Mr. Gu, listening to Xia Qingtian recount the events, furrowed his brows, a mix of self-blame and annoyance washing over him.
He was the one who had asked her to find Mr. Hua Heng, otherwise, she wouldn't have encountered such danger.
"You scared me to death…" Xia Qingtian patted her chest, letting out a long sigh of relief.
Since Mr. Hua Heng was not found later, the task assigned by Mr. Gu was not completed. This item on the system task page was also crossed out with a black line, and she had almost gotten herself killed.
Truly not worth it!
Thinking of this, the scene in the shower flashed through Xia Qingtian's mind again, and her earlobes immediately felt hot.
From another perspective, she had indeed gotten herself involved…
At this moment, a gentle large hand was placed on Xia Qingtian's head: "You must be hungry. Rest for a while, I'll go make dinner."
With that said, Mr. Gu stood up and walked towards the kitchen, skillfully tying the apron hanging beside him.
Washing hands, washing vegetables, trimming vegetables, removing stems, cutting vegetables, blanching, stir-frying…
A series of complicated operations all appeared extremely natural and orderly in Mr. Gu's hands.
Looking towards the kitchen, Xia Qingtian's heart was a little complicated.
The last time she left, she had said she would never come to freeload meals again… right?
In fact, she had originally decided that, but now…
Xia Qingtian took out her phone to check the time, coughed lightly, and stood up: "Um, maybe I should go back…"
Seeing that Mr. Gu did not reply, Xia Qingtian thought her voice was too soft, so she walked to the side of the kitchen and repeated: "It's getting late, maybe I…"
"You've come at the right time, help me peel some garlic." Mr. Gu interrupted Xia Qingtian, stuffing a clove of garlic into her hand: "I'm making minced garlic sauce, three cloves will do."
After saying this, Mr. Gu turned back to his work.
Xia Qingtian looked at the garlic that had been forcefully handed to her, hesitated, and could only comply.
After peeling the garlic, Xia Qingtian intended to bring up her departure again but was handed a washed apple.
"It'll take a while longer, have an apple first." Mr. Gu pushed Xia Qingtian out of the kitchen, not giving her a chance to explain: "There's a lot of oil smoke, sit in the dining room for a bit."
"No, that, I!" Xia Qingtian blinked, but she didn't even have room to retort.
After that, Mr. Gu brought dish after dish to the table: "The rice is already served, help me carry it."
By the time Xia Qingtian realized how bad the situation was, she was already sitting on opposite sides of the dining table with Mr. Gu.
Mr. Gu also opened a bottle of white wine and poured two glasses: "Try it, it should be much better than the fruit wine at the event today."
Xia Qingtian took a sip of the wine in her glass, then licked her lips, and only then remembered that Mr. Gu had mentioned this bottle of white wine to her earlier that day.
What had she said at the time…
No matter what she had said, now all she could say was that it was truly delicious.
Smooth on the palate, with moderate sweetness, a lingering aftertaste, and a mouth full of grape aroma.
It was indeed a rare delicacy.
"It's… getting late." Xia Qingtian put down her wine glass and said hesitantly, "It's too late to go home, my family will worry."
"I've already contacted your father. I'll drive you back later, so don't worry." Mr. Gu picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks and handed it to Xia Qingtian: "This is your favorite. Try it and see if my cooking has deteriorated."
Hearing Mr. Gu say this, Xia Qingtian could only pick up her chopsticks and quietly eat the food, admitting in her heart that she really liked the dishes Mr. Gu made.
Whether it was stir-fried dishes or soups, each one perfectly suited her taste.
Even the softness of the rice was just right for her preference.
"Tomorrow, I'll make zhajiangmian for you," Mr. Gu suggested. "I remember you also like zhajiangmian very much."
"Mr. Gu, you've gone to great lengths to investigate me," Xia Qingtian looked up at Mr. Gu. "You know my tastes so well, it must have been a lot of effort for you."
Upon hearing this, Mr. Gu's movements froze for a moment, then he smiled faintly and said, "You told me your tastes, don't you remember?"
Xia Qingtian then recalled how she had arrogantly ordered dishes earlier, and her cheeks involuntarily flushed.
At that time, she had no idea that the person in front of her was the creator of the entertainment empire; she had only regarded him as her best partner and someone to poach.
"But you didn't deny that you investigated me, did you?" Xia Qingtian found a loophole in Mr. Gu's words amidst her embarrassment.
"Eat first, it won't taste good if it gets cold." Without directly answering Xia Qingtian's question, Mr. Gu added a bowl of soup to her.
Seeing Mr. Gu like this, Xia Qingtian ate her meal silently, feeling a fire brewing in her heart.
What was he doing!
If it weren't for how delicious these dishes were, she would definitely have thrown the dishes and plates onto this guy's head!
After dinner, Mr. Gu started clearing the table. Xia Qingtian sat sulkily on the sofa and did not help, only watching Mr. Gu meticulously tidy everything up.
Xia Qingtian felt a little embarrassed, but at the same time, she felt that Mr. Gu had been too much first. With such a conflicted mindset, Xia Qingtian silently finished a pot of green tea to aid digestion and cut through the grease, her cheeks puffed out.
"I'll drive you home." After tidying up, Mr. Gu said softly, unrolling the sleeves he had rolled up to cook.
"I can call a car myself, no need to trouble you, Mr. Gu," Xia Qingtian said, standing up.
"Regarding the Hua Heng young master incident, I've thought of a few points that we might be able to discuss on the way," Mr. Gu said.
Hearing Mr. Gu say this, Xia Qingtian found it difficult to refuse.
After they got into the car, Xia Qingtian finally asked, "What points have you thought of?"
"Did you hear about SH Research and the new energy source SA-101 today?" Mr. Gu said as he fastened his seatbelt.
"Yes." Xia Qingtian also fastened her seatbelt and said, "SH Research is under your name, isn't it, Mr. Gu?"
"Yes, have you investigated?" Mr. Gu looked at Xia Qingtian.
"Hmph, do you think only you are allowed to investigate me?" Xia Qingtian retorted stubbornly, unaware that her tone was as cute as a sulking child who refused to admit defeat.
This successfully made Mr. Gu laugh: "Alright then, let's call it even."
"Not by a long shot…" Xia Qingtian said indignantly.
If she had truly investigated thoroughly, she wouldn't have found herself in such an awkward position.
She was relying on the meager, vague memories from her past life.
Mr. Gu's lips curved slightly as he started the car, and then he continued, "SH Research obtained the subsequent usage rights for the SA-101 new energy source. Hua Heng was originally the partner I had in mind."
"Then you should find another partner," Xia Qingtian pursed her lips and said, "Hua Heng has a connection with Teacher Song on the divine mountain."
"!"