Ye Cheng came back from the town to assess the situation at home. He had previously heard that Bai Jing intended to take his own life after confirming his pregnancy. Therefore, he wanted to verify if Bai Jing had already committed suicide.
On his way home, few girls and ger blushed when he walked by. Although they knew he was married, Ye Cheng was just too handsome to resist.
Ye Cheng on the other hand didn't even look at them. He opened the wooden gate and went into the house. The person he came to check on wasn't there, but looking at the clean house and fresh water, he could tell that Bai Jing hadn't decided to die yet.
Ye Cheng went in to change his clothes and take a bath when he smelled a delicious fragrance. His eyes suddenly twist and he walks curiously into the kitchen. There was only one bowl with a cover, so he opened the bowl, only to see a roasted fish and mushroom dish.
"He made this?" Ye Cheng asked doubtfully
"It seems like your little wife is not useless after all. At least he knows how to cook." said a voice out of thin air, but Ye Cheng wasn't frightened by it.
"Whatever, " Ye Cheng closed the bowl and was about to leave when the voice stopped him.
"Are you not going to eat it?" The voice asked
"Why should I?"
The voice sighs regretfully: "It's a pity though, I sense a rare energy in it and wanted to confirm it. If you don't eat it, it will be a pity."
Ye Cheng thought for a while and decided to take a bite or two. He washed his hands and took two bites, he was immediately stunned. The roasted fish tasted so good. He didn't expect a freshwater fish to taste this amazing
"Do you feel it?" The voice asked with a bit of urgency when it saw Ye Cheng finishing the fish without saying anything.
"Feel what?" Ye Cheng asked in confusion.
The Voice explains: "There's an energy in the fish that purifies spiritual energy. Only, the amount is so little that it's hard to notice. I'm assuming that this fish was cooked with a special herb to produce such an effect. Is your little wife a physician?"
Ye Cheng frowned and said thoughtfully: "I don't know, he shouldn't be. Otherwise, his father wouldn't have married him out."
If Bai Jing was a physician, how could the Bai family agree to marry him out? Especially to an unfavored son of the Ye family.
"True, but how can you explain this energy?" The voice still has expectations.
"If you can't explain it, then let it be and observe him more closely in the future. That is, if he doesn't kill himself." Ye Cheng originally wanted to taste the small portion of the fish dish, but after a few bites, he couldn't bring himself to leave it.
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Bai Jing hurriedly closed the wooden gate behind him, clutching the wriggling fish tightly in his hands. He had spent the entire evening fishing by the river, hoping to bring back a few more catches for his dinner in case Ye Cheng didn't bring any food back.
But as entered the thatch house, his excitement turned into apprehension when he saw Ye Cheng. Up till now, Bai Jing couldn't tell why he felt such unexplainable fear towards Ye Cheng. It was fine the first time they met, but when he woke up from his nap in the carriage, Ye Cheng's presence always gave him an unsettling sense of danger.
'This is not good.' Bai Jing thought to himself. He and Ye Cheng would spend a long time together in the future. If he keeps being afraid of the other party, wouldn't his life be more miserable?
Bai Jing silently cheered himself up and decided to make things right with Ye Cheng.
Ye Cheng was currently sitting at the wooden table eating, he remained indifferent as if he didn't notice anyone came in. His indifference in Bai Jing's eyes was interpreted as annoyance.
"Hello, you're back." Bai Jing greeted timidly. He didn't know what Ye Cheng was angry about, so he tried to stay cautious.
Ye Cheng looked up, his eyes filled with irritation: "Were you not expecting me back?!" he snapped harshly.
Bai Jing was taken aback by his sudden outburst: "I... I didn't mean that," he stammered, his hand instinctively cradling his abdomen, as if protecting the baby growing inside him.
Ye Cheng's eyes narrowed in annoyance. "Why are you still standing there? Do you not want me to eat this fish?" he snapped.
"No, no, the fish was kept for you. I wouldn't dare," Bai Jing hurriedly replied, his voice trembling.
Ye Cheng grunted, looking at the fish again. Bai Jing watched him, aware of the tension between them.
Since when did he become so timid? Had the recent events truly shaken him to his core, or was this just another one of his fleeting moods? Bai Jing was annoyed by his emotional mess, his indecisiveness, and the way he seemed to crumble under the slightest pressure. It was unlike his previous self that he remember.
Bai Jing had hoped that Ye Cheng would know that he wasn't complaining about their current situation and is willing to bear the hardship together. But it seemed that Ye Cheng was too consumed by his own frustrations to appreciate it.
The more he thought things through, the more irritated he became. He wasn't the original owner and hasn't done anything wrong. Why does he have to suffer this?
Tears welled up in Bai Jing's eyes as he tried to comprehend what had gone wrong. He doesn't want to be treated with anger and resentment. Especially, when he'd done nothing wrong!
"I'm sorry." Bai Jing whispered, his voice trembling: "I didn't mean to upset you. I just... I wanted to get along." As a stranger to this world, he needs someone to trust and lean on. Even if he could survive on his own, doesn't mean he would.
The harsh restriction this world has set on Gers, blocks all his routes of retreating. It was the system's fault that he was reborn into such a condition.
Ye Cheng's gaze met Bai Jing's, and the anger on his face gradually softened, replaced by a faint remorse. He just didn't have a good impression of Bai Jing.
If possible, he doesn't want to get involved with anyone. Of course, he admits this doesn't excuse his outburst. It's just that given what happened, he couldn't bring himself to be friendly with Bai Jing. After all, this person has practically ruined his life, his eight years of effort has gone to waste.
Ye Cheng sighed, seeing the fish in Bai Jing's hand, he thought he should say something to ease the atmosphere: "The roasted fish you made taste good."
"What?" Bai Jing, who was stuck in his messy emotions, couldn't react to the sudden change of topic. It took a while for him to understand, yet, he was speechless: "Oh,... ok, I'll cook more for you later if you like it."
"The saying, 'A way to a man's heart is through his stomach,' certainly seems spot on."
After Bai Jing left, the voice in Lu Cheng's head spoke again: "Your little wife is too emotional. I don't know how he would manage with a cold face like you."
"Shut up." Ye Cheng held his chin deep in thought. For some reason, the Bai Jing in the rumors is very different from the one in front of him. There's no way a young master of the Bai family is able to adapt to hardship this quickly.
After Bai Jing left, he lit a fire on the small tree branches that fell off, as wood. After cleaning the fish, he followed the same process of making roasted fish with mushrooms. Seeing how Scruffy suddenly disappeared, Bai Jing didn't think much of it and focused on his cooking. It was getting late and he was also feeling tired.
After cooking, he served Ye Cheng his food, and kept another plate outside just in case Scruffy came back. He then sat down and ate his own shear. Eating alone, surrounded by dense forest, Bai Jing couldn't help missing home. He finally found his parents, after reunion things became better for him. But it seems like the Heavens didn't want him to enjoy such privilege and he was killed soon after. But maybe, just maybe, this wasn't so bad.
"Did you see what he added to the dish?" Ye Cheng asked
The voice enthusiastically replied: "I did! It was a useless grass that couldn't be used as a herb. Tasteless and lacking spiritual properties, no one would ever imagine that adding it to fire would enchant spiritual energy... Your little wife is truly a genius. I don't know how he figured that out."
"That's his secret, let him be." Ye Cheng said uninterested.