They headed back to the supermarket. Xiao Linye probably needed some seasonings. After all, he hadn’t lived at Shanyu Pavilion much before, so the kitchen lacked many spices. Ye Yuning had always known cooking was a hassle, and seeing Xiao Linye buy so many seasonings now made her head spin.
After they bought everything and returned home, Xiao Linye asked her, "How about I make you grilled fish?"
"Grilled fish sounds great! I love it!" She particularly liked paper-wrapped grilled fish.
Xiao Linye began to clean the fish in the sink.
Ye Yuning tossed her constantly vibrating phone onto the table, changed her clothes, and entered the kitchen. Although she couldn’t cook, she could help!
Xiao Linye gave her a gentle look. "Hungry?"
Ye Yuning nodded. "Mhm."
Xiao Linye was somewhat surprised she admitted it. After all, many girls wouldn’t readily confess to being hungry.
Ye Yuning asked, "Is there anything I can help you with?" For such complex cuisine, she had no idea what might be required.
Xiao Linye, thinking she was hungry and wanted to eat sooner, didn’t overthink it. "Can you chop vegetables?"
Ye Yuning nodded. "Yes."
"Then can you help me chop all the side ingredients?"
"Sure. Just tell me how you want them chopped." Ye Yuning rolled up her sleeves and stepped forward.
Xiao Linye pointed to the vegetables they had just bought. "Wash them first."
"Okay." Ye Yuning knew they needed washing first; she just wasn’t sure how Xiao Linye wanted them cut.
The phone on the low table outside vibrated incessantly, one call coming right after another.
The situation at the hotel had descended into utter chaos. Zheng Cai was a battered mess. In the end, it was only after Ye Tong started bleeding that the Qin Family finally stopped their assault. With things escalating to this point, the wedding had become a complete farce. The Qin Family definitely wouldn’t let it go; more trouble was surely yet to come.
Ye Tong, who had lost a lot of blood, was rushed to the hospital. After an examination, the doctor announced, "The child can’t be saved. We need to arrange for a dilation and curettage procedure immediately."
Zheng Cai, Ye Tong, and Xiao Shuo were stunned. A gasp seemed to catch in their throats, and their faces turned deathly pale.
Zheng Cai was the first to react. Previously shaking with anger, she now wept, her face etched with heartache. "Tongtong~!"
Ye Tong, seemingly deaf to her own voice, stared numbly at Zheng Cai.
Zheng Cai gnashed her teeth in anguish. "Ye Yuning! It’s all that bitch Ye Yuning’s fault! She’s the one who did this to you!"
Ye Tong closed her eyes, tears streaming down from the corners. Yes, it was Ye Yuning. It was all Ye Yuning’s fault. She had personally agreed to marry into the Qin Family; now, by reneging, she had brought this suffering upon herself!
At that moment, both of them wished they could tear Ye Yuning to shreds, but they had to quickly arrange the D&C procedure for Ye Tong. The leverage Ye Tong had to make the Xiao Family elders relent was gone. For now, they couldn’t afford to worry about how the Xiao Family would react upon finding out.
「Back at Shanyu Pavilion.」
Ye Yuning finished preparing all the side ingredients, and Xiao Linye began to work on the fish.
When the oil in the pan SIZZLED and smoked, Ye Yuning, startled, immediately retreated two meters.
Xiao Linye saw her panicked expression, a hint of softness flashing in his eyes. "You can’t cook?"
"Not really. I can only make porridge and noodles."
In fact, after Zheng Cai brought her back at the age of ten, she hadn’t cooked at all. Zheng Cai had left her at school, and she rarely returned, even for holidays. Meals in the countryside were simple. She would just make various kinds of porridge, and her noodles were plain boiled; she definitely couldn’t stir-fry.
Xiao Linye was somewhat surprised that an office worker like her couldn’t cook. But then again, it seemed the young women at his company all ordered takeout, except for the married finance manager, who brought her own lunch. So, do women automatically learn to keep house after getting married? He glanced at Ye Yuning, who had retreated a good distance away. It seemed this one wasn’t very skilled, but it didn’t matter.
Seeing her frightened expression, memories overlapping in his mind, he said with a smile, "Go and entertain yourself; it’ll still be a while here."
Ye Yuning couldn’t have been happier and quickly nodded. "Okay." The sight of anything in a hot pan terrified her; it always felt like it was about to catch fire.
She turned, went to the living room, and picked up her phone, which was still vibrating incessantly in her palm. A glance at the screen showed the call was from Xiao Shuo. Given her previous experience with his calls, this must be about Ye Tong again...!?
Seeing Xiao Linye still busy in the kitchen, she took the phone and slipped into her room.
The moment she answered, Xiao Shuo’s furious roar blasted from the other end. "Ye Yuning, you bitch!"
Ye Yuning instinctively held the phone further from her ear. The Xiao Family’s third young master was such a scoundrel. Thankfully, Ye Tong had snatched him away; otherwise, she’d still be racking her brains on how to ’dispose’ of him.