Chapter 268: Love Curse

Boil the ribs, scoop them out, cut them, season, and stir-fry.

The most important part of sweet and sour ribs is caramelizing the sugar. Here, Zhao Yicheng used rock sugar instead of granulated sugar. Once melted, the color of rock sugar is more visually appealing, has a better consistency, and tastes superior.

Turning the high heat down to a simmer, Zhao Yicheng tossed the wok, wanting the syrup to evenly coat the crispy skin of every rib. At that moment, quiet footsteps suddenly sounded behind him.

The footsteps were slow and soft. As they drew closer to Zhao Yicheng, their stealth became quite poor, but he deliberately pretended not to hear. There was no need to think; it was just a certain “little glutton” sneaking into the kitchen to find a treat.

Every time it was his turn to cook for the fair-haired Xu Yinsheng, she would come to sneak a bite. As for the dark-haired Xu Yinsheng, she would always suggest bizarre recipes involving chameleon plant, cilantro meat patties, and other purely Dark Cuisine.

The footsteps eventually reached his back, and a pair of small hands suddenly wrapped around his lean waist. Immediately following this, a soft, fragrant body proactively pressed against him.

Zhao Yicheng’s body stiffened abruptly, and he turned his head to look. He saw the white-haired girl staring at him with wide, clear eyes, looking at him innocently.

“Xiao Baiyin, what are you doing?”

“Hugging you,” she said, then leaned her cheek against him, gently rubbing his shoulder. “Old Zhao, I like you so much.”

Zhao Yicheng: ???

Shouldn’t the next part be a heartwarming scene where the “little glutton” gets caught red-handed stealing food? How did this skip directly to a confession?

While he didn’t reject such an intimate gesture from Xu Yinsheng, this progress was just too fast. He was still thinking about slowly mending their relationship, yet she had gone straight to a full confession. Could it be that Xu Yinsheng had always been the type to act tough while being honest in her heart? Had she accepted his love deep down long ago but simply refused to say it?

That seemed impossible. Could someone who acts tough but is honest in their heart beat him into the intensive care unit? Could this be a prank?

“Old Zhao, Old Zhao, come with me.” The person behind him pulled his hand, dragging his thoughts back. Those large eyes were filled with adoration and expectation, making his heart flutter.

“What for?”

“You’ll know if you come with me.” The fair-haired Xu Yinsheng lowered her head shyly, two clouds of crimson rising on her small face. She looked exactly like a young girl in the throes of her first love.

She pulled harder, so Zhao Yicheng had no choice but to turn off the burner and follow her to the living room.

After bringing him to the living room, she first settled him onto the Sofa, then ran to the bedroom to bring out a box of limited-edition Chocolate, which she stuffed into his arms. She then personally brewed a cup of hot Tea and handed it to him.

“For you,” she said with a smile.

That smile was like the brightest star in the sky, or perhaps a girl from a classical oil painting singing a song of courtship to her beloved gentleman. Zhao Yicheng was somewhat dazed and did not react for a long while. He blankly took the chocolate but did not eat it.

Seeing this, the fair-haired Xu Yinsheng didn’t feel shy. She sat down directly beside him, propped her chin in her hands, and stared at him with blinking eyes. Zhao Yicheng felt a restless itch in his heart under her gaze. He unwrapped the chocolate and took a small bite.

“Is it good?”

“It’s good.”

“Then can you promise me one thing?” she whispered, suddenly leaning in until her face was almost touching his lips.

Zhao Yicheng’s heart went thump-thump. He felt a bit parched. He nodded and swallowed. “What is it?”

“Can you give me a kiss?” she said with a smile, her eyes curving into crescent moons.

Zhao Yicheng’s mind—the same mind used to harvesting profits in the financial world—completely crashed at this moment. Did that even count as a request? That was clearly a reward!

“Please, Old Zhao? Just one kiss, just one.” She rubbed her head against his neck, speaking coquettishly.

The distance between them was only a few centimeters. He could even sense the mysterious fragrance originating from the girl swirling around the tip of his nose. With every breath, his heart pounded, and his blood pressure soared. Xiao Zhao was even more excited, lifting his head in high spirits!

“Okay.” President Zhao ultimately failed to withstand the girl’s soft, coquettish offensive. He completely ignored the step-by-step strategy he had laid out in his Gentleman’s Strategy Guidebook.

However, he still maintained a shred of a baseline. His lips only landed on the girl’s cheek, pulling away the moment they touched.

But the fair-haired Xu Yinsheng’s eyes dimmed instantly. She pouted her lips in dissatisfaction, looking like a grumpy steamed bun.

“What’s wrong?” Zhao Yicheng stroked her soft hair.

“Don’t kiss my cheek. Kiss here.” The white-haired girl pointed to her red lips, her eyes full of anticipation and entreaty.

Zhao Yicheng’s abdomen tightened. He felt a sudden impulse to pin her down and ravage her. But seeing the girl’s aggrieved little expression, he suppressed his desire. He had to remain calm and restrained. Even though he had been holding back for nearly a year, he had to maintain his composure. For instance, after building up favor for so long, she was finally starting to accept him.

From Zhao Yicheng’s perspective, her initial acceptance was the result of a long-term accumulation of goodwill. This was reflected in their daily lives; Xiao Bai tended to have more favor toward him, while Xiao Hei tended to harbor more dislike.

However, looking at the girl’s pitiful expression, he ultimately couldn’t help himself. He leaned down, gave her red lips a light kiss, and moved away again.

“You didn’t use your tongue. Do you not like me…?” As soon as he pulled away, the girl pouted, her eyes full of disappointment and sadness.

“No, I just… mmm…”

Zhao Yicheng desperately wanted to explain that they didn’t need to move this fast, that they could nurture their relationship more and get used to each other, especially since they had plenty of time. But the fair-haired Xu Yinsheng didn’t give him the chance.

She kissed his lips directly to keep him from speaking. Her hands tightly locked around his neck as she pushed him down onto the sofa. Her legs wrapped around his waist, and her entire body hung onto him. She held him tightly, seemingly wanting to rub him into her very blood and bone to become one with him.

She kissed lightly but deeply. Zhao Yicheng was stunned, completely unable to react before his territory was occupied.

“Mmm…” The girl made a soft sound, her face turning as red as an apple. Her lips were gentle, sweet, and carried a faint fragrance.

At this moment, Zhao Yicheng felt as if he were in heaven. He lost the—no, he didn’t want to—resist. He allowed her to invade his territory and sweep through it at will.

In truth, sometimes men act tougher than women. Even if they say “no” with their mouths, their bodies are very honest.

With a bang, the front door opened. A black-haired girl wearing a black hoodie and sneakers kicked the door open and ran in with a shout.

“Xiao Bai, Zhao! How’s lunch coming along? I want to eat sweet and sour rib—” The dark-haired Xu Yinsheng was grumbling.

However, when she saw clearly the two people engaged in a fierce battle on the villa sofa, she froze on the spot, her voice stopping abruptly. For a moment, four eyes met.