25. Cooking
Jiang Nan walked in leisurely, carrying two large bags of goods purchased from the supermarket.
The bag was filled with things she planned to treat herself with.
However, her joy disappeared with a thud as she carried the bag through the entrance hallway and stepped into the living room.
She saw Chen Yunsheng sitting on the sofa in the living room, holding a tablet and reading something intently. His suit jacket and tie were casually draped over the armrest. He looked carefree and lazy.
But Jiang Nan felt her heart immediately begin to beat faster. The familiar tension in his presence resurfaced. She instinctively glanced down at herself, worried that her attire and behavior might displease him and lead to some dire punishment.
"You're back?" Chen Yunsheng raised his head, his gaze moving from the screen to her face, and then to the two bulging bags in her hands. "Did you go shopping?"
"Ah—well, I just went to the supermarket." Jiang Nan quickly adjusted his breathing, forced a polite smile, and casually asked Chen Yunsheng, "Have you—have you eaten?"
"Not yet." Chen Yunsheng put down the tablet and slowly stood up. He was tall, and the moment he stood up, he brought an invisible sense of oppression.
"Um," Jiang Nan subconsciously took a half step back, revealing a slightly panicked expression that was neither smiling nor not smiling. Then her eyes suddenly lit up, and she immediately said urgently, "Mr. Chen, the study, I mean, I put the bracelet on your desk. But don't worry, I just put something there. I didn't touch anything else in the study. I didn't touch those pens either."
Chen Yunsheng looked at Jiang Nan's reaction, pursed his lips, and raised his eyebrows slightly.
His eyes were calm, even gentle, but Jiang Nan felt at a loss, with an awkward feeling of not knowing where to put his hands and feet.
She paused for a moment before mustering up the courage to continue, "It's too valuable and meaningful for me to keep."
Chen Yunsheng didn't immediately respond to the question about the bracelet. Instead, he returned his gaze to the overflowing shopping bag in her hand. "Let's eat first," he said in a very soft voice. "I haven't eaten all day." Then, his tone became lighter: "Have you eaten yet?"
Jiang Nan shook his head: "Not yet."
"That's perfect," Chen Yunsheng walked towards Jiang Nan, took the shopping bag from her, and said with a smile, "If you don't have any plans tonight, how about cooking together?"
His tone was as calm and gentle as ever, yet there was a kind of strength disguised as gentleness. He seemed to give Jiang Nan enough room to choose, but in fact, Jiang Nan had no choice.
"No need." Jiang Nan tried to take the shopping bag back, but Chen Yunsheng dodged her hand. Jiang Nan quickly said, "Mr. Chen, I'll do it. You can go ahead and do your work."
Chen Yunsheng paused, looked back at her, and said in a tone that was a mixture of seriousness and mischief, "I'm not busy."
Jiang Nan blinked, speechless: "..."
She stared at Chen Yunsheng blankly, feeling like she had said something wrong, but not knowing where. So, she nodded and tremblingly agreed, "Then... let's put the food in the refrigerator first, otherwise it'll go bad easily."
She followed Chen Yunsheng into the kitchen almost at the same time, then frantically took things out. Milk, eggs, vegetables, steak, and a few bags of spicy noodles she had bought. She subconsciously wanted to stuff these unhealthy things in the back, but Chen Yunsheng suddenly looked at the spicy noodles and asked curiously, "Is this... delicious?"
"Hmm - the taste is a bit strong. It's best not to eat it before meals, as it will ruin your appetite." Jiang Nan explained haltingly, and hurriedly stuffed the spicy strips into the refrigerator.
Chen Yunsheng nodded in understanding, then asked her sincerely, "What can I do? Wash the vegetables, or cut them?"
"Uh - you -" Jiang Nan looked around, "How about you help wash this?" She took out a box of mushrooms and a bag of vegetables as if grasping at a life-saving straw.
"Okay." Chen Yunsheng took the items, then walked to the sink, rolled up his sleeves, and began washing the mushrooms and greens. His movements were a bit slow and clumsy, but he was very careful. He faced the gentle stream of water, slowly washing the wrinkles of the mushrooms and the veins of the leaves.
"Where are the local specialties you brought?" Chen Yunsheng asked. "I remember Jichuan's hot sauce is very special. Maybe it can be used with steak?"
"I'm sorry," Jiang Nan said sheepishly, "I think your taste seems to be light, so I'm...giving it to a friend."
"Then we'll have to wait until next time." There was no special emotion in Chen Yunsheng's voice. He seemed to care a lot, but also seemed to be indifferent. The inquiry just now was just out of courtesy, and he mentioned what Jiang Nan had casually agreed to.
"I'll definitely prepare some for you next time." Jiang Nan greased and salted the steak, glancing at him from time to time. She noticed that whatever he did was completely focused, even when washing the vegetables, he approached them with the utmost seriousness, as if they were part of an important contract.
"Have you finished your work in Singapore?" As soon as he said this, Jiang Nan turned his face away and frowned angrily.
That doesn't sound right.
Chen Yunsheng seemed oblivious and replied calmly, "Well, it's over."
For a moment, the only sounds in the kitchen were the sound of running water and the gentle clatter of dishes.
The silence drifted back and forth in the space between the two people, gradually becoming tense, as if it had turned into a ball of expanding bubbles, desperately squeezing out the air. Jiang Nan felt that she had to say something, otherwise she would be suffocated by this awkward silence.
"Thank you so much for the company's matter." She whispered her thanks while grinding black pepper.
"I told you, you're welcome," Chen Yunsheng replied succinctly. "It was me who caused the trouble."
"No, I was too careless. And this may be a small matter to you, but it solved a big problem for me." Jiang Nan paused, carefully choosing his words. "It's just... I didn't expect it to be handled... so quickly and thoroughly."
She hesitated for a moment, but finally asked, "How did you get him... and Wang Baopi..."
"I just had someone talk to Mr. Yao from your company." Chen Yunsheng turned off the faucet, picked up the kitchen paper beside him, and slowly wiped the water stains on his hands. He leaned slightly against the island, staring at Jiang Nan without blinking.
"When Shengcheng planned to acquire your company, he used some dishonest means. Ms. Yao had suspicions, but she had no evidence. So, I provided some potentially useful information to help her see who should and shouldn't stay."
Jiang Nan blinked blankly.
So it wasn't direct pressure, but an exchange of information.
Her tense nerves relaxed a little.
Then Jiang Nan agreed dryly, "Ah, I see."
Chen Yunsheng looked into her eyes, slightly lost in thought.
When talking with others, he prefers to look into their eyes, expressions, and even body movements. He needs to use various methods to determine the other person's attitude and then make appropriate decisions, but Jiang Nan rarely stares into the other person's eyes.
She usually stared at a point in the void calmly and gently with a gentle smile on her face, and then nodded silently when the other person was speaking to indicate that she was listening or agreeing with the point of view - the only people who could get her gaze were those she was very willing to get close to, and obviously, he was not one of them.
"The most effective way to eliminate discordant voices is to solve the problem at the source. Delay will only complicate the problem." Chen Yunsheng looked away and stated in a calm and restrained tone.
Hearing this, Jiang Nan slowly stopped what she was doing. She could understand his logic and acknowledged that it was an efficient method. But the uneasiness and fear in her heart stemmed from this immense power, beyond her control, that could easily determine the fate of others.
Pete deserved it.
But it was hard for Jiang Nan not to imagine what would happen to her if this power fell upon her.
She looked down at the marble pattern on the island counter, her voice becoming softer: "I understand. It's just... maybe this solution is a little beyond my normal understanding." After saying that, she smiled awkwardly, trying to ease the atmosphere.
But she found it easier to divert her attention by focusing on cooking.
Chen Yunsheng watched her movements in silence, occasionally lending a hand and handing her various tools and seasonings. At the same time, he sighed softly inwardly. He keenly sensed the gratitude she tried to conceal but still managed to reveal.
A kind of alienation and fear caused by the inability to predict and grasp him.
"Hmm," he finally replied calmly, not continuing the conversation. "What do we do next? Do we need to fry the steak?"
The topic was lightly changed, and this brief conversation that almost touched the core came to an abrupt end.
"Oh, yes, I'll do it." Jiang Nan quickly took over the conversation, feeling inexplicably relieved.
She would rather face the sizzling frying pan than touch the deeper and more helpless areas.
The two continued to work in the kitchen, occasionally exchanging a few words about the heat and seasoning. The atmosphere seemed to ease a little, and the scorching air was replaced by the rich aroma of steak and mushrooms. The sauce was also bubbling in the pot, making a reassuring gurgling sound.
Jiang Nan stared at the frying pan intently, thinking that this slightly awkward lunch collaboration could end smoothly.
But Chen Yunsheng suddenly asked her: "So, what is your daily cognition that makes you feel comfortable?"
Jiang Nan's hand holding the spatula paused for a moment, and then she immediately continued to flip the steak as usual.
This question came suddenly, far beyond the safe range they had previously adhered to. She subconsciously wanted to brush it off with words like "It's nothing" or "I just said it casually", but when she turned her head and met his gaze, the words stopped at the tip of her tongue, unable to be uttered.
At that moment, his eyes were calm, without scrutiny or oppression. Instead, they were filled with a pure concentration as he waited for an answer.
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