Chapter 10: A Bad Idea

Lin Yi scoffed. Forget dogs; when he was on missions deep in the mountains, he had killed countless wolves with a single palm strike to satisfy his hunger. A Rottweiler was naturally nothing to him.

"See that? This is General Wei Wu. Let me tell you, he’s very fierce! If you dare to go upstairs, I’ll have him bite you to death!"

Chu Mengyao threatened.

"Got it."

Lin Yi nodded.

Seeing Lin Yi’s cautious appearance, Chu Mengyao assumed he was afraid of General Wei Wu, and she felt even more smug.

She pulled Chen Yushu upstairs, leaving General Wei Wu to stand guard at the foot of the stairs.

Lin Yi picked up his luggage from the floor and glared at General Wei Wu. The dog shuddered and backed away; it seemed to sense that the person in front of it was extraordinary—a dangerous individual.

Lin Yi had no interest in playing with a dog. After that one glare, he ignored it and carried his luggage into the room Chu Mengyao had mentioned earlier.

The room was decorated very simply, containing only a bed, a desk, and a small wardrobe.

However, these things were enough for Lin Yi. The luggage he brought consisted only of a few tattered clothes; he had nothing else.

What surprised Lin Yi the most was that the room actually had an en-suite bathroom. It was just like a big hotel!

Lin Yi put his luggage away and took a towel into the bathroom. The journey had left him covered in dust.

He checked his watch; it was not yet six o'clock. Before Uncle Fu came to deliver dinner, Lin Yi decided to take a shower.

So far, Lin Yi was quite satisfied with his current job and working environment. Living in hotel-like conditions every day and getting paid thirty thousand yuan—where else could he find a job like this?

It was much more comfortable than helping the old man weave straw sandals back home.

Upstairs.

"Xiaoshu, I’m starting to regret this. How does this Lin Yi look like someone who could be my shield?"

Chu Mengyao had changed into loungewear and was complaining to Chen Yushu.

"Woah, I think he’s pretty good."

Chen Yushu was lying on the bed with her legs propped up against the wall. She didn't know where she’d heard that this could slim down legs and promote growth.

"Good? What’s good about him? Originally, I was hoping to find someone handsome to pose as my boyfriend. Now, look at this—I’ve ended up with a country bumpkin. Won't I be laughed to death if I take him out?"

Chu Mengyao gritted her teeth in anger. "If you think he’s so good, why don't you be his girlfriend?"

"Woah, I don't have any trouble, so I don't need a shield. Otherwise, I might actually consider it," Chen Yushu said, shaking her head.

"You have a powerful brother, so who would dare mess with you? If I had a brother who could kick a big tree in half, I wouldn't need to look for a shield either!"

Chu Mengyao knew Chen Yushu was teasing her on purpose, but who could blame her for having a brother when she didn't?

"Yaoyao-jie, how about I ask my brother to find you a foster brother in the military?"

Chen Yushu blinked. "Or maybe a 'love brother' would work too... then Zhong Pinliang would have to step aside, wouldn't he?"

"Xiaoshu!"

Hearing Chen Yushu getting more and more ridiculous, Chu Mengyao’s eyes widened in anger.

"What kind of terrible ideas are you coming up with! First, you told me to ask my father to find me a shield, and look... look at who he found! Can he even act as a shield? Now you’re giving me this crazy idea, 'love brother'—it sounds awful!"

"Woah, okay, okay, I’ll stop talking."

Seeing that Chu Mengyao was genuinely angry, Chen Yushu quickly shut her mouth, not daring to continue.

Indeed, the idea of finding a shield was one she had suggested to Chu Mengyao, and since the person they found wasn't to her liking, she bore some responsibility...

When Uncle Fu arrived with dinner, Lin Yi had just finished his shower. He rummaged through his luggage, but there wasn't a single decent piece of clothing to be found.

Lin Yi couldn't help but complain that the old man was truly stingy. Couldn't he have bought him one new set of clothes?

He figured that even if he wore these, Chu Mengyao would still think they were dirty clothes and wouldn't even let him sit on the sofa.

With no other choice, Lin Yi opened the bag Uncle Fu had given him and took out the Songshan First High School uniform to wear.

Lin Yi’s new look made both Chu Mengyao and Chen Yushu freeze!

Before, he had been disheveled, wearing a tattered undershirt and baggy pants. Now, after his shower, he looked neat and refined. Paired with the school uniform, he looked like a completely different person from the migrant worker image he had before!

However, their first impression of Lin Yi had been so poor that Chu Mengyao refused to admit he was handsome; she could only say he was slightly better and more pleasing to the eye than before.

Uncle Fu had brought four dishes and a soup: shredded pork with garlic sauce, boiled fish, stir-fried baby bok choy, and spinach with wood ear mushrooms. The soup was matsutake mushroom soup.

It was a balanced meal, rich in color, aroma, and taste.

Lin Yi hadn't eaten such delicious food in a long time. Seeing that Uncle Fu had prepared a rice box for him as well, he happily took it and sat at the dining table.

Just as Lin Yi was about to pick up his chopsticks, Chu Mengyao objected: "What are you doing? Xiaoshu and I haven't eaten yet, and you’re starting already? From now on, Xiaoshu and I will eat first, and you can have whatever is left!"

With that, she turned and went to the kitchen. She had a habit of using silver cutlery, something she had picked up from living with her grandfather when she was young.

Therefore, there was a set of silver cutlery specifically for Chu Mengyao in the kitchen's disinfection cabinet.

Lin Yi could only smile bitterly at Chu Mengyao’s bossiness. He withdrew his chopsticks and stared at the delicacies on the table, left only with the ability to drool.

Fortunately, the white rice was his own. Lin Yi shoveled a few mouthfuls into his mouth quickly. Perhaps because he ate too fast, he choked a little. He mumbled unclearly, "Is there anything to drink?"

Chen Yushu found this man, who looked like he hadn't eaten in eight lifetimes, quite amusing. She pointed to the refrigerated cabinet on the side and said, "What do you want to drink? Get it yourself."

"Oh."

As soon as Lin Yi turned his head, he saw a large refrigerated cabinet filled with various drinks. He grabbed a bottle of orange juice, opened the cap, and took a large gulp, feeling much more comfortable afterward.

Chu Mengyao retrieved her cutlery and began to critique the dishes on the table with Chen Yushu.

"Wow, boiled fish! My favorite!"

"This shredded pork with garlic sauce is a bit too sweet. Damn chef, doesn't he know that too much sugar makes you fat? I’ll definitely tell Daddy to fire him one of these days!"

"Yeah, this baby bok choy is actually quite good. Xiaoshu, you should try some!"

Chu Mengyao chatted away as she ate.

These dishes were prepared by the chefs at the hotels under Chu Pengzhan’s Pengzhan Group, and Uncle Fu delivered them punctually every evening.

Chu Pengzhan had many social engagements, and Chu Mengyao’s mother had left when she was very young.

Chu Mengyao didn't know the specific circumstances, because every time she brought it up with her father, he would refuse to tell her.

Therefore, Chu Mengyao’s life was basically taken care of by Uncle Fu.