CHAPTER 589: CHAPTER 589 DISAPPEARANCE

"It’s just impossible to associate you with cooking, it’s too fantastical." He Ziyun chuckled and said.

He Ziyun hadn’t taken Xu Ke’s claim of being able to cook seriously. In his view, Xu Ke’s cooking skills probably meant just turning raw food into something edible without causing a stomachache, nothing more. Yet, he didn’t expect Xu Ke’s claim to truly encompass real cooking skills.

Watching as Xu Ke served dish after dish, each perfectly plated and as tempting as something packed from a hotel, He Ziyun, initially full of shock, now felt almost numb.

"Don’t just sit there staring, hurry up and dig in. If the food gets cold, it won’t taste as good." Xu Ke, satisfied, watched Ariel put something in her mouth and then stick her thumb up towards him, a look of unending praise on her face.

On the other side, He Ziyun braced himself and put a piece of meat in his mouth, but instead of the expected unpleasant taste, it had a sweet and sour flavor, without any greasy or fishy taste typical of fatty meat. It was unexpectedly delicious.

He Ziyun’s chopsticks paused for a moment, then as if he had become enlightened, his movements quickly and steadily filled his plate. Ariel had only turned to talk to Xu Ke for a moment, and when she turned back, the dish was nearly gone.

Ariel’s eyes widened in surprise, and the next moment, the two at the table seemed to be in a competition, snatching food with chopsticks one after another. Both of them were well-mannered; whatever they picked up, they would eat completely, not just leave it aside.

Xu Ke, a bit helpless, watched the two competing over food. He said something to himself and unconsciously quickened his own movements. In the end, the participants in the food snatching had gone from two to three.

The three of them, with their bellies full, sat in a row on the sofa, taking long breaths, and started rubbing their stomachs to aid digestion.

"You should cook less often in the future; the price to pay is too high. My stomach hurts so much." Ariel said while still rubbing her belly, wearing a pitiful expression that successfully plunged Xu Ke into silence.

"Although the cost is rather high, I’m up for it next time." A smile appeared on He Ziyun’s face,

Peaceful days are always particularly short and enchanting. He Ziyun lived almost indulgently; the competition entries had been submitted, so now he had nothing on his plate. He could be said to be free of worries, spending each day at home studying recipes and tinkering with plants, truly living a delightfully carefree life.

On Xu Ke’s end, only one loose end was left to tie up. Once that was done, he would head back to Shangjing, leaving the management of things here to someone else.

"I’m almost done handling matters here in Yunzhou." At the dining table, Xu Ke picked up a piece of fish and said.

He Ziyun’s hand froze while picking up food, and his face showed a hint of sadness, "Are you leaving?"

"We are leaving." Xu Ke looked up at He Ziyun and replied.

"I’ve already transferred the ownership of this house to your name, so you don’t need to move out. Just continue living here. You have our contact information, so if you need anything, just call us directly." Xu Ke said as he served Ariel a portion of food, giving instructions.

"We’re not leaving right now anyway, and even when we leave Yunzhou, you can come to Shangjing to visit us." Ariel, noticing the sudden gloom in He Ziyun’s expression, said this to comfort him.

Realizing the extent of Xu Ke and Ariel’s concern for him, He Ziyun felt much better.

"I’m just not used to it, that’s all. It’s nothing. We’ve been living together for so long, suddenly parting ways feels like missing something. I’ll adjust in a couple of days, I’ll be fine." He Ziyun smiled and said.

Although He Ziyun said this, he couldn’t help but feel a little reluctant. After spending so much time together, he had already in his heart regarded Xu Ke and Ariel as family, and he was thoroughly immersed in this way of life, even thinking that living this way for a lifetime wouldn’t be so bad. However, in the end, he was still alone, a solitary figure in this world.

Xu Ke and Ariel both sensed He Ziyun’s emotional disturbance, but this was something he had to come to terms with himself; no amount of talks from others would help. The two of them could not live like this with him forever; they were individuals with their own lives to live.

Forcing himself to forget about the imminent departure while at the dining table, He Ziyun chatted with the two as usual, pretending nothing was different, and only allowed himself to fully indulge in his emotions when back in his room.

Meanwhile, the long-neglected He family was going through a tumultuous time.

In the relentless pressure and games from the Nie Family, the He family was pushed to bankruptcy. The assets that the stepmother had secretly transferred without He Father’s knowledge inexplicably disappeared. The overseas account was empty, and to top it all off, He Father found out about it.

"Where’s the money? Give me the money; it’s the He family’s money, what right do you have to take it?" He Father reached out to his wife, demanding the return of the assets transferred abroad.

"It’s gone, all the money is gone." The stepmother collapsed onto the sofa, muttering, with not a glint of light in her eyes.

"Your lies need to be more convincing; it’s impossible for so much money to just disappear. Give me the money, and I won’t squander it; I’m planning to start a new company. It doesn’t matter if the He family is gone, I’ll just build another one." He Father’s voice was calm, but closer inspection would reveal bloodshot eyes, and veins throbbing on his forehead, indicating he was on the verge of losing control.

"It’s really gone. The money I transferred to the bank has vanished; we’re utterly penniless now." The stepmother focused her scattered gaze on He Father, tears streaming down her face.

All that money, painstakingly and riskily transferred, was their foundation abroad, her son’s capital for starting a business overseas. But now their support was all gone, and the stepmother was on the verge of fainting from crying.

The youngest son saw the expression on his mother’s face, and everything went black before his eyes.

She was his mother. Was she telling the truth or lying? He could tell with just one look. Yet, it was precisely because he knew that it felt as if his world was about to collapse.

"How could this happen? Who did this? Who did such a dastardly thing!" The youngest son, having never suffered such a loss, kicked the coffee table in frustration, sending it crashing to the ground. Glass shards flew everywhere, some even cutting into their exposed skin and clothes. But nobody cared about that; what they cared about was the money.