A man and a woman alone together like this is most improper.

He walked toward the living room, when suddenly a voice sounded behind him.

“President Lin, what about the steak?”

Yichen was startled, for the first time in his life almost shrieking in surprise.

His face darkened as he turned back to her. “You deliberately scared me just for the sake of steak?”

She was speechless.

Did he have to be so sharp?

She had planned to lure him into the living room so she could sneak back and eat the steak, but...

Xiao Qi glanced at the dining table; there was only one serving of steak left, and it had already been eaten. “Didn’t you say you cooked six portions?”

“I ate them.”

She was stunned.

Yichen ignored the shifting expressions on her face, sat down at the table, picked up his knife and fork, and continued his meal with an air of elegance, as if no one else were present.

Xiao Qi fumed, “President Lin, with so many steaks, can you really digest them all?”

Without looking up, Yichen replied, “Can you?”

At those words, Xiao Qi’s first thought was that he hadn’t eaten the steaks at all.

A big-shot CEO wouldn’t be a foodie like her! You could tell just by how much he usually ate.

With a beaming smile, Xiao Qi walked over and sat down across from him. “President Lin, I’m just a little girl. My digestion is excellent, so you could just...”

Yichen shot her a look. “Are you saying I’m older than someone my age?”

What same age? You’re twenty-eight, I’m only twenty.

You’re almost at the uncle stage.

She grumbled inwardly, but smiled on the surface. “That’s not what I meant. I just meant, you usually don’t eat much, and suddenly eating so much steak...”

“But I ate it all, and I still want more.”

Xiao Qi stared at him. “Five servings, you really ate them all?”

“Counting the one in my hand, it’s six. After all, my digestion is world-class.”

She gritted her teeth and said blankly, “Yes, President Lin, your digestion could win a world championship. Your eating power is second to none.”

Yichen choked a little on his steak.

Seeing the hostile look on her face, he couldn’t help but laugh.

The great President Lin was only teasing her. How could he really refuse to let her eat?

He stood up and went to the kitchen. Xiao Qi glared at his tall, upright figure.

So tall and broad—yet he was stingy. How could Ye Xiyang possibly like someone like that...

Before she finished her silent tirade, the dashing man returned with two plates, a delicious aroma wafting over.

As soon as he set the plate down, Xiao Qi’s eyes lit up.

“Wow, President Lin, so you didn’t eat them all!”

Yichen flicked her forehead. “Did you really think I was as greedy as you?”

Rubbing her forehead, Xiao Qi protested, “I’m not greedy! It’s just that I rarely get to come here...”

She trailed off. Yichen looked up at her. “Come here for what?”

“Oh, nothing.” With a thick skin, Xiao Qi handed him the steak. “Boss, your knife skills are great, help me cut this.”

Pushy as ever, that was her.

Chin in hand, Xiao Qi watched the handsome man cut the steak. “Boss, earlier I was sitting on the bed dazing off, actually fantasizing about something.”

Yichen glanced at her. “What were you imagining?”

Her gaze drifted to the window, looking at the half-hanging sun. “I was imagining that one day Earth’s technology would become incredibly advanced, and people could travel freely through the universe...”

She paused. “I’m just an ordinary, insignificant person—no skills, no money, no status on my own planet. So I imagined arriving on another planet, suddenly gaining superpowers, and then falling in love with that planet. It’s huge, the food is plentiful, the scenery beautiful, filled with so many things I’ve never seen before, and there are people who are incredibly good to me...”

Suddenly, her forehead was flicked again. “No need to imagine—you already live that way now.”

He had completely missed her true meaning.

She had been considering staying here, but now, with the communicator gone and no way back, fear truly took hold of her heart.

On a planet that wasn’t her own, she would always be an outsider, a lonely soul, and could never truly become Ye Xiyang.

Sigh!

“What are you thinking? Not going to eat?”

“Oh, I am, I am.” Xiao Qi snapped back to reality.

She’d thought she’d lost her appetite, but with each bite, her hunger grew.

Even if she was different from the people of Earth, there were plenty of lonely people here too. She was just one among many misfits. If she could accept herself as just a slightly different person, everything would be fine.

Thinking this way, Xiao Qi ate with even more gusto.

Meanwhile, the man across from her was thinking—

Xiyang’s appetite truly was impressive. Looks like the budget will need some adjusting.

Xiao Qi looked up and locked eyes with President Lin’s sharp gaze, making her heart tremble inexplicably.

What kind of look was that... Why did she feel it was either villainous or thieving?

President Lin glanced at her unfinished steak. “Hurry and eat, or it won’t taste good when it’s cold.”

Xiao Qi shivered again. His words were innocuous, his tone calm, but why did she feel the villainous aura intensify?

She had a distinct feeling she was in for trouble...

Nervously, Xiao Qi finished the steak and then volunteered to wash the dishes.

Afterward, she went upstairs to continue her nap.

President Lin retired to his study, and nothing happened.

Maybe it was all just her imagination...

Suddenly, she remembered: in the eyes of Earth people, her communicator was a rare blue sapphire.

Now that it was lost, would they still be investigating?

Should she try to sound out Lin Yichen?

But that man was so shrewd...

“Not sleeping anymore?”

At the sound of his voice, Xiao Qi whipped around, quickly masking her thoughts and flashing her usual smile. “I’m not really a pig, you know—eat and sleep, that’s not all I do.”

“In my eyes, you can eat and sleep even more than a pig.”

She was speechless.

“Oh, by the way, I’ve nearly recovered from my despair, so I’ll go back to work tomorrow as usual.”

Xiao Qi thought that probing President Lin was risky business—better not to try and end up worse off.

So, going to the office would be a good way to gather information on the so-called sapphire theft.

She had no problem working. If she just ate and slept and didn’t work, she’d become a little fatty in no time.

Yichen looked down at her. Maybe because she was rested and full, her cheeks were rosy and her eyes bright, making him want to take a bite out of those pink cheeks.

He swallowed, suppressing the sudden urge. “Xiyang, in the future you...”

The phone rang. “Let me get this.”

Xiao Qi listened, catching a mention of the research department.

Could it be about the sapphire?

The call ended in less than half a minute.

Xiao Qi clenched her fist and asked directly, “That blue sapphire, are you still investigating?”

Yichen hadn’t expected her to ask so suddenly.

Perhaps she’d overheard something from Li Cheng’s call.

“Yes, it concerns the company’s interests. Of course we’ll get to the bottom of it.”

Xiao Qi’s heart pounded. “If you find out who did it, what will you do?”

“It depends,” Yichen replied coolly. “If the sapphire is recovered, we won’t press charges.”

“What if the sapphire was destroyed?”

“Then that’s deliberate sabotage. I’d have no choice but to call the police.”

That feeling of impending doom—was it because of what he just said?

The police? Would she still have a chance?

No, she had to run away with Xiao Bai, and soon.

“President Lin, I suddenly really want to visit my aunt, so I’ll go now. Bye!”

But her wrist was caught. “I’ll drive you.”

How accommodating! Was it really that easy?

Half an hour later, they arrived at the restaurant. Xiao Qi didn’t say a word to him, just jumped out and ran inside.

Fang Yun was busy and didn’t notice Xiao Qi rushing in.

Xiao Qi dashed into her room and shook the always-dozing Xiao Bai awake. “Xiao Bai, wake up, we need to leave this dangerous place at once.”

Xiao Bai opened his cat eyes, his face dazed. “Why?”

Xiao Qi sighed. “Xiao Bai, my communicator is destroyed.”

“What?”

“Keep your voice down.” Xiao Qi glanced at the door, then slumped onto the bed and quickly explained everything.

Xiao Bai lifted his head sharply. “Are you really willing to leave Lin Yichen?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Xiao Qi suddenly found a reason. “You’re right, why should I run? That communicator was mine to begin with. If I run, won’t that make me look guilty? No, I can’t leave.”

Xiao Bai was speechless.

“But if they find out it was you, and you claim it’s yours, they’ll never believe you.”

“Lin Yichen will believe me, right?!” As she always did when troubled, Xiao Qi twisted her fingers. “I think I should try being honest with him. Maybe he’ll...”

“Don’t forget, it’s not just about the sapphire,” Xiao Bai cut in sharply. “The main issue is that you lied to him about being Ye Xiyang. So it’s better not to confess—just run.”

Xiao Qi drifted out of the room in a daze. “Am I really leaving?”

She looked up. “You—why are you here?”

Fang Yun walked over and tapped her forehead. “Xiyang, President Lin went through the trouble of bringing you back, and you didn’t even invite him in for tea. That’s not right.”

Right, he’d brought her back, and she’d completely forgotten.

But he’d been waiting all this time...

The choice between leaving and staying waged war in her mind.

Yet now, the side arguing to stay was winning.

But then...

“Aunt Fang’s restaurant is tiring work, so you should cook and treat her well.”

What did he mean by that?

Yichen continued, “Aunt Fang, you work so hard running this restaurant. Xiyang’s cooking skills—I’ll teach her.”

What was he going on about?

Fang Yun immediately nodded. “As long as President Lin doesn’t mind how clumsy Xiyang can be.”

“Not at all—Xiyang is very clever.”

“Excuse me,” Xiao Qi interrupted, utterly baffled. “Could you two please explain what you’re talking about?”

Fang Yun said, “Your aunt works so hard running this restaurant, so as her niece, you should cook for her. Therefore...” She pushed Xiao Qi all the way to President Lin’s car. “As a niece who can’t cook, you should learn from President Lin, who’s skilled, then come back and cook for me.”

Why did it feel like, in her aunt’s last sentence, she was really meant to cook for Lin Yichen?

She suddenly remembered the way he’d looked at her while eating the steak—like a villain or a thief.

Good grief, he really was a true capitalist!

What a cunning plan he had.

Just because I ate a few of his steaks, now I have to pay him back?! But the problem is, can I even learn?

More importantly, I have no interest!

No, the most important thing is...

Xiao Qi looked at the man driving with a calm expression. “President Lin, if I learn to cook with you, will you drive me home every night?”

President Lin replied mildly, “You know me—I’m very busy. So I can only teach you at night.”

In other words, she’d be staying at his place.

Xiao Qi seized on that point. “President Lin, since you’re so busy, maybe I shouldn’t—”

“For your aunt’s sake, I don’t mind the extra trouble.”

Did I say you’d be troubled?

And anyway, I’m the one who’ll be suffering, right?

“What if I never learn to cook?”

Yichen smiled elegantly. “I’ll teach you until you do.”

Xiao Qi made a last-ditch effort. “What if, in the process, I make such a mess of your kitchen that it’s filled with smoke or even explodes?”

Yichen said calmly, “Don’t worry. With me by your side, that won’t happen.”

Xiao Qi was out of arguments.

She could have said: President Lin, it’s not proper for a man and woman to live together.

Or: President Lin, if I want to learn, I could just follow the head chef at my aunt’s restaurant.