Chapter 65: Good Night, Baby

Chapter 65: Chapter 65: Good Night, Baby

We’ll set aside, for now, the fact that sales at the Chinese pastry shop near the complex skyrocketed afterward.

As evening fell, Nan Yi returned home, carrying his empty lunchbox.

Nan Zhi was delighted. She had just seen the bustling scene at the playground from her window upstairs.

Adults and children alike were all crowded around her Yiyi; Nan Yi had practically become the new king of the neighborhood kids!

As for the real reason they were all flocking to him—the pastries—well...

As far as Nan Zhi was concerned, did that really matter?

She was smiling, ready to praise Nan Yi, but then she saw his little head hanging dejectedly.

Nan Zhi froze for a second before she understood his pain.

Fortunately, she had already prepared a fresh supply of snacks at home. The variety of sweet and savory flavors was more than enough to banish all his sadness and make him smile again!

The method was clearly effective.

By the time they went to bed that night, Nan Yi had stopped mentioning the snacks he’d shared.

Because something else was now occupying his mind—

"Mommy, can Fluffy Dog sleep with me?"

"Of course you can."

"Mommy, can we sleep with the lights on?"

"No problem."

"Mommy, can I watch one more episode of TV?"

"..."

Nan Zhi set her book down, a helpless but doting smile on her face.

Even she, as dense as she could sometimes be, could sense the true desire behind this series of awkward requests—

In the shantytown cabin, they had squeezed onto one small bed.

But now that they were home, the three separate bedrooms meant they had lost the chance to sleep in the same bed.

How could Nan Yi not be disappointed?

Even Nan Zhi was having a hard time adjusting.

So she patted the covers beside her and offered a warm invitation:

"Come here!"

Nan Yi’s eyes instantly lit up with immense surprise!

But he didn’t dive under the covers right away. Instead, he turned and ran out of the room.

Nan Zhi leaned forward slightly, craning her neck to see.

A moment later, she saw Nan Yi return, hugging his Fluffy Dog.

Nan Yi held Fluffy Dog up high.

"He’s all washed! And dried! He smells nice!"

"Okay, I know. Come on."

How could Nan Zhi possibly refuse him and let that cute little face fill with disappointment?

Besides, she was the one who had given him Fluffy Dog.

Nan Yi tucked Fluffy Dog under his arm and excitedly burrowed under the covers.

He was so excited at first, tossing and turning, that Nan Zhi thought he’d be restless for quite a while.

But the very next moment, she heard the sound of his soft, even breathing.

Nan Zhi...

She reached out to pull Fluffy Dog away so Nan Yi could sleep more comfortably.

But she found his arms wrapped tightly around it, as if it were his most precious treasure.

’He likes it that much?’

Nan Zhi felt a mix of tenderness and contentment.

Finally, she bent down and kissed Nan Yi’s forehead.

"Goodnight, sweetheart," she whispered.

Nan Zhi had planned on going to sleep right then, too.

But just then, someone called.

Nan Zhi, afraid of waking Nan Yi, got up to take the call in the living room.

The person calling was Boss Yang.

He had spent the entire afternoon experimenting at home and had finally managed to replicate the Golden Egg Fried Rice, achieving a version that was a good eighty percent as delicious as the original, all by following Nan Zhi’s recipe!

That might seem like a long time, but it was on the condition that—Boss Yang couldn’t cook to save his life!

He was the kind of person who could even burn stir-fried tomatoes and eggs!

The successfully replicated Golden Egg Fried Rice had briefly inflated his ego to the point of delusion. He started to suspect he was a once-in-a-generation culinary genius and boldly tried his hand at other dishes. And then...

He crashed and burned, just as you’d expect.

Boss Yang was instantly brought back to reality. He understood that his so-called "culinary talent" wasn’t real talent at all; it was just an illusion created by Nan Zhi’s recipe.

So...

’The recipe... no, Nan Zhi is the real goddess!’

"Goddess—no, Ms. Nan! I’m sorry to bother you so late, but I really can’t wait until tomorrow... Let’s work together! Please, I’m begging you!"

Nan Zhi was silent for a moment.

’That’s the first time I’ve ever heard someone roar a plea so thunderously.’

But her silence scared Boss Yang to death.

He wracked his brain nervously, wondering if he had offended her somehow, or if his earlier stingy, suspicious behavior had upset her...

Terrified, Boss Yang was about to resort to his ultimate move: the pity play.

Fortunately, at that critical moment, Nan Zhi spoke:

"How do you want to partner up, Boss Yang?"

What followed was a brief period of haggling.

Why was it brief?

Of course, it was because Boss Yang was completely won over by Nan Zhi. To ensure future collaborations, he was willing to agree to all of her demands, reasonable or not.

And Nan Zhi was very rational. She wouldn’t yield on what was hers, but she wouldn’t ask for a penny more than what wasn’t. Plus, because of her connection with Xu Li, she had no intention of making any exorbitant demands.

With both parties negotiating in good faith, it didn’t take long for Nan Zhi and Boss Yang to finalize the terms of their partnership—

Not a buyout of the recipe, but profit-sharing.

Specifically, a percentage of the revenue generated from her recipes at Boss Yang’s restaurants.

Additionally, Boss Yang would pay an upfront "good faith fee," which also served as a guaranteed minimum payment.

Since it was only for one recipe, the amount wasn’t enormous, but it was enough to take Nan Zhi’s personal savings from five figures to six.

Moreover, the Golden Egg Fried Rice was just the first step, a trial run.

If things went smoothly, they would continue to cooperate and develop other menu items.

「That same night.」

Lu Shixu was suffering from insomnia again.

This wasn’t anything new.

If Lu Shixu could ever sleep soundly through an entire night, that would be the real surprise.

For him—

If he couldn’t sleep, he worked.

Work was cold and tedious, but at least it killed time and kept him from... being bored.

His assistant, Tao An, who was staying in a guest room of Lu Shixu’s courtyard home, dragged himself out of bed too.

’He’s cursed his boss for being inhuman countless times in his head.’

But then he thought of his high salary, and the fact that his boss always exploited himself first before squeezing his employees dry...

’Yup, suddenly I’m not so angry anymore!’

Perhaps because he was so exhausted, Tao An wasn’t at his sharpest.

After checking his work email, he actually froze for a good ten seconds!

Lu Shixu’s sharp gaze fell on him.

"What’s wrong?"

Tao An hesitated, unsure if he should bring it up.

Lu Shixu’s face was expressionless.

After taking a deep breath, Tao An said:

"It seems Miss Nan Zhi got into a conflict with someone this morning."

Lu Shixu frowned immediately, but his question was unexpected:

"Weren’t my people pulled away?"

Tao An lowered his head, thinking to himself:

’Who would dare pull them without your order?’

To be clear, Lu Shixu wasn’t having Nan Zhi stalked.

Instead, after the last incident, he had "casually" assigned two bodyguards to follow and protect her from a distance.

There were so many potential accidents when filming a variety show; who knew what other dangers she might encounter?

Lu Shixu, unaware of his assistant’s inner monologue, asked the expected next question:

"...What happened."

Tao An’s focus sharpened, and he recounted in full detail the conflict Nan Zhi and Nan Yi had in the coffee shop.

Lu Shixu asked, "She was very worried?"

Tao An blurted out, "What mother wouldn’t be distressed to see her child get hit?"

Strangely, Lu Shixu fell into a long silence.

The gloomy aura around him was so thick it felt like the air itself was thinning.

Tao An didn’t dare to breathe.

After a long time, he finally heard Lu Shixu say:

"I see. In that case, investigate that family."