Chapter 27 – Chef or Maid
At that moment, she had looked at herself with those big, bright eyes, but inside them was only sorrow. Then she quickly lowered her head.
It had been such an ordinary movement, yet on the way back, that image kept replaying in Xie Chengyu’s mind like it was stuck on repeat.
Xie Chengyu closed his eyes, trying to chase away those messy thoughts.
Just then, his phone rang. He answered, “Hello, what is it?”
“Chengyu.” Xu Ruoxin’s soft voice floated over. “Are you free tonight? Let’s have dinner together.”
“No, I’m not hungry.” His tone was calm and light.
“Then what about tomorrow? I really want to see you.” Xu Ruoxin’s voice turned coy.
Loosening his tie, Xie Chengyu replied flatly, “We’ll see tomorrow.”
He hung up and was about to get back to work, but his stomach felt empty. He suddenly remembered—he had eaten very little at noon, and now it was mealtime. No wonder he was hungry.
Out of habit, he glanced at the calendar. It was Friday. Normally, Nan Xiao would bring over crucian carp tofu soup or scallop egg soup. On Fridays, she usually made one of those two.
Recalling the taste of those soups, his brows furrowed, irritation rising in his chest.
—
Meanwhile, Nan Xiao walked out of the housing agency, keys in hand, and headed to an apartment building across from the film set.
Although the villa at Lanting Courtyard had been given to her, she and Xie Chengyu weren’t officially divorced yet. Legally, it was still their shared home, and she didn’t want to stay there.
Besides, Lanting Courtyard was a bit far from the set, inconvenient for commuting. So she quickly rented a fully furnished apartment nearby, ready to move in immediately.
She checked the place, signed the electronic contract with the landlord, tidied up a bit, then went out grocery shopping.
On the way back from the market, she felt like someone was following her. The sensation was faint but very real.
The place she rented was in an old neighborhood—run down, with lax security. Night was falling, and Nan Xiao’s unease grew. She quickened her pace.
But even after entering the stairwell, the footsteps behind her continued.
When she sped up, the person sped up; when she slowed, they slowed. The feeling of being stuck to her shadow made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.
Her apartment was on the second floor. The stairwell was narrow, and the opposite flat was empty. If something happened upstairs, no one would hear her screams.
So, Nan Xiao abruptly turned and hid to the side.
At that moment, a figure wearing a baseball cap, mask, and sunglasses entered the stairwell. Looking up and seeing no one, he paused, glancing around.
Watching him from the shadows, Nan Xiao’s heart leapt into her throat.
If he had just gone upstairs, she had planned to sneak out of the stairwell—deciding on the spot whether to slip away quietly or make a scene to draw attention.
But when he looked around, about to spot her, she didn’t hesitate. She swung her bag hard at him, then bolted as he froze in surprise.
“Nan Xiao!!!”
A furious voice shouted behind her, footsteps pounding after.
Nan Xiao stopped dead at the stairwell’s entrance.
That voice… she recognized it. Her eyes widened in disbelief.
A second later, her arm was grabbed, her body spun around.
The man tore off his sunglasses, revealing angry eyes. “Why did you hit me? That hurt!”
“…”
Nan Xiao was speechless.
She twisted his arm back, dragging him into the empty stairwell, lowering her voice to shout: “Xiao Zekai, are you crazy? Why were you following me?”
She never expected the person trailing her all this time would turn out to be Xiao Zekai.
She had lived with scars for years, but her figure was still striking. She’d been harassed before and was sensitive to such things—no wonder she was furious.
Xiao Zekai yanked down his mask, sounding righteous. “Who’s following you? I was just heading home. What are you doing here—you don’t even live here!”
“I do live here.”
“…”
One sentence stunned Xiao Zekai.
He had thought, seeing her walk into his building, that Nan Xiao had finally repented and come to apologize to him. But she lived here too?
Nan Xiao, seeing his disappointed look, could only sigh. She explained about renting the apartment as they went upstairs.
To their shock, their units were on the same floor—right across from each other.
As she was about to enter her flat, Xiao Zekai grabbed her arm. “You hit me for no reason today. You owe me. Treat me to dinner!”
Nan Xiao gave him a disdainful look, unlocked her door, and said, just like when they were kids, “Fine, fine. It’s not like I can’t spare you a meal.”
Grinning, Xiao Zekai followed her in. They ended up in the kitchen, washing vegetables together.
Just then, Nan Xiao’s phone rang. She glanced at the screen—Zhou Wen. Surprised, she answered: “Hello, what is it?”
“Madam.” Zhou Wen’s voice was respectful.
“Do you have time now? The President is hungry. The crucian carp tofu soup you used to make was very good. Could you please make some and bring it over?”
“…”
Xie Chengyu wanted her cooking again?
Though Zhou Wen hadn’t said it directly, Xie Chengyu must have asked—otherwise Zhou Wen wouldn’t dare suggest such a thing.
Nan Xiao froze, not sure how to respond.
At that moment, Xiao Zekai snatched the phone, his voice sharp: “No, she doesn’t have time.”
And he hung up.
Nan Xiao wasn’t angry about him grabbing her phone. Truthfully, she had wanted to refuse too. Still, she lightly smacked him. “Why’d you take my phone like that?”
But her mind was elsewhere—still on Zhou Wen’s words.
Why did Xie Chengyu want her cooking?
Before, he had asked for her Eucommia pigeon soup. She had thought it odd then, too.
Was it because, in his mind, these past three years had painted her as a housewife? Was that why he wanted her to cook for him?
And what did he take her for, exactly? A chef? Or a maid?
Thinking this, Nan Xiao’s fingers tightened unconsciously, crushing the green vegetables in her hands.
Meanwhile, Zhou Wen stared blankly at his phone’s dark screen, utterly stunned.
