chapter 71

Because today was the host’s birthday, Fang Youlan cooked a lot of food. But on this long dining-table, there were three main types of food.

The first kind of food was Ji Chunlin’s favorite. The second kind was Fang Youlan and Ji Xuewei’s favorite. The third kind was Qin Zheng’s favorite. And even if Fang Youlan knew Ji Xiaoli would come, she would not specially prepare meals for her.

The Ji family all liked to eat spicy food. So the food on the dining-table was slightly spicy. And there was no light dishes. Ji Xuewei liked to eat seafood, so seafood was put in front of her. The meal placed in front of Ji Xiaoli was cold seaweed shreds. This dish was supposed to be delicious, but it was full of spicy sauce. It looked red…

Ji Xiaoli used to like spicy food. But these days, she had a stomachache. She frowned instinctively at the red peppers. At this time, Qin Zhenyang was preparing to put a light meal in front of his wife. But someone did it first, which surprised everyone else.

Qin Zheng handed Ji Xiaoli the sizzling beef in front of him. Then he put the cold seaweed shreds in front of him… Looking at his behavior, Ji Xuewei said curiously, “A’Zheng, what are you doing? You have never liked to eat kelp. Why did you put this dish in front of yourself?”

Even if Qin Zheng had only had a few meals in Ji family, Fang Youlan knew that Qin Zheng preferred to eat sizzling beef. That was why she put the sizzling beef in front of him on purpose… ‘Did I make a mistake about his favorite food?’

Changing dishes didn’t seem to be an acceptable manner on this table. But Qin Zhenyang knew why Qin Zheng did so.

Qin Zhenyang frowned, and he looked very unhappy. Now he would like to drive Qin Zheng out of the Ji family. But Qin Zheng didn’t realize the change of his third uncle’s mood at all. He said with a calm smile, “Just because I didn’t like kelp before doesn’t mean I don’t like it now. What’s more, I remember that Xiaoli had a stomachache recently. She’d better eat less spicy food. Otherwise, the pepper will irritate her stomach.”

He said it casually. If Qin Zheng had completely forgotten Ji Xiaoli, he could choose not to say these words in front of others. Ji Xuewei suddenly became a little angry, and she asked quietly, “A’Zheng, how do you know my sister’s stomach is uncomfortable? Do you remember…” She was about to ask Qin Zheng if she remembered what happened when they were together, ‘How else does he know Ji Xiaoli has stomach trouble?’

Qin Zheng interrupted her impatiently, “In the hospital the day before yesterday, I ran into my third uncle who took her to the hospital. That’s why I know about it. Since she has a stomachache, she must not be able to eat spicy food.”

“You really care about her…” Ji Xuewei mumbled to herself, and her voice was low, but Qin Zheng still heard her words. He remained silent. He cared so much about Ji Xiaoli in order to attract her attention again. But he knew she only cared about his third uncle.

Ji Chunlin knew that Qin Zheng was once the boyfriend of his eldest daughter. He was a little upset about their relationship. He looked at them, but when he saw that Qin Zhenyang seemed angry, he chose to keep silent.

‘Each one of your sons and your grandsons must find his own way as he ought. I could do nothing even though I worry about them. It’s just that Xuewei insists on this marriage, and I don’t know if she can be happy all the time. Xue Wei made such a thing, will Qin family really forgive her?’

Ji Xiaoli was not in the mood to guess other people’s mind. She was a little hungry, and then she took some pieces of beef with her chopsticks. But she didn’t like the long dining-table. In fact, she preferred the round table prepared at home when guests came. At this round table, she could eat any meal she wanted.

While she was eating beef, the sizzling beef in front of her was moved again. She was suddenly confused. Then she found out that the man who moved the food was her husband.

Qin Zhenyang put broccoli in front of her and put the sizzling beef in front of him. Although he seemed a little angry, he said gently to his wife, “You can have some light broccoli. This broccoli is delicious. You can taste it. You can tell me what you want to eat, and I will help you pick it up with chopsticks.”

Ji Xuewei’s husband was also sitting next to her. But Qin Zheng seemed to have ignored her existence. And he had always been preoccupied. She was very angry about it. Even if there were dishes she liked, she had no appetite for them.

“Brother in law, you are very kind to my sister. This table is so small that she can pick up any food she wants…” Ji Xuewei really couldn’t stand these two men being so concerned about Ji Xiaoli. Then she said grimly.

After listening to Ji Xuewei’s words, Ji Xiaoli was amused, and she said to her husband with a smile, “The sweet relationship between us was envied by others… Xuewei said you make a pet of me. Maybe after I leave you, I won’t even pick up food by myself.”

Ji Xiaoli’s implication was self-evident.

Everyone seemed to be waiting for Qin Zhenyang’s answer. Ji Xuewei seemed to think he would be silent. She remembered that once she heard of Qin Zhenyang’s indifference to women, ‘But why does he have a special preference for Ji Xiaoli?’ She was very confused about this, and she seemed to want to enjoy the treatment as well.

To her surprise, Qin Zhenyang slowly took a piece of salmon for her, then said with a smile, “I don’t quite understand what you mean. But it seems normal for me to serve my wife. I would like to serve you all my life…” He turned his head and looked at Ji Xiaoli, and then he continued, “If you don’t want to pick up food, then I will feed you. It’s just a couple’s temperament and interest. It’s not a difficult thing for me.”

‘Shut up, please. Eat your meal quickly.” Looking at his father’s teasing eyes, Ji Xiaoli immediately blushed. She deliberately took a piece of broccoli and put it into Qin Zhenyang’s mouth to make him shut up. Otherwise, he would say other embarrassing things to her.

Of course, Qin Zhenyang did not find this embarrassing. He smiled at Qin Zheng with pride. He seemed to be telling Qin Zheng that his wife only loved him, ‘Otherwise, why would she feed me?’

Their sweet relationship would be envied, especially in front of the unmarried couple who didn’t get along well.

And the so-called temperament and interest was enviable. Ji Xuewei bit her teeth and endured her pain secretly, ‘Why has Qin Zheng never done such a thing for me? Qin Zheng has always been very indifferent to me.’

Ji Xuewei felt that she brought contempt upon herself, then her face turned red. She was about to say something, but Qin Zheng motioned him to keep silent with his eyes.

At this lunchtime, some people felt very happy, while others felt very bitter. Of course, some people had the impulse to hit people after a meal. But all these had nothing to do with Ji Xiaoli. After lunch, Ji Xiaoli was in a good mood. She leaned on the sofa to rest, and poked Qin Zhenyang’s stomach with her hand. “You only ate a bowl and a half of white rice today. Are you full?”

Qin Zhenyang usually ate three bowls of rice for a meal. Therefore, Ji Xiaoli felt that he must not be full, ‘Did he have no appetite for food because he was angry? People who can make Qin Zhenyang feel aggrieved should not have been born yet.’

Qin Zhenyang took her little hand and held her hand tightly. He said with a smile, “Will I make myself hungry? I had a big glass of white wine with your father just now. I’m not hungry right now… If I’m really hungry when I go back, I can have some more.”

But only Qin Zhenyang knew what he wanted when he came home. He didn’t want to eat snacks or other food. And when he came home, what he really wanted was the woman in front of him at the moment.

Ji Xiaoli didn’t know what her husband was thinking. Looking at his face, she asked suspiciously, “You drank so much wine. Why is your face not red at all? My dad drank less wine than you did, but his face is very red. In fact, I rarely see him drinking so much at home.”

The Ji family seldom entertained guests. Ji Chunlin was relatively rigid, and he made few friends. So even if there was good wine in his family, he was not willing to drink it alone. Both of his sons-in-law were here today, so he was happy to have a drink. He didn’t drink too much. But he kept pouring wine for his son-in-laws. In this way, the people who drank most today were Qin Zhenyang and Qin Zheng.

“Are you drunk?” Qin Zhenyang narrowed his eyes slightly and leaned against her shoulder. They were so close that she could smell the wine from him.

Qin Zhenyang said in a hoarse and low voice, “Yes, I am drunk.” Then he squinted lazily and said with a smile, “Do you think I’m drunk or not?”

Qin Zhenyang held her hand, and he gently scraped the palm of her hand with his rough fingertips. This made Ji Xiaoli feel slightly itchy and inexplicable. She laughed and deliberately reached out to scratch his palm, “I know you’re not drunk. If you’re drunk, you’re not in the mood to do these things.” Of course she knew her husband was the best at cheating others. Seeing his eyes wandering around, Ji Xiaoli judged that he was still sober now. ‘I’m afraid he is the most sober among the three men.’

“You are such a smart little girl. But I wish I am drunk, so that I could do something by being drunk.” Qin Zhenyang’s eyes were full of desire, and his implication could not be more obvious.

But they were not in their home at this time. Ji Xiaoli was sure to stop some of his extraordinary behavior, “Sit up!” The blush on Ji Xiaoli’s face had not subsided. She stretched out her knee and deliberately touched him hard to make him restrain himself. She also sat up straight and straightened Qin Zhenyang’s head.

Looking at his nervous wife, Qin Zhenyang said with a smile, “What are you afraid of? We are legal couple. It is reasonable that we do something… And when your family sees these scenes, they will only think that our relationship is good.”

He whispered in her ear, “Maybe your sister will be so angry that she gets sick after seeing our intimate behavior… Isn’t that what you want to see?”

‘Does it really cause such a big response?’ Ji Xiaoli turned her head and glared at him. At this time, she saw Ji Chunlin coming out of the next room. She coughed in a low voice, but she said solemnly, “If there is such a thing, I’m afraid I can wake up laughing in my dream…”

Qin Zhenyang was surprised to see his wife become serious. Then he was suddenly enlightened after seeing his father-in-law come over.

“I know what you’re worried about. Your dad doesn’t want to see you hurt each other. But his little daughter will not obey his advice obediently. If you really have conflicts in the future, you don’t have to blame yourself. We promised your father to forgive Ji Xuewei this time. If she does hurt you in the future, I will definitely let her get the punishment she deserves.” Qin Zhenyang said faintly. In that case, he didn’t mind taking revenge on the woman himself.

Ji Xiaoli nodded.

“Since I seldom come to your house, I want to go to the study with your father and have a chat with him. During the meal just now, I felt that he wanted to talk to me. So it’s impolite for us to leave here rashly now… You sit on the sofa for a while, and I should be out soon.” Qin Zhenyang was a man who was good at observing others’ words and looks, which had a lot to do with his training in the reconnaissance army.

Even in his status, he didn’t have to think about other people’s feelings to do things.

Of course, Ji Xiaoli wanted her husband to communicate with her father more, so she agreed to him, “You have a good chat. I’m outside watching TV. But my dad usually talks about old-fashioned topics, like those in the news.”

As a rigid old professor, it was not easy to chat with him.

Looking at his worried wife, Qin Zhenyang could not help but feel funny. He reached over and rubbed her long and supple hair, “I know. Don’t worry about it. But sometimes I think you should give me more credit. Surly I can handle this kind of conversation.”