The Complete Guide to the Use and Care (41-end)

50

Chapter Fifty

Ji Linxi knew Ling Miao had gone for an interview. Seeing that Ling Miao hadn’t returned for a while, he had assumed that Ling Miao had gone out for dinner with his new colleagues, so he was surprised when Ling Miao appeared at the door. But the woman beside Ling Miao surprised him even more.

Ji Linxi wasn’t surprised that the woman was Yan Li; he was surprised that Ling Miao brought a woman home at all. Dumb cat, since when do you have a girlfriend?

Ji Linxi quickly recovered from his shock and said calmly: “I thought you weren’t coming back for dinner.”

“Yan Li, my temporary boss.” Ling Miao briefly described Yan Li’s relationship to him. Ji Linxi looked at Ling Miao, perplexed, and thought: Temporary boss? You sure she’s not a temporary girlfriend? Eh, a temporary boss can also be a temporary girlfriend!

Ji Linxi’s expression was still stunned, but his eyes were teasing as he glanced at Yan Li. Ling Miao figured out the reason for Ji Linxi’s attitude change before Yan Li did: “Linxi, you’d better focus those runaway thoughts on your work. Yan Li’s really just my temporary boss, and I’m her temporary assistant.”

“An assistant job again?” Ji Linxi wasn’t too satisfied with Ling Miao’s choice, but since Ling Miao had already accepted it, Ji Linxi couldn’t interfere and could only wish him well: “Hopefully you’ll stick it out longer this time.”

“Just a month.” Ling Miao awkwardly rubbed the back of his head.

Ji Linxi was speechless, but Yan Li expressed her dissatisfaction: “Are you just going to leave your guests outside?”

Ji Linxi glared at Yan Li and laughed: “I didn’t bar the door and not let you in or anything. But I indeed don’t welcome uninvited guests.”

Ji Linxi’s cold tone and dismissive gaze would have made anyone want to punch his face in, but looking at his gentle smile, the violent anger in Yan Li’s heart mysteriously quieted down.

Ling Miao didn’t know if anything had happened between the two of them but Ji Linxi had never been cordial to Yan Li, so this turn of events made him curious.

Ji Linxi had been carrying a knife when he came out, which Yan Li hadn’t noticed but Ling Miao had. So Ling Miao was sure that Ji Linxi had been in the midst of making dinner. He showed Yan Li into the bedroom and poured her a glass of water, then turned and went into the kitchen.

“Linxi, you haven’t eaten?” Ling Miao found a suitable topic of conversation and the sound of Ji Linxi chopping vegetables stopped. Ji Linxi turned to look at Ling Miao and said ‘Mm’ tiredly.

Ling Miao went over. Seeing the messy stove, he patted Ji Linxi’s shoulder and pulled him aside: “If you go on like this, the cucumbers will turn to mush.” He took over the cooking, leaving Ji Linxi with arms folded over his chest and leaning against the cabinets, as if trying to learn by watching.

In the past when this happened, Ji Linxi would return to the bedroom to lie down and wait for dinner. Today he was acting unusually. Ling Miao turned and asked, “Is it because of Yan Li?”

Ji Linxi didn’t answer, so Ling Miao turned to look at him curiously. “You don’t have any beef with Yan Li, right? If so, why are you so cold to her?”

“No beef, but I don’t want to get too close to her to save me trouble down the road.” Ji Linxi’s abrupt explanation conveyed clearly to Ling Miao that he knew Yan Li was a celebrity, and that should he get too close to her and the paparazzi find out, he’d have a bad time of it.