IROAWTMTFL Chapter 35

The uttered “husband” was like a switch that violently broke the seal within Zhuang Yiyun’s body. He felt as if he was lacking oxygen, and his breathing unconsciously quickened, trying to fill his compressed lungs with air. However, he was too close to Yan Yan, and every breath he took into his lungs was tainted with the faint scent of alcohol that Yan Yan had exhaled.

Yan Yan hadn’t lied, it was perfectly natural for a chef to sneak some food. If he had a moment when he was mixing drinks, he kwould pour himself a bit, not too much though, or it would affect his performance. But even this faint hint of alcohol seemed like a direct adrenaline injection into Zhuang Yiyun’s veins.

Ambiguity was everywhere, and Yan Yan’s ears turned completely red from being “seduced” by Zhuang Yiyun. He tilted his head back, and he saw himself Zhuang Yiyun’s deep, unfathomable eyes. It was really bewitching for such a good-looking man to only have eyes for him.

“You are really so competitive.”

If Zhuang Yiyun dared to call him ‘husband’ before, he could have rushed over to push him down. However, being rejected so many times had taught him to be more restrained, balancing between banter and probing.

Zhuang Yiyun was like a balloon which had just inflated, but with a single prick, was sent flying out of the window. He closed his eyes, as if suddenly sobering up, and was momentarily unsure how to respond.

Was it because of competitiveness? Yan Yan said he was jealous, and indeed, he felt a sourness in his heart, like soaking in aged vinegar. So did that mean he liked Yan Yan?

What did it mean to like someone? This was a question he had never considered or experienced. For Zhuang Yiyun, who had been under intense pressure from a young age, it was like a mirage, with no tangible feeling.

Zhuang Yiyun came to his senses, and reason took over again. Without investigation, there was no right to speak. Since he didn’t understand what it meant to like someone, he needed to learn and study this topic before discussing it.

He didn’t respond, and Yan Yan felt somewhat disappointed but also thought it was expected. This person was like that; he had flirted so much earlier and didn’t get a response, why should he expect a real reaction now? A person who had been circling around him no longer has attention for him, this would awaken any man’s possessiveness and competitiveness. However, these things didn’t necessarily meet his needs, and besides, he had already given up that need for Zhuang Yiyun.

“Alright, I understand. At least you have more qualifications to call me that than they do. I admit it.” Yan Yan smiled. He looked carefree, and the hint of ambiguity from earlier dissipated.

With no mood to play anymore, Yan Yan accepted Zhuang Yiyun’s proposal to take him home. On the way, the melodious music played in the car, and Yan Yan stared out of the window, lost in thought.

“I want to eat Auntie Qian’s cooking,” Zhuang Yiyun said when he stopped at a red light.

“I’m too lazy to send it. What a wonderful idea you have. The mother makes food for my son-in-law. You think that by calling me ‘husband’, you’ll really become her son-in-law?”

Zhuang Yiyun fell silent, and Yan Yan felt annoyed. This person always goes silent on critical issues, truly annoying! He didn’t speak to Zhuang Yiyun again until he got off the car.

He had thought Zhuang Yiyun would leave after dropping him off at the community, but to his surprise, Zhuang Yiyun parked the car and went upstairs with him. His eyes signaled Yan Yan to ask what he was doing, but Yan Yan stubbornly refused to ask. He didn’t want to talk to this person; he could be provoked to death. Thinking back to how he had endured this person before, how had he managed? Life was a kind of cultivation, so he should have accumulated at least a year’s worth of cultivation in the past few months.

“Xiao Yun is here!” Qian Ruqing was very happy to see Zhuang Yiyun.

“I had time to pick up Yanyan after work,” Zhuang Yiyun smiled lightly at Qian Ruqing, and Yan Yan turned around in time to see that smile. It was like the iceberg had melted, he showed respect to his mother, and called him “Yanyan”, it was a triple kill?

Qian Ruqing invited him in to sit, but Zhuang Yiyun politely declined, and the conversation shifted to another matter.

“The lunchboxes that Yanyan sent me are very delicious, but he runs around to deliver them during meal times every day, which is too tiring. I’ll just eat at the company cafeteria. After these busy days and the New Year, I’ll come to taste your cooking properly.”

Yan Yan looked at him in amazement, and his movements of putting on his slippers stopped. At that moment, it was like the Jiang Li at noon had possessed him, and he felt a bit guilty, much like Jiang Li had. So this person had really listened and understood, and even took the initiative to resolve things for him, recognizing a lunchbox he hadn’t even eaten once.

At first, Qian Ruqing was a little surprised, but she quickly smiled with joy. Her son-in-law was so considerate, and he was afraid that even delivering a meal would be too hard for Yan Yan. He really understood when to be warm and when to be cool! Sure enough, Xiao Yun was cold on the outside but warm on the inside.

“Okay, okay, let’s prepare a big feast for layer. I’ll let you taste it properly!”

“Then I’ll head back. I need to go to the laboratory early tomorrow.”

Three days passed quickly, and it was soon New Year’s Eve. In fact, most of the team members had already left in the previous two days, but Zhuang Yiyun had nowhere to go. Going to the Yan house might lead to being kicked out by Yan Yan, He had nothing to do at home alone, and it was even more impossible to go to his mother’s place. So he stayed at the R&D center until the day before New Year’s Eve.

In the morning, he carried the prepared New Year goods to the Yan house. This time, it wasn’t picked by Ke Mingcheng; he prepared it himself.

When Qian Ruqing and Yan Ximing saw him arriving with big bags, they scolded him for being extravagant and told him not to spend so much in the future

“You do this every time you come here. You’re not here to ask for favors, it’s too polite.”

“Perishable goods can expire. Both Yan Yan’s mother and I can only eat so much.”

“Like I said, I only have one dad and one mom.”

The family of three besieged him, and Zhuang Yiyun was defeated in second. He could only say, “Okay, I got it.”

They had a big meal prepared by Qian Ruqing for lunch and would have hotpot for dinner. In the afternoon, Qian Ruqing started preparing the hotpot base, stewing a rich broth for most of the day, frying spicy chili for a spicy and fragrant flavor, and preparing a half-and-half hotpot. Yan Yan and the others were assigned to prepare the vegetables.

They washed what needed washing and cut what needed cutting. Yan Ximing even displayed his skill at rolling noodles and made handmade noodles. They also rolled out dumpling wrappers and made dumplings together as a family.

Zhuang Yiyun didn’t know how to make dumplings. Yan Ximing was about to teach him, but his wife elbowed him and whispered, “Why join in the fun? Let Yan Yan teach him.”

Yan Yan didn’t want to teach Zhuang Yiyun; he remembered the time they had cut meat together, and Zhuang Yiyun almost had to stick his butt out to avoid his touch. It was truly a shame in his career of flirting. But Zhuang Yiyun was genuinely a culinary black hole; he managed to break the skin of every single dumpling he made. He was practically ruining the good dumpling wrappers his dad had rolled out!

“It’s not like that. Look at my hand, fold it here, then here, pinch it, see? Isn’t it simple?”

Zhuang Yiyun’s eyes understood but his hands didn’t. His actions remained unchanged.

“I couldn’t see the details clearly from that angle.”

Yan Yan was getting annoyed, so he leaned over without thinking. He wrapped his arm against Zhuang Yiyun’s as he demonstrated, asking him to look closely.

“Do you understand now?”

Zhuang Yiyun didn’t understand because, Yan Yan was only wearing a thin sweater and had rolled up his sleeves to make dumplings. Their forearms were touching, and all of his senses were focused on that touch. He had no attention to spare for Yan Yan’s hand movements.

He nodded absentmindedly, and his actions remained unchanged.

Yan Yan: “…” Can anyone be this clueless in the world? How can someone be this clueless and still graduate with a Ph.D.?”

“Stop it! Spare my dad’s dumpling wrappers!”

“But… I’ve never made dumplings before.”

Yan Yan: Is it possible to be this clumsy on the first try? Oh well, endure, it’s New Year’s.

“Watch again.” Yan Yan turned around, and noticed Zhuang Yiyun was looking at his arm. Fed up, Yan Yan scolded angrily, “Am I making dumplings with my arm? Look at my hand, look at my hand movements!”

Zhuang Yiyun was finally caught and he looked slightly embarrassed. He finally locked his gaze on Yan Yan’s hand.

Qian Ruqing was oblivious and was very satisfied with their actions. Watching the two children being “affectionate,” she felt she had no worries in her later years. She directly dragged her husband away, leaving the dumpling-making task to the two of them.

Except for Yan Yan, who was a bit grumpy, everyone enjoyed the activity and it continued until the guests Qian Ruqing had invited arrived.

When Zhuang Xian appeared at the door, Yan Yan was stunned, and Zhuang Yiyun immediately bristled with an icy aura. The gentle aura from earlier disappeared completely, and Yan Yan was so shocked he instinctively tugged on Zhuang Yiyun’s wrist.

Qian Ruqing was oblivious to all this and warmly welcomed her. She then turned to Zhuang Yiyun and Yan Yan, saying, “Surprise, right? I thought since Xiao Yun said he was having both lunch and dinner here, we should have a family reunion on New Year’s Eve. So, I invited his mother over. Let both our families celebrate the New Year together, lively and warm.”

Zhuang Xian and her son locked eyes across the living room, and Zhuang Yiyun’s face turned cold, while Zhuang Xian seemed to be smiling but not smiling. Qian Ruqing, who had just welcomed her warmly, finally felt something was wrong The temperature in the room seemed to have dropped, as if the air conditioning had broken.

She and Yan Ximing exchanged glances, never expecting such a situation.

The mother and son remained silent, and Yan Yan’s expression clearly showed he was aware of something. Qian Ruqing regretted it bitterly; she should have asked Yan Yan about this. No wonder this child didn’t mention taking Yan Yan to his home for New Year’s. It turned out that there was something wrong. But now that she had invited Zhuang Xian, it can be said that they are riding a tiger and it was difficult to get off. It no one spoke up, the Yan couple wouldn’t say anything unpleasant either.

“Zhuang Xian, please have a seat first. The kids are making dumplings,” Qian Ruqing had no choice but to bite the bullet.

As soon as Yan Yan saw the mysterious and strange expression on Zhuang Xian’s face, he entered battle mode. His mother had unintentionally made trouble, and now it was up to him to resolve the situation.

Yan Yan, who had just been impatient and irritable, instantly transformed into a considerate and obedient husband. He picked up a coin prepared on the side and put it into his own dumpling. Then, he whispered in Zhuang Yiyun’s ear in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear, “Gege, there’s only one lucky coin today, remember this mark. The dumplings with the mark are the lucky ones. You must pick them! All the good luck for next year will go to you!”

“You are being so loud. Do you think we’re all deaf?” Qian Ruqing scolded angrily.

“So what if you heard it? It’s my gege’s first New Year at our house. Isn’t it right to give him all the good luck?” Yan Yan replied.

“Alright, alright, you’re the only one who knows how to spoil him. Okay, just give them all to Xiao Yun. Xiao Yun, you must pay attention when we cook the dumplings later. Don’t let Yan Yan’s lucky dumpling slip away.”

Zhuang Yiyun’s stiff edges softened again, and he looked at Yan Yan and said, “Okay. I’ll make sure to pick it for you, Yanyan.”

Yan Yan was taken aback by his gentle words. In that moment, he felt like Zhuang Yiyun wasn’t just going along with their act, but was speaking sincerely.

Author’s Note:

Xiao Yun felt wronged: But I am speaking the truth!