They returned to their small one-bedroom, one-living-room home.
Ji Chaoxi first went into the bedroom to change clothes. She stared at her only remaining set of clothes for a moment, troubled, before heading into the kitchen.
The rice cooker had already been set to simmer. Ye Jiming was skillfully slicing sausages with steady, precise movements—neither too thin nor too thick, his knife work exceptionally good.
Ji Chaoxi watched him for a moment, then picked up several types of slightly wilted vegetables.
“Which one do you want to eat?”
Ye Jiming glanced at them and pointed at one.
Ji Chaoxi activated her ability. The vegetable rapidly sprouted fresh leaves under her control. She plucked a small basket of them and set it aside.
The newly grown leaves were clean and did not need washing.
Ji Chaoxi watched him place the sliced sausages onto a plate and said, “Go rest. I’ll cook.”
Ye Jiming turned to look at her. His gaze lingered briefly on her reddened lips.
“Come over and kiss me.”
After a pause, he added, “Don’t be perfunctory. Otherwise…”
Ji Chaoxi looked at his dark, dangerous expression. After a brief hesitation, she still walked over, placed her hands on his shoulders, stood on tiptoe, and kissed his lips.
Remembering his warning not to be perfunctory—and recalling how fiercely he had kissed her before—she applied a little more force and parted his lips…
Ye Jiming’s eyes darkened instantly, and his hand unconsciously clenched at his side.
After a while, Ji Chaoxi felt it was enough and stepped back, taking a deep breath.
“Is that okay?”
Looking at her moist eyes, Ye Jiming’s expression turned even darker. He said gruffly, “Go wait outside.”
Was that a yes or a no?
Ji Chaoxi frowned, thought for two seconds, then obediently turned and left.
She lay idly on the table, staring at the kitchen. Only then did it occur to her that Ye Jiming was actually cooking for her. Was this also part of his way of taking revenge on her?
Hmm… should she act frightened and terrified like she was being punished?
But over the past two years, being forced to perform under system control had made her hate acting. She was tired of it.
Forget it. Whatever. Worst case, she just died.
When Ye Jiming brought the food out, he saw her lying motionless on the table. His heart tightened for a moment, and he quickly walked over—only to see her eyes open, staring blankly into space.
Relief washed over him, followed by irritation. He deliberately slammed the bowl down in front of her with a dull thud.
Ji Chaoxi snapped back to reality, sat up straight, and said very tactfully, “I’ll go get the chopsticks.”
Ye Jiming watched as she busied herself like a little bee—bringing over chopsticks, placing dishes neatly, opening a fish can and setting it in front of him, then running to fetch two cups of water.
Ji Chaoxi ate obediently, head slightly lowered, her long lashes casting soft shadows. Her chewing was quiet and elegant.
Just like before, she only ate vegetable leaves, occasionally taking a small piece of sausage. When she did, her lips would curve slightly, looking pleased—like a small, contented cat.
After watching for a while, Ye Jiming deliberately piled her bowl full of sausage and fish.
Ji Chaoxi looked at the overflowing bowl and thanked him, managing to finish a small portion before another piece of fish was added.
She hesitated and said, “I can’t finish this.”
Ye Jiming paused slightly, then still placed more sausage into her bowl.
“Didn’t you say you were hungry? Is this all you can eat? Or do you think my cooking is bad?”
“Of course not. Your cooking smells great—much better than mine.”
Ji Chaoxi looked at the overflowing bowl and added, “Wasting food is a sin.”
Ye Jiming snorted disdainfully. “So useless. No wonder you’re so light when I carry you.”
He knew her appetite very well from cooking for her before—he was clearly doing this on purpose.
Ji Chaoxi glanced at his bowl, which only had half a portion of rice left. Her eyes flickered. She suddenly stood up, took her bowl, moved it across the table, and swapped it with his, carefully guarding it so he couldn’t add more food.
Ye Jiming stared at her satisfied expression.
“You swapped the larger portion for the smaller one. Are you stupid?”
“I exchanged the bigger one for yours. Any problem? You’re the stupid one.”
The casual remark made Ye Jiming’s breathing stall slightly.
Then his expression darkened again.
“Why do you always give me the better portion? Didn’t you say I disgust you? That you hate me? That you never want to see me again?”
Ji Chaoxi pressed her lips together.
“I wasn’t doing it on purpose.”
Ye Jiming’s gaze flickered.
“Not on purpose? Then you have some kind of reason?”
“Sort of.”
“Tell me.”
“I can’t.”
His expression turned colder.
“Ji Chaoxi, are you doing this deliberately?”
Ji Chaoxi put down her bowl and looked straight at him.
“Yes. Go ahead and kill me.”
About the system, she could not say a single word. After it left, she had tried—and it was still impossible, as if it never existed in this world.
Besides, even if she could explain, so what? Would he believe her?
If the roles were reversed, if she had been humiliated for two years and someone suddenly said it was forced and unwilling, would she forgive them?
The answer was no.
She would only think it was an excuse.
If even admitting it was impossible, then she deserved death.
Ye Jiming’s grip on his chopsticks tightened suddenly. With a sharp crack, they snapped. His eyes turned dark as ink, fixed on her.
“You want to die?”
Ji Chaoxi sneered, lifting her chin slightly.
“Ye Jiming, you don’t have the guts to kill me.”
In front of him, she had acted as a villain for two years. Even if she resisted inwardly, she had become very good at it.
The atmosphere froze.
Ye Jiming ground his teeth, jawline taut. His expression shifted several times before he suddenly laughed instead.
“Good. Very good. You want to die, don’t you?”
He stood up abruptly. The chair toppled backward with a loud crash as he strode toward her with a dark expression.
Ji Chaoxi felt a surge of panic but kept her expression cold, as if she were looking at trash.
“I knew you didn’t have the guts to kill me, Ye Jiming—you’re just a coward…”
His tall figure approached step by step, overwhelming in pressure.
Ji Chaoxi instinctively retreated, but her words had already lost their force, turning into the feeble resistance of a frightened small beast baring its tiny teeth.
In front of a true predator, she had no ability to resist.
Only the ability to be at his mercy.