The pushover offended a top-tier boss

The meal took almost forty minutes. Ye Zhenzhen talked as she ate, describing how sweet the strawberries were, how hot it was in the greenhouse, and how the old man who helped them move the goods was missing a front tooth when he smiled. She spoke with great enthusiasm, gesturing as she spoke.

Zhou Huaijin listened, occasionally humming in agreement or nodding.

Eating with two people is definitely different from eating alone.

In the past, when I ate alone, the dining table was always quiet. The only sounds were the chopsticks touching the bowls and plates, and the sounds of chewing.

Ye Zhenzhen also felt that a meal for two tasted much better than a meal for one.

She no longer needs to turn on the TV to fill the house with sound, or have someone compliment her cooking, or share her day's emotions.

After finishing her meal, Ye Zhenzhen leaned back in her chair, drank the last sip of chicken soup, and sighed contentedly. She glanced at the empty bowls and plates on the table, then at Zhou Huaijin wiping his mouth, her eyes darting around before she suddenly spoke.

"Boss, you've been sitting in your office and study all day; you haven't been getting enough exercise."

Zhou Huaijin put down the tissue and glanced at her.

"People say that washing dishes can exercise your muscles and bones and even prevent Alzheimer's disease."

Zhou Huaijin looked at her foxy expression and didn't expose her little scheme.

He stood up, rolled up his sleeves, and began clearing away the dishes.

Ye Zhenzhen sat in the chair, resting her chin on her hand, a triumphant smile on her lips.

Zhou Huaijin had long noticed that Ye Zhenzhen liked to cook, but she always made a mess of the kitchen.

They didn't put any effort into tidying up; it was just a perfunctory task.

In the kitchen, there were still a few pieces of cilantro and water stains on the cutting board, the spice bottles were lined up haphazardly, the pot lid was on the unwashed wok, and there were a few green beans on the floor that hadn't been picked up yet.

Ye Zhenzhen watched the tall man standing at the kitchen door. He first stacked all the bowls and plates according to size, then wiped the oil stains on the stove with a damp cloth, swept the vegetable leaves on the cutting board into the trash can, and finally straightened the condiment bottles one by one.

Suddenly, I felt a strong sense of being a married man.

"Hehe, boss, you look so beautiful washing the dishes." She flattered him sweetly from the side, but didn't help at all.

She dislikes tidying up. Cooking is a creative activity, something enjoyable and fulfilling. Cleaning up is like cleaning up a battlefield—boring, repetitive, and uncreative work. She always thinks, "I'll leave it for now and clean it up later," and then "later" turns into "tomorrow."

Zhou Huaijin glanced at her but ignored her.

Ye Zhenzhen ran to the living room and lay down on the sofa.

When Zhou Huaijin came out of the kitchen, Ye Zhenzhen was lounging on the sofa watching TV.

Zhou Huaijin glanced at her, said nothing, and turned to walk towards the study.

"Hey, stop working." Ye Zhenzhen jumped up from the sofa, ran over and grabbed his sleeve. "Take a break."

Zhou Huaijin stopped and looked down at the hand that was clutching his sleeve.

"Boss, you don't know, prolonged sitting and high-intensity work can easily lead to stroke and heart attack," she said seriously. "Especially at your age..."

"At my age?" Zhou Huaijin's eyebrows twitched slightly.

"Uh, I mean, sudden death is becoming more and more common among younger people... like you, uh... a young and promising person." Ye Zhenzhen realized she had misspoke and quickly tried to cover it up, her face beaming with a smile. "Look at you, you had such a long meeting today, talking and getting angry the whole time, and then you had to wash the dishes when you got back. You must be exhausted. Sit down and rest."

As she spoke, she pulled him to the sofa and pressed his shoulders to make him sit down.

"How about we watch the news for a bit?" She picked up the remote and quickly switched to the news channel.

On television, the announcer reads international news in a clear and articulate voice. A president from a certain country visits China, tensions rise in a certain region, and new progress is made in cooperation in a certain field. The scenes switch rapidly, from a national conference hall to a border post, from a modern factory to a field.

Zhou Huaijin leaned back on the sofa, his gaze fixed on the screen, watching intently. Even on the sofa, his posture was upright; his back was straight, without any cushions.

Beside her, Ye Zhenzhen's concentration wasn't as good.

At first, she pretended to watch for a few minutes, but then she took out her phone and started scrolling aimlessly.

Leaning back on the sofa, she unconsciously tilted her head to rest on his shoulder. His shoulder was strong; even through the thin fabric of her clothes, she could feel the contours of his muscles. She found a comfortable angle and shifted her weight onto him.

Zhou Huaijin glanced at the person who was rubbing against him, but didn't chase her away.

Ye Zhenzhen leaned against it for a while, then got bored.

She suddenly remembered the things Zhou Huaijin had brought back from Beijing.

So he got up again, picked up the bags one by one, and started taking them out like opening a blind box.

Actually, she had eaten a full dinner.

But when my mouth gets bored, especially when watching TV, I feel awkward if I don't chew on something.

She first took out a soft little bread, took two bites and thought it was delicious, but wanted to save room to try something else.

On a sudden inspiration, she smiled, picked up the half-eaten pastry, and brought it to Zhou Huaijin's lips.

"Boss, try this, it's cheese-flavored, and it's especially delicious."

Zhou Huaijin looked at the pastry that she had taken a bite out of.

He opened his mouth with a hint of disgust.

Ye Zhenzhen took out another one and ate two bites.

"This is delicious too, it's fragrant and sweet, you should try it."

It got stuck again.

"Hmm, you should try this one too, it's strawberry flavored."

It got stuck again.

Before you could even swallow the first one, the next one was already being offered to your mouth.

What a forced feeding!

Zhou Huaijin chewed on the pastry in his mouth, his cheeks bulging.

He realized that they were using him as a dumping ground for their trash.

This Ye Zhenzhen is becoming increasingly arrogant.

From being timid and hesitant at our first meeting, to daring to talk back and give him the cold shoulder, and now daring to stuff her leftovers into his mouth.

It has to be cleaned up.

He swallowed the last bite, then reached out and pulled over the person next to him who was bending down to open another box of pastries.

"ah--"

Ye Zhenzhen exclaimed in surprise as he pulled her over, causing her to fall sideways into his arms.

Her back bumped into his hard chest, and her hands instinctively braced themselves on the sofa. The snacks in her hands fell onto the carpet, and she cried out in distress, "Ouch!"

His hands were already around her waist, the warmth of his palms radiating through her thin loungewear.

"Is your period over?" he asked in a low voice, his lips close to her earlobe.

Ye Zhenzhen's body stiffened for a moment, and her eyes began to dart away.

“No, no…”

The large hand slowly reached down.

Ye Zhenzhen couldn't help but let out a very soft, shameful sob.

She gripped his wrist, trying to push him away, but his hand was as steady as an iron clamp, not moving an inch.

"Ye Zhenzhen".

A deep voice descended from above, carrying a chilling, ambiguous meaning.

"What should be the punishment for lying?"

"Not today..." Her voice was muffled in the crook of his shoulder, a soft plea, "I'm too tired... I worked overtime on the weekend, rushed back from Nanjing, and cooked for you..."

"You don't have to do anything," he chuckled as he asked her. "What are you tired of?"

Ye Zhenzhen choked for a moment.

"Didn't you say I lack exercise?" His breath brushed past her ear, tickling her.

"You... you've already washed the dishes..." she said in a final attempt.

"Not enough."