My College Teacher is My Children's Mom-Chapter 767: Has the Four Treasures Been Switched?
That evening, Lin Feng’s private lawyer arrived directly with his team. Their powerful auras, seeming to stand two meters tall, made the previously arrogant production team cower like dogs.
The group was led by Lin Feng’s personal lawyer of over ten years. Given how generous his boss was, the lawyer’s efficiency was never in question. The three of them were just like something out of a movie. The lead lawyer simply sat down, radiating an invincible presence.
In less than ten minutes, the problem was solved.
As the lawyer was leaving with his briefcase, he made a special visit to Lin Feng. The two could be described as the most familiar of strangers; neither would actively seek out the other unless it was necessary. After discussing their business, they parted ways. Before he left, the lawyer gave Xiao Bao an expensive pen.
He truly came and went like the wind. His visit also ensured that the restless members of the production team thoroughly learned their lesson.
Early the next morning, a professional team arrived. They and the director were busy all morning, and filming officially began. After a few days, the director couldn’t help but sigh with relief. A professional team really did make his life easier, and filming was progressing smoothly.
The busy days flew by, and in the blink of an eye, a month had passed. Life seemed to carry on as usual, without any significant changes.
Except for Xuan Jiayi.
Xuan Jiayi now went to the gym every day, maintained a healthy diet, and lived a disciplined life. She spent her spare time learning to cook, mastering a new dish each day. Over the month, she had accumulated quite a few specialties. Looking at her increasingly slim figure in the mirror, Xuan Jiayi felt bubbles of happiness swell within her.
She imagined Si Bao’s look of surprise when he returned and saw her for the first time. Surely, he would be happy for her.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.
"Who is it?" Xuan Jiayi asked, going to open the door without a second thought.
When she saw clearly who was standing there, she froze, then beamed like a child who had just received a gift. "How come you’re back?"
Standing at the door was Si Bao. His expression was slightly weary, but his smile was as sunny as ever.
"Am I welcome?"
Xuan Jiayi, a bit shy, invited him in. "You... why didn’t you say you were coming back?"
Si Bao noticed a pair of men’s slippers by the door and raised an eyebrow. "Are these for me?"
"Um, not exactly. I went to the supermarket to buy slippers, and it was a buy-one-get-one-free deal."
"Oh~"
They both knew the truth, but Si Bao, completely lacking emotional intelligence, said, "If you bought them for me, just say so. What’s there to be embarrassed about?"
Xuan Jiayi’s face flushed. "I’m not denying it. I just said I didn’t buy them especially for you."
Suddenly, she noticed Si Bao staring intently at her face. Full of anticipation, she asked, "What are you looking at?"
Si Bao pointed to her nose. "You have something black on your nose. What is it?"
Xuan Jiayi dashed to the mirror and saw it was just a smudge of soot she’d gotten on herself while cooking. She wiped it off hastily and turned to see Si Bao standing in the kitchen, looking around.
"What are you making?"
"Pickled pepper and lemon chicken feet..."
She had heard Si Bao mention he liked them. And just by chance, the lemons at the supermarket looked fresh, so she decided to make a batch to keep in the fridge.
Si Bao washed his hands and picked one up. "Let me try... Wow, this is delicious! Your cooking is amazing!"
Xuan Jiayi was about to start dinner. "What are your plans for tonight? Are you going home to eat?"
Si Bao smiled. "I just came from home. I’ll eat here tonight. Can you cook?"
"I’ve learned a lot of dishes over the past month," Xuan Jiayi said quickly. "My skills are just so-so, so please don’t be too critical."
Si Bao sat on the sofa, a tired smile on his face. "It’s fine, I’m not a picky eater. Just make whatever you’re best at."
Seeing how exhausted he looked, Xuan Jiayi wanted to ask if he wanted to lie down on the bed. But on second thought, that might be too forward... but he looks so tired...
While she was still debating, Si Bao had already leaned back on the sofa, folded his arms, and closed his eyes. Xuan Jiayi crept closer to get a better look, but Si Bao’s eyes suddenly flew open. He grinned at her. "What are you doing?"
Flustered, Xuan Jiayi stammered that he should go lie down on the bed and she would call him when dinner was ready.
"No need," Si Bao said, lying back down on the sofa. "I’ll just rest here for a bit..."
Xuan Jiayi didn’t know what else to say, not wanting to seem too forward. She busied herself in the kitchen, feeling a little self-conscious. She wasn’t sure if it was just because there was someone else in her apartment.
Si Bao’s sudden return made her happy, but also a little disappointed.
Did he really not notice that she’d lost weight? Did he truly not see it at all?
She busied herself with her work, and by the time she’d finished cooking, she saw Si Bao sleeping so soundly that she couldn’t bring herself to wake him. She waited and waited. After nearly half an hour, Si Bao stirred and woke up on his own.
"Ah, is the food ready?"
"Yes, it’s ready. I saw you were sleeping so soundly, so I didn’t call you."
Si Bao smiled at Xuan Jiayi. "What, you couldn’t bear to wake me?"
Xuan Jiayi’s face turned crimson. Her eyes went wide as she fumbled for a response. "No, no, don’t say things like that..."
Si Bao chuckled. He loved teasing Xuan Jiayi; he found it incredibly amusing.
"Not bad," he said, taking a bite of the food. "The taste and presentation are both great. Keep it up." Si Bao gave Xuan Jiayi a thumbs-up, not skimping on his praise.
Encouraged, Xuan Jiayi’s smile grew even brighter. "Okay! From now on, just tell me what you want to eat. If I don’t know how to make it, I can learn." It seemed her efforts had paid off. Si Bao enjoying her food was the ultimate validation of her cooking skills.
Si Bao grinned. "In that case, aren’t I going to be the happiest man alive?"
If anyone from his family saw him now, they would surely wonder if he’d been replaced by an impostor. Weren’t people saying that Si Bao was uncharismatic, a straightforward guy who had no idea how to charm a girl? Since when was he this smooth?
Even Xuan Jiayi was caught off guard. It took her a moment to grasp the meaning of his words. She pursed her lips and didn’t reply. Yet, her heart felt incredibly sweet. If she could always cook delicious meals for Si Bao, she would do it gladly.
Si Bao had a large appetite and ate quickly. In no time, his bowl of noodles was empty, and he got up to get another helping.
"Grandma told me your parents visited our home?" he asked.
"My parents came looking for me. After they learned about us, they said they wanted to visit and thank your uncle."
"So, does that mean we’ve officially met the parents?"
"...Yeah."
After they finished eating, Si Bao cleared the table and went to wash the dishes. In the Lin Family, doing the dishes was their chore; otherwise, their father would scold them. Xuan Jiayi went to help, but the kitchen was too cramped for two people, so she could only stand aside and watch.
She observed Si Bao washing the dishes meticulously. He finished quickly and left the kitchen spotless. Only then did Xuan Jiayi learn that in his family, they were expected to do their own chores; Lin Feng wouldn’t do things for them. Dishwashing duties were rotated, and they had all been doing it for over twenty years, so they were used to it.
Seeing that it was still early, Si Bao suggested they go for a walk.
"When are you leaving?"
"Tomorrow."
"So soon?"
"Yeah. It was a special situation today. A friend had to drive home to handle some business and was passing through Yangcheng, so I hitched a ride with him."
"I see..." Xuan Jiayi felt a pang of disappointment but quickly smiled. "I’ll come to visit you in Jingcheng when I have time."
"Okay," Si Bao smiled.
As they stepped out, they ran into their landlady.
"Jia Yi, your boyfriend is back!"
"Yes, that’s right!"
The landlady, who was a bit of a busybody, told Si Bao he should dote on his girlfriend more. "Your girlfriend had to carry a ten-kilogram bag of rice all by herself the other day. It was such hard work for her." At the time, she had thought they might have fought, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.
Living alone was certainly not easy, but the comment reminded Si Bao of something. He turned back to check her supply of rice and oil.
"Don’t be so foolish next time. Just pay to have it delivered." He looked her up and down. "You’re so tiny. What if you get squashed and end up shorter?"
Somehow, even kind words sounded different coming from Si Bao.
Xuan Jiayi protested, "I’m not that short! My height without shoes is 1.6 meters. With five-centimeter heels, I’m 1.65 meters." She added, "And if I put my hair up, I could be 1.7 meters tall!"
Si Bao snorted. "I’m 1.87 meters tall. By that logic, does that make me two meters tall?"
That was the good thing about Xuan Jiayi; she wasn’t the delicate type. Even when a straightforward guy like Si Bao said the wrong thing, she didn’t take it to heart.
The two of them continued to banter on their way to the supermarket.
"Hmph, and you claim to have good eyesight. I’ve lost weight and you didn’t even notice," Xuan Jiayi pouted.
Si Bao laughed heartily. "Actually, I noticed a long time ago. I just didn’t tell you."
Xuan Jiayi playfully hit his arm. "You’re so annoying!"
