Wen Qi curled his fingers a little uncomfortably. This was the first time in his life someone had gotten angry because he wasn't eating.
“Being busy with work doesn’t mean I don’t eat,” Wen Qi explained.
When Wen Cheng got angry, she completely ignored all the pretense and said, "Does leaving lunch for dinner count as eating?"
Wen Qi had never learned how to genuinely comfort someone in all his years. He rubbed his glasses helplessly, because he couldn't bear to look directly into Wen Cheng's teary eyes.
Wen Cheng wiped her eyes, picked up the now-cold pork rib stew and rice, and walked into the small kitchen in the break room.
About five minutes later, Wen Cheng placed the perfectly heated food in front of Wen Qi, and also confiscated the cake he had just taken a few bites of.
He frowned the whole time, looking both cute and fierce, which made people love him.
In the end, Wen Qi gave in, reaching out to pat Wen Cheng's head, knowing that Wen Cheng genuinely cared about him, "Sorry, I'll eat on time from now on,"
Wen Cheng didn't dodge Wen Qi's hand, proving that his anger had subsided by half. Then, he opened his wide, hooked eyes and looked at Wen Qi, "There's no future, Brother Qi."
Wen Qi's outstretched hand froze.
"From now on, I'll watch over you at every meal! The alarm clock can't stop you, but I can!"
The stiffness and fear in Wen Qi's eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a gentle spring breeze. "Alright, then you'd better keep a close eye on me from now on." Wen Qi's smile held a hint of cunning.
Later, after the two reconciled, Wen Qi told Wen Cheng that he didn't want to eat that day, mostly because Wen Cheng stood him up, and he was a little angry. Wen Cheng only found out later that she could never fall for Brother Qi's self-inflicted injury trick, because once you fall for it, you'll never be able to get over it for the rest of your life.
In the end, half of the pork rib stew ended up in Wencheng's stomach. The two brothers, satisfied with their meal, lay back on their beds and took a nap during the last half hour.
Wen Cheng still held onto a sliver of hope at work today, hoping to bump into Wen Yunyi and ask about his situation to put her mother's mind at ease. However, this hope remained unfulfilled until the end of the workday.
Not to mention Wen Yunyi, even Gu Yuning didn't see it. Wen Cheng sent a message to Gu Yuning but didn't get a reply. Before leaving, Wen Cheng asked the receptionist and found out that Wen Yunyi's team was working hard to promote the early autumn products. Since this week, the whole department has been extremely busy. It turns out that when Wen Yunyi said he was busy, he really was busy.
Wen Cheng had no choice but to give up for the time being.
On her way home, Wen Cheng didn't forget her roots and kept munching on the mochi her colleague had given her.
Wen Qi frowned, unable to hold back, "Wen Cheng."
While chewing on the soft and chewy mochi, Wen Cheng didn't forget to prove her innocence, "I...I helped my colleague, he paid me!"
"No," Wen Qi didn't mean that at all. He was worried that Wen Cheng would get sick from eating so much. "Dinner will be ready when we get home. You can only eat one."
Wen Qi's tone left no room for negotiation. Wen Cheng's first bite of the mochi told her it wasn't your average mochi; it was chewy, had a rich cheese flavor, and most importantly, it was incredibly filling. But since Brother Qi had said so...
Wen Cheng could only pitifully stuff the remaining mochi into the small cabinet in front of the passenger seat, reminding him, "Brother Qi, you'll be driving this car tomorrow, okay?"
Wen Qi took a deep breath. Goodness, he had stockpiled all the food in his car, but in order to prevent Wen Cheng from hiding in the room and eating it all tonight, Wen Qi still agreed.
So Wen Cheng ate the remaining half of the mochi very, very slowly...
Just as Wen Qi was about to reprimand him for being so slow, Wen Cheng brought up Wen Yunyi's matter.
He felt that even if Wen Yunyi was to be properly educated, his brother should first have a full understanding of Wen Yunyi's situation!
"Brother Qi, do you remember when we went to Sister Yu Ning's birthday party?"
"...You didn't find out about melon seeds in the bathroom again, did you?"
Wen Cheng clapped enthusiastically for Brother Qi, then showered him with compliments: "Brother Qi, you'd definitely be a master at fortune telling if you went out and set up a stall! You'd be even better than those old men in sunglasses!"
"You really have nothing else to praise?"
Forehead.....
Wen Cheng decided to steer the conversation back on track! "Ahem, what I mean is, I bumped into some rich kid bullying Wen Yunyi in the restroom, saying he wasn't their biological son and that's why he was so arrogant. I feel like Wen Yunyi's situation isn't actually that good."
"I know," Wen Qi said without changing his expression.
Wen Cheng suddenly had a melodramatic Chinese soap opera generated in her brain.
"Don't overthink it," Wen Qi said, pulling away his peripheral vision and speechless feeling. "I investigated last night. This matter isn't just about the person who gossiped about him in the bathroom last time. I checked everyone recently and then sincerely sent an email to each of their parents, hoping they would implement the re-education of the second generation."
Wen Cheng's pupils dilated instantly.
Brilliant, absolutely brilliant!
Sure enough, you should never offend Wen Qi, he's too ruthless!
Author's Note:
Thank you everyone for your support!
Chapter 50 A Terrible Heart Rate
Wen Cheng and Wen Qi arrived home first. Their father had not yet returned. As soon as the two brothers entered the door, they saw Wen Yin absentmindedly watching her favorite TV series.
Wen Cheng subconsciously glanced back at Wen Qi, who calmly carried his bag inside, seemingly oblivious to Wen Yin's displeasure.
"Auntie, we're back." Wen Qi walked past Wen Cheng to greet her.
Wen Yin shifted her gaze from the TV screen to Wen Qi, and smiled gently as usual, "Qi Qi, Cheng Cheng is back. Come and sit down. Aunt Li bought some fresh cherries today. They're especially sweet. Come and try some."
Wen Qi glanced at the cherries on the table and then looked away.
However, Wen Cheng's eyes were glued to the cherries, and she ran over to nibble on them.
This year's cherries are large and sweet, and the warm oranges are so satisfying to eat one bite at a time.
Wen Qi watched for a while, then sighed and sat down on the sofa with Wen Cheng.
Wen Yin looked at her two sons with some surprise. It seemed that since they came back from the hot springs, Qi Qi had been spoiling Cheng Cheng even more.
Wen Cheng was completely oblivious to his surroundings. The reason was simple: these cherries were absolutely exquisite. In the past, he could only share a bite with his younger siblings in the orphanage during the Lunar New Year.
Seeing Wen Cheng enjoying her cherries so much, Wen Yin suddenly frowned with sadness. "Yi Yi also loves cherries. I wonder when he'll be back. Next time, Mom will prepare double portions for you both."
Wen Cheng paused, her hand holding the cherries still.
Wen Qi frowned as well, "Auntie."
Wen Yin seemed to snap out of her daze, "Oh dear, see what I said? Mom understands everything. Chengcheng, don't overthink it, just keep eating."
Wen Qi was already showing displeasure, and even had an impulsive thought: even if the family were to split up now, his 40% stake in the Wen Group would be enough to ensure Wen Cheng's lifelong comfort.
Wen Cheng swallowed the cherry in her mouth, shook her head to indicate that she was fine, and then got up and went to the kitchen.
Wen Yin anxiously reached out her hand, but in the end she held back, sitting on the sofa with an inscrutable expression, her gaze still fixed on the cherries on the table.
Wen Qi clenched his fists silently, then opened his mouth and said, "Auntie, Cheng,"
"I'm back!" The front door suddenly opened, and Wen Yongwang walked in with a smile, carrying his briefcase, his tone filled with undisguised joy.
Wen Yin saw her husband stand up and walk over to her, helping him put away his briefcase. "Why didn't you come back with Chengcheng and the others?"
Wen Yongwang smiled and said, "Oh, I just chatted with an old friend for a bit longer. Old Hu, you still remember me, right?"
Wen Yin thought for a moment, "Was it when we got married?"
“Yes, yes, yes,” Wen Yongwang grinned from ear to ear, “It’s him, my high school classmate. We had only been married a few years before he moved to France with his whole family. This year, his son got married and settled in China, so they moved back. He came over today to say hello. I’m so happy! Let’s go to Old Hu’s house for a visit this weekend.”
Although Wen Yongwang is a businessman, he has an outgoing personality, is trustworthy, and disdains dirty tricks, so he has many friends. Many old friends from years ago would come to greet him when they returned.
Wen Yin smiled virtuously and agreed.
“The key point is,” Wen Yongwang said, glancing around the living room, “Hmm? Where’s Chengcheng? Didn’t she come back with Qiqi?”
An awkward expression crossed Wen Yin's face.
Wen Qi answered for her, "In the kitchen, probably watching Aunt Li cook again."
Wen Yongwang smiled knowingly. "Then I'll just say it now. I'll tell Chengcheng later. The key thing is that Lao Hu mainly makes candy overseas. Many of the candies that Chengcheng likes come from their company. Isn't that a coincidence?"
Wen Qi instantly suppressed his emotions that were about to burst forth.
Fortunately, there is still one person who truly loves Wen Cheng.
Unlike Wen Qi, Wen Yongwang didn't go back to his study to work when he returned. He was a family man who valued family a lot. When he came back, he first watched TV with his wife. Before sitting down, Wen Yongwang teased Wen Qi a little. Then he and his wife focused on studying the plot. However, this time, Wen Yin couldn't answer some of the details that Wen Yongwang asked.
Wen Cheng went to the kitchen not to help Aunt Li cook, but to make drinks for herself.
This was all to ease the somewhat awkward atmosphere.
There was a box of cherries in the fridge. Wen Cheng made half of them into jam and the other half into fruit pieces. She layered the fruit pieces, then yogurt, then jam, and finally piped on fresh cream, sprinkling almond pieces on top.
Finish!
Aunt Li came over to look at the finished product of Wen Cheng and praised it as well, saying, "Chengcheng made it so beautifully."
Wen Cheng rubbed his face sheepishly. He made five cups in total. Wen Cheng gave one cup to Aunt Li and took the remaining four cups out.
Wen Yin was distracted, with Wen Yunyi on one side and Wen Cheng on the other, her mind a mess. Then she saw Wen Cheng come out carrying a cute homemade milk tea.
The warm oranges were evenly distributed to everyone.
The only exception was Wen Qi's milk tea, which didn't have cream on top, because Wen Cheng always remembered that Wen Qi didn't like things too sweet.
Wen Qi smiled but said nothing.
Wen Yongwang took a bite and kept praising Wen Cheng's excellent cooking skills!
Wen Yin also took a sip, and it did taste quite good. Wen Cheng then leaned over and said, "Mom, it'll taste even better if you stir it! Drinking something sweet will definitely improve your mood!"
When Wen Cheng said this, her eyes curved like a pair of small crescent moons, and it seemed as if a galaxy had surged into the crescent moons, shining brightly.
Wen Yin was stunned, and then the shame in her eyes deepened. What had she just done?
Wen Yongwang tasted the milk tea his son had made, looked at his wife, and suddenly understood.
Wen Qi's brows finally relaxed at this moment.
Wen Cheng helped her mother finish stirring the milk tea, then came over to supervise Wen Qi. However, Wen Qi didn't give her a chance to speak. Three sips for a cup of milk tea was definitely not a myth. Wen Cheng gave her older brother a thumbs up in admiration.
After seeing that the family had finished eating, Wen Yongwang coughed and said, "Wen Yin, let's go out to eat today. Let's go to that old alley where we used to eat wontons. Didn't you say you were thinking about it a few days ago?"
Wen Yongwang wasn't born with a silver spoon in his mouth; he came from the countryside. He fell in love with Wen Yin, and the two of them started from scratch with Wen Qi's parents, enduring decades of hardship to build the Wen family business they have today.
Wen Yin indeed showed a nostalgic expression upon hearing this, "It's been a long time since I've been there. Okay, honey, wait for me to get ready."
Wen Yongwang waved his hand, "This is fine for us there. Dressing like that will make the boss feel uncomfortable." He then stood up.
Wen Yin thought about it and agreed, so she put on a trench coat and followed her husband.
As they reached the door, Wen Yongwang turned back. "Qiqi, Chengcheng, would you like Daddy to bring two portions back for you?"
Wen Cheng was very sensible this time, saying, "No need, Mom and Dad are enjoying their meal!"