Chapter 63

"Help C Ge a bit on the show. I don’t think he’s suitable for a survival variety show. He’s about to sign with our company." Li Jingming asked this brother, whom he had known for over ten years, for a small favor without any psychological burden.

"That guy is more senior than I am. What can I do to help? Survival variety shows are just what they are." Yin Zhiyuan answered impatiently, "But you, how did you end up debuting as an artist? A few days ago, Auntie even called me, saying she wanted me to take good care of you."

This auntie was not the Park lady who later became the first lady of South Korea, but Li Jingming’s mother, who was also a distant aunt to Yin Zhiyuan. Li Jingming, of course, knew that the auntie Yin Zhiyuan was talking about was his own mother. "Did my mom say anything else? How should you take care of me?"

Yin Zhiyuan laughed at Li Jingming’s tone, "Auntie asked me to find a pretty, well-behaved, capable, and hardworking girl to introduce to you as a mistress."

"Oh, another mistress." Hearing the word "mistress," Li Jingming knew his mother had really called Yin Zhiyuan, not that he had made it up.

"Alright, that’s it. In the future, if there’s anything in the industry, just mention my name. I’ve been in the business for over ten years, and everyone will give me face." Yin Zhiyuan didn’t dare to chat much longer; the people at home would definitely cause trouble if he didn’t return soon.

Li Jingming hadn’t finished buying the groceries, so he said goodbye to Yin Zhiyuan and continued to finish his shopping. Since Jessica had come over temporarily, he couldn’t prepare anything too elaborate, so he decided to make some quick stir-fries. A dish like braised pork ribs would take at least three to four hours to cook, so Li Jingming planned to make a few stir-fries to get by. Li Jingming had learned his stir-frying skills from a master chef in China. He was quite picky about food and preferred not to eat if it wasn’t good, but living alone, he couldn’t always go hungry, so he eventually became a skilled cook.

"Xica, why are you here again?" Tiffany recognized the place; it was where she had bought mango ice cream for Crystal last time.

Jessica pushed the door open and said to Tiffany, who followed her, "This is his place. Didn’t you see that photo?"

"Oh, I see. I always felt like I had seen the senior before. It was the photo from here." Tiffany suddenly understood. Xica had come here to meet Senior Li Jingming that day, which was why she didn’t have to pay for her food. If she had known, she wouldn’t have wasted money on ice cream for Crystal; her brother-in-law should have paid for it.

It was Jin Taeyeon’s first time visiting LK, and her mouth couldn’t close from the excitement. The layout and decoration inside were different from any coffee shop she had seen before. At the "Daily Recommendation" near the entrance, she burst out laughing in a boisterous manner: "Haha, someone actually recommends themselves." She picked up the album box of "Confession" and pouted at Li Jingming’s half-body portrait on it.

Under Tiffany’s "promotion," Jin Taeyeon went home and watched a few of Li Jingming’s videos, downloaded the audio, and was completely amazed. His skills were something she couldn’t match. When she sang, her voice was full and powerful, but in terms of nuance, she lacked the experience due to her young age. Li Jingming’s voice, however, felt like a seamless blend of breath and emotion, naturally expressing feelings through his throat. Jin Taeyeon hoped to have the ability to do the same, so she wanted to find an opportunity for Li Jingming to guide her. When Tiffany mentioned that Li Jingming’s birthday was coming up, she decided to come along.

"Xica’s dream is to be the owner of a coffee shop." Tiffany suddenly remembered what Jessica had said when the girls talked about their dreams.

Jessica’s face turned red, "Oh, I meant to open my own place. I want to be the owner, not the owner’s wife."

"I didn’t say anything." Tiffany looked innocent. She was just recalling a past conversation. Why did Jessica react so strongly? Besides, isn’t a woman called an owner’s wife, and a man called an owner? Did she use the wrong term again?

On the second floor, Jessica pressed the doorbell at the corner, and Li Jingming unlocked the electronic lock from upstairs. The three girls followed the stairs up to the third floor, which was Li Jingming’s small nest. Despite being called a small nest, Jin Taeyeon and Tiffany didn’t feel it was small at all. It was a spacious two-story space, and with only Li Jingming living there, it felt even more spacious.

At that moment, Li Jingming was cooking in the kitchen. The sizzling sound of oil, followed by the aroma, filled the air. The exhaust fan couldn’t stop the smell from reaching the living room, and the three girls were immediately drawn to the scent.

Unlike Korean cuisine, which is characterized by its soybean paste, green onion, and sesame flavors, Chinese cuisine, since the invention of stir-frying during the Song Dynasty, has been on a path to perfection. It has been dedicated to culinary arts for thousands of years, always imitated but never surpassed. The green pepper stir-fried with meat that Li Jingming was making had the three girls captivated just by its smell, even before they saw it.

"OPPA, we’re here." Jessica put the cake and gifts on the coffee table in the living room and ran to the kitchen. Food lovers can’t resist the temptation of delicious food, and this was a universal trait. She couldn’t call him "Jamie" in front of her sisters, as it would make it seem like she was really his girlfriend.

"Senior, hello!" Tiffany and Jin Taeyeon were a bit more reserved.

"They are all Xica’s friends. Call me OPPA like Xica." Li Jingming, seeing the two young girls, spoke in a gentle tone, like an adult talking to children. Only Jessica was an exception, with her loud voice and tendency to shout.

Tiffany nudged Jin Taeyeon, gesturing for her to look into the kitchen. In the semi-open kitchen, a small figure was close to a larger one, a scene that was "very loving." Tiffany felt a bit envious and happy for Jessica, as the usually cold Xica could be like this too.

"Oh, so many peppers. How can I eat this?" Jessica was afraid of spicy food because it made her sweat uncontrollably, often leaving her in a mess. The pan was full of green peppers, which looked very spicy. Korean green peppers are very spicy, and they are green.

"These peppers are sweet, not spicy at all." Li Jingming flipped the pan and put the dish on a plate.

Jessica looked at the plate of green pepper stir-fried with meat carefully, as if she could tell if the peppers were really sweet by looking closely. The dish looked good, and after hesitating for a while, she reached out and touched the edge of the plate, dipping a bit of the sauce on her finger and putting it in her mouth.

"Ah!" A hint of spiciness rose in her mouth, and Jessica thought she had been tricked. But after that hint, it turned sweet. She was so surprised that her next words were, "How can peppers be sweet?"

"What are you ‘Ah’-ing at me about whether the peppers are sweet? Go ask the person who grew them." Li Jingming tapped Jessica’s forehead with his finger, "You’re acting like a child."

Jessica was small and often lost her temper in front of him, but sometimes she would act cute and clingy, really like a child. Li Jingming, who liked children, naturally liked Jessica.

Tiffany squinted and laughed, "Pure love, pure love."

Jin Taeyeon, who wasn’t interested in this, looked around the house. She was a practical person, always focused on achieving her goals and never distracted. She even collected extra disposable chopsticks from takeout orders for emergencies. Now, she wanted to explore the house. It was not only large but also very refined. Since coming to Seoul, Jin Taeyeon had always wanted to earn money to buy a house. Her father always drove her, and it took two hours each time, often encountering traffic jams, which made her feel bad. If she could buy a house in Seoul, the whole family could live there. However, after seeing the prices in Seoul, she could only resolve to work hard after debuting.

"OPPA, I can cook too. Let’s have sandwiches for dinner." Jessica, after her previous failure, felt it was a great shame. She wanted to show off her cooking skills to Pan and Taeyeon and clear her name.

Li Jingming’s hand trembled, almost cutting himself. He put down the knife, grabbed Jessica’s shoulder, and turned her around, "The way out of the kitchen is over there. Thanks."

"Hmph!" Jessica pouted and walked a few steps out of the kitchen but didn’t leave. She opened the refrigerator, planning to find the ingredients and start cooking, creating a fait accompli. She intended to make the raw bread into sandwiches. Opening the refrigerator, Jessica’s eyes scanned the contents. There were no bread slices, and she didn’t know that Li Jingming had thrown all the bread into the trash that morning and decided not to eat it for a month.

"Aha!" Jessica’s eyes sparkled, as if she had found a treasure. She waved her fist, "OPPA, can I eat the Häagen-Dazs here?" Although she was asking Li Jingming, her eyes never looked at him.

"Would you not eat it if I said no?" Li Jingming sighed. He wondered if his mother would go crazy when she returned. The ice cream was hers, and he had seen his father get beaten for eating his mother’s ice cream. Do women really love sweet things?

"No." Jessica took out the box and a spoon from the refrigerator and ran out of the kitchen.

Li Jingming was relieved. If it weren’t for the ice cream, Jessica might have created some other strange dish. His mother was truly a god. As for the ice cream, he would buy a new box when he had time, and his mother probably wouldn’t notice.

Ps: The title of this chapter actually refers to someone. Who do you think it is?

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