Chapter 123 Sweet Hunting

In the early morning of 16:01, golden sunlight poured into the living room. The kitchen was filled with the aroma of fried eggs and the warm smell of smoke.

Wrapped in a soft silk nightgown, Yu Ling leaned against the island, her bare feet on the warm wooden floor. She clutched her precious silver thermos cup, sipping ginger and brown sugar water, a spicy and warming experience. Her eyes were glued to the aproned figure at the stove.

Zhao Chen had his back to her, the weather-beaten Shiba Inu apron around his waist still stained with "medals" from yesterday's frosting battle.

He moved swiftly, two sunny-side-up eggs sizzling in the pan, their edges adorned with a caramelized lace. The toaster dinged, and out popped two slices of golden, crispy toast. The air was thick with the aroma of butter and burnt bread, a comforting scent.

Everything remains the same.

But after the nuclear explosion of the "Ice Sugar Pickled Contract" in the kitchen last night, there was something indescribable in the air.

No one mentioned the "Mutual Aid Marriage Agreement," as if it had been swept into the corner of memory. But the crater it had created was still there, an undercurrent surging beneath the lake of my heart.

Yu Ling watched his back, her heart aching. The sweet part was that he remembered all her habits, the sour part was that damn countdown. She was afraid this "habit" might just be a performance limited to the contract.

"Lingling," Zhao Chen said without turning around. He carefully flipped the fried egg with a spatula. His voice was hoarse from just waking up, and a little tense. "Cooked with a sweet core? Well done?"

"Crispy egg," Yu Ling blurted out, her throat a little dry. She watched him deftly scoop up a trembling, icy-crusted egg and slide it onto the white porcelain plate. The yolk was so full it seemed to be about to ooze out, shaking her heart.

At that moment, Zhao Chen paused. He seemed to hesitate for a fraction of a second before reaching out and grabbing a small, unlabeled, exquisite glass jar. Inside, honey, thick as amber, exuded a unique herbal aroma—premium Manuka.

He used a small silver spoon to carefully pour a few thin lines of honey next to Yu Ling's soft-boiled egg.

"Try this honey," he said, his voice deliberately steady, as if he were just chatting. "A friend... uh... a beekeeper friend gave it to me. He said it warms your stomach."

He didn't look back and continued to work on his hard-boiled egg. His movements were smooth, but Yu Ling noticed that his knuckles were turning white from the exertion of his fingers holding the spatula.

Friends…friends again.

Honey…warms the stomach.

Yu Ling's heart felt like it was being scalded by those few drops of honey. He remembered her stomach issues, the days of languor she felt every month. These little bits of clumsy yet stubborn consideration entangled her deeper and deeper like the softest spider web. She felt addicted, yet also anxious.

She picked up her plate and sat down at the small table by the window. The sun enveloped her in warmth. She picked up her knife and fork, carefully cut off a piece of the burnt egg, dipped it in the glistening honey, and brought it to her mouth.

The warm egg liquid, mixed with the thick sweet aroma of honey and the faint scent of grass and flowers, melted on the tip of my tongue. The warmth slid down my esophagus, seeming to truly soothe my stomach and even melt away the sourness in my heart.

Zhao Chen also sat across from him, a plate in hand. He lowered his head, concentrating on cutting his hard-boiled egg, exuding an aura of "I'm very ordinary."

The two of them ate silently, the only sound being the soft, crisp sound of their knives and forks hitting their plates. An invisible string seemed to be taut in the air.

Yu Ling ate in small sips, feeling Zhao Chen's gaze. He tried to look up at her several times, but quickly dropped his eyes before she noticed. His Adam's apple rolled, as if he had swallowed something.

Finally, the plate was almost empty.

Zhao Chen put down his knife and fork.

He didn't look up.

He just stretched out his bony hand, with a barely perceptible tremor at his fingertips, and slowly and very "casually" brushed away a hardcover book with "The Law of Time Management" printed on the cover next to the small bamboo basket of toast on the table.

Under the book, there was a familiar piece of paper with yellowed edges!

It was the page from the "Mutual Aid Marriage Agreement"! The "one-year" clause and the two signatures on it were glaring!

Yu Ling's breathing stopped instantly! Her heart felt like it was being gripped by an icy hand! Her stomach, just warmed by the honey, froze instantly! He...he brought it out?! He put it on the breakfast table?! What did he want?!

Zhao Chen's finger rested on the yellowed page of the agreement. He still didn't look up, his gaze fixed on the last bit of egg crumbs on his plate, as if it were some inconceivable problem. The bases of his ears flushed bright red, spreading all the way down to his neck. His entire body was tense, like a fully drawn bow.

The dead silence in the study that night came back again, making it suffocating.

Just when the suffocating silence was about to drive Yu Ling crazy,

Zhao Chen raised his head with great difficulty and slowly.

The eyes behind the gold-rimmed glasses lost their usual warmth and the ecstasy of last night. Instead, they were filled with immense, almost overflowing tension, anticipation, and a kind of almost humble temptation!

He moved his lips before making a sound, as hoarse as sandpaper grinding wood, and pretended to be casual, saying, "It's a nice day today."

"Lingling..." He called her name, softly like a sigh, but his eyes were like hooks, locking onto her instantly pale face, "...Look at how you've been..."

He paused, his Adam's apple rolled violently, as if he had gathered up all his courage in his life, and his fingertips unconsciously rubbed the words "one year" in the agreement.

"...It seems...it's become a habit." His voice became softer, with a deliberately nonchalant air, but his eyes burned like a branding iron.

"I'm used to seeing you staring blankly at the cup in the morning...I'm used to frying soft-boiled eggs for you...I'm used to you scolding me for not being able to tell the difference between truffles and mushrooms...I'm used to..."

He took a deep breath, his voice filled with unconcealable trembling and great hope, as if he was standing on the edge of a cliff, tentatively extending his foot:

"…I'm used to having you around."

He stopped, his eyes locked with Yu Ling's, with a desperate plea. His voice was so soft that it could be blown away by the wind, but it sounded like thunder in Yu Ling's ears:

"This lousy agreement... is such an eyesore." He tilted his head slightly, glancing at the piece of paper on the corner of the table. His tone was as innocent and clumsy as if he was discussing what to eat in the evening. "...How about...we tear it up?"

Torn?!

He said it!

Using this light-hearted tone of "life is going well now", as if complaining about the high water and electricity bills, the cold contract hanging over the heads of the two people, which determines the nature of their relationship, was brought out like throwing away garbage!

Yu Ling felt a surge of electricity from the soles of her feet to the top of her head! Her heart was pounding in her chest! Blood rushed to her head with a bang, then retreated with a whoosh!

Ecstasy exploded in his mind like fireworks! He had taken the initiative! He wanted to tear up the contract! He wanted to weld this "habit" into eternity!

She looked at his face, so close, filled with nervous anticipation, at his reddened ears and neck, at his tightly pursed lips and slightly trembling fingertips… The huge pounding of her heart was like a tsunami, instantly knocking her unconscious! The word "yes" almost came out of her mouth!

However--

Just when the word "good" was stuck in my throat!

Gu Qianqian's mean and twisted face, and those poisonous curses, flashed out with incredible clarity!

"What he needs is help worthy of his status!"

"In the eyes of the real rich, you are nothing!"

"Follow him? What future do you have?!"

And that agreement!

The agreement he signed personally, with the cold terms of "non-interference" and "one-year term"!

Is he "breaking up" now because he loves her? Or is he just used to this worry-free, playful life? Used to her being his trouble-free "contract wife"? When the contract is truly gone, and he returns to a world beyond her reach, how much of this "habit" will remain?

A huge feeling of inferiority and panic poured down like ice water, instantly extinguishing the small flame of ecstasy! The contract suddenly became a fragile shell!

If she tears it off, she will have to face the bottomless Zhao Chen naked, and face the world that she may never be able to climb into!

She was afraid! Afraid that this "habit" was a dream, afraid that she was not worthy of him after he tore off his disguise!

The word "OK" that rushed to her lips was swallowed back by her! A sour taste with a rusty taste surged in her throat!

Yu Ling suddenly lowered her head, avoiding Zhao Chen's gaze that was hot enough to melt her and full of expectation!

Dead silence.

A heart-stopping silence spread between the two of them.

The color drained from Zhao Chen's face, turning as pale as hers. He opened his lips, wanting to say something, but no words came out.

Why? !

He had clearly seen the light in her eyes suddenly burst forth, glittering like stars! Why had she retreated? Was it the insecurity brought on by the broken contract? Or was it...had his hidden identity finally become an insurmountable barrier?

The immense loss and the icy pain of rejection pierced his heart like countless icy needles! It hurt a hundred times more than being stabbed by a business rival! His carefully prepared "test," his shameless step, only resulted in her retreating into her shell!

"I... I'm full." Yu Ling's voice, with a heavy nasal tone and uncontrollable trembling, abruptly broke the silence.

She stood up suddenly, and her haste caused the chair to fall over, making a harsh friction sound! She didn't even dare to look at Zhao Chen again. She turned around and rushed to the bedroom with the empty thermos cup in her arms!

"Lingling!" Zhao Chen subconsciously stood up and tried to chase her, but his outstretched hand caught nothing!

He watched Yu Ling disappear behind the bedroom door. With a loud bang, the door slammed shut, like a hammer hitting his heart!

Zhao Chen froze in place, like an ice sculpture that had been instantly frozen solid.

He slowly lowered his head, his gaze settling on the knife and fork he had just used to cut the egg. The fork tip was still stained with a bit of golden egg liquid and... a drop of glistening, uncured honey.

Honey…

He poured honey on her with his own hands...

Honey symbolizes warmth and sweetness...

Now, it was like the hardest slap in the face, slapping him on the face where he failed in his attempt, mocking the heart that was rejected and bleeding under the skin of his "ordinary husband".

A feeling of exhaustion, mixed with self-mockery and immense powerlessness, washed over him. He slumped back into his chair, his body feeling heavy as if it were filled with lead.

what to do?

Attack? Showdown? Tear off this skin?

No! Absolutely not! That would ruin the plot he'd carefully laid out for hundreds of chapters! It would scare her away! He couldn't afford the gamble!

Continue pretending? Wait for the contract to expire? Wait for the "confession day" he arranged?

But seeing her shrinking back in pain was more painful than being tortured to death!

My eyes swept over the jar of honey on the corner of the table. The amber liquid shone alluringly in the sunlight.

Honey…

trap…

Sweet...trap?

An absurd and desperate idea struck his confused mind like a bolt of lightning!

His Lingling was afraid of the bottomless pit that would follow after the contract was lost.

She needs to feel safe.

She needs a "honey pot" that she can soak in with peace of mind and temporarily forget about the countdown.

We need a "bait" that can hook her and make her jump out.

Zhao Chen slowly raised his head, the confusion and pain in his eyes faded away, replaced by a sharp and... cunning light that was almost desperate.

He reached out, his slender fingers grasping the jar of Manuka honey with a paranoid intensity. He unscrewed the lid, and the rich floral aroma suddenly burst out.

He picked up the plate Yu Ling had left with half a honey egg still on it. Next to her soft-boiled egg, where the lines of honey had once been, he tilted the jar again.

This time, it’s not a few lines.

It was poured on slowly, firmly, and in a thick layer, like pouring out a vow!

Zhao Chen looked at the egg buried alive in honey, at the thick and insoluble sweetness. Behind his gold-rimmed glasses, there surged an almost paranoid tenderness and unquestionable dominance.

Lingling…

You can't hide from it.

Since the temptation scared you off...

Then build your nest with honey and weave your web with sweet fragrance.

I want you to get used to more than just fried eggs in the morning.

What I want you to get used to is... addiction.

Get lost in the gentle trap I dug for you, filled with truffles and honey.

Until you are willing to do it yourself, tear up that cold contract, and jump into the real "future" I have prepared for you.

He picked up a clean fork and carefully placed the fried egg, which was coated in honey like an amber ball, back into the warm steamer.

The sweet hunt has begun.