“Butler Chen,” came Assistant Zong’s brisk voice through the receiver. “Just notifying you, Master Shen won’t be returning for lunch. The case reached a critical point; he can’t step away.”
“I understand,” Butler Chen said, then paused, unable to hold back a question. “Assistant Zong, did the master… eat anything?”
There was a brief silence on the other end.
When Zong spoke again, his tone was noticeably lower. “Not yet. He’s been going nonstop since morning. He hasn’t even had a sip of water. I tried telling him to rest but he refused. Said he couldn’t eat until the last part of the report was finished.”
After ending the call butler Chen felt his brow tightening in worry. When he turned around, he found Fu Xu watching him with wide, curious eyes. He explained gently, “That was Assistant Zong. Mr. Shen won’t be home for lunch, he’s still busy.”
“Oh…”
Fu Xu lowered his gaze. A small wave of disappointment washed over him, mixed with a sharper tug of concern. He remembered the question Butler Chen had asked earlier and couldn’t help whispering, “Butler Chen… you asked whether Mr. Shen had eaten?”
Butler Chen nodded, helplessness flickering across his face. “Yes. When Mr. Shen gets busy, he forgets everything else. Back at the old residence, he was like this all the time, working until midnight, skipping meals, barely taking care of himself. Later… after he fell ill and moved out, I wasn’t by his side, so I don’t know if it got any better.” He looked at Fu Xu again and suddenly his expression shifted as if struck by an idea.
“Mr. Fu Xu…. ” he said, leaning in slightly, voice probing but hopeful, “didn’t you say earlier that you can cook?”
Fu Xu blinked, confused. “…Yes. A little.”
“That’s wonderful!” Butler Chen slapped his thigh with rare excitement. “Look, Mr. Shen is too busy to eat. We can’t force him but you are different.” He hesitated briefly before the word omega but chose not to say it aloud. “If you cook something for him, he might really be happy.”
Fu Xu froze, cheeks reddening instantly. “My… My cooking? Would he really like it?” He remembered the last time he cooked for Mr. Shen. Mr. Shen had said something like “not bad”… or at least something close to that.
“He’ll definitely like it!” Butler Chen said with great confidence. “Mr. Shen is picky but he’s never turned down good, simple home cooked dishes and more importantly, this would be something you made. That alone makes it meaningful.” He clapped his hands. “There’s still time. If you’re willing, we can make something simple and send it over through Assistant Zong.”
His words rippled through Fu Xu’s heart like small stones dropped into a still lake.
Could he really do that? Was he allowed? Would it be too forward?
But… he wanted to do something for Mr. Shen. Not just out of gratitude for the shelter he received but because somewhere along the way, that strong, self restrained alpha had carved out a quiet, significant place in his heart.
“I… I can try,” Fu Xu whispered. When he lifted his head, faint determination glimmered through his nervousness. “But I don’t know what he likes…”
“That’s fine, that’s fine!” Butler Chen stood up immediately. “Just keep it light. I’ll take you to the kitchen. There are plenty of ingredients. Make whatever you’re best at, trust me, it’ll turn out well!”
Fu Xu followed him into the expansive kitchen, where the countertops gleamed and every tool was neatly arranged. Butler Chen helped tie an apron around him and asked, “Mr. Fu Xu, what would you like to prepare?”
Scanning the fresh ingredients in the refrigerator, Fu Xu thought for a moment. “Then… maybe a clear pork rib soup? And two vegetable dishes? I’ll cook some rice too. Soup is warming. Since he’s been working the whole morning, something warm might make him feel better.”
“Then that’s what we’ll do!” Butler Chen said cheerfully, gathering the ingredients.
Fu Xu took a deep breath, slipped on a pair of disposable gloves and began to rinse the ribs. As the water washed away the traces of blood, he suddenly remembered how, in that oppressive house of the past, the kitchen was the only place where he felt remotely safe. The smell of steam and oil had comforted him then.
Now, he was cooking for Mr. Shen.
The realization made his heart thump faster but his movements became more steady, more efficient.
Butler Chen watched him quietly, admiration forming in his eyes. There was something in the young omega’s focused expression, something resilient and earnest. Even the way he occasionally tucked stray strands of hair behind his ear carried a gentle, steadying grace.
When the dishes were finished, Fu Xu removed his apron. He looked at the neatly arranged food on the table, anxiety and expectation twisting together in his chest. He wasn’t sure if Mr. Shen would like it… or if doing this counted as crossing a line.
“Alright, Madam. How does this look?” Butler Chen asked, leaning over with interest.
Fu Xu gave a shy, slightly embarrassed smile, his cheeks tinted pink. “I’m not sure if it suits his taste…”
“It definitely will.” Butler Chen opened his phone and sent a message. “I’ve told Assistant Zong. He’ll come get it and deliver it.”
Fu Xu nodded but his heart tightened nervously. He went to the living room and sat on the sofa, unconsciously rubbing the edge of the new phone. He wanted to go along, wanted to see Mr. Shen’s expression when he received the meal but his feet felt heavy, glued to the floor.
He still didn’t dare go outside. The world beyond these walls remained frighteningly vast.
“Don’t worry, Mr. Fu Xu,” Butler Chen soothed when he noticed the tension in his posture. “Assistant Zong works efficiently. You just wait here. Who knows, Mr. Shen might even call you afterward.”
“…Mm.”
Fu Xu’s voice was soft. He glanced outside. The sunlight was warm, spilling over the garden in gentle waves. He picked up the phone again. The single contact saved under Mr. Shen’s name sat quietly in the list. He hesitated, then set the phone down.
Soon, the doorbell chimed. Butler Chen went to open it.
Assistant Zong stood outside, dressed in a suit similar to Mr. Shen’s, though with less commanding presence, more professional competence.
His eyes landed on the food container Butler Chen handed him, a flicker of surprise crossing his face. “This is…?”
An emergency task and it turned out to be… delivering lunch?
“It’s the lunch Mr. Fu Xu made especially for Mr. Shen,” Butler Chen said with a warm smile. “Mr. Shen hasn’t eaten and Mr. Fu Xu was worried. He made it himself. It’s not good for the master to work so hard and neglect his health. I’ll have to trouble you to deliver it.”
Assistant Zong paused, momentarily stunned. For such a trivial matter, the butler had called him over? He almost snapped but forced the irritation down. Butler Chen had served the old master for years, a beta but a highly trusted one. Even alphas treated him with respect. Naturally, Zong wouldn’t act out of line.
“…Alright,” he said at last. “I’ll make sure it reaches him.
“Thank you for the trouble, Assistant Zong.”
After the brief farewell, “Then I’ll take my leave butler Chen, Mr. Fu Xu”, Assistant Zong turned and walked out.
The door closed with a quiet thud.
In that instant, Fu Xu felt a sudden, hollow emptiness spread inside his chest. He walked toward the window almost without thinking, watching as Assistant Zong’s car drove away and disappeared from sight. The phone in his hand suddenly felt heavier, as though it carried a weight he couldn’t quite name.
At that same moment, on the top floor of the towering office building in the city center, Shen Louchen stood before an enormous floor to ceiling window. The dazzling sunlight cast his tall figure into a long shadow across the polished floor.
He had just ended a two hour meeting. Even though his expression remained calm and expressionless, the faint traces of fatigue along his brows were unmistakable. His tie had come slightly loose, adding a rare touch of disarray to his usual immaculate appearance.
When Assistant Zong knocked and entered, Shen Louchen didn’t turn around. His voice carried a light, tired edge. “What is it?”
“Mr. Shen,” Assistant Zong said as he placed the meal container on the wide desk, “this is… from home.”
Shen Louchen finally turned, brows faintly knitting together. “From home? Uncle Chen sent it? Why would he…”
His sentence stopped abruptly. Because there, on top of the container, was a very familiar, almost clumsy, little knot of string.
At the hospital, despite being unable to eat from nausea and discomfort, Fu Xu always insisted on packing up the leftover food neatly. He tied one knot for cold dishes, two knots for hot ones. It was his own way of keeping order, small and careful.
This knot was exactly the same.
Shen Louchen walked over and picked up the insulated container. The warmth pressed gently into his palm. A faint fragrance of pork rib soup, mingled with ginger and green onion, escaped through the lid, strangely stirring an appetite he’d long since numbed.
“This is…” he looked at Assistant Zong, his voice carrying a rare hint of uncertainty.
Assistant Zong smiled subtly and replied truthfully, “Made by Madam.”
On the way over, he had actually regretted not thanking the young omega. The Minister often worked himself sick, barely ate and often relied on nutrient supplements. Now that there was someone at home who cared, that was different.
Fu Xu made this?
Shen Louchen’s fingers tightened ever so slightly around the warm container.
He had assumed Fu Xu was still scared because of what happened the other night, assumed the young omega would hide in his room like a frightened bird. He never imagined… he would take the initiative to make food for him.
It seemed Dr. Gu’s treatments were taking effect after all.
Shen Louchen quietly opened the container. Milk white broth shimmered with gentle waves of heat, the rich aroma rising even stronger.
Simple home cooked food. No ornate plating, no extravagant presentation. Yet something about it felt inexplicably steadying, like a soft hand pressed against the heart.
“Minister.”
The office door burst open as a man hurried in. His breath was uneven, his face anxious.
“Minister, we found him, the alpha you asked us to investigate. Just that…”
“What?” Shen Louchen set down the lid he hadn’t fully twisted off.
“Just that…” The man inhaled sharply before continuing. “That alpha, your lead was correct. We’ve confirmed evidence of bribery, embezzlement, abuse of authority and… abuse of a pregnant omega. But, his superior refuses to release him. The superior is…”
His jaw clenched as he forced out the name. “…Fu Xu’s elder brother. The eldest son of the Fu family, Fu Jiachi.”
✦ ✧ ✦
Vynellia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
(≧▽≦)ﾉ☕ coffee!
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
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ChaptersChapter 1 · Substitute MarriageChapter 2 · PleaseChapter 3 · Thank you, Mr. ShenChapter 4 · Mr. Shen, are you going to throw me away?Chapter 5 · You don’t have to please me in everythingChapter 6 · Is This For Him?Chapter 7 · Do you know you don’t have long to live?Chapter 8 · But what about you? What will you be then?Chapter 9 · That’s a vehicle from the logistics department.Chapter 10 · What do you take my Shen family for?Chapter 11 · Can I bite your gland?Chapter 12 · He is not my “medicine catalyst”Chapter 13 · Who is that Alpha?Chapter 14 · Perfectly matched omegaChapter 15 · Perhaps you could call him, baby?Chapter 16 · That’s… Fu Xu’s scent?Chapter 17 · It was made by the masterChapter 18 · Abusing a pregnant omega is a serious crime.Chapter 19 · Mr. Shen is the best alpha.Chapter 20 · Family elderChapter 21 · Shen Louchen’s berserk periodChapter 22 Part 1 · You are my wifeChapter 22 Part 2 · You are my wifeChapter 23 · Aren’t we mutually in love?Chapter 24 · Which alpha did you go to see?Chapter 25 · Fu Xu, tell me you like meChapter 26 · Could Mr. Shen possibly have a little crush on him?Chapter 27 · Get out!Chapter 28 · Stay close to meChapter 29 · Mr. Shen and I are a legally married coupleChapter 30 · Spit it outChapter 31 · He’s been acting increasingly strangely latelyChapter 32 · Do you listen to everyone except me?Chapter 33 · Monthly ExamChapter 34 · Parent Teacher MeetingChapter 35 · The classroom was cold at nightChapter 36 · Court deathChapter 37 · Wife, Kiss meChapter 38 · This omega trying to steal a kiss from him?Chapter 39 · His omega turned out to be a little cunning.Chapter 40 · Is this little omega taking advantage of him?Chapter 41 · “Madam Shen” is your trump card, understand?Chapter 42 · Mr. Shen, I don’t know how to wear it…Chapter 43 · HusbandChapter 44 · Why is Shen Louchen acting like a peacockChapter 45 · I won’t abandon you, and I never willChapter 46 · Omega with a 92% match rateChapter 47 · Are you waiting for him?Chapter 48 · How can someone magically transformChapter 49 · Now it’s all good, two kids.Chapter 50 · Mr. Shen, will you regret it then?Chapter 51 · What is regret?Chapter 52 · If you’ve got the guts, say it again!Chapter 53 · That’s my milk teaChapter 54 · What he wanted to replace was the alphaChapter 55 · How do you know I’m not part of Mr. Shen’s plan?Chapter 56 · Why don’t you just kill me?Chapter 57 · Are we sending him away?Chapter 58 · Are you angry?Chapter 59 · Inhibitor or marker?Chapter 60 · Let Fu Xu mark himChapter 61 · There should be limits to joking, right?Chapter 62 · Do you really not like Young Master Lian?Chapter 63 · Will you still love me after I go to school?Chapter 64 · You are the best husband in the worldChapter 65 · Extra 1Chapter 66 · Extra 2