Chapter 17 Zhao Jiu: Nailed it.
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“Um… Do you have ingredients at home? I can cook.”
Song Youji blurted out, finding the idea of someone picking him up to have dinner together quite novel. However, that someone was Zhao Jiu, making it feel a bit strange.
Except for occasionally taking care of his younger siblings, he rarely ate dinner with others. Even gatherings with colleagues were infrequent.
It seemed like he had become a dinner partner with a high school classmate he wasn’t very familiar with, and strangely, it didn’t feel bad.(?)
Song Youji thought with his head lowered. Perhaps it was time for him to seek companionship. After dealing with various family matters in the past, he might consider trying dating once those were resolved… If only the other party wasn’t scared off by his relationship with Zhao Jiu.
“The fridge is stocked,” Zhao Jiu said, silently texting Nord to immediately buy some items and fill their home fridge to the brim.
He originally intended to take Song Youji out for a meal, but now he was more eager to taste Song Youji’s culinary skills.
“What cuisine do you like? Chinese, Western, Japanese, French? I can handle a bit of Southeast Asian cuisine too,” Song Youji said.
Zhao Jiu couldn’t help but raise the corners of his lips. “Chinese.”
“There are many Chinese dishes; do you like spicy food?”
This question stumped Zhao Jiu, and he furrowed his brows. “I’ve had a spicy chicken wing-flavored nutritional supplement. The taste was average. We mostly consume nutritional supplements when outside; eating takes too much time.”
It seemed a bit miserable.
Song Youji paused for a moment, “Then, when you come back, is there no one at home to cook for you?”
Zhao Jiu shook his head, “The old man finds my pheromone scent too strong and argues with me, so I live alone when I come back. I can only cook simple dishes, and the taste is not as good as the nutritional supplements.”
Nutritional supplements were simple to consume, time-saving, and could provide necessary effects. Zhao Jiu thought there was nothing wrong with his lifestyle.
Looking at Song Youji with a sympathetic expression, he felt a harmless and innocent gaze itching his heart.
This was too miserable. Song Youji thought.
He said to Zhao Jiu seriously, “I’ll cook for you from now on.”
Zhao Jiu seemed to have found a way to manipulate Song Youji, his fiancé who was soft-hearted and easily fooled.
He deliberately lowered his tone, “Really? Wouldn’t that trouble you? I can stick to nutritional supplements; I’m used to it.”
Many people considered nutritional supplements as normal nowadays, as they were time-saving and provided the necessary effects. However, Song Youji didn’t agree with that viewpoint. In their family, it had always been considered a warm and happy event to share a hot meal with family after a busy day.
Hearing this, Zhao Jiu, in Song Youji’s ears, sounded like a hungry child pitifully saying, “It’s okay, I’m not hungry.”
“No problem. I have to cook anyway, and I don’t mind making an extra serving. As long as you allow me to use your kitchen,” Song Youji thought for a moment and added, “This is also my responsibility as your fiancé.”
The little rabbit had fallen into the trap on its own, holding up a carrot and asking the hunter if they wanted to eat together.
The hunter, Zhao Jiu, raised the corners of his lips and struggled not to burst out laughing. “Sure, thank you. I’ll be responsible for filling the fridge every day.”
Song Youji: “That’s perfect.”
The dinner partners’ duo is officially formed!
After returning home, Zhao Jiu asked Song Youji to take a shower first. Faced with Song Youji’s puzzled expression, he lowered his eyes and said, “There’s a scent of pheromones on you, and I can’t stand it… It makes me uncomfortable to smell it.”
Song Youji suddenly felt guilty. “Sorry, the association’s people came to talk to me, I’ll go take a shower immediately. Just wait a moment, and I’ll come back to cook.”
“Mm.”
He smoothly played the role of being obedient and pitiful.
Seeing Song Youji go upstairs, Zhao Jiu coldly checked the fridge. There were various vegetables, snacks, and drinks. Nord even brought a few bottles of his well-preserved wine.
Zhao Jiu took out a few boxes of creamy pudding and threw them away, giving Nord money to buy groceries.
Nord was scolding Siwan when suddenly, there was a notification sound from the bank: “1 million Keya coins deposited.” He hurriedly called Zhao Jiu, “Marshal, those groceries only cost a few hundred…”
“It’s okay, keep it. My fridge must be full from now on,” Zhao Jiu said. “But remember, no creamy pudding.”
“Yes, Marshal. Do you have any other orders?” Nord wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
Marshal rarely asked him to do something in daily life, and he had messed it up on this rare occasion.
But when did the Marshal start disliking creamy pudding? Didn’t they eat it during their Legion days?
Zhao Jiu asked in a deep voice, “Don’t you want to ask me why I asked you to buy groceries?”
“Well…” Nord vaguely felt that the Marshal was setting him up, “Marshal, why did you ask me to buy groceries?”
“I want my wife to cook for me.” Zhao Jiu’s tone carried a joyful uplift.
Nord: “…”
Haha, mocking him for not having a partner, huh?!
“That’s really something to celebrate.” Nord gritted his teeth and said.
“Nord, you’re almost thirty. It’s time to find someone.”
Zhao Jiu, having finished boasting, hung up the phone.
Siwan lay on the sofa, watching his brother turn almost petrified. Curious, he asked, “Brother, what did the Marshal say to you?”
“Shut up! Add an hour of push-ups.” Nord, the empty nest old man, was both annoyed and embarrassed.
Zhao Jiu picked some vegetables that looked decent and placed them on the dining table, then sat on the sofa, waiting for Song Youji to come out.
After Song Youji finished washing, he called Song Jing. When he mentioned Qiao Si’s matter about distinguishing Alpha based on glands, Song Jing fell silent for a long time and asked, “Do you know his brother’s information?”
Song Youji: “The registration form says Qiao He. Is there a problem?”
“The composition of personnel in Area C is very complex, and the method of gland distinction may have been told to him by someone he met. I’ll investigate Qiao He’s information. Before the results come out, don’t tell Zhao Jiu.” Song Jing instructed.
Song Youji didn’t understand why he shouldn’t tell Zhao Jiu about such matters. He naively agreed.
Song Jing asked again, “Is everything harmonious in your life with Zhao Jiu… in all aspects?”
“…Big brother! Why do you always care about such issues?”
Song Jing rubbed his forehead. He didn’t want to be a perverted big brother who cared about his younger brother’s intimate life. “Zhao Jiu is an S-level Alpha. Do you know what that means? S-level Alphas have the strongest control over pheromones. In extreme cases, their pheromones can induce gene mutations, turning Betas into Omegas. Although it’s a very special situation, I’m worried about you being exposed to Zhao Jiu’s pheromones before you differentiate.”
It sounded intimidating, but Song Youji wasn’t completely ignorant of physiological knowledge. “S-level Alphas have the strongest control over pheromones, and he’s also a soldier trained rigorously.”
“Zhao Jiu has a problem…”
As Song Youji came down the stairs, he almost felt like floating. Despite his big brother continuously talking about how dangerous Zhao Jiu was, all he could think was that Zhao Jiu had it tough.
Not having a hot meal, not being cared for by family, manipulated in marriage, and now even suffering from a strange illness.
No wonder his personality was so twisted, and he couldn’t control his pheromones. Back then, when he talked to Yuna, what he said was true. He really had a problem.
Seeing him come down, Zhao Jiu happily greeted him, “I picked some vegetables. Can I help you cook?”
Song Youji tried to force a smile, afraid to reject Zhao Jiu and hurt his feelings. He said, “Then help me wash the vegetables.”
Zhao Jiu took a bunch of cilantro to wash.
Song Youji hurriedly stopped him, “Do you want to eat this?”
“Is it not okay? It smells similar to a nutritional supplement I used to drink.” Zhao Jiu said.
Tears almost fell from Song Youji’s eyes: Make nutritional supplements companies stop this!
How could they provide a nutritional supplement with the scent of cilantro?!
Author’s note:
Zhao Jiu: Haven’t even started acting pitiful, and the wife is already crying? Scratching head.jpg
First, for the baby who loves cilantro, orz.
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