A Wife’s Home-Cooked Meal

Yi Siyu slowly bent down in front of the long black sofa, placing his discarded suit jacket over the back of a chair.

He gazed fixedly at the young man’s face, finding his skin as smooth as a peeled egg, so soft and springy that a gentle poke would make it bounce back. His eyelashes, thick like tiny brushes, trembled subtly with each breath, tempting one to reach out and feel their texture.

His prior understanding of the Jian family’s young master, gleaned from reports, had been utterly superficial. How profound could a person’s transformation truly be?

Yi Siyu had no intention of dwelling on Jian Ye’s past. Yet, the man before him now was someone he simply could not let go of. This, he realized, was what it felt like to be truly invested in someone.

In this tranquil moment, witnessing Jian Ye’s peaceful slumber, he found himself reluctant to disturb him. He hadn’t anticipated Jian Ye would specifically bring him a meal at his company—a truly unexpected and delightful surprise.

Yi Siyu admitted his mood was exceptionally good, sweeping away the gloom from the recent meeting. All the previous frustrations suddenly seemed utterly insignificant.

Xie Fei had once remarked that marriage was like entering a tomb. Yi Siyu mused, ‘Then, in my tomb, there’s also a beauty.’ It didn’t sound so bad after all.

After an indeterminate amount of time, a sudden knock echoed from the glass door.

Dong dong!

“Third Young Master, your coffee is here…” Assistant Xu held the coffee cup, half-entering as he pushed the door open sideways.

His body froze the moment he glimpsed the scene inside. Immediately, he received a sharp glare from his CEO.

“Put it down. Get out.”

“Yes, yes, yes!” Assistant Xu practically vanished from the office at light speed after setting down the coffee.

Once outside, he clutched his chest and let out a shaky breath. ‘Did I just ruin the Third Young Master’s good thing? I think… I think I saw the Third Young Master pinning his spouse down on the sofa, and then… was he about to kiss him?’

Tsk, tsk. Married men truly were different. The Third Young Master’s mind was finally not solely consumed by work.

Jian Ye was sleeping soundly, but not so soundly that he couldn’t hear the knocking. After Assistant Xu left the office, he opened his eyes. Realizing how close the man was, his body instinctively recoiled, only to be stopped by the sofa back.

“Did I wake you?”

Jian Ye shook his head, propping himself up to rise. Yi Siyu gently helped him up. Feeling the touch of the man’s large hand, Jian Ye’s heart skipped a beat.

“Sorry, I fell asleep. That’s the food I brought for you,” Jian Ye said, rubbing his eyes and gesturing towards the CEO’s desk.

“It’s fine. Sleep whenever you want. This is my territory; no one would dare stop you,” Yi Siyu declared.

‘Oh! That overbearing CEO line! It sounds so cool!’

Jian Ye scurried over and opened the insulated container within the bag, smiling. “The thermos from home works quite well; the food is still warm. You must be hungry, right? Try what I made.”

Yi Siyu was surprised, his eyes widening slightly. “You made all this? Isn’t Aunt Wen here today?”

“She is, but I didn’t let her cook. I wanted to make it for you.”

Yi Siyu froze, listening to the young man before him enthusiastically describe each dish. He had an overwhelming urge to pull him into his arms. ‘Did this little one even realize the immense power of his casual words?’ They had made his heart throb and burn.

How many married men in this company received such treatment? Yi Siyu wasn’t one for grand gestures, but he was starting to feel a little restless.

That evening, at closing time, an update appeared on the WeChat Moments of various senior executives. The caption read: ‘Made by my wife, delicious.’

Accompanying it was a nine-grid collage of photos. The pictures were all meticulously arranged. In the bottom left corner of one photo, a sliver of a fair, slender arm was visible.

The executives pondered if anyone on their contact list enjoyed such deliberate public displays of affection. Upon seeing the name, they were instantly stunned.

Yi… CEO Yi?

They repeatedly clicked to check if it was truly him, fearing someone might have used an identical nickname. They found that this person’s previous Moments had only officially reposted various group activities or announcements.

Everyone didn’t dare to wait, quickly liking and showering him with a torrent of rainbow flattery.

[Manager Liu from the Technology Department]: “Happy wedding, CEO Yi! Best wishes! May you and the CEO’s spouse be loving and harmonious forever!”

[Manager Zhao from the Public Relations Department]: “CEO Yi, your spouse is truly clever and skilled, equally at home in the living room and the kitchen! [thumbs up][thumbs up]”

[Manager Fei from the Marketing Department]: “Envious of CEO Yi’s loving dinner! It all looks so delicious, my mouth is watering. Enjoy slowly, CEO Yi!”

[Manager Guan from the Administration Department]: “CEO Yi and your spouse are a perfect match! With such a virtuous partner, your life will surely be even more splendid!”

[Manager Sun from the Human Resources Department]: “Though I haven’t met your spouse, CEO Yi, judging from the last photo, I presume they must be a beautiful young lady from a prominent family?”

Sun fell silent as a flurry of private messages flooded his inbox: [It’s a man!]

When Yi Siyu checked his phone, he saw the comment displayed in the notification backend. Then, another: ‘CEO Yi, your spouse is so handsome.’

Yi Siyu: ?

This comment appeared, then was instantly deleted. Only then did Yi Siyu realize he had accidentally captured the young man’s arm in one of the photos. He decisively deleted the post and re-uploaded a new nine-grid collage with the exact same caption as before.

The executives: ‘We commented for nothing! We have to do it all over again!’ They also privately messaged Old Sun, telling him to shut up and say nothing more.

“Siyu-gege, if you have work to attend to, please do so first. If the food gets cold later, I can warm it up for you.” Jian Ye saw Yi Siyu holding his phone, typing with a serious expression, and assumed he had urgent business matters.

Yi Siyu quickly put down his phone. “It’s fine. Let’s eat. There’s so much delicious food here; it would be a waste of your effort if it got cold.”

Upon hearing this, Jian Ye’s eyes instantly curved into crescents. “Do you like it?”

“I like it,” Yi Siyu said, staring at the young man, emphasizing, “I like it very much.”

Jian Ye felt dizzy under the man’s deep gaze, his ears turning a little red. He pursed his lips. “I’ll make you more delicious food next time. I know other cuisines too.”

“When did you learn all this?” Yi Siyu was quite curious about this. He felt he still knew too little about Jian Ye. The information about his past life in the Jian family was superficial, only mentioning that he had been ostracized and bullied. He hadn’t imagined… it could drive someone to such an extent?

Jian Ye repeated his usual explanation, simply saying he enjoyed cooking, loved researching culinary arts, and added that he might have a bit of talent, which was why he learned quickly.

Yi Siyu offered no comment on these words and didn’t press further. He would never force the young man to say anything he didn’t want to.

CEO Yi declared the meal incredibly satisfying. It was a familiar, home-cooked taste he hadn’t experienced in many years. Jian Ye had made a lot, but he didn’t want to waste a single drop; he ate it all. Yi Siyu wasn’t a man with a particularly strong desire for gourmet food, but today, he truly experienced the joy of being fed delicious meals by his spouse.

Somehow, CEO Yi’s WeChat Moment was discovered and shared in the company’s employee group. It sent shockwaves through the entire corporation, from top to bottom.

Yi Siyu was not in this particular employee group; these were groups subordinates used for work handover. The company did have a main group chat which he was in, but no employee dared to speak freely there except for official announcements.

Everyone had never imagined that the rumors of the CEO’s marriage were actually true. Even more unexpectedly, the CEO had actually posted on his Moments just to show off his spouse’s cooking.

Some in the group were shipping them, others were green with envy. They suddenly felt a crack appear in the CEO’s aloof persona. How much must one love their spouse to make the normally cold and low-key CEO post on their Moments!

The employees’ curiosity grew even more intense, wondering what the CEO’s spouse looked like to so thoroughly captivate the CEO and make him speak such tender words.

Xu Qingqing, who had met Jian Ye in person, was laughing hysterically behind her screen. ‘So our CEO likes this type, huh?’ However, the person certainly possessed the charm. The young man was so good-looking. She hoped she would be on duty again the next time he visited; receiving the CEO’s spouse was incredibly enjoyable!

Meanwhile, the Yi family members also saw the WeChat Moment and commented enthusiastically.

[Eldest Brother]: “Seeing you two get along so harmoniously puts my mind at ease.”
[Second Brother]: “Whoa! So much delicious food! When can I try my younger brother’s cooking?”
[Mom]: “Little Ye is so capable! Bring him home to visit more often!”
[Dad]: “Looks quite spicy. Your mom doesn’t let me eat spicy food anymore. I miss it so much every meal now.”
[Mom] replied to [Dad]: “Do I need to remind you again about the state of your stomach issues?”
[Dad] replied to [Mom]: [hug][heart]

It was only after Jian Ye had returned home, showered, and settled into bed that he saw Yi Siyu’s WeChat Moment. He had only added the Yi family members’ WeChat accounts, so he was completely unaware of the comments from the company staff.

Just reading these comments made him blush uncontrollably. ‘Yi Siyu has this kind of personality in private, too?’ Now everyone thought they were deeply in love. Little did they know, he and this man merely shared a bed and had ‘pure chats’ every night.

‘Alas, such is the perseverance of the Protagonist Gong!’
‘Guarding his body like jade, solely for his heart’s White Moonlight.’ Jian Ye felt admiration.

This was good, too. He didn’t have to worry about Yi Siyu doing anything to him and could peacefully play the role of a good spouse. By not causing trouble, he could truly survive in the Yi family. When the time came that the other party no longer needed to maintain this relationship, they would likely grant him an amicable separation out of consideration for the meals he had cooked. Even if they divorced, he would still receive a portion of the assets, ensuring he wouldn’t have to worry about the rest of his life.

Jian Ye felt he had completely grasped this plotline. Thinking pleasant thoughts, he drifted off to a peaceful sleep.

The man beside him, after Jian Ye closed his eyes, quietly opened his own. He watched the young man’s back, his eyes overflowing with tenderness and affection. Yi Siyu had only just experienced this feeling today, and his heart was still restless. Late at night, a certain agitation stirred within him, and he lay there for a long time, unable to sleep.

Yet, a certain disobedient person habitually rolled into his arms after falling asleep. This made his already turbulent body even more tempestuous.

‘This little puppy I’m raising is so clingy, and not just clingy, but utterly captivating.’

The more Yi Siyu thought, the more he couldn’t sleep. Finally, even his breathing grew heavy. After gently detaching the young man from himself, he quietly slipped out of bed and went straight to the adjacent bathroom.

In Yunjing, taking a cold shower in May would still be chilly, but the coolness was just right for him. He couldn’t help but sigh—the good thing about having a spouse was a unique kind of pain and joy.