Unlike Gu Lingfei, Jiang Che seemed full of energy.
Even though he had just given Yu Wan'er a stern lecture, he still appeared invigorated.
"Hmm? Little Che... are you still awake?"
Upon seeing Jiang Che, Gu Lingfei grasped at him like a lifeline.
"Sister Fei, is the company really that busy? You haven't been back in days," Jiang Che said softly, approaching the sofa.
His hands expertly found their way to her shoulders, beginning to massage them.
Jiang Che's massage skills were unparalleled. When Lin Yu's luck had taken a turn for the worse, one of the 'SSS-grade Traditional Chinese Medicine Skills' he'd picked up had included ancient TCM massage techniques. Combined with his internal energy, this brief massage sent Gu Lingfei into a state of sheer bliss.
"Little Che, your massage techniques have improved so much!" Gu Lingfei exclaimed.
Previously, despite claiming to be giving her a massage, Jiang Che had mainly been trying to get a little extra contact. Now, however, it was the real deal—his skills were far superior to those of even the top female masseuses.
Jiang Che smirked. "Sister Fei, I learned all this just for you."
Upon hearing Jiang Che's words, Gu Lingfei blushed.
"Hmph~ You smooth talker! I know how many girls you've charmed with that mouth of yours."
Though she appeared to be scolding him, it was only a playful teasing.
"Sister Fei, tell me... was it comfortable?"
"It was~"
Gu Lingfei was quite honest. After just a few minutes of Jiang Che's massage, her fatigue had vanished, which was truly remarkable.
"Grumble——"
Another sound of a growling stomach prompted a slight blush from Gu Lingfei.
In any situation where someone else hears your stomach growling from hunger, it's undeniably awkward, much like being caught passing gas.
"Oh? Sister Fei, it seems you're hungry," Jiang Che teased.
[You little rascal, girls care about their image, you know! Couldn't you have pretended not to hear it? Why bring it up?]
[Ugh~ This is mortifying!]
"Ahem... Little Che, could you cook me a bowl of noodles? I don't feel like moving," Gu Lingfei said, trying to mask her embarrassment.
Jiang Che chuckled. "Sister Fei, I don't really like that 'bowl'... maybe I can find you a different one."
At first, Gu Lingfei was momentarily confused, but then she caught the innuendo in Jiang Che's words and her cheeks flushed.
"Pfft! You little charmer! If you don't cook for me, I'll just starve. Can you bear to watch your beautiful Sister Fei suffer like this?"
As she spoke, Gu Lingfei even winked playfully at him.
Good heavens! The usually ice-cold beauty president was acting coquettishly?
Who could resist that?
Jiang Che was certain that Gu Lingfei's feminine charm... had never been displayed in front of anyone else before.
It was so deadly!
Jiang Che shrugged, then turned and headed to the kitchen.
He quickly cooked a pot of noodles for Gu Lingfei and added a light, simple side dish.
Almost immediately, a delightful aroma filled the air.
The scent of the food made Gu Lingfei even hungrier. All the fatigue she had felt before instantly melted away in the face of delicious food.
She kicked off her shoes, removed her tights, stuffing them into her shoes, and then went barefoot straight into the kitchen.
"Sister Fei, take it easy! The pot's just come off the heat," Jiang Che said, his mouth twitching at her eagerness.
"Mmm~~~ This smells heavenly! Why even bother going to the office when I can just let Little Che feed me..."
In her excitement, Gu Lingfei even voiced her innermost thoughts.
"Hmm? Why not? I'll take care of you, make sure you stay plump and healthy."
Jiang Che sat across from Gu Lingfei, propping his chin on one hand as he watched the woman before him.
Yu Wan'er was the cute, adorable loli type, someone you'd want to spoil endlessly.
Ye Mengyao and Qin Qiaoqiao were the perfect girlfriend types, the kind of girls every teenage boy dreams about.
And Gu Lingfei, well... she was the epitome of the ideal wife, the perfect choice for starting a family.
"Ahem... I was just joking. I'm the CEO of a company worth billions. There's no way I need someone like you to take care of me. Plus, over a thousand people are depending on me!"
Gu Lingfei tried to deflect her real feelings toward Jiang Che once again.
"Sister Fei, you're making me consider eating some 'soft rice'..." Jiang Che chuckled.
Gu Lingfei slurped up the last bit of noodles in her bowl, then drank the soup clean, letting out a satisfied belch.
"Hmph~ That's right! There are plenty of men out there eager to live off my 'soft rice'... they could probably form a line from here all the way to Antarctica."
But just then, Jiang Che slammed a hand down on the table, startling Gu Lingfei.
"I'll ask you once: Can I 'hard eat' your soft rice?"
While 'soft rice' might have been appealing, Jiang Che wasn't the type of man who'd sacrifice his pride for a comfortable life.
No, he preferred to embody the idea of enjoying 'soft rice' in a forceful manner!
"You—"
Gu Lingfei's heart raced. She understood that Jiang Che was now confessing his feelings to her!
And there was no way to avoid it…
Unlike Ye Mengyao, Gu Lingfei wasn't the kind of woman who could remain ambiguous about her emotions. If Jiang Che was openly confessing his feelings, she couldn't continue to be so wishy-washy.
Moreover… she did harbor deep feelings for this 'adopted brother' of hers.
"Little Che, I... I'm already 27 years old, eight years older than you," Gu Lingfei said nervously.
Jiang Che laughed. "My dear big sister, don't you remember? You've already drunk the elixirs I gave you, allowing you to maintain your eternal youth... plus, age has nothing to do with love!"
In terms of charming women, Jiang Che truly had a knack. In just a few words, he was able to break through Gu Lingfei's defenses.
"Little Che..."
Jiang Che didn't say anything more. He merely gently lifted Gu Lingfei's chin.
...Five minutes passed...
"Sister Fei, is there something going on at the company that's keeping you so busy?"
Jiang Che wiped the red mark from the corner of his mouth and asked seriously.
Compared to Jiang Che's calmness, Gu Lingfei seemed quite flustered.
"Yes... there's been an issue at the company. We've encountered a top-tier investor who's managed to snag quite a bit of our company's profits... and he's even offered me a proposal, wanting to court me!"
As she spoke, Gu Lingfei looked at Jiang Che, gently licked her red lips, and gave him a seductive look.
"Do... do you get jealous?"
Jiang Che: "......"
What the hell? Which 'chosen one' dared to try and steal his women? Was this fool tired of living?
Brother Qiang's harem lineup must have your spot secured!