NOVEL NEXT 12
Chapter 12 Am I Acting Too Deliberately?
Yi Er took the lunch box and opened it right away. It was a very ordinary meal, still warm, with a tempting fragrance that attracted zergs. There was also a vegetable salad and a small cookie. Qi Yao helped him open it, picked up a piece of cookie, hesitated for a few seconds, and then put it down again.
Yi Er understood his intention but didn’t expose it. Instead, he deliberately asked, “What’s wrong? Did you mess it up?”
“How could it be? It’s just a simple little cookie. I’m confident in it.”
“Then why are you afraid to feed me?”
“…”
The female soldiers who were not far away were still paying attention to the movements of Qi Yao and Yi Er. If Yi Er dared to disrespect his male lord, a wave of female soldiers would rush forward to protect the fragile male and advise him to find a better partner.
For some reason, after last night, Yi Er seemed to have changed his manner of speaking, occasionally revealing some childishness to tease him. But honestly, Qi Yao was looking forward to the scene where Yi Er’s favorability soared after tasting the cookies he made himself. So he picked up the piece of cookie again and offered it to Yi Er’s mouth.
“Here, eat.”
Yi Er took a bite.
Onlookers: “!!…??”
What just happened? Did the adorable male feed Yi Er?
This black-haired, black-eyed male, walked under the scorching sun, just to personally deliver lunch to Yi Er? And even personally feed him?
Which female zerg has ever been treated like this?
No, the male must have been coerced by Yi Er!
The onlookers who were unwilling to retreat silently planned. If given the opportunity, they must let the male know that such things are unreasonable. And if Yi Er really threatened the male against the Male zerg Protection Law, the male could seek help from them!
How could the noble and godlike male stoop to delivering food to the female? And even feeding him, it’s simply unreasonable!
Various curious and resentful gazes fell on Qi Yao and Yi Er. Qi Yao took another piece of cookie and said, “Here, my lady, have some.”
Yi Er ate it again.
Qi Yao asked, “Is it delicious?”
Yi Er smiled, “Delicious, creamy and sweet.”
Qi Yao’s lips curved, “Do you like it?”
Yi Er also smiled, “I like it.”
Qi Yao forced a smile, “Then I’ll feed you some more.”
Yi Er nodded in agreement, “Hmm, feed me as much as you want.”
Qi Yao sighed, “I want to feed you until the end of time, but the cookies I made aren’t enough.”
Yi Er pondered for a moment, somewhat disappointed, “I thought the male host only wanted to feed until the end of the performance. I didn’t expect the male host to want to feed for so long.”
Qi Yao asked, “Huh?”
Yi Er held Qi Yao’s hand holding the cookie. “You just want to put on a show for them, right? It’s okay, I’ll go along with it. When you feel like you’ve performed enough, we can stop.”
Qi Yao heard the system prompt indicating that his favorability had increased by another point. With his goal achieved, he smiled knowingly, feeling satisfied. He withdrew his hand and said, “I’ve been wanting to stop performing for a while. When shall we go in? It’s scorching hot outside.”
So, amidst the stunned gazes of the zergs, Qi Yao and Yi Er held hands and walked into the Second Military District together.
Inside Yi Er’s office, Qi Yao opened the three lunch boxes and arranged them neatly. He asked Yi Er, “Was I acting too deliberately? How did you see through it at a glance?”
Yi Er casually played with the vegetable salad and said, “Because your face looked stiff.”
He looked at Qi Yao’s eyes, as dark as obsidian, and explained, “I’ve been in the military district for over a decade, seen countless zergs. I can tell at a glance what expressions are sincere and what are fake. When the male lord fed me the cookies at the door earlier, it was half sincere and half fake.”
Qi Yao touched his face, relieved that all his actions had been sincere, or else Yi Er’s keen eyes would have seen through them.
“Then why did you still play along with me?”
“I’m not playing along with you. Should I show you disrespect? I don’t care how the outsiders see me, but if I did that, it would damage your reputation.”
Qi Yao was touched by Yi Er’s concern for his reputation.
Yi Er took a few bites of the vegetable salad and then took out a bottle of nutrient solution from under the table, unscrewing it and taking a big gulp.
Qi Yao was stunned. What did that mean? Was he implying that the food Qi Yao made wasn’t good enough? Was he refusing to even touch his chopsticks?
Pointing at the main dishes on the table, Qi Yao asked, “Aren’t you going to try these? I made them myself.”
Yi Er didn’t touch the chopsticks but picked up a small cookie instead, saying indifferently, “You only made one portion? What about yours?”
“?! Oops, I forgot?!”
Yi Er had a knowing expression on his face. “You eat it. I have nutrient solution.”
“But this was prepared for you.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“But you should at least try it.”
Seeing Qi Yao’s hopeful expression, Yi Er asked again, “Did you really make it yourself?”
Qi Yao nodded earnestly, “Yes!”
A hint of surprise flashed in Yi Er’s eyes.
Qi Yao had mentioned more than once that he had made the food himself, and Yi Er hadn’t believed it. Now, getting a solemn confirmation, Yi Er was somewhat surprised.
He tasted it with some doubt. Surprisingly, it tasted good. Compared to the delicate dishes Dean made, it had a more homely taste.
Yi Er didn’t know that Qi Yao could cook, let alone where he had learned these skills. He could only guess that growing up in the lower district without any zergs to care for him and no fixed source of income, he had been forced to learn how to cook.
Such a good male, growing up in such a harsh environment, yet still maintaining a pure and kind nature, always considering him in everything, never looking at him with colored glasses like other zergs did, and now making such a surprising dish for him to eat. It would be fake to say he wasn’t moved.
Seeing Yi Er chewing slowly, Qi Yao suddenly felt nervous. He had tried to keep the seasoning simple, very close to the taste of zergs, so why did Yi Er still seem to have trouble swallowing?
“Is it not to your liking?” Qi Yao asked anxiously.
Yi Er relaxed completely, his icy blue eyes filled with tenderness. “No, it’s delicious.”
So, it was delicious that’s why.
Qi Yao’s heart softened. He watched Yi Er, a tall and upright military officer, being able to shed his tough exterior and show a relaxed and vulnerable side with just a bowl of food. This side of him, only Qi Yao could see.
He felt embarrassed and said, “Oh, don’t look so moved. I… I’m just… forget it. If you like it, I’ll continue to make it for you in the future.”
“Male lord,” Yi Er suddenly called him.
“Yes?”
Yi Er looked at him seriously, as if he had made some kind of decision, and said firmly, “You don’t need to cook anymore in the future.”
“Huh…? W-why? Don’t you like it?”
If he didn’t cook, how could he make cookies? How could he increase Yi Er’s favorability? If possible, Qi Yao wanted to cook and make cookies for Yi Er every day!
Yi Er said, “I like it, but it’s too dangerous. From now on, you don’t need to do such things. Just stay in a safe place, and I’ll protect you.”
“………………”
Qi Yao couldn’t understand the thought process of female zergs. It’s just cooking, would it really cost him his life?
Yi Er said, “You don’t have to eat the cookies, but protecting the male host is the top priority.”