Fuming with frustration, Cheng Yao threw down the documents she was struggling to make sense of. The moment she let go of her work, she finally noticed the hollow ache in her stomach—she had been buried in research since she got home and hadn’t eaten yet.
Deciding to treat herself, she headed to the kitchen and swiftly got to work, washing and chopping ingredients with practiced ease.
Cheng Yao wasn’t one to brag, but while her legal skills might not be the best, her cooking? She could confidently claim second place—because no one else dared to claim first.
In no time, she had prepared three dishes and a soup: braised pork belly, shrimp and tofu in superior broth, poached Chinese broccoli, and a classic tomato and egg drop soup. Every dish looked stunning, and after a quick taste test, Cheng Yao confirmed that they tasted even better than they looked.
Just as she had finished plating her meal and was about to dig in, Qian Heng’s door swung open.
The so-called boss, who had declared he was going to sleep, appeared in his pajamas. His handsome face was framed by slightly tousled hair, making him look effortlessly refined even in his half-awake state.
Cheng Yao looked up and met his deep, unreadable gaze.
She immediately defended herself. “I didn’t make any noise while cooking! I swear I didn’t wake you up!”
The following parts of the text will be scrambled to prevent theft from aggregators and unauthorized epub making. Please support our translators by reading on secondlifetranslations (dot) com. If you are currently on the site and and you are seeing this, please clear your cache.
Ms bla pwarakpl, Ckyd Tldt, obs wpwyzzu zshle dkvrknjkdt, eked’v yatwl. Rdpvlye, bl pkxrzu zlv swv y dsdnbyzydv “Yx,” clqsal pvaszzkdt shla vs vbl ekdkdt vyczl. Tl nypwyzzu tzydnle shla vbl pralye sq ekpblp yde zlv swv y qykdv nbwnjzl.
“Psd’v vbkdj vbyv xyjkdt xl y vyczl qwzz sq qsse okzz lyad usw ydu qyhsap. R’x dsv ydpolakdt uswa nbkzekpb iwlpvksdp fwpv clnywpl usw vau vs cakcl xl okvb y xlyz.”
Ubldt Zys czkdjle, nsdqwple. “R xyel vbkp qsa xuplzq.”
Ckyd Tldt pxkajle, qwzz sq nsdqkeldnl. “Mbld obu eke usw xyjl ldswtb qsa vos? Mball ekpblp yde y pswr—nzlyazu xlydv qsa vos rlsrzl.”
Fvwqqkdt y ckvl sq qsse kdvs bla xswvb, Ubldt Zys ydpolale pkdnlalzu, “R byhl y ckt yrrlvkvl. Mbkp kp fwpv vbl aktbv yxswdv qsa xl.”
Ckyd Tldt eked’v alprsde. Tl pkxrzu naspple bkp yaxp yde zlydle ytykdpv vbl vyczl, oyvnbkdt bla okvb y zlkpwalzu lmralppksd, yp kq oykvkdt vs pll bso zsdt pbl nswze jllr wr vbl ynv.
Ubldt Zys clzklhle vbyv obld psxlsdl xkpwdelapvsse usw, osaep olal wplzlpp. Ls yxswdv sq lmrzydyvksd nswze cl yp nsdhkdnkdt yp pszke ynvksd.
Fs, aktbv kd qasdv sq Ckyd Tldt, pbl alpszwvlzu qkdkpble lhlau pkdtzl ekpb sd vbl vyczl.
……
“See? I really can finish it all by myself!”
Cheng Yao wiped the corner of her mouth and looked up—only then did she realize that after watching her devour an entire table’s worth of food at lightning speed, her boss’s expression had turned… rather unpleasant?
Qian Heng’s face was dark. “Cheng Yao, I haven’t had dinner yet.”
And that was when it finally dawned on her—oh, so her picky boss had actually been planning to eat her cooking just now?
Qian Heng, oh Qian Heng, you spend your days bossing people around, but did you ever think a day like this would come for you?
Cheng Yao felt a deep sense of satisfaction, like a peasant finally overthrowing the landlord. Pretending not to know, she asked, “Huh? Weren’t you supposed to be asleep already?”
“You did that on purpose.”
“Hmm?”
“You’re holding a grudge because I refused to answer your childish questions. So, as revenge, you forced yourself to finish off a two-person meal just to spite me.”
At that, Cheng Yao couldn’t help but laugh. “Boss, let me ask you one thing—who made this meal? Me or you?”
“…”
“Whoever cooks gets to decide how the food is eaten. Simple as that.”
Qian Heng remained expressionless. “Cheng Yao, you’ve got some nerve. Did Liang Jingru give you this courage?”
“Not at all! It’s thanks to you, Boss. You taught me that as a lawyer, I have to stand up for myself, fight for my rights, and battle to the very last moment!”
“Alright, fine. I’ll give you two thousand yuan—just make me the same meal again.”
Cheng Yao shook her head sagely. “I’ve grown, matured. I now understand that some principles should never be compromised for money.”
Qian Heng glanced at her, taking in the way she smirked—her dark hair, red lips, and bright, cunning eyes made her look just like a sleek little fox.
He turned away slightly, pressing his lips together before speaking again. “Final offer: You cook, I’ll answer your questions.”
“Unlimited Q&A time!”
“Cheng Yao, don’t push your luck.”
Cheng Yao faked a yawn. “You know, cooking actually isn’t great for one’s health. All that oil and smoke…”
“Fine, deal.”
Though Qian Heng ground his teeth slightly, the aroma and presentation of Cheng Yao’s food were simply too tempting. After a brief moment of hesitation, he agreed to the unfair trade.
“Thirty minutes. I want the food on the table,” he said, taking a seat at the dining table. “But Cheng Yao, if your food only looks good but tastes awful, you’re done for.”
He tapped a single finger on the table in his usual authoritative manner. “If one party deliberately provides false information or intentionally withholds the truth, leading the other party to make a mistaken decision, that constitutes fraud. A contract established through fraudulent means is subject to rescission.”
“In other words, if your cooking is bad, that’s fraud. And I’ll have every right to revoke our verbal agreement. Don’t expect me to answer a single question.”
“…”
***
Qian Heng sat at the dining table in his loose-fitting pajamas, yet his imposing presence made it seem as though he were dressed in a custom Zegna suit, issuing orders from an expensive executive chair.
Cheng Yao was confident in her cooking skills. Wasting no time, she swiftly returned to the kitchen and began preparing the ingredients. The only remaining protein she had was some fish fillets she had bought for tomorrow’s congee and a few chicken wings. Unsure of what Qian Heng preferred, she stepped out of the kitchen to ask for his opinion.
As soon as she slid open the kitchen door, she caught sight of her dignified boss rubbing his eyes sleepily. Then, with no regard for his usual aloof image, he let out a yawn. His normally indifferent eyes appeared slightly misty from the yawn, and under the warm lighting, the contours of his face took on a soft, almost fuzzy glow. From Cheng Yao’s angle, Qian Heng’s sharp and handsome features suddenly seemed… unexpectedly gentle.
However—
Beep, beep, beep, beep!
The rice cooker signaled that the rice was done. Instinctively following the sound, Qian Heng looked up and met Cheng Yao’s gaze at the doorway.
In an instant, the transformation was complete. Like a master of disguise, he straightened his back, shedding every ounce of drowsiness and regaining his usual noble and icy demeanor. Unfortunately for him, the lingering effects of the yawn still clung to his face. Despite his frosty expression, there were still faint, telltale traces of tears at the corners of his eyes…
For some reason, a thought popped into Cheng Yao’s mind—no matter how much celebrities are worshiped like gods, at the end of the day, they still have to eat, sleep, and use the bathroom like everyone else. And no matter how toxic a boss might be, after work, they, too, have their non-toxic moments…
With her thoughts wandering wildly, she suddenly found herself craving fugu. Ah, pufferfish—it’s poisonous, but once the toxic parts are removed, it’s incredibly delicious…
“Where’s the food?”
Unfortunately, her highly toxic boss shattered her beautiful daydreams in an instant.
“Do you have time to stand there spacing out? Get back in the kitchen and cook.”
“…”
Alright, Cheng Yao thought. No need to ask anymore—forget the fish fillets. She’d just cook him two chicken wings and be done with it. Fish fillets were expensive and definitely not worth wasting on a toxic boss.
—
Before long, another beautifully plated and aromatic meal was served.
With a stony expression, Qian Heng picked up his chopsticks and carefully took a few bites, as if he were genuinely worried that Cheng Yao had committed fraud—that the dishes looked appealing but tasted awful, like some online viral recipes.
However, his prejudices were quickly overturned. After a few slow and deliberate bites, he began eating faster and faster. Before long, nearly all the food on the table had been wiped out.
Once he finished, his mood was clearly much improved. He elegantly dabbed his mouth with a napkin, his expression visibly more relaxed.
Cheng Yao eyed the pile of dishes on the table. Just as she was about to bring up the topic, her insufferable boss beat her to it.
“You wash.”
“…”
Cheng Yao decided to fight back. “But the usual arrangement for roommates is that whoever cooks, the other washes the dishes!”
Qian Heng raised an eyebrow. “And in a normal roommate arrangement, does one person pay the other a salary every month?”
“…”
“I’m not using my authority as your boss to pressure you,” Qian Heng continued in an infuriatingly calm tone. “I just believe in a simple rule—whoever makes the mess cleans it up.”
Cheng Yao roared internally. If this wasn’t abusing his power as her boss, then what was?! Whoever makes the mess cleans it up?! Who did she cook for?! Who?!
Though she was seething with resentment, she still had questions to ask Qian Heng later. So, under the weight of tyranny, she reluctantly cleaned up the “mess.”
—
Once the meal was finished and the kitchen was spotless, Cheng Yao finally pulled out the case files from her room. With a respectful attitude, she sat down in front of Qian Heng.
Flashing a fawning smile, she said, “So, about Bai Xingmeng’s divorce case…”
Qian Heng leaned back in his chair, assuming the professional boss-like posture. Unfortunately, the dining chairs in the rental apartment couldn’t compare to the high-end ergonomic chairs at the firm that cost tens of thousands. He quickly frowned, adjusting his position reluctantly.
“The task I assigned you is to investigate Xu Jun’s hidden assets first. Tell me—what questions do you have about this?”
“I have questions about everything…”
“…”
Qian Heng’s expression was beyond words. “I must have been blind back then.”
Cheng Yao: ?
“I should never have hesitated and let you join the firm.”
Friend, if you had dared to say this earlier, I would have poisoned your meal just now!
Although she was mentally roasting him, she had actually been curious about this issue for a long time.
When she first sent her resume to Junheng, it was with a “why not give it a shot” attitude. After miraculously landing the job, she didn’t think too much about it at first. But later, she realized that all her colleagues either had better academic credentials or more legal experience than she did—each of their resumes had something truly impressive. Compared to them, she really was quite mediocre.
At this moment, looking at Qian Heng’s face, a bold guess formed in her mind.
“Could it be…” She hesitated, then decided to just go for it. “Could it be that you hired me because you thought I was pretty? I mean, in my two-inch ID photo—everyone says I look quite good in it, hahaha…”
Qian Heng stared at her in silence for a long time.
“I’m now certain that I was blind back then.”
“…”
Then why did you hire me?
As if he could read her thoughts, Qian Heng glanced at her. “One reason was something you wrote in your personal statement—‘I hope to uphold the law as my lifelong belief.’”
Huh? Cheng Yao scratched her head. To be honest, she had almost forgotten what she had written in her personal statement. So she got hired just because of that? Wasn’t that just a generic line?
“Didn’t other people write similar things in their statements?” she asked in confusion. “I thought everyone wrote that…”
“They wrote, ‘I uphold fairness and justice as my belief.’ You wrote, ‘I uphold the law as my belief.’ I thought you were different.”
Cheng Yao was baffled. Wasn’t upholding the law the same as upholding fairness and justice? What was the difference? Wasn’t it just a matter of wording?
Qian Heng glanced at her blank expression. “Of course, now I realize that my proud judgment failed this time. That expression on your face tells me you’re no different from anyone else.”
Wait, wait, wait?!
“So, in the end, the reason I hired you was just a moment of lapse in judgment—not because of your looks.”
“…”
Qian Heng swept a glance at her face, then added, “I understand that to the average person—like our HR manager Jiang Chenggang—you would be considered very pretty. The moment he saw your ID photo, he was set on hiring you. But!” He raised a hand and gestured above his head. “This is my standard for beauty.” Then he lowered his hand to shoulder level. “And you’re here.”
“…”
As if that wasn’t enough provocation, Qian Heng thought for a moment before adding, “You pass, you’re okay. But don’t get arrogant—keep a proper mindset.”
Calm down, I need to stay calm… Cheng Yao consoled herself internally. Endure it. Today, he’s the boss, and you’re the subordinate. So you should work hard. One day, if you become a partner, you can be as arrogant as he is!
—
[Mini Theater]
After they started dating:
Cheng Yao: “I want to eat wontons…”
Qian Heng: “I’ll go buy them.”
Cheng Yao: “I want sugar-roasted chestnuts…”
Qian Heng: “Okay.”
Cheng Yao: “I want a fried egg—one that’s fresh and hot, just off the pan.”
Qian Heng: “Mhm, I’ll learn how to make it right now.”
After eating the fried egg—
Cheng Yao: “The dishes aren’t washed yet.”
Qian Heng: “I’ll wash them.”
And then, that very same day, Qian Heng ordered a dishwasher online… (The final stubborn resistance of a domineering law firm partner.)
Second Life Translations' Comment Policy
1. Be kind and respectful. Comments with curses will be put under moderation.
2. No links to other websites or asking for links.
3. No spoilers!