That person wasn’t teaching me how to cook at all—he was simply looking for an excuse to scold me.

Biting my finger, I wondered which dish I should bring out.

“Xiyang!”

“Ah?”

Xiao Qi was startled. “Why are you back?”

No wonder she’d heard the sound of a car over the phone—he had really snuck home!

But why would he sneak home out of laziness?

Yichen didn’t look at him; he stood by the sofa, hands in his pockets. “What? I can’t come back to my own house?”

“……”

Why did he seem so angry? And even his tone was filled with sarcasm.

“Aren’t you supposed to be at work…”

“Or are you saying my being home is inconveniencing you?”

“……”

Is he jealous?

“Ye Xiyang!” Suddenly, he called her full name, his eyes shifting to her. “Be honest with me. Are you hiding something from me?”

What he really wanted to ask was: “Do you like Yiyang?”

But how could he possibly say that out loud?

The old Ye Xiyang, who liked him and chased after him—if she lost her memories and fell in love with… his younger brother, he really couldn’t accept it.

But at his words, Xiao Qi’s heart started pounding wildly.

What did he mean? Did he find out I took the sapphire?

But that was mine to begin with! She had planned to come clean tonight anyway.

Might as well confess now.

Xiao Qi took a deep breath, then another to gather her courage. Almost ready, she spoke bravely yet tactfully: “Well, President Lin, actually, that thing—it might look like it’s yours, but it actually belongs to someone else. And that someone else is…”

“So you’re saying I should let it go?” Yichen gazed at her deeply. “Give up what’s mine to someone else, is that it?”

Xiao Qi thought for a moment, then nodded awkwardly. “That’s about right. But that thing isn’t yours—it’s…”

“Some people may be by my side, but their hearts don’t belong to me, right?” he pressed.

Xiao Qi was a bit muddled by his words. But one thing was certain—the sapphire wasn’t his; it had always belonged to her.

She nodded. “Yes, exactly.”

“You like Yiyang that much? Enough to rush into the fire for his art exhibition, to want to see him at all times, to say such things even if it makes me… angry?” Yichen said, his words coming out hard.

Xiao Qi looked completely lost. How did the topic shift to Yiyang? Weren’t they talking about the sapphire?

Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her back—she was pressed against the refrigerator by force. The man in front of her stared down, his expression shadowed, his words domineering and firm: “Ye Xiyang, listen carefully. From today on, I forbid you from even glancing at him, from smiling at him, and especially from liking him. You are my girlfriend. The only person you can see, care for, and love—is me. Do you understand?”

Xiao Qi blinked her wide eyes, looking utterly bewildered.

All her attention was on her aching back. She pouted, “President Lin, could you let go a bit? If you keep pressing me like this, my smooth, fair back is going to get deformed.”

“……”

Yichen, whose anger had reached the heavens, couldn’t help but laugh. He released her and said with a faint air, “Xiyang, I don’t care if you listened to what I just said or not. But from now on, you’re not allowed to laugh and joke with any man except me. Understood?”

His tone and expression were calm, but the words left no room for objection.

Xiao Qi was stunned for a while before she digested his words.

She was caught off guard, but then blurted out, “I think you’re being ridiculous. I’m already your girlfriend—how could I possibly smile at another man?”

Yichen curved his lips, his dark eyes gleaming with a gentle light, reflecting the figure before him. He smiled gracefully: “Yes! You’re my girlfriend. I’ll go cook for you!”

“Um…”

Yichen turned back, lowered his gaze, and his thin lips brushed the corner of hers before pulling away. “Anything else?”

That fleeting touch, his handsome face so close—Xiao Qi’s mind went blank for a moment. Her long lashes drooped, hiding the glimmer in her eyes.

She gave a distracted smile. “No, nothing.”

Yichen ruffled her hair. “Wait here. I’ll go fry you a steak.”

“Oh!”

Xiao Qi was like a little statue, floating to the sofa in a daze.

Her words just now had fully promoted her from a fake girlfriend to the real deal.

Oh dear, she’d done herself in again.

“Xiyang, come help me bring the dishes out.”

“Oh!” Xiao Qi got up, hesitated a moment, and then walked toward the kitchen.

Carrying out the braised fish, it suddenly dawned on her. “President Lin, didn’t you say you were making steak?”

“Steak can be kept for a few days, but fish shouldn’t be stored,” Yichen explained, setting the table. “Remember, fish and leafy greens should always be eaten fresh. Frozen food can stay in the fridge a few days.”

“Oh!”

“Eat up. When you’re done, I’ll teach you how to cook.”

“…”

Could she say no?

When she saw the bowl by her hand, her jaw nearly dropped.

Because President Lin had served her rice in a…

“President Lin,” Xiao Qi was shocked, awkwardly pointing at the massive bowl of rice before her. “Isn’t this a bit much? Are you treating me like a rice barrel?!”

“…”

Yichen glanced at her, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Sorry, I usually see you… eat quite a lot, so I thought you had a big appetite. Actually, I almost considered getting a bucket for you just now.”

“…”

Xiao Qi muttered, “President Lin, you’re doing this on purpose.”

Yichen coughed. “Should I get a smaller basin instead?”

“…”

Definitely on purpose. He called it a bowl, but really, it was a basin. Was he treating her like a pig?

This can’t go on—if she keeps letting him bully her, she’ll be bullied to death!

“President Lin,” Xiao Qi said awkwardly, “Look how rosy my complexion is! But you—you’re so thin. So…” She slid the big bowl of rice toward him. “This rice barrel suits you better.”

“…”

Yichen’s face cooled, his tone indifferent. “Your liver-colored face isn’t rosy at all. So, this suits you better.”

“…”

Ugh, his face had turned cold. Better not provoke him further or she’d only suffer.

Xiao Qi took the bowl, grabbed a smaller one, and as she scooped rice, she asked, “So what dish will President Lin teach me to cook?”

Yichen replied leisurely, “Of course, my favorite dish.”

“…”

Xiao Qi was dumbfounded. “Shouldn’t it be my aunt’s favorite?”

“My favorite dish is also the one I cook best,” Yichen said calmly. “So the dish I make best is naturally the tastiest, and the tastiest is what your aunt will love.”

“…”

Xiao Qi was utterly confused by President Lin’s unique logic.

Yichen studied her. “Xiyang, do you feel guilty enjoying free food, board, and cooking lessons here?”

“…”

Xiao Qi was even more aggrieved.

How shameless could this man be?

Then a thought struck her.

“Yes, yes, President Lin, you’re absolutely right,” she nodded repeatedly. “I eat, drink, and live here for free, and you even teach me to cook. I’m terribly guilty. So, to ease my conscience, I’ll leave right now.”

“You mean you want to go home?”

Xiao Qi nodded like a pecking bird.

Come on, just say yes, you capitalist.

Yichen pondered. Xiao Qi stared at him expectantly. If he didn’t agree soon, she’d beg for mercy.

“Alright then,” Yichen said after a moment, his handsome brows relaxing as he made a decision. “Just do something for me to ease your conscience.”

“…What is it?”

Yichen glanced at the dishes, then slid a bowl of beef stir-fried with shredded carrots and green peppers over to her. “I don’t like carrots or green peppers. Pick them out for me.”

Huh?

Seeing her blank expression, Yichen was clearly amused. “Hurry up—once the beef gets cold, it’ll be tough and not as tasty.”

Xiao Qi gritted her teeth. “President Lin, you cooked this dish.”

If you don’t like carrots and green peppers, why put them in?

“I did.”

“Then why…”

“I care about balanced nutrition,” Yichen said, switching to health expert mode in an instant. “Carrots and green peppers are highly nutritious. Even if I don’t eat them, their nutrients have already seeped into the beef. So pick them out carefully. I really don’t like those two.”

“…”

“So, President Lin, I suppose you rarely make this dish?”

“Not really,” Yichen replied smoothly. “Because I dislike those two vegetables, I’m seriously lacking in their nutrients. Which is why, whenever I stir-fry, I include them.”

“…”

Xiao Qi was practically grinding her teeth. “President Lin, tell me honestly—is picking vegetables going to be my lifelong job now?”

“Mm!” Yichen nodded elegantly. “Picking vegetables for the CEO is an honorable profession.”

“…”

“Clack—” Xiao Qi slammed her chopsticks down dramatically. “As the saying goes: ‘Neither wealth nor power can corrupt me, nor can poverty sway me, nor force bend me.’ So—this honorable profession of picking vegetables, you’ll have to find someone else!”

Damn it, she might be a poor alien, but she was still an alien—how could she come to Earth just to pick vegetables for someone?

Not a chance.

Yichen shook his head. Well, she was angry now. If he teased her any further, she’d probably “run away from home” again.

But since the act had started, he might as well…

“Eat up! If you won’t pick, I won’t force you. I, as the CEO, will pick them myself.”

Then Xiao Qi saw President Lin picking vegetables out of his own dish, bit by bit.

He really didn’t eat them?

She thought he was just messing with her.

Xiao Qi scoffed, “A grown man still being picky? Forget it, you eat the beef—I’ll eat the carrots and peppers.”

“Alright!”

Five hours later, Xiao Qi collapsed onto the bed.

Xiao Bai jumped onto her. “Xiao Qi, why do you look like you’ve been ravished?”

“……”

“Try being schooled in the kitchen for five hours—your little cat brain would be cooked into a pig brain by now.”

Xiao Bai: “……”

“So you’re saying your brain is pig brain now?”

Xiao Qi: “……”

She sat up, grabbed her hair, instantly turning it into a nest. “That guy wasn’t teaching me to cook—he was finding excuses just to scold me.”