Volume 1 Chapter 16: The Man’s Voice Was Hoarse: Come Here
By the time she returned home, it was already late.
Although she had encountered two idiots while shopping, overall, she was in a fairly good mood.
Bai Sisi was far from as calm as she had appeared today. Perhaps because there were outsiders present, she had maintained her facade.
Who knows how twisted her heart must be now—probably like a maggot.
“Madam, you’re back?”
Seeing the large and small bags in her hands, Aunt Liu reached out to take them.
“Yes,” she replied. “Where’s Bo Jingci?”
“Young Master hasn’t returned from work yet.” Aunt Liu was usually talkative and had taken care of Bo Jingci since he was a child, so everyone in the villa, from top to bottom, liked her.
“Madam, did you buy these for Young Master?”
A smile appeared on Song Jingmian’s brows. “Yes!”
“Oh, Madam, you’re so thoughtful.”
Recently, she had observed the interactions between the couple and felt quite pleased.
Having taken care of Young Master since he was young, she knew the inhuman treatment he had endured.
From childhood, he had become ruthless and violent, with an unpredictable temperament, and never cared about anyone.
Over all these years, Aunt Liu had never seen Young Master care for anyone, let alone a woman. So when she learned that he was determined to marry her, she understood.
Once Young Master fell in love with someone, he would give everything to love them.
“Aunt Liu, let’s go cook!”
She wanted to cook and wait for him to return, hoping he would eat a meal made by her own hands as soon as he got home.
The two of them worked in the kitchen for a while, and soon, steaming hot dishes were almost ready.
Only a soup remained. Song Jingmian planned to make a seafood soup, remembering how he had finished a large bowl last time—he must really like it.
“Huh?!” Seeing Song Jingmian holding a few shrimp to put into the pot, Aunt Liu recalled what Madam had just said.
She had mentioned making a soup that Bo Jingci liked.
Seeing this, Aunt Liu couldn’t help but ask curiously, “Madam… are you making this for Young Master?”
“Yes!” Song Jingmian smiled, about to say that this was Bo Jingci’s favorite, but before she could finish, Aunt Liu interrupted.
“But… isn’t Young Master allergic to seafood?!”
As soon as Aunt Liu finished speaking, Song Jingmian trembled.
Noticing her reaction, Aunt Liu’s eyes shifted, and she cautiously probed, “You… didn’t know?”
“Ahahaha… I know, of course I know!”
Song Jingmian laughed awkwardly, refusing to admit she hadn’t known.
But then, how had she seen him drink it all without changing his expression last time?
No wonder he had left so quickly afterward, as if a ghost were chasing him.
So he was allergic. He must have been fine in the end, right?!
“However, Young Master’s allergy isn’t too severe. Taking some medicine is enough; it’s not serious enough to require hospitalization.”
Oh… Aunt Liu was quite kind, answering the doubts in her heart.
“That’s good,” she muttered softly.
“Madam, what did you say?”
“Nothing! Nothing.” Song Jingmian flinched, swallowing nervously.
“Actually… I was making it for myself.”
“Aunt Liu, actually… I love shrimp.”
She casually made up an excuse.
In reality, Song Jingmian, who didn’t eat shrimp much, inwardly cursed herself.
“Is that so?” Aunt Liu muttered, “Last time I only made shrimp once, and the young master couldn’t eat it due to his allergy. But later I noticed no one touched the shrimp at all, so I thought you were allergic too, Madam.”
“That’s why I stopped preparing it afterward.”
“Haha…” Song Jingmian continued to laugh awkwardly, “Recently, yes, just recently I suddenly developed a love for shrimp!”
Not wanting to dwell on this unbearably awkward topic any longer, she quickly changed the subject.
“Um, Aunt Liu, I’ve been wanting to learn a dish lately. Could you teach me? I want to make it for Bo Jingci myself sometime!”
Seeing the young mistress so thoughtful, Aunt Liu’s smile deepened the wrinkles around her eyes. “Oh, of course! Which dish would you like to learn, Madam?”
Relieved to see Aunt Liu’s attention diverted, Song Jingmian let out a sigh.
Phew, that was close—almost gave myself away.
Not long after the meal was prepared, there was a faint sound at the entrance.
Song Jingmian looked up and, sure enough, it was Bo Jingci returning home.
“You’re back?”
She excitedly rushed over to him.
Seeing the bright sparkle in her eyes, Bo Jingci found her utterly adorable.
Unable to resist, he ruffled her hair and replied with a soft “Mm.”
“Let’s go, then! Time to eat!”
As they approached the dining table and Bo Jingci took in the sight of the fully laden spread, he couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.
“Did you… make all of this?”
“Mhm!”
“But Aunt Liu helped me too, so it’s not all my doing.”
Aunt Liu walked in carrying a bowl of soup, smiling as she said, “The young mistress is being too modest.”
She grinned from ear to ear. “Madam is truly skilled—I only assisted a little.”
“Aunt Liu, please stop praising me! I’m starting to get carried away!”
Song Jingmian replied, feeling a bit embarrassed.
“Others don’t like being criticized, but you don’t like being praised,” Aunt Liu said, looking at her helplessly.
“Alright, let’s eat first!”
The meal was exceptionally warm and cozy, with Aunt Liu watching nearby. Song Jingmian hadn’t forgotten what she had told Aunt Liu earlier—that she had recently developed a liking for shrimp.
So, when she picked up her chopsticks, she tearfully ate a few large shrimp.
Even Bo Jingci, sitting beside her, noticed.
“Since when did Mianmian start liking shrimp so much?”
Song Jingmian suddenly looked up. “Hehe, well… recently.”
She felt incredibly guilty.
Still, the shrimp was quite delicious.
After dinner, Bo Jingci, as usual, had to attend to some company matters, so this was typically when she busied herself with her own affairs.
“Sister Sun,” she called, returning to her room and dialing Sister Sun’s number.
“Jingmian, I’ve managed to uncover some of the things you asked me to look into.”
In her previous life, Song Jingmian had only later discovered the shady dealings that producer had been involved in.
Not only had he preyed on minors and slept with fans, but he had also evaded taxes.
More importantly, he had blood on his hands.
However, what Sister Sun had uncovered was just the tip of the iceberg—only the number of women he had slept with over the years, along with their compiled information.
But this alone wasn’t enough to ruin him completely.
Truth be told, everyone in the industry knew about these kinds of scandals, but due to the power of capital, they all turned a blind eye.
“Thank you for your hard work, Sister Sun.”
“Ah, no need for thanks! You’re going to make me a fortune someday!”
Song Jingmian laughed too. “Alright, I’ll definitely earn you big money.”
After hanging up, Song Jingmian glanced at the information Sister Sun had sent, a faint smile curling at the corners of her lips.
Once she finished washing up, thinking she was alone in the bedroom, Song Jingmian simply wrapped herself in a towel and stepped out.
Her fair collarbone was exposed, strands of hair dampened with water accidentally clinging to her neck. She had just washed her hair, and droplets trailed down her forehead, disappearing beneath the towel.
The steam hung in the air, warming her cheeks to a faint blush.
It wasn’t until she stepped out of the bathroom that she realized Bo Jingci had finished work at some point and returned to the room.
“When… did you get back?”
Her face flushed with color. Although they had been sleeping together these past few days, she had always been proper, and Bo Jingci didn’t seem to have any intentions in that regard either.
So the atmosphere now felt particularly ambiguous.
“Just now.” The man’s voice was slightly hoarse.
Song Jingmian mustered the courage to look up at him and found him staring intently at her, his expression unreadable.
For a long while, neither spoke. Finally, she heard his voice again.
“Come here.”