CHAPTER 251: 230: SHE HAS A SWEET TOOTH, KEEP A CLOSER EYE ON HER.

The man’s body radiated warmth, as if he carried his own heater. Hugging him felt incredibly comfortable.

Adding to that, his skin wasn’t rough at all. After using body wash, it was as smooth as hers.

Yu Zhi’s favorite thing was clinging to him like an octopus, basking in the sensation of absorbing his warmth.

No one else could give her that feeling.

Shi Wei curved his lips into a pleased smile, as sweet as if he’d tasted honey, his brows and eyes brimming with joy that couldn’t be dispelled.

He hooked a strand of her long hair, twirling it around his defined fingers, as his husky voice lowered slightly, "I’ll satisfy you later tonight."

Yu Zhi’s lashes fluttered; his words gave her a faint sense of foreboding.

She tugged at the man’s sleeve, her ears turning a delicate shade of pink like translucent silk: "Shi Wei, can I take a break for the next couple of days?"

"Take a break?"

"You know, just... not do that." Whenever she thought of those two times she’d fainted, she felt deeply embarrassed.

In all her life, it was the first time she’d felt so helpless and passive in such matters.

Shi Wei lifted his eyes slightly, a casual glint flashed briefly in his dark gaze, which instantly turned devilishly mischievous.

"Not... devour you?"

Yu Zhi pressed her lips together, her cheeks visibly flushing pink: "Mhm, could we?"

This man always had a way of teasing her lightly and seductively, and she could never predict what he’d say next.

"Sure, but you’ll need to wait until next Tuesday."

"Okay, it’s a promise."

Shi Wei watched the little girl beam at him like sunshine, his gaze flickering slightly: "I’ll never go back on my word."

He was determined to ensure she got proper rest.

After all, during those seven days, he wouldn’t be able to do much anyway.

Yu Zhi didn’t even stop to wonder why she had to wait until next Tuesday instead of tomorrow or the day after.

She climbed up to wrap her arms around the man’s neck, her smile radiating as if to burn through his pupils: "Shi Wei, you’re so good to me."

If she’d known this was all it would take, she would’ve said something sooner to rest for longer.

Shi Wei leaned closer, his shallow breaths brushing against her cheeks, carrying a fragrant warmth that soothed the soul.

His gaze locked onto hers, his soft lashes falling just low enough to graze hers like butterfly wings: "Be good, wife, and I’ll always be good."

"Am I not already good enough?"

She stayed by his side every day, never throwing tantrums or losing her temper irrationally.

She considered herself to already be very well-behaved.

Perhaps as if their thoughts were connected, Shi Wei seemed to understand her silent reasoning in that instant. He raised a playful brow: "If you could be a little more proactive, that’d be even better."

Yu Zhi froze for a moment.

"Proactive" had a rather broad meaning, making it difficult to pinpoint exactly what he wanted.

Shi Wei suddenly tilted his head, his warm tongue briefly brushing her earlobe, causing her to shiver uncontrollably: "Like this, or maybe something even more daring."

He emphasized the word "daring" heavily.

The underlying suggestion in his tone couldn’t have been more obvious.

Yu Zhi shoved him away, her long lashes trembling rapidly like the fluttering of wings.

She got up: "I’m going to the restroom."

Shi Wei watched the girl’s retreating figure and, noticing her uneven steps, shook his head with an amused smile.

A spicy aroma slowly began to drift through the air.

On the dining table, bubbling red oil churned in a round pot, while wisps of white steam blurred the dishes placed beside it, adding a faint layer of mystique.

Xu Linchuan reached out a hand to wave away the steam, and as it dispersed, the scent grew even more intense.

He casually picked a spot to sit and grabbed his chopsticks, acting as if he were at his own home as he called out to the "guests": "Don’t be shy. Find a seat."

"My brother isn’t here yet," Jin Yunzhi rolled her eyes.

She suddenly felt the man was way too inconsiderate, with his mind filled only with thoughts of eating, as if he’d reincarnated from a starving ghost.

"No worries, let’s eat first." A voice smooth as fine wine resonated warmly behind them.

Wearing an apron, Wen Renche exuded a much gentler aura, the imposing sharpness in his phoenix-shaped eyes completely dissipated.

He placed the last dish in front of the girl, untied the ribbon at his waist, and naturally pulled out the chair to her left.

"Ah-Che, did you add vermicelli to this?" Yu Zhi’s gaze fixed on the garlic scallops, her lips curving into a joyful smile.

It was obvious she loved this dish.

"What do you think?" Wen Renche smiled lightly.

He peeled back the top scallops to reveal the vermicelli hidden underneath, then picked up a piece of scallop wrapped in vermicelli.

Just as he was about to place it in her porcelain bowl, someone beat him to it.

Shi Wei encircled the girl’s waist, pulling her closer, declaring his territorial claim while blatantly ignoring Wen Renche.

Methodically, he separated the meat from the shell, dipped it in garlic sauce, and fed it directly to her: "Zhizhi, is it good?"

"Mhm," Yu Zhi replied indistinctly.

"Tomorrow, I’ll have some air-shipped from the United States. The scallops there taste even fresher."

"Alright. Can you cook them?"

"Of course." Even if he couldn’t, he could learn.

"..."

Wen Renche raised a brow, his hand—which hovered mid-air—finally lowered, and the scallops still ended up in the girl’s bowl.

He poured the crab meat from a nearby dish into the pot, waited for it to rise to the surface, and scooped up several chunks for her.

Shi Wei noticing this, scoffed softly.

Unwilling to back down, he began piling food into the young lady’s bowl, feeding her bite after bite.

The quiet rivalry between the two men left Yu Zhi’s bowl piled into a small mountain of food, with no end in sight as she ate.

Frowning slightly, she swallowed and pushed Shi Wei’s wrist lightly: "Shi Wei, let me do it myself."

Eating hotpot without personally selecting your food felt like losing its essence—it was utterly meaningless.

Shi Wei hummed lightly in response. Though he stopped feeding her, his pace in serving food didn’t slow down at all.

Just as he added a piece of cilantro beef to her bowl, a slightly anxious voice sounded near his ear: "Ah-Shi can’t eat cilantro."

Wen Renche swiftly removed the beef, placing it on a side plate, and stared into Shi Wei’s eyes: "She’s allergic to cilantro."

"Whenever her skin starts itching, even with medication, she can’t resist scratching."

Speaking of this, Wen Renche shook his head helplessly: "If I hadn’t been watching over her, she’d scratch her skin until it broke."

He acted oblivious to the increasingly darkening expression of Shi Wei’s face and continued with a gentle tone: "Aside from cilantro, Ah-Shi also can’t eat mushrooms. She gets cravings, so you’ll need to keep an eye on her more."

He’d managed to say everything all on his own.

Shi Wei’s grip on his chopsticks tightened, his deep black eyes clouded as though ink had been spilled into them, brewing a chilling darkness.