C10 Send the House

Seeing Cheng Yunfei's response, Lin Sheng was at a loss for words and simply let her assist him in picking vegetables.

Lin Sheng was an excellent cook, adept at preparing medicinal dishes that had long been forgotten. These ordinary culinary tasks posed no challenge for him.

Soon, the aroma of delicious food wafted from the kitchen.

"Yunfei, it's time. Go change your clothes; we need to welcome Lee Dong," Zhao Juan said as she stood up and urged Cheng Yunfei.

"Mom, go ahead. I'd rather not," Cheng Yunfei replied, still crouched in the kitchen, unmoving.

To her, Lee Dong was merely a minor executive at Tiankang Pharmaceutical.

Besides, she genuinely didn't want any interaction with Lee Dong. Why make such a fuss as if he were some high-ranking official?

Zhao Juan, displeased, sternly pulled Cheng Yunfei from the kitchen to change her clothes.

Shortly after Zhao Juan and Cheng Yunfei left, a man in his late twenties entered, beaming with confidence and dressed in a sharp suit, exuding vitality.

This man was Lee Dong, Cheng Yunfei's college classmate who persistently pursued her, undeterred even by her marriage.

Upon entering, Lee Dong's gaze swept through the room as though he were conducting an inspection.

"Yunfei, this house seems a bit dated for you; it doesn't suit your elegance," Lee Dong commented with a grin, gesturing grandly. "In a couple of years, I'll gift you a place in the Hanfu District downtown."

Cheng Yunfei remained silent, but Zhao Juan's face lit up with a smile.

"Oh my, that would be too kind," Zhao Juan said, nudging Cheng Yunfei. "Yunfei, don't just stand there; thank Little Dong!"

A home in the Han Estate District was worth no less than two million.

Lee Dong's offer to gift a house was a clear display of his substantial wealth.

"No need," Cheng Yunfei stated. "Our house is quite comfortable as it is. If I ever decide to buy a house, I'll buy it on my own!"

Lee Dong gave Cheng Yunfei a sly once-over and remarked, "Yunfei, you truly stand out, not lusting after wealth. Anyone else would have jumped at the offer. That's why I've liked you for so many years. But I insist on gifting you the house."

Catching sight of Lin Sheng bustling in the kitchen, Lee Dong feigned surprise, "Oh, isn't that Lin Sheng? Yunfei, I heard you two were divorced. Why is he still here? Has he gotten so used to being at your beck and call these past years that you decided to employ him?"

Lin Sheng's lips curled into a sneer at the comment.

"Ugh!" Zhao Juann dismissed with a wave of her hand. "Little Dong, please sit down. Let's not talk about it. Our family has been plagued with bad luck. I intended for him and Yunfei to divorce, but he shamelessly refuses to leave, clinging on like superglue!"

She glanced at Lin Sheng with a look of revulsion.

Cheng Yunfei's face clouded over at her mother's words. With Lee Dong, an outsider, present, how could Zhao Juann speak so disparagingly of Lin Sheng?

After all, airing one's dirty laundry in public was not done.

Lee Dong nodded sympathetically, feigning disappointment, "Ah, I was under the impression Lin Sheng and Yunfei were already divorced. I had hopes of courting Yunfei myself. My feelings for her have remained unchanged over the years."

Zhao Juann's face lit up as she said, "Little Dong, don't you worry. Their marriage is bound to end in divorce sooner or later. How could that good-for-nothing compare to you?"

"Mom! If you keep this up, I'm going to the hospital to visit Dad!" Cheng Yunfei blurted out, unable to contain herself any longer.

How could her mother try to set her up with Lee Dong right in front of Lin Sheng, her husband?

Even if she did divorce Lin Sheng, there wouldn't be a chance for anything to happen with Lee Dong.

Zhao Juann quickly clammed up; she couldn't afford to have Cheng Yunfei walk out at this moment.

"Yunfei, please don't be upset. Auntie was just speaking her mind."

Seeing Cheng Yunfei's genuine annoyance, Lee Dong hastened to smooth things over.

He concluded with a seemingly offhand remark, "I never realized Yunfei was so defensive of Lin Sheng!"

His words were casual, but a glint of coldness flickered in his eyes.

Today, the Cheng family had come to him for assistance, yet Cheng Yunfei treated him with the same disdain as always, maintaining her aloof demeanor.

He was aware of the task the Cheng family had assigned to Cheng Yunfei and was waiting for the moment she would ask for his help, eager to teach her a lesson.

Meanwhile, the kitchen was bustling as the meal was nearly ready. Lin Sheng brought out each dish, setting them on the table.

The room was soon awash with the delicious aroma of food, tantalizing everyone's taste buds.

Even Lee Dong found himself involuntarily swallowing his saliva.

Zhao Juann, observing this, felt a surge of joy. She mused that Lin Sheng, despite being considered useless, had his moments of worth.

If Lee Dong was satisfied, it could mean a breakthrough in the negotiations between the Cheng family and Tiankang Pharmaceutical.

"Little Dong, don't just sit there, come on, let's eat!"

Zhao Juann beamed, urging Lee Dong to start the meal.

"Alright, I'm eager to sample Lin Sheng's culinary skills."

Lee Dong spoke with an air of condescension, as though he were the esteemed guest and Lin Sheng merely a chef there to serve him.

"Yunfei, I'm going to rest in my room."

Lin Sheng, unable to deal with the dishes at the moment, decided to retreat to his room and check with Liu Yunhua on any developments with Tiankang Pharmaceutical.

"What do you need to rest for? Are you that tired?" Zhao Juann asked, her tone laced with irritation. "Didn't you notice we're missing soup for this meal? Go make some soup!"

Lin Sheng noticed that they were indeed missing a soup, but considering Zhao Juann had prepared an abundance of beverages, the absence of one dish didn't seem too significant.

"Don't we have plenty of drinks?" Cheng Yunfei remarked. "Lin Sheng, you've been working hard all afternoon; come sit down and join us for the meal!"

Zhao Juann had a history of making things difficult for Lin Sheng, but recently, Cheng Yunfei's patience with her had been wearing thin.

"Alright."

Lin Sheng felt a surge of warmth. Cheng Yunfei might have been consistently distant with him, but she made sure to preserve his dignity in front of others.

Ignoring Zhao Juann's astonished look, Lin Sheng took a seat next to Cheng Yunfei, served her some food, and began to eat as well.

Zhao Juann looked on in bewilderment. She had made it clear that Lin Sheng wasn't to join them at the table. What was he trying to imply?

She was well aware of Lee Dong's interest in Cheng Yunfei and had hoped to leverage that to persuade Lee Dong to assist in securing a partnership with Tiankang Pharmaceutical.

With Lin Sheng present, however, he was becoming a bit of a nuisance.

Yet, seeing Cheng Yunfei's growing displeasure, Zhao Juann hesitated to speak up and instead resumed serving Lee Dong food and drink.

As the wine flowed and the courses passed, Zhao Juann finally addressed the elephant in the room.

"Lee Dong, you might have heard about the challenges our family has faced over the past couple of years. Things aren't looking great," she said.

"The beauty salon's business is declining, and Yunfei's father has fallen ill and is in the hospital. We urgently need to negotiate a partnership with Tiankang Pharmaceutical. If it falls through, it could spell disaster for our family."

With a pained expression, Zhao Juann continued to lay out her troubles to Lee Dong.