on is so interesting, hahaha!”
“It is just a movie, what is so funny about it.”
Jason explained concisely to him: “The movie is about a guy who wanted to woo a girl and actually gave her all his houses and cars, even his bank cards. And guess what happened? The girl turned around and ran off with someone else! Isn’t he just too stupid, hahahaha!”
After laughing toward the sky, Jason noticed the expression on the opposite side suddenly turned weird. He promptly closed the tablet, set it on the desk, placed the food container from his other hand down as well, and stood obediently at attention.
Shi Lijin: “Have you laughed enough?”
“Enough.”
“I told you to monitor the entire Nanzhuang, why are you only watching what she does, what is so interesting about her?”
“No, I, I…” Jason suddenly became too nervous to speak coherently. “It is just that everyone else is too boring, they only know how to gossip. Only Miss Gu is a breath of fresh air in Nanzhuang.”
Shi Lijin cast a glance at his food container. “What is that?”
“This is the small tofu Miss Gu grilled for us, it is so delicious!”
“You guys?”
“Yeah, Miss Gu grilled them for us personally. She has been studying this every night lately, and she probably has not even packed up yet.”
Shi Lijin let out a cold laugh, pointing at the crooked pieces of tofu in the box and saying, “A few pieces of soft mud like that can buy you off?”
“Er-shao, it tastes amazing!” Jason said as he opened the lid, proudly eating a piece on the spot to efficiently verify that this was not mud at all.
Shi Lijin impatiently tapped the desktop with his knuckles. “Take it outside to eat.”
Jason, born with a thick skin, was not afraid of getting beaten up right now. With a cheeky smile, he stuffed two more pieces into his mouth and refused to leave until the flavor of the food had thoroughly dispersed.
Shi Lijin intentionally held his breath. After lasting for more than ten seconds, she still could not help but catch the lingering fragrance of the small tofu.
Is it really that good?
He casually picked up the tablet, checked the location of Gu Qingjiao on the map software, and saw the small circle icon wandering around the neighborhood twice before leisurely heading toward the farm.
“Running to the farm every day,” Shi Lijin sneered lightly. “Could it be that she wants to farm.”
Ten minutes later, Shi Lijin appeared at the farm dressed in full formal attire.
Uncle Long noticed him standing quietly outside late at night. Shocked for a brief second, he hurried over to greet him: “Er-shao, is there something you need?”
Shi Lijin scanned the boundless farmland a few times, though he only caught sight of a stray black dog bouncing around. He lowered his gaze and replied in a low voice, “Just taking a walk.”
This far-fetched reason left Uncle Long somewhat puzzled, so he probed, “Are the recent fruits not fresh?”
“Fresh.”
“Then?”
Shi Lijin pulled his gaze back from the distance. “This farm of yours is too bald.”
“Hard to find good saplings in the dead of winter, let us talk about it after the new year, next year I will…”
“No need to wait until next year,” Shi Lijin interrupted. “Tomorrow I will find people to help you fill this place with flower seedlings.”
“Alright.”
Uncle Long recalled that Er-shao had never cared about his farm before. Amidst his shock, she felt a sense of relief, as he truly could not manage this field all by himself, and with someone finally helping out, he could focus on the greenhouse, allowing everyone to enjoy even more fruit in the future.
Uncle Long fetched a basket of honey tangerines from the breakroom and handed them over. “Er-shao, I remember you loved eating these when you were a child, take some back to try.”
Shi Lijin remained silent for a moment. He no longer touched many things he had liked during his childhood, but since he was already here, if he did not bring a couple back, his heart would feel hollow.
In the end, he still took one to hold in his hand, then walked back along the path he came.
Shi Lijin did not even know what he was doing today.
Late at night, at eleven o’clock, running to the farm to look for tofu.
He felt like he might have lost his mind.
Gu Qingjiao had eaten barbecue for several consecutive days, and her stomach clearly could not take it anymore, so she decided to take a two-day break.
She curled up on the beach chair by the pool as usual. That chair had already become her designated spot, and whenever she came over every day, she would see a small blanket neatly placed on it.
After a quick nap of about ten minutes, footsteps echoed in her ears. Sounding like more than one person, she lazily lifted her eyelids to look and found Shi Lijin and Shi Feng walking over from afar.
Pushing Shi Feng from behind was an unfamiliar girl, around the same age as Gu Qingjiao, but with a gentler expression on her face. Her first impression was one of cleanliness and comfort.
Shi Lijin wore a dark grey trench coat that reached past his knees, radiating a cold, aloof aura from afar.
Seeing the three of them about to walk past her, Gu Qingjiao thought she should at least say hello, so she sat up and adjusted her posture. Unexpectedly, her fiancé acted as if he had bumped into air, walking right past without sparing her even half a glance.
That was fine too, as she was too lazy to speak anyway. Just as Gu Qingjiao was about to lie back down, she saw Shi Feng suddenly stop in front of her and greet her: “Miss Gu, is it not cold sleeping out here?”
“My room is dry, the air is nice here, and I can moisturize,” Gu Qingjiao replied.
Shi Feng was a rather easygoing person with few words. He politely nodded, then smiled gracefully at the girl behind him to signal that they could continue walking.
Gu Qingjiao watched the two slowly move away, subconsciously feeling that they looked like a match made in heaven, though in the original text, Shi Feng and the girl did not have a good ending.
After dozing intermittently for another half hour, Gu Qingjiao woke up and found Shi Feng and the girl standing in the distance looking at her without a word. She sat up in mild shock, wondering why these two arrived without making a sound.
“Miss Gu, apologies, seeing you were asleep just now, we did not want to disturb you.” With that, Shi Feng took a bowl of herbal medicine from the girl’s hands. He wore a hesitant expression, as if he had something to ask a favor for. “Could you help me deliver this bowl of medicine to Xiao Jin?”
Gu Qingjiao was a bit confused. Weren’t these two brothers walking together earlier? Why couldn’t the older brother deliver it himself, and instead take a detour to ask an outsider like her to do it?
Shi Feng saw her inner hesitation and continued to explain: “Xiao Jin has never been cooperative about taking his medicine since he was a child. If I deliver this bowl right now, he will pour it out the very next moment. Miss Gu is Xiao Jin’s fiancée, and he pays special attention to you, so perhaps he will be more receptive if you bring it over.”
Gu Qingjiao curled her toes inside the blanket.
How could Shi Lijin possibly pay attention to her?
Wasn’t that cold wind that swept past half an hour ago precisely him?
Gu Qingjiao wanted to refuse, but right at that moment, the system in her head became excited again:
[Host, the opportunity has arrived! Fill his medicine with 82-year Lafite and make him pass out! Make him angry!]
Gu Qingjiao grabbed the system by its head while asking Shi Feng, “What kind of medicine is this? Is he sick?”
Shi Feng fell silent for a moment, moisture inadvertently welling up in the depths of his eyes.
“Xiao Jin’s health has not been very good over the years.”
Gu Qingjiao suddenly recalled the first day, when Shi Lijin was utterly helpless on the bed, and she had no doubt: “Yeah, my fiancé’s health is indeed not great.”
Gu Qingjiao took the bowl of herbal medicine, nodded sincerely to Shi Feng and his girlfriend, and said, “Leave it to me.”