But it did smell very good…
She hadn’t eaten a proper meal for days now, so she was in just the mood to gorge on food.
“Huo Shao, when did you come over?” Gu Nianzhi cried out excitedly as she walked towards Huo Shaoheng.
Huo Shaoheng didn’t bother turning around to reply dryly, “You’re awake? Go wash up and brush your teeth.”
Gu Nianzhi quickly muffled her mouth and dashed back to her room to wash up in the bathroom.
After cleaning herself up, she returned to the kitchen and walked over to Huo Shaoheng with a grin. Tilting her head up at him, she said, “Huo Shao, I haven’t seen you for a few days and just noticed you’re becoming even more handsome.”
Huo Shaoheng didn’t seem to hear her – his hands were steady as he flipped the steak on the frying pan.
Gu Nianzhi nodded hard and said, “Thank you so much. I’m about to pass out from hunger.”
Huo Shaoheng continued to ignore her.
Gu Nianzhi walked around to the other side of Huo Shaoheng and watched him with her head cocked. “Huo Shao, I’m speaking to you very sincerely. Why are you ignoring me?” she asked.
Huo Shaoheng finally turned around to give her an aloof look. He didn’t say anything. He merely stared at her.
Gradually, his gaze drifted down from her eyes to her pretty, curved lips before pausing.
He then looked up at her again, the emotions intense and passionate in his eyes. With his brow slightly arched, he seemed to be asking if this was her so-called sincerity?
Afterward, his eyelids lowered to reveal his dense and dark eyelashes while his gaze swept slowly across every inch of her lips.
After circling her exquisitely shaped mouth, his eyes finally locked onto her plump lower lip. His gaze seemed to physically manifest like a lover’s hand to caress her lips gently.
Gu Nianzhi’s lips were curved, like plump petals.
Huo Shaoheng’s body didn’t move, yet his eyes seemed to have hooks or magnets that attracted her slowly towards him and made her move closer.
He only used his eyes to sweep over her lips and kept his body completely still. However, Gu Nianzhi’s mouth felt burning hot, like she had already been kissed until the end of time.
As if she was possessed, Gu Nianzhi stood up on her tiptoes and embraced Huo Shaoheng’s neck. Pulling her head down, she delivered her lips to him and reclined her head to kiss him deeply.
Huo Shaoheng immediately latched onto her and didn’t hesitate to bite her lips, leaving a neat bite mark.
He bit a bit too hard, so Gu Nianzhi felt a slight prick of pain. However, this pain wasn’t enough to turn her away but somehow excited her body into even higher temperatures. Her heart also began to tremble.
Huo Shaoheng released her after one kiss, then looked up slightly and said, “Let go, the steaks are going to burn.”
Gu Nianzhi reluctantly let go of him. She sucked on and licked her tiny lips to taste him again.
Huo Shaoheng’s Adam’s apple bobbed, but he finally restrained himself and scooped out the steaks from the frying pan, placing them onto the plates.
Gu Nianzhi finally saw that there were several other dishes on the marble countertop.
There was asparagus pan-fried with truffle sauce, a dish of sliced up Hunan-style cured sausages, as well as jellied pig trotters with dipping sauce and a small bowl of buttered mash potatoes that was still steaming hot.
Gu Nianzhi’s stomach couldn’t help but start grumbling.
Huo Shaoheng ladled some previously prepared sauce on the fried steaks to enhance the flavor before setting it in front of Gu Nianzhi. “…Give it a try,” he said.
Gu Nianzhi’s eyes bulged.
The freshly cooked steak on the fine bone china plate was actually heart-shaped!
Gu Nianzhi thought she should kneel while eating this breakfast.
Her head was spinning as she carried the plate out of the kitchen and sat down in the dining room.
She rubbed her face since her cheeks were getting sore from all the smiling, but she still couldn’t stop herself from wanting to grin.
Huo Shao made steaks. Heart-shaped steaks…
She couldn’t help but take out her phone and take nine whole pictures to post on WeChat.
She wrote the caption: “He cooks in the shape of love…”
Soon after, her friends began to complain about her post.
Ma Qiqi wrote, “You broke the rules by showing off all this lovey-dovey stuff so early in the morning! I’m blocking you guys!”
Brother Xiong commented, “Thumbs up to the first poster, I love you Qiqi!”
Brother Ze said, “Thumbs up to the first poster, but the first two posters also broke the rules. I’m blocking you guys! I’m blocking all you guys! Angry face.”
Professor He had written, “Childish. Sneering face.”
Ms. Song replied, “Little Nianzhi has a new lover? My son would never be able to make such a fancy and stereotypical steak…”
Tan Guiren said, “It’s so good to see someone so happy in this world… Best wishes to you guys! Does Miss Gu have a new boyfriend?”
Special Assistant Zhuang said, “Nianzhi, your vacation has ended already. Come to work after breakfast. Make sure to remember to bring any leftover steak to share with the office. Joking face.”
…
Gu Nianzhi stifled her laughter as she read all the comments, her shoulders shaking. She didn’t notice that Huo Shaoheng was already sitting next to her.
Reaching out with his large hand, he took Gu Nianzhi’s phone from her and calmly said, “Don’t play with your phone when you’re eating.”
Then he saw what Gu Nianzhi was looking at.
His brows began to furrow as he scrolled through the phone to see the comments.
Ha, how lively.
Huo Shaoheng read it for a while before taking out his own phone and going to Gu Ninahzi’s post to reply to Song Jinning only.
Mr. A, in reply to Ms. Song, wrote, “…Your son was the one to make such a fancy and stereotypical steak.”
After sending the reply, he immediately shut off his phone and Gu Nianzhi’s alongside with it, saying, “Time to have breakfast.”
Gu Nianzhi’s heart was coated in honey as she replied sweetly, “Huo Shao, what should we do? This steak is too pretty, I can’t bear to eat it.”
Huo Shaoheng glanced at her before dragging her plate away and making a few slices with his knife. He cut the heart-shaped steak into several smaller pieces, and each of them happened to be heart-shaped as well.
He then picked one up with a fork and brought it to Gu Nianzhi’s lips. “Open up.”
Gu Nianzhi quickly opened her mouth and nearly mewled when she bit down. She was practically a spoiled, hungry kitten.
Huo Shaoheng patted her head and said, “Do you need me to feed you some more?”
Gu Nianzhi quickly shook her head. “It’s enough for you to feed me one bite, I can eat the rest myself. I can do it myself…” she replied.
She then took her plate back and began to savor the food with her eyes squinted shut.
Heart-shaped steaks were especially delicious so early in the morning, and Huo Shaoheng’s cooking was impeccable. He was even better than Reinitz.
Gu Nianzhi grinned widely as she ate, and she could tell that she had gained another two pounds after finishing breakfast.
Huo Shaoheng finished the remaining food and collected all the plates in the dishwasher before cutting up two dragon fruits and sprinkling honey powder on them. He brought it out to Gu Nianzhi.
Gu Nianzhi was unable to eat anymore in the beginning, but she immediately perked up when she saw the neatly arranged dragon fruit covered in honey powder.
“Huo Shao, I’m going to become very fat if you keep feeding me like this.” Gu Nianzhi was worried about her weight, yet she was eating very happily.
Huo Shaoheng draped an arm on the back of Gu Nianzhi’s chair as he watched her eat. He replied calmly, “You’re overworked lately, so you need some nourishing.”
“I am pretty tired,” Gu Nianzhi nodded as she answered, her brows knitting together. “I didn’t even know there was so much work at the Senate Secretariat. Although I am a legal advisor, I have no choice but to go since Speaker Long specifically asked me to come with him.”
Huo Shaoheng didn’t want to see Gu Nianzhi leave him and travel elsewhere.
But he didn’t want to keep her locked up at home either.
She had abilities and was extremely capable, so she should explore the world and make use of her talents.
“…If you really can’t get used to the work, you can resign after coming back from India,” Huo Shaoheng said to her. “It’s not a bad idea to work at a law firm, and it’s where you worked before. It’ll be easy to get the hang of things.”
Gu Nianzhi was unable to decide at the moment and replied, “Yeah, we can talk about it again once I come back from India.”
She couldn’t give up halfway on something she already committed to.
While the couple enjoyed a sweet breakfast together, Tan Guiren and her cousin were waiting outside the military court.
As soon as Tan Guiren commented on Gu Nianzhi’s WeChat post, her cousin Cai Shengnan nudged her, saying, “Court is in session, let’s go.”
Today was Cai Songyin’s trial date.
Because the trial was being held in the military court, all media was forbidden from entering, and unrelated people were unable to attend.
The defense lawyer and immediate relatives of the defendants were the only ones allowed inside.
Cai Shengnan was Cai Songyin’s defense lawyer and Tan Guiren was her daughter, so they were both allowed in.
They arrived rather early.
After waiting a while, Cai Songyin was finally taken inside by the bailiff and stood at the plaintiff’s stand.
Cai Songyin aged more than ten years after being locked up for about two weeks.
“Mummy…” Tan Guiren instantly burst into tears upon seeing her mother looking like that.
Cai Songyin finally looked up to see Tan Guiren sitting in the gallery.
“Little Darling, don’t cry…” She turned around and anxiously greeted her daughter.
“The defendant is not to speak unless asked to. The family member is asked to control her emotions. Otherwise, she will be asked to leave,” the judge said, sternly warning Cai Songyin and Tan Guiren.
Tan Guiren quickly wiped away her tears and didn’t say another word.
Soon afterward, the prosecutor and his two assistants walked in.
Bai Yueran, the Director of the Special Operations Forces Legal Department, was acting as the prosecutor for this military trial.
Tan Guiren cast a shifty look at Bai Yueran.
She had already been removed from the Military Art Ensemble.
She originally intended to resign on her own, since she was too ashamed to continue working in the Military Art Ensemble after her parents had committed such serious crimes.
But before Tan Guiren could even make a move, her regiment leader had already gently informed her that her contract had been voided. She no longer needed to come to work.
Tan Guiren was very shocked at the time. Hadn’t she enlisted? How did she have a contract?
The regiment leader told her that she used to be a non-enlisted staff and had previously signed a normal business-employee contract.
She also said that her background check had been stopped and never passed, so she never formally enlisted. The leader told her to inquire with the Special Operations Forces Legal Department if she had any other questions.
Tan Guiren had studied and lived abroad for many years, so it was nearly impossible for someone like her to enlist.
The Supreme Military Council had granted special approval because she was the Prime Minister’s daughter at the time. They also asked the Special Operations Forces to conduct a background check on her history abroad.
But it was no surprise that her background check wouldn’t pass if Bai Yueran didn’t sign off on it.
Tan Guiren went to ask Bai Yueran about it one time, but she was humiliated.
“Miss Tan, you should come back to ask about your background check after your parents’ trials have concluded,” he had said.
“…Why?”
“Those with immediate family members who are convicted of serious crimes cannot enlist. This is especially the case since your father is being charged with treason.”
After the humiliation from that day, Tan Guiren was very embarrassed over seeing Bai Yueran again. She was even a bit frightened.
Ever since both her parents landed in jail, Tan Guiren truly experienced the harshness and warmth of the world.
Luckily, the Tan and Cai families still treated her as well as they had before. This was especially the case with her uncle Cai Sumin and her cousin Cai Shengnan. They stayed home with her and enabled her to survive all those tough days.
At 9:00 am sharp, the Military Court was in session.
Huo Shaoheng’s phone rang. The Special Operations Forces personnel attending the trial as a witness had sent him a text. He reminded Huo Shaoheng that there were three trials today.
