Chapter 195: Take It Away! Not Hungry! Not Eating! Get Lost!

The door opened, and Lin Xinyan came down herself to greet Shi Ji.

She had already changed, her long coat buttoned up. Still, she seemed visibly uncomfortable. Being stared at by Shi Ji like that made her feel weird. Her face was flushed with shyness, and she avoided meeting his eyes. Even when she spoke, her words were hesitant and soft.

“Uh… um… follow me.”

With Lin Xinyan leading the way, Shi Ji entered the luxurious villa, curiosity written all over his face.

What had happened earlier was purely accidental. Shi Ji wasn’t the kind of guy to dwell on things unnecessarily. It was precisely because of his close friendship with Lin Xinyan that he didn’t press the matter. Asking about it would only make things awkward for both of them.

As they walked, Shi Ji kept glancing around, taking in his surroundings. Neither of them said a word. Lin Xinyan didn’t even turn back to look at him.

Staring at her from behind, Shi Ji’s thoughts began to drift. For a moment, he saw the shadow of someone else in Lin Xinyan. He shook his head quickly to snap himself out of it.

Right then, Lin Xinyan suddenly stopped. Shi Ji, not paying attention, bumped straight into her.

“Ah! Xinyan, sorry about that. I spaced out,” he apologized quickly.

Lin Xinyan shook her head lightly and said softly, “It’s fine.”

Then she turned around to face him. 

“Tomorrow’s the mission. Don’t stress yourself out, okay? Teacher said that the more pressure you’re under, the more you need to find ways to relax. You can go up to the rooftop for a bit if you want.”

Her words carried two meanings. First, she wanted Shi Ji to understand that she wasn’t someone who indulged in luxury without reason. Second, she hoped he could take a moment to relax and not let the mission weigh too heavily on him.

Shi Ji understood Lin Xinyan well enough and always held a positive view of her character. He could see where she was coming from.

With a light chuckle, Shi Ji stepped forward, patted Rin Xinyan on the shoulder, and grinned. 

“Nice figure. Keep it up.”

“Huh?”

Lin Xinyan froze, unable to react for a moment. When it finally clicked, she realized Shi Ji had already scampered off, laughing to himself.

“Shi Ji, you pervert!”

In fact, just earlier, Jing Xin had also been lounging in the pool in her swimsuit. When she heard Shi Ji had arrived, she bolted back to her room faster than Lin Xinyan had managed to get dressed and go downstairs to greet him.

When Shi Ji and Lin Xinyan entered the living room, Jing Xin was already seated, casually sipping a glass of water.

Earlier, she had been wearing a dress, but now she was in a sharp white outfit. It was formal yet trendy, with a modern, stylish cut. Instead of a skirt, she had swapped the bottom half for tailored pants.

Facing Shi Ji, Jing Xin was constantly on guard. The mere thought of this shameless rogue peeking under her skirt multiple times before filled her with fury. To put it plainly, Jing Xin was wary of him.

When Shi Ji walked in, Jing Xin didn’t even want to look at him. She turned her face away and kept sipping water from the glass on the nearby table, though her fidgeting made her discomfort obvious.

Lin Xinyan walked up to Jing Xin. “Teacher, I’ve brought him.”

“Hmm. Sit down.”

Lin Xinyan turned to Shi Ji, who was still gawking at the decor with unabashed curiosity.

“Hey, stop looking around. Come and sit down already.”

Shi Ji let out an “oh,” then quickly took the seat next to Jing Xin. Lin Xinyan sat on Jing Xin’s other side.

Jing Xin turned her face towards Lin Xinyan, deliberately ignoring Shi Ji.

The sound of someone drinking water suddenly echoed from one side.

“Ah, finally some water after all that running around. What kind of tea is this? Tastes great,” Shi Ji said, looking quite pleased.

Jing Xin, with an indifferent tone, retorted, “Hmph, a bumpkin like you wouldn’t know even if I told you. You—”

Suddenly, she froze, realizing something. Turning back, she saw her water glass on the table—completely empty. Nothing left. Shi Ji, meanwhile, was slouched in his seat, looking utterly content. He even smacked his lips like he was savoring the taste.

Bang!

Jing Xin slammed her palm onto the small table and stood up immediately. Her face flushed a bright red.

“Shi Ji, you scoundrel! That was my water! How dare you drink it all? No, wait! You shameless rascal! You’re taking advantage of me!”

From that point on, Jing Xin didn’t give Shi Ji so much as a pleasant glance for the rest of the day.

This might have been Jing Xin’s home turf, but with Shi Ji hopping around so casually, he truly acted like the place was his own.

That evening, Lin Xinyan took the initiative to head into the kitchen to cook.

As she put it, they needed a hearty dinner tonight to ensure they’d have enough energy for tomorrow’s mission. 

It was only then that Shiji realized Lin XinYan could actually cook.

Unlike Jing Xin, who sat back like a queen waiting for the meal to arrive, Shi Ji wasn’t the type to just sit idly. Cooking was a hassle, after all. With an extra pair of hands, things would go faster.

When Lin Xinyan saw Shi Ji stepping in to help, her smile grew even brighter.

The two of them chatted as they worked together, making the task not just bearable but even fun. Meanwhile, Jing Xin sat alone in the living room, waiting for dinner to be served, growing more and more irritated.

Whenever Lin Xinyan visited before, she always cooked while Jing Xin just ate. Cooking was way too troublesome for someone like her. She didn’t know the first thing about it.

Honestly, if it were up to her usual self, the moment she smelled the delicious aromas wafting in, she’d have rushed over to sneak a bite. But with Shi Ji now in the kitchen, her pride wouldn’t let her. So, she sat there sulking, pouting quietly to herself.

By the time the food was finally brought to the table—over half an hour later—Jing Xin leaned in close, her eyes practically sparkling at the sight of the tempting dishes. For a moment, she looked just like an excited young girl. Hard to believe she was already 24.

Noticing her reaction, Shiji placed the final dish directly in front of her.

“This was made personally by yours truly. Care to give it a try?”

Jing Xin folded her arms across her chest, turned her head away, and gave a cold snort.

“Hmph! No thanks.”

But her eyes couldn’t help darting toward the dish a few times, betraying her interest.

“Ugh, what’s this mess you made? So sloppy. Lin XinYan’s cooking is way better—colorful, fragrant, and perfect.”

In reality, the dish looked just as appetizing, but Jing Xin had said that on purpose.

Shi Ji grinned and casually removed the dish, replacing it with another.

“Hehe, my bad. I brought the wrong one. This braised pork is the one I made.”

Jing Xin slammed her hand on the table and shot to her feet.

“Shi Ji, you scoundrel! You’re messing with me!”

“Yup,” Shi Ji said with a cheeky grin.

“You…”

“Hehe, alright, alright. I’m done teasing you. Let’s calm down and enjoy dinner.”

“Take it away! I’m not hungry! I’m not eating! Go away… Hey! You jerk, why’d you take all the food away!”