You Must Marry Me! - Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Time… Qi Zhen was a little confused.

Why exactly did Yan Yiyun ask her to eat together? Was it just out of politeness?

She had been so warm and enthusiastic these past few days, inviting her to lunch. But now, seeing that expression on her face—maybe she was hoping she would refuse?

Or perhaps… Yan Yiyun had a motive, just one she hadn’t voiced yet?

Countless thoughts flashed through Qi Zhen’s mind, but none of them showed on her face. She remained composed and calm, telling herself: if Yan Yiyun invited her again today, she would politely decline.

She was finally thinking straight now. As long as she worked at this company, her relationship with Yan Yiyun would never be on equal footing.

Yan Yiyun was the boss, and she was just an employee. No matter how high her position might rise, she would still be subordinate to Yan Yiyun. After all, Xingyun Entertainment was a family business. There was no way her father would pass the company on to an outsider instead of his daughter, right?

Besides, Yan Yiyun wasn’t just a pretty face—she was fully capable of managing the company.

Under these circumstances, the closer she got to Yan Yiyun, the more risk she exposed herself to.

Yan Yiyun, on the other hand, had no idea what Qi Zhen was thinking. She cheerfully opened the lunchbox and exclaimed, “Wow! You made tamagoyaki today! It looks so soft and tender—most Japanese restaurants can’t even get it to look this good.”

She picked up a piece with her chopsticks and popped it into her mouth. The moment it touched her tongue, she realized it wasn’t just the appearance that was impressive—it was truly delicious. The outer layer was golden and delicate, and even the inside was soft and flavorful. The eggs were cooked just right, retaining their fresh sweetness, and somehow still had the silky texture of raw egg. The mouthfeel was exceptional.

“Did your mom make this too?” she asked as she chewed.

If Qi Zhen’s mom had made this, then she clearly had some real culinary skills. Many top-tier chefs at upscale Japanese restaurants couldn’t make tamagoyaki this well. Yan Yiyun couldn’t help but feel a rising curiosity—and admiration—for Qi Zhen’s mother’s cooking.

However, Qi Zhen hesitated for a moment before replying honestly:
“I made it.”

This morning, she had gotten up especially early to prepare something homemade for lunch—to let Yan Yiyun try it.

When she walked into the kitchen, her mom was already busy making lunch: sweet and sour pork ribs and a cabbage soup using leftover rib broth. Together with the soup from last night, Qi Zhen’s lunchbox was ready.

It wasn’t that her mother didn’t care, but lately, Qi Zhen’s father had been more irritable than ever and needed someone with him constantly. Her mother didn’t have time to prepare Qi Zhen’s lunch, but didn’t want her daughter, who worked so hard, to feel uncared for either. This was the compromise they reached.

Qi Zhen had been half-asleep when she entered the kitchen, barely able to keep her eyes open. She’d gone to bed late doing freelance editing work, and today had woken up an extra half hour early. Even after washing her face, she’d noticed the dark circles under her eyes—she would need concealer later.

“Oh my god, sweetheart, why are you up already?” her mom had said while caramelizing sugar for the ribs. “It’s still early! Go back to bed and rest more.”

Qi Zhen yawned and rubbed her eyes. “I wanted to cook something myself… You’re making sweet and sour ribs?”

“Yup, sweet and sour ribs.” Her mom flipped the ribs with effort. “What do you want to make?”

Qi Zhen had already pulled out the tamagoyaki pan from the cupboard. “Just tamagoyaki.”

It was the first dish she’d ever learned and the one she was best at. While she wasn’t a culinary expert, very few people could make better tamagoyaki than she could.

She brushed a thin layer of oil over the pan, poured in the seasoned egg mixture before the pan got too hot, and waited as it slowly set into a flawless shape. Once firm, she rolled it up with a wooden spatula and placed it in her bento. It was a quick and easy dish, perfect for a weekday morning.

When Yan Yiyun heard this, her first reaction was surprise. Then came a small, fluttering question in her heart—
Did she make it for me?

Qi Zhen’s mom usually cooked for her. There was no need for her to wake up early just to make a dish—unless it was for someone specific. The only logical explanation was that she wanted her to try her cooking.

Was that really it?

Yan Yiyun looked at Qi Zhen, wanting to ask, but not daring to. She felt like she might burst if she didn’t know the answer.

Qi Zhen, however, had already made peace with things. She had made up her mind. From tomorrow on, she would politely decline these lunch invitations. Their brief friendship would naturally fade. For a socialite like Yan Yiyun, a two- or three-day friendly interaction meant nothing—easily forgotten.

Qi Zhen picked up a piece of tamagoyaki and offered it to Yan Yiyun with a smile. “I made it specially for you. Thanks for taking care of me these past two days.”

Starting tomorrow, she would go eat at the cafeteria. Even if people gossiped, it was still better than facing the consequences of something bigger down the line.

Yan Yiyun felt a wave of happiness rush through her.
Qi Zhen had really made this just for her.

That meant she’d woken up at least half an hour early to cook. On a weekday morning! That kind of sacrifice was huge—who didn’t want to stay in bed as long as possible? But Qi Zhen had chosen to make a meal… just for her.

“Oh, it wasn’t a big deal,” Yan Yiyun said, waving her hand. She didn’t catch the deeper meaning in Qi Zhen’s words at all. Feeling cheerful, she happily ate the tamagoyaki. “It was just a little help. Besides, the microwave still isn’t fixed—that’s on me for mismanaging things.”

She took the blame easily, even though something like the microwave would’ve had to go through multiple levels before ever reaching her. Qi Zhen saw through it, but didn’t call her out—just smiled and kept eating.

Yan Yiyun had asked Auntie Li to make the stir-fried beef with chili peppers again—her signature dish. Years ago, Auntie Li had gotten hired into the Yan household by winning over the family with this very dish, beating out over a dozen other candidates. She’d now worked with them for over twenty years.

Just like yesterday, Yan Yiyun scooped some beef onto Qi Zhen’s rice, mixing it in warmly. “This is Auntie Li’s specialty—everyone who eats it says it’s amazing. Tastes best when mixed into rice.”

Qi Zhen felt a little conflicted. Her stomach had been acting up lately, and just the sight of the chili oil-soaked beef and rice made her hesitate.

It did look delicious. The rice glistened with a coat of red oil, the beef was fragrant and tender, and just imagining the taste made her mouth water. She could already tell it would be spicy, rich, and absolutely addicting.

But… if she ate this, she might end up at the hospital later for her stomach.

Yan Yiyun looked at her expectantly, recalling how Qi Zhen had praised the fish rice yesterday. Convinced that Qi Zhen would love today’s lunch too, she beamed, “Try it! I asked Auntie Li to make it especially for you.”

Qi Zhen sighed internally. Since she’d said it was made especially for her, how could she refuse?

She cautiously took a bite—and as expected, it was delicious. The spice wasn’t just hot, it was fragrant. The beef blended with the rice beautifully. After just one bite, Qi Zhen gave up resisting and kept eating. It was that good, and she didn’t want to let Yan Yiyun down.

Seeing Qi Zhen enjoy the food made Yan Yiyun genuinely happy.

She herself didn’t mix her rice with the beef—instead, she sampled Qi Zhen’s sweet and sour ribs.

She had originally thought that Qi Zhen’s mother’s cooking was quite good. But after tasting Qi Zhen’s tamagoyaki, the ribs paled in comparison.

Still, the ribs were well made—tender meat with a crispy golden crust, glazed in a thin layer of tangy-sweet sauce. After two pieces, she reached for the greens Qi Zhen had brought. It was cabbage simmered in rib broth.

“Hmm,” she muttered. “Is this for the umami?”

She glanced at Qi Zhen’s soup. It was indeed rib soup.

And then it clicked. It wasn’t some special cooking technique—it was just… saving effort.

She swapped their bowls, pushing hers over and pulling Qi Zhen’s rib soup toward herself, declaring shamelessly: “I want the rib soup today!”

Qi Zhen was sipping the soup to soothe her stomach from the spice. She didn’t really care which soup it was. If Yan Yiyun wanted it, she could have it.

She nodded and pushed the bowl over. “If you want it, go ahead.”

She thought Yan Yiyun’s soup must be some weird herbal brew. But after tasting it, she realized—
It’s abalone chicken soup.

Auntie Li never left ingredients in the soup; it was always clear and golden, rich with flavor. Qi Zhen took another sip and thought, This woman really does have a picky palate.

After they finished eating, as usual, Yan Yiyun began planning for the next meal.

As Qi Zhen packed up her lunchbox and prepared to leave, Yan Yiyun said casually, “Same time tomorrow! I’ll ask Auntie Li to make wild mushroom stir-fried chicken.”

“Please thank Auntie Li for me,” Qi Zhen paused and smiled, “but there’s really no need to go to all that trouble. My mom said she’s busy tomorrow, so I’ll just eat in the cafeteria.”

Yan Yiyun didn’t think much of it. “Then I’ll ask Auntie Li to make two portions—you can just eat with me. Why eat cafeteria food? Their braised pork barely has any meat.”

Qi Zhen smiled wryly. She’s really adorably clueless, she thought. I turned her down so obviously, and she still didn’t get it?

Left with no choice, she had to be more direct. She lowered her head slightly, still smiling, and said:

“Really, there’s no need. I’ve been pretty busy lately, and the cafeteria is quicker.”