Chapter 257 - 214: Priceless Treasure

Chapter 257: Chapter 214: Priceless Treasure

The reward from Father Tongzi, *Meng Shen’s Dietary Canon*, further solidified Gu Heng’s idea. He planned to use it to create a new restaurant brand for the Zhen Cui Group, focusing on the medicinal cuisine market.

Suddenly, Gu Heng’s hands paused.

"Hrm..."

"If I released everything from *Meng Shen’s Dietary Canon* all at once, wouldn’t that be a little too sensational?"

Gu Heng frowned. He looked at the quarter of *Meng Shen’s Dietary Canon* he had just transcribed onto his computer screen, a sense of apprehension rising in his mind.

A man is innocent, but his treasure is his crime.

The truth was, *Meng Shen’s Dietary Canon* was simply too valuable. Handled correctly, it could easily tap into a market worth tens of billions.

With his current level of wealth and social standing, if Gu Heng revealed the complete *Meng Shen’s Dietary Canon*, he would likely be unable to fend off the covetous schemes of corporate titans.

Gu Heng gazed at the computer screen, his right index finger slowly descending onto the delete key. From the quarter of *Meng Shen’s Dietary Canon* he had transcribed, he deleted some content and then added some other parts, ultimately leaving only the secret medicinal recipes for three main issues: insomnia, menstrual pain, and fatigue relief.

As for the secret recipes for medicinal cuisines like aphrodisiacs, revitalization, and improving vitality and complexion, Gu Heng decided not to transcribe them to the computer at all. After all, modern technology was inscrutable and unpredictable; even with the best encryption, the possibility of theft always existed.

Rather than transcribing everything and saving it on the computer, it was better not to let it exist in the modern world at all. Besides, he had already memorized the entire contents of *Meng Shen’s Dietary Canon*, and there was no chance he would ever forget it.

After organizing the partial contents of *Meng Shen’s Dietary Canon*, Gu Heng picked up a notebook from his desk and began to sort out his thoughts, jotting them down on the pages.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK...

Gu Heng was holding his Montblanc Pen, writing down his many ideas and future plans one by one, when suddenly, a few soft knocks came from the door.

"Come in."

Gu Heng glanced at the time. It was already almost two in the morning.

The door opened, and Jiang Ruan walked in, wearing her pajamas.

"Why are you still awake?"

Gu Heng closed his notebook. He looked at Jiang Ruan, her face coolly and exquisitely beautiful, and asked in a warm voice.

He had been staying at the Beichun Junlan Hotel these past few days and hadn’t been home, so naturally, he hadn’t seen Jiang Ruan for a while either.

As soon as he got home, he had been preoccupied with wanting to transcribe *Meng Shen’s Dietary Canon*. After a quick greeting to Jiang Ruan, he had ducked into the study, not even taking the time to change into his pajamas.

He had thought Jiang Ruan would be asleep by now, but it turned out she was still awake.

"Waiting for you."

Jiang Ruan walked to the desk, her long, dark, silky hair falling naturally over her shoulders. Even without a trace of makeup, she was still flawlessly beautiful. Her fair, cool-toned skin was like a peeled hard-boiled egg—impossibly smooth and delicate.

"What is it?"

"We haven’t seen each other for a few days. Getting needy again?"

Gu Heng raised an eyebrow, a slight smile playing on his lips.

At the thought, his mind couldn’t help but drift back to that night a week ago.

That night, Gu Heng’s words, "I love you, and I’m not lying," had been like a single spark starting a prairie fire, completely igniting Jiang Ruan.

They had gone from Beichun to Zhonghai and back again, and Gu Heng had never seen Jiang Ruan be so proactive.

Before, Jiang Ruan had only ever taken the initiative at Gu Heng’s request.

That night, however, Jiang Ruan had acted entirely of her own volition.

It was as if an iceberg had melted into water, as if a goddess had descended into the mortal realm.

That night alone, Jiang Ruan’s affection level had shot up to 95%.

Gu Heng figured that if the data from the "Conquer" challenge mission was absolutely accurate, then Jiang Ruan, with an affection level of 95%, might not be in love with him down to her very bones, but it was pretty damn close.

After all, even among those old couples in the secular world who had weathered storms together, how many women could truly be said to be completely and utterly devoted to their husbands?

Faced with Gu Heng’s rather blunt teasing, a faint blush crept onto Jiang Ruan’s cool, fair face.

"I’m not..."

She replied in a small voice, denying it.

"Really?"

Gu Heng reached out, pulled Jiang Ruan from where she stood before the desk, and settled her directly into his lap. "Liars get pimples~"

"It was a lie..."

Jiang Ruan pursed her lips, her voice even quieter than before.

Gu Heng had heard what he wanted to hear, and the smile on his lips deepened.

Compared to a big-screen superstar like Tian Xiqwei, Jiang Ruan obviously held a heavier weight in his heart. After all, he had spent so much time and effort personally molding her, bit by bit. Every inch of her skin was Gu Heng’s private territory, never having been touched by an outsider in the slightest.

"Oh~"

"Then what is it you want to do with me?"

Gu Heng continued to tease Jiang Ruan. Watching the ice-queen beauty slowly melt before his eyes was an addictive feeling.

"Not telling."

Jiang Ruan’s face grew a few shades redder.

"If you don’t say it, we won’t do it."

Gu Heng deliberately moved his mouth closer to Jiang Ruan’s ear. Like many girls, her ears were a sensitive spot.

"You..."

Feeling Gu Heng’s breath on her ear, Jiang Ruan’s delicate body instantly went soft. She lifted her long, slender, pale arms and gently wrapped them around Gu Heng’s neck.

"New Year’s Eve... can we spend it together?"

Jiang Ruan tilted her head up slightly, her eyes filled with deep anticipation.

Gu Heng, who had just been teasing Jiang Ruan with effortless ease, faltered slightly when faced with the profound love in her eyes.

’Of course...’

’Holidays are a scumbag’s worst nightmare!’

’What’s coming will come.’

"New Year’s Eve..."

"I already have plans."

Gu Heng could feel that as soon as he said those words, the light in Jiang Ruan’s bright eyes dimmed with incredible speed.

"Oh..."

"It’s okay."

Jiang Ruan lowered her head again, silently resting it on Gu Heng’s shoulder.

"Do you know how to make dumplings?"

Gu Heng suddenly asked Jiang Ruan.

"I do."

"I’m just not very good at making the filling."

Jiang Ruan didn’t know why Gu Heng had suddenly brought this up, but she answered truthfully.

"That’s fine. We can have the housekeepers make the filling."

Gu Heng looked down at Jiang Ruan’s exquisite and beautiful face and said softly, "Let’s make dumplings at home on New Year’s Day."

As Gu Heng’s words fell, the light instantly returned to Jiang Ruan’s eyes.

’She couldn’t spend New Year’s Eve with Gu Heng, but she could spend the first day of the new year with him. When she thought about it, that was actually really nice.’

Making and eating dumplings at home on the first day of the new year.

’For an ordinary family, this might be a trivial thing, but for a woman, it’s these small, heartwarming moments that are the most touching.’

"Then I’ll wait for you at home."

Jiang Ruan replied softly, her eyes full of affection.

"Okay~"

Gu Heng agreed out loud, but inwardly, he sighed softly.

’New Year’s Eve to Xu Mo, New Year’s Day to Jiang Ruan.’

’My schedule’s full, which means Luo Xiwen is the one who has to miss out.’

’I just can’t be in two places at once. I’ll just have to find a chance to make it up to her after these two days are over.’

"Gu Heng..."

Just as Gu Heng’s mind was starting to wander, Jiang Ruan suddenly called his name softly.

"Hm?"

Gu Heng looked at her instinctively.

"I want..."

Jiang Ruan’s face grew even redder. She tightened her pale arms around him and whispered the two words Gu Heng had wanted to hear into his ear.

Just those two words, spoken from the lips of an ice-queen beauty like Jiang Ruan, had an effect that far surpassed any aphrodisiac in the world, instantly igniting Gu Heng’s desire.

What followed was an intense battle, fought right there in the study...