At 5:30 in the morning, Butler Wen woke up right on time.
Being older, Butler Wen didn’t need much sleep. He went to bed early and woke up early.
After getting up, he took a stroll around the villa to exercise before returning to start breakfast.
Today, Butler Wen planned to make beef patties.
After kneading the dough and letting it rise naturally, he chopped fresh beef, added various seasonings, and mixed the filling. By then, the dough had risen sufficiently.
Despite being in his fifties, Butler Wen was energetic and nimble. He wrapped and fried the patties with practiced ease, never missing a beat. He even found time to simmer porridge.
Chu Yi, drawn by the fragrant aroma of breakfast, rushed over to help Butler Wen carry things.
“Be careful, don’t burn yourself,” Butler Wen cautioned.
After Chu Yi had set out the bowls and chopsticks, Shen Jin came downstairs.
Today, he was wearing a plaid suit, a stark contrast to the casual attire he’d worn yesterday. Chu Yi thought the suit amplified his already powerful aura.
He realized he wasn’t the only one who felt this way. At the club yesterday, Li Wenxing and the others had been intimidated by Shen Jin, which was why they’d confessed so readily.
Chu Yi’s smile widened, his eyes sparkling with amusement. Though he’d found Li Wenxing detestable, he’d recovered his money and even gotten to bask in a bit of borrowed authority.
During dinner, Butler Wen noticed Chu Yi’s cheerful mood and asked, “Chu Yi, is there something that’s made you so happy?”
Chu Yi thought to himself, “My emotions are so obvious? Uncle Wen saw right through me.”
Chu Yi briefly recounted yesterday’s events to Butler Wen.
As Butler Wen listened, his brow furrowed tightly, especially when he heard about Chu Yi’s tuition being stolen. His eyes grew tense. When Chu Yi finally managed to retrieve all his tuition, Butler Wen visibly relaxed.
Butler Wen exclaimed indignantly, “How can there be such wicked people? Jealous of you getting into university, they stole the tuition you worked so hard to save.”
If the Chu Family hadn’t found Chu Yi, his future would have been ruined by that scoundrel.
Fortunately, that didn’t happen.
Thinking of this, Butler Wen felt even more heartache for Chu Yi. This child must have suffered so much in the past.
His stolen tuition had been recovered, he was now attending the university he’d always dreamed of, and he was living in such a grand and luxurious villa with a spacious, bright room and three meals a day without a worry. Chu Yi felt incredibly fortunate.
Chu Yi said, “I also want to thank Mr. Shen.”
Butler Wen was very pleased. Shen Jin seemed cold towards Chu Yi, but from Chu Yi’s words just now, he knew that Shen Jin actually took good care of Chu Yi outside. Perhaps their relationship would improve even further in the future.
Butler Wen said with concern, “Chu Yi, you must have had a very difficult life before.”
“Actually, it wasn’t too bad. Aside from meeting Li Wenxing, everyone else I encountered was quite kind,” Chu Yi replied, scratching his ear and smiling shyly. He added, “Now I’ve met Uncle Wen and Mr. Shen.”
Shen Jin glanced up at him.
Knowing Chu Yi didn’t want to dwell on the past, Butler Wen didn’t press further. He picked up a beef patty and placed it on Chu Yi’s plate. “How about we have lamb chops in a couple of days? The farm’s sheep have been raised for a year now, and the meat will be at its best.”
Chu Yi nodded eagerly. “Yes, please! Yes, please!”
The mention of food instantly erased all Chu Yi’s worries. Eating was his greatest joy.
Butler Wen was confident that Shen Jin and Chu Yi’s relationship would improve. Chu Yi was such a kind and cheerful person.
As Shen Jin and Chu Yi walked out together, Chu Yi hesitated for a moment before speaking softly to Shen Jin. “Is your arm feeling any better?”
Shen Jin glanced at him. “Yes.”
Chu Yi urged, “Make sure you apply the ointment on time.”
His voice was soft and gentle, and he still couldn’t quite meet Shen Jin’s eyes. Yet he continued to worry about Shen Jin’s wound.
That day, Butler Wen told Chu Yi he wanted to eat lamb. Two days later, he called the farm and asked them to select a lamb, slaughter it on the spot, butcher it, and immediately deliver it to the villa.
When Chu Yi returned, Butler Wen was already in the kitchen stewing lamb chops.
The moment he entered the kitchen, he was greeted by the unique aroma of the meat.
Chu Yi sniffed deeply. “It smells amazing.”
Butler Wen replied, “Doesn’t it? This is the tenderest, finest lamb, raised naturally and scientifically. It has no gamey smell to begin with, so I haven’t added any seasonings. We’re having lamb chops today.”
Chu Yi suddenly remembered the saying: the finest ingredients often require the simplest cooking methods.
The lamb chops had been stewing in the pot for a long time. Just before serving, Butler Wen simply sprinkled them with salt to preserve the fibers as much as possible. The resulting meat was tender, juicy, not dry, and not greasy.
The chops were enormous, each nearly as long as Chu Yi’s arm.
Dipping the tender lamb into a special dipping sauce, Chu Yi savored each bite. “Uncle Wen, this is delicious!”
Butler Wen watched the smile on Chu Yi’s face, unable to suppress his own. “If it’s good, eat more.”
Chu Yi replied, “I’ve been eating non-stop.”
This wasn’t just politeness. Chu Yi was currently gnawing on his second lamb chop. The meat was tender, completely free of any gaminess, and instead carried a delicate fragrance of lamb. Once he started, he couldn’t stop.
Eating too much lamb can become cloying, so Butler Wen had also prepared some cold side dishes to cut through the richness.
The sour radish, sliced thinly and pickled for several days, offered a tangy, slightly spicy flavor. Its crisp, refreshing texture was incredibly appetizing.
There was also vibrant red kimchi, made by Butler Wen during his spare time a few days earlier. It was perfectly ready to eat now.
The sour radish and spicy kimchi paired perfectly with the tender lamb, creating a flavor combination that was both satisfying and never cloying.
Butler Wen watched Chu Yi, who was clearly enjoying himself, gnawing on the lamb chops with both hands. The lamb had been stewed for a long time, so the meat fell easily off the bone with just a gentle bite.
Butler Wen especially loved watching Chu Yi eat. No matter what he was eating, he always ate with such gusto.
Chu Yi said a little sheepishly, “Actually, I once considered becoming a food blogger to make money.”
Butler Wen asked curiously, “Why didn’t you make any?”
Chu Yi blushed even deeper and revealed the real reason: “I didn’t have money to buy food.”
This was indeed a heartbreaking reason, and Butler Wen’s heart ached even more. “Chu Yi, eat more. Get a little fatter. You’re too thin.”
Chu Yi looked at the tempting lamb chops and couldn’t help but gnaw on another bone. He thought, It’s a shame Shen Jin isn’t here. These lamb chops are really delicious.
As he ate the lamb chops and drank the lamb soup, Chu Yi’s stomach was thoroughly soothed.
After he was full, four lamb chop bones lay neatly beside him, completely stripped of meat.
Butler Wen said, “Next time, we’ll have roasted lamb chops.”
Even though he was already stuffed, Chu Yi swallowed hard at the mention of roasted lamb chops, his eyes filled with anticipation.
Later that night, after eating too much lamb, Chu Yi woke up in the middle of the night, burning with heat.
He tossed and turned in bed, then got up and paced around the room several times, but still felt full of energy.
Chu Yi thought helplessly, *How did I end up like this?*
Normally, Chu Yi slept soundly, waking only when the sun rose.
He pondered. *Could it be because I ate so many lamb chops last night?*
Feeling too hot to sleep and finding the room still stuffy, Chu Yi went outside to stroll in the courtyard.
The cool night breeze caressed his face and body, bringing him a welcome sense of relief. He walked back and forth, back and forth, across the courtyard.
At that moment, Chu Yi realized the simplicity of the lawn had its merits. Its unobstructed view meant he didn’t have to worry about anything suddenly jumping out to startle him.
At half past midnight, Chen Ye drove Shen Jin back to the villa.
It was now two in the morning, and Lan City had fallen silent.
In the back seat, Shen Jin frowned deeply, his expression stern. He was already naturally serious, but now, with his brow furrowed, he looked even more intimidating.
If Chu Yi were to see him like this, he’d be even more afraid to meet his gaze.
Shen Jin tapped his knee with his finger, his eyes half-closed. Shen Chunhan had secretly contacted some shareholders behind his back. At today’s shareholders’ meeting, those shareholders had simultaneously attacked him, forcing him to make concessions. Once he yielded, he would be constantly constrained, putting him in an extremely unfavorable position.
This was precisely the effect Shen Chunhan sought. His goal was to reclaim the power Shen Jin held within the Shen Family.
Of course, Shen Jin wouldn’t let them have their way. He had long anticipated these people would side with Shen Chunhan. Their own past actions were far from clean, and Shen Jin held incriminating evidence against them.
Handling these matters today had truly exhausted Shen Jin’s mental energy.
On the way back, Chen Ye asked, “Mr. Shen, shall we return to the villa or go to the hotel?”
Shen Jin replied, “The hotel.”
Chen Ye steered the car toward the hotel.
Shen Jin suddenly said, “The villa.” The hotel felt too desolate.
Chen Ye changed direction.
As the car approached the villa, Chen Ye spotted a figure moving around in the yard. He immediately grew alert. Who would be wandering around the villa at this hour?
Shen Jin had clearly seen the figure pacing back and forth in the courtyard, moving furtively.
The courtyard was completely bare except for the lawn, offering an unobstructed view.
As he drew closer, he realized the figure was Chu Yi.
At two in the morning, what could Chu Yi possibly be doing pacing back and forth in the courtyard alone? Shen Jin frowned.
Chu Yi had been running laps in the courtyard for half an hour, expending a great deal of excess energy. Though he still felt somewhat flushed, the discomfort had eased considerably.
Just as he was about to stop for a rest, a blinding light suddenly flashed across his face. Chu Yi instinctively shielded his eyes.
When the car finally came to a stop, Shen Jin stepped out.
Chu Yi was taken aback. So late? Shen Jin was only returning now. No wonder he hadn’t seen Shen Jin for a while when he first arrived at the Shen Family residence.
Shen Jin looked at him. “What are you doing?”
Chu Yi replied, “Running.”
“Running? In the middle of the night?” Shen Jin’s gaze was scrutinizing.
No one would believe someone running in the courtyard in the dead of night. Moreover, Chu Yi had been here for so long without ever seeing him night-run, especially not at this hour.
Chu Yi pursed his lips, realizing Shen Jin didn’t believe him. To be honest, if he were in Shen Jin’s shoes, he wouldn’t believe it either.
As he debated whether to tell the truth, he caught Shen Jin’s stern gaze.
Chu Yi whispered, “Because it’s too hot.”
Shen Jin continued to stare, as if trying to see through him. His cold, sharp eyes were intimidating, making Chu Yi squirm under his scrutiny.
Chu Yi’s voice was on the verge of tears, his eyes beginning to redden. “I ate four lamb chops tonight, a lot of lamb. I woke up in the middle of the night because I was too hot.”
Then, Chu Yi saw the corners of Shen Jin’s mouth twitch.
His eyes widened. Was Shen Jin actually smiling?
