Daily Life of a Villain at Work [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 27

Chapter 27: The Fourth Day the Protagonist’s Heart Fluttered Wildly~

No one was foolish enough to cause trouble just as Wen Qingyun was about to wrap up filming. Even Lai Xuan had shed his sluggishness from the previous days, regaining the prowess expected of a Best Actor winner; during filming, many scenes were completed in a single take.

This left Liu Zhi wondering: Was Lai Xuan really the type of person who only performed well after being scolded? Should he scold Lai Xuan more in the future to give him more pressure?

After giving a red-eyed Chao Yuxin a hug, Wen Qingyun coolly got into her car and left, not staying on set for a single minute longer.

Once in the car, Wen Qingyun didn’t rush to see Chu Ke. She simply informed her via WeChat that she had finished filming and headed home, and that she expected to depart for Anshan County in three days, giving the other party plenty of anticipation.

Afterward, Wen Qingyun returned home with her small suitcase and shared the children’s handwritten letters with her mother.

A matriarch like Mother Wen naturally felt a soft spot for underage children. Moreover, the sincere emotions revealed between the lines and the children’s admiration for her daughter made her feel extremely gratified.

Seeing her daughter sitting upright on the sofa waiting for praise, Mother Wen smiled and said, “Qingyun, you did very well.”

“It was just okay. I just contacted a stationery factory and had them rush out a batch of things,” Wen Qingyun said humbly, though the corners of her mouth were turned high. Her proud little expression made Mother Wen’s smile even more tender.

“What reward do you want?” Mother Wen put away the letter paper, seeing through her daughter’s little scheme at a glance.

If Wen Qingyun just wanted praise, she could have taken photos and sent them the moment she received those letters. But her daughter hadn’t done that; instead, she waited until filming was over to personally bring these thank-you letters home to her.

“Hehe, Mom, you know me. I’ve always pampered my fans, especially the young true fans.” Wen Qingyun shifted her seat to sit closer to her mother.

Wen Qingyun: “Doesn’t Mom have a charitable foundation? I plan to move these five hundred children onto the one-on-one sponsorship list and have the foundation support them until they graduate from university.”

Mother Wen: “That’s fine, but I won’t change the foundation’s rescue standards. I need to see their specific profiles. Only after the auditing department verifies everything can we sign the sponsorship contracts.”

“No problem. I’m going to Anshan County in a few days. I’ll organize all their information and send it to you then,” Wen Qingyun agreed immediately.

Mother Wen’s brows furrowed slightly as some unpleasant memories surfaced. “Anshan County… has the person who tried to hurt you there been sentenced yet?”

“The first-instance verdict is out. For intentional injury, instigating injury, and endangering public safety, among other crimes, they were sentenced to ten years.” Wen Qingyun paused. “However, the convict isn’t satisfied and is appealing. The second-instance result isn’t out yet.”

“The lawyer told me about the situation. The probability of the second instance upholding the original verdict is 99%. There’s no need to worry.”

Mother Wen’s expression relaxed. “This matter must have caused quite a stir in Anshan County. You can go, but take your bodyguards. If you appear in public, coordinate with the local government agencies—it’s best if they send a representative to accompany you.”

“Okay, Mom. I’ll bring Xiao Si and the others. The friend I’m going to see is a government official,” Wen Qingyun said with a beaming smile. “It’s Chu Ke, the one who sent mung beans to our house and later sent many local specialties.”

Mother Wen had investigated Chu Ke earlier and knew her character was good, so she smiled and said, “Then take more specialties with you this time. Friendships need to be reciprocal to last long.”

“Okay, Mom, I know.” Wen Qingyun smiled in response.

To Chu Ke, the fact that she was willing to go to Anshan County was likely the best gift. As for specialties—those five hundred one-on-one sponsorship agreements were exactly what Chu Ke wanted most, weren’t they?

As a remote district, traveling from the capital to Anshan County required at least one transfer. After the plane landed in the city center, it took a full three-hour drive to arrive.

Wen Qingyun’s flight was at 9:30 AM. After a two-and-a-half-hour flight, she landed, and then grabbed a bite of the airport specialty—an expensive and unappetizing set lunch.

After a few bites, Wen Qingyun pulled out her phone, took a photo of the mostly-untouched set meal, and sent it directly to Chu Ke.

【Wen Qingyun: [Image]】 【Wen Qingyun: The chef’s skill is too poor, not even a tenth of Chef Chu’s.】

【Chu Ke: Has Teacher Wen gotten off the plane?】 【Chu Ke: The restaurants near the airport are indeed very average. Is there anything you like to eat, Teacher Wen? If I start prepping now, I can have dinner ready.】 【Chu Ke: But the place I live is a bit small… how about I treat you to some local delicacies? I know many restaurants with great flavors.】 【Chu Ke: Has Teacher Wen booked a hotel? Do you need me to help book a suite?】 【Chu Ke: It’s a long drive from the airport. If you book the hotel first, you can rest as soon as you arrive. The food stalls in the county stay open until midnight, so don’t worry about missing out on good food!】

Chu Ke’s messages popped up one after another. Although not a single word mentioned her longing for Wen Qingyun, every line was filled with concern for her. The anticipation and joy were almost overflowing.

The corners of Wen Qingyun’s mouth curled up, and the unappetizing food on the table didn’t look so bad anymore.

【Wen Qingyun: I like eating what you make.】

Seeing the message, Chu Ke blushed embarrassedly. A hidden joy made her want to scream internally.

I like eating what you make… If you remove a few words, isn’t that I like you?

【Chu Ke: Teacher Wen, please order your dishes.】 【Wen Qingyun: Just make four dishes and a soup, just for the two of us.】 【Chu Ke: Did Teacher Wen come alone this time?】 【Wen Qingyun: No, I brought Xiao Si and the others. They’re on a shift system and will eat out on their own. I want to eat your cooking.】

She wants to eat my cooking? Has Wen Qingyun recognized my culinary skills?

The curve of Chu Ke’s smile became more pronounced, but at the same time, she began to fret over the word “anything.”

What did Wen Qingyun like to eat? From their few interactions, she wasn’t a picky eater, but she didn’t like things too salty or heavy-flavored. Based on some fan comments, Wen Qingyun had a soft spot for small desserts, so she probably liked sweet flavors?

Chu Ke went through her signature dishes in her mind, only to realize she didn’t seem to know anything particularly “exquisite.” She was best at ordinary home-cooked meals.

Darn, why didn’t she realize sooner that Wen Qingyun would specifically ask for her cooking! Is it too late to go to a restaurant and learn from a chef right now?

Knowing it would take three hours to reach her destination, Wen Qingyun pulled her eye mask over her head as soon as she got into the car and soon fell asleep in the smoothly moving vehicle.

It wasn’t until a somewhat piercing horn sounded from outside that Wen Qingyun pulled off her mask, rubbed her eyes, and sat up.

“Are we there?” Wen Qingyun asked, squinting out the window.

The previous highway had turned into a concrete road. Many electric scooters with license plates were brazenly driving in the motor lanes; even after the car honked, they continued on their way, acting like kings of the road. Meanwhile, the non-motorized lanes on the side were packed with parked cars. For a moment, it was unclear who was encroaching on whose space.

“Not yet. We’re still about eight kilometers from the destination,” the driver said. “Boss, there’s a school ahead. Many parents are waiting for their kids to get out of class, so the speed is a bit slow.”

“A school? Which school?” Wen Qingyun perked up.

“Boss, it’s Anshan County Experimental Middle School. Students in uniforms are running out of the gate; school must have just let out,” the driver said.

“Then slow down. Don’t hit the students. Safety first,” Wen Qingyun instructed, while simultaneously recalling the list Chu Ke had given her.

Wen Qingyun couldn’t know every child by heart, but she had some impression of the names of the schools they attended. More than half the students on the list were at Hope Middle School or Hope Primary School, but a few with exceptionally good grades had been recruited by other schools. Anshan County Experimental Middle School was one of them.

As one of the top schools in Anshan County, those who studied here either lived in the school district or were exceptional students.

After lowering the car window, the honking outside became even more piercing, and the scents of various snacks wafted into the car. There were vendors selling starch sausages, fried skewers, carts with “Oden” signs, and freshly baked sponge cakes.

Wen Qingyun took a careful sniff and found the smells surprisingly tempting, making her feel hungry.

Oh no, do I have an urge to get out and grab a bite? It must be because that airport meal was so bad that she was being drawn to these unlicensed little stalls.

“Xiao Si, if I get out now to buy something, the car won’t have moved very far by the time I get back, right?” Wen Qingyun turned to the bodyguard beside her, her eyes practically screaming “I want to eat.”

Xiao Si looked around at the traffic and quickly offered a solution: “Boss, I’ll go with you. I’ll have them park at the intersection ahead and wait for you, how’s that?”

Before Wen Qingyun could nod in agreement, her phone, which had been on silent, lit up. Picking it up, she saw more than ten unread messages from Chu Ke.

Thinking about how she had asked Chu Ke to prepare four dishes and a soup, Wen Qingyun slowly rolled up the window, putting on a look of total indifference. “Forget it. Let’s not waste time. Keep driving.”

Wen Qingyun: “How many minutes does the navigation say until we arrive?” Driver: “Boss, 15 minutes if we’re fast, 25 if we’re slow. It’ll be quicker once we get past this stretch.”

Wen Qingyun nodded, unlocked her phone, and started typing a reply to Chu Ke.

【Wen Qingyun: I fell asleep just now. I’ve already exited the highway and am near the Experimental Middle School. I’ll be at your place in about 20 minutes.】 【Chu Ke: Okay! I’ll start stir-frying now, so you can eat as soon as you arrive [Smiley face]】 【Chu Ke: I live on the third floor. Send me a message when you’re nearby, and I’ll come down to meet you.】 【Wen Qingyun: Got it. See you in a bit.】 【Chu Ke: Okay, see you in a bit.】

After sending the message, Chu Ke patted her cheeks with her hands, then grabbed her apron and dashed to the stove to get to work.

The soup Chu Ke had prepared was old hen soup. She had gone to the market at 1:00 PM to buy a live chicken and had it slaughtered on the spot. It had been simmering for several hours now, its fragrance constantly wafting out, and the meat was so tender it fell apart with a touch of the chopsticks.

For the four dishes, Chu Ke prepared sweet and sour pork, hot and sour shredded potatoes, dry-pot cauliflower, and steamed sea bass, striving to push her home-cooking skills to the limit. Originally, Chu Ke wanted to make four sweet-flavored dishes, but fearing her judgment might be wrong, she made a bit of everything.

Just as Chu Ke was swinging her spatula wildly, the driver successfully cleared the school intersection. The rest of the journey was smooth sailing, and in just ten minutes, they arrived at the destination shown on the GPS.

Wen Qingyun didn’t message Chu Ke in advance. Instead, she took her suitcase from Xiao Si, confirmed the correct building unit, and started climbing the stairs.

Third floor, 304—this should be it.

Looking at the somewhat old security door, Wen Qingyun used her phone as a mirror to check her reflection. After pulling her lips into a seductive smile, she curled her fingers and knocked twice on the metal security screen.

In less than three seconds, a series of muffled thuds came from inside, and then the solid wooden door was opened.

Chu Ke appeared with her hair in a bun, wearing an apron and still holding a spatula. The two made eye contact through the security door.

Chu Ke was dazzled by the smile on Wen Qingyun’s face. She stared blankly for three seconds before coming to her senses to greet her.

“Teacher Wen, you’re here! Welcome, welcome. There’s one last dish almost ready. Take a seat and rest for a bit.” Chu Ke looked down to open the security door, then stood stiffly against the doorframe, clearing the way.

“Okay~” Wen Qingyun tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and walked in, pulling her 20-inch suitcase.

Seeing the floor so clean it practically reflected light, Wen Qingyun paused. She turned to look at Chu Ke, who had just closed the door. “Do I need to take off my shoes?”

“No need, no need. I wear shoes at home,” Chu Ke said, sounding a bit nervous.

Realizing belatedly that she was still holding a spatula, a flush began to spread up Chu Ke’s neck. As if trying to hide it, she placed the spatula on the entryway counter. Chu Ke bent down to open the shoe cabinet and took out two pairs of slippers.

One pair was fluffy, and the other was blue-and-pink sandals. They clearly looked brand new.

“If Teacher Wen wants to change into slippers, either of these will do. I bought them and washed them, but haven’t worn them yet,” Chu Ke said.

Before Chu Ke could stand up, she felt someone pinch her bun. She looked up and locked eyes with Wen Qingyun’s ink-black gaze. Wen Qingyun was tilting her head, looking at her with an obvious smile. Her expression was tender and focused, as if she wanted Chu Ke to drown in her eyes.

“Chu Ke, thank you~” When Wen Qingyun called Chu Ke’s name, she always liked to draw out the final syllable with a slight upward lilt, and this time was no exception, making Chu Ke’s heart tremble once again.

“Teacher Wen, which pair do you like?” Chu Ke slowly stood up, her eyes starting to dodge naturally.

Chu Ke didn’t know if her acting was good. she worried that if she didn’t look away, she wouldn’t be able to hide certain secret feelings.

“My stamina isn’t just for show; I don’t need cotton slippers in this weather.” Wen Qingyun knelt down to untie her laces and soon changed into the blue-and-pink sandals.

While kneeling, Wen Qingyun noticed something interesting. The slippers on Chu Ke’s feet were also blue-and-pink. At first glance, they looked just like the ones she was wearing, but a closer look revealed that the distribution of color blocks on the surface was exactly reversed.

More interesting than that, however, were someone’s toes, which were gripping the soles of the slippers so tightly they looked like they were curling up.

Before standing up, a mischievous idea popped into Wen Qingyun’s head—she wanted to reach out and tickle Chu Ke’s toes. She felt that if she touched them, Chu Ke would react like a startled kitten, hair standing on end as she jumped several meters away.

Fortunately, Wen Qingyun was thinking about dinner and didn’t indulge her little prank, letting Chu Ke pick up her spatula and return to the kitchen.

Placing her suitcase by the sofa, Wen Qingyun walked around in her slippers, inspecting Chu Ke’s staff dormitory in the county. The interior space was a bit smaller than the one in the village, but roomier than a city studio apartment, with a separate kitchen and bathroom. The living room was small, a combined living-dining area. She estimated it could only hold four or five people for a meal; any more than that and it would get crowded.

After looking around, Wen Qingyun pulled out a wooden chair and sat down. Resting her hands on the table, she pulled out her phone and started her daily internet surfing.

Five minutes later, Chu Ke began bringing out the dishes while wearing heat-resistant mitts, starting with the steaming hen soup.

Smelling the food, Wen Qingyun tucked her phone into her pocket and stood up, naturally heading to the kitchen to help.

“I’ll bring them out. Teacher Wen, you serve the rice first.” Chu Ke pressed the washed bowls and chopsticks into Wen Qingyun’s hands and opened the steaming rice cooker.

Wen Qingyun followed her lead, took the rice paddle, and started scooping.

“Chu Ke, do you want a flat bowl or a full bowl?” Wen Qingyun asked. After scooping more than half a paddle into her own bowl, she picked up the second white porcelain bowl.

“Half is fine. I don’t eat much for dinner,” Chu Ke said, holding the steamed sea bass.

Wen Qingyun agreed. Noticing that the bowl in her hand wasn’t much smaller than the rice cooker’s inner pot, she simply divided the remaining rice in half and scooped it into the bowl.

When she took the bowl, Chu Ke’s movements paused noticeably, but she said nothing. She thanked her and took it.

Taking a mouthful of white rice, Chu Ke looked up and saw Wen Qingyun eating from her porcelain bowl. When the scene she had been longing for actually reappeared before her eyes, Chu Ke didn’t know what to do. She could only ask dryly, “Teacher Wen, is the food okay?”

“Mmm, it’s good, very good.” Wen Qingyun chewed her rice, her voice a bit muffled. “Chu Ke, don’t call me ‘Teacher’ in private. Call me by my name.”

“Okay.” Chu Ke took a large mouthful of white rice and said, “Wen Qingyun.”

“Hmm?” Wen Qingyun didn’t hear clearly and raised an eyebrow, a trace of confusion in her eyes. “What did you say?”

“Eat more. You’ve had a long, exhausting journey. It’s hard work.” Chu Ke was a coward; she didn’t dare to look at Wen Qingyun and say her name directly.

“You too. Thanks for the hard work cooking.” Wen Qingyun smiled, then put down her chopsticks and picked up the large ladle in the clay pot.

She scooped out a piece of bone-in chicken meat, drained some soup, and stood up slightly to place it in Chu Ke’s bowl.

“Comrade Chu Ke, don’t just eat plain rice. People who don’t know better would think I, the guest, am bullying the host,” Wen Qingyun said.

“Okay, I’ll eat, I am eating.” Chu Ke stopped shoveling plain rice, picked up the soft, tender chicken, and put it in her mouth.

It was very sweet and delicious—so delicious it didn’t even taste like her usual cooking.

Seeing that Chu Ke had started taking dishes, Wen Qingyun stopped bothering her and began eating heartily. You have to realize that Wen Qingyun only had a simple breakfast when she left, and her airport lunch could be ignored. Adding it all up, she hadn’t eaten for nearly ten hours! She was truly hungry!

Not to mention, Chu Ke’s cooking was indeed very good. By the time she finished the grains of rice at the bottom of her bowl, Wen Qingyun even started to regret not serving herself more at the start!

“Wen… Wen Qingyun, do you want me to get you some more rice? The cooker is on warm.” Chu Ke noticed the empty bowl immediately and called out her name with a hint of nervousness.

“Then I’ll trouble you. Just half a bowl is fine.” Wen Qingyun didn’t refuse. After handing over the white porcelain bowl, she didn’t forget to pick up the other small bowl of chicken soup and take a sip.

The flavor is really good. Maybe I should consider coming over for more meals?

Under normal circumstances, it would be impossible for two people to finish four dishes and a soup. But Wen Qingyun had a great appetite, and Chu Ke, after being reminded, also focused on eating. They managed to clear four out of the five dishes, leaving only half of the oversized chicken soup.

“Whew—I haven’t been this full in a long time,” Wen Qingyun sighed, leaning back on the sofa. She couldn’t help but reach out and touch her slightly protruding lower abdomen.

Sure enough, food tastes best when you’re hungry; she almost ate so much she couldn’t feel her abs.

“Do you want to go for a walk later?” Chu Ke asked as she put the bowls and chopsticks into the sink to soak.

“Sure.” Wen Qingyun sat on the sofa without moving, but her gaze remained fixed on Chu Ke, watching her go in and out, washing dishes, scrubbing the pot, and wiping the table.

No one felt there was anything wrong with this scene. Back in Shishu Village, the interaction between Wen Qingyun and Chu Ke was always like this. They would eat together, but the one doing the cooking and cleaning was always Chu Ke. Occasionally, when Wen Qingyun felt like it, she would lean over to help a bit.

The sliding glass door of the kitchen wasn’t closed. If Wen Qingyun tilted her head slightly, she could see Chu Ke’s back as she worked. Since Chu Ke was wearing a yellow sweatshirt today, from behind she really looked like a busy little bee.

Wen Qingyun picked up her phone, zoomed in on the screen, and pressed the shutter while Chu Ke was bowing her head to wash dishes.

After blurring out parts of the image that involved privacy, Wen Qingyun tapped the back of her phone with her finger. Between posting to her WeChat Moments or Weibo, she chose the latter.

【Wen Qingyun V: I’m very happy today. I ate a super delicious meal made by a friend. I want to eat her cooking again tomorrow! [Heart]】

【First row for a hug! Hugs for Big Sis!】 【I’m eating too. What did Big Sis eat today?】 【This back looks a bit familiar. I feel like I’ve seen it somewhere before.】

As soon as the post went up, the likes and comments started flooding in. Wen Qingyun appeared to be holding her phone and interacting with fans, but in reality, her peripheral vision was focused on the kitchen.

After a moment, Wen Qingyun noticed the sound of running water in the kitchen stop. The person whose back was toward her pulled a phone out of her pocket and lowered her head, doing something.