novelraw Chapter 184 : Staying Overnight (1)
Chapter 184 : Staying Overnight (1)
Chapter 184: Staying Overnight (1)
You already hit me, and now you’re coming over to rub salt in my wound?
What “sending red flower oil” and “having dinner together,” he wouldn’t believe that nonsense even if he were beaten to death.
The most crucial thing was — you even ran into the Rushuang Empress! Couldn’t the two of you masters go upstairs to duel or something? Why did you have to drag an innocent bystander like him into this mess?
In the kitchen, Lin Mo tied on an apron, chopping knife in his left hand and spatula in his right, busy as could be. Normally, in this kind of situation where guests came over, it would have been fine to eat out. But since Mrs. Zhao had brought her own groceries,
he had no choice but to show off a little. Though he could only make chicken dishes, he made them well—on the level of a state banquet chef.
Class Monitor Wang Jing and her roommate He Xiaoyue hadn’t been lucky enough to taste it before, but tonight the Rushuang Empress and Mrs. Zhao got to enjoy his skills.
“You actually know how to cook? Your sister never mentioned that!” From the kitchen doorway, Liu Rushuang looked at Lin Mo skillfully stir-frying inside, unable to help exclaiming in surprise.
The waves of rich aroma drifting from the kitchen made her beautiful eyes shine. In her gaze, Lin Mo, who was cooking seriously, seemed to be glowing all over.
It wasn’t that cooking made a man more attractive or handsome—rather, the Rushuang Empress had just unlocked another new “skin” of his.
Previously, it had been “Doctor Lin in a white coat.” Now it was “Chef Lin in an apron.”
As a die-hard “skin” enthusiast, Liu Rushuang found that this little man’s disguises seemed endless. Peel off one, and another appeared underneath.
At first, she’d thought of him only as her good friend’s younger brother. Later, he became an employee of her company. Then she discovered he was a university student. After that, a doctor. And now, a chef had appeared too. It was hard to imagine one man could surprise her so many times, each new identity making her heart flutter anew.
“My cousin still doesn’t know that I can do massage therapy. Didn’t you enjoy it too?” As he spoke, Lin Mo skillfully finished a plate of Kung Pao Chicken, handed it to Liu Rushuang at the door, and motioned for her to carry it out.
“True enough, but that apron of yours is a bit lacking in style,” Liu Rushuang said as she took the plate, glancing him up and down.
Hearing that, Lin Mo, while washing the wok, said casually, “This is just a regular apron, bought from the supermarket. What? The rich wear aprons with gold trim or something?”
Though he had a bit of money now, he’d never lived a rich man’s life, so he couldn’t imagine what kind of luxurious lifestyle someone like the Rushuang Empress, a wealthy heiress, had enjoyed since childhood.
He’d even seen online that the electric wires in rich people’s homes were made of pure gold—maybe that was what being rich was like. Perhaps even their toilets were gold.
“Go to hell! Your family’s aprons are the ones with gold trim! Sure, your big sister here’s got a bit of money, but I’m not stupid. What I meant was—next time you wear an apron, try taking off the clothes underneath, just wear the apron alone. That’d be so sexy!” Liu Rushuang said, swallowing a little as she turned, plate in hand, to head to the dining table.
Lin Mo: ???
Hearing that, he imagined it for half a second—himself naked, wearing only an apron—and immediately shook his head violently. “Damn, that’s perverted!”
He truly couldn’t understand Liu Rushuang’s so-called “uniform fetish.” It was as if each new “skin” of his triggered some switch inside her, making her unusually excited every time.
Soon, Lin Mo came out carrying the last dish—chicken and mushroom soup.
“Come on, dinner’s ready. Sorry to keep you waiting,” Lin Mo said, beckoning the two women.
Tonight, he’d made four dishes in total: Kung Pao Chicken, Cola Chicken Wings, Stir-fried Tomato and Egg, and Fresh Mushroom Chicken Soup. Add Mrs. Zhao’s braised prawns and cold marinated pig ears, and there were six dishes—plenty for three people.
“Wow, it smells amazing, little brother! So good! I swear, I’ve really struck gold with you. Mua~ Love you!” Liu Rushuang sniffed the air, praising repeatedly.
One had to admit, when it came to emotional value, Liu Rushuang gave it in full. Lin Mo knew perfectly well that she was probably putting on an act because Mrs. Zhao was present, yet he still couldn’t stop grinning from ear to ear.
Truly, there was a reason why men liked “green tea” women. And Liu Rushuang—she was the founder of the green tea sect.
Say what you would—her looks already had that teasing charm, and when combined with that sweet, coaxing tone of hers, what man could resist? Even Lin Mo, who thought he was mentally prepared, almost melted into a puddle.
“Come on, sit down, try it!” Lin Mo said with a laugh, inviting the two women.
Mrs. Zhao nodded. To be honest, she still felt a bit awkward. She hadn’t expected to run into Liu Rushuang tonight. Originally, she’d planned to share a drink with Lin Mo after what happened during the day—maybe even enjoy some pleasant “accidents.”
For that reason, she’d even swapped into a low-cut camisole before coming. Yet she’d walked straight into the lion’s den—his girlfriend was here! That made her position very awkward.
“Didn’t expect you to be this good at cooking. Seems like I’ve benefited from Rushuang’s presence today,” Mrs. Zhao said, her tone a little uneasy, though she hid it well.
But Liu Rushuang still sensed something off, and laughed softly. “Even if I weren’t here, my little brother would still take good care of you. Little brother, serve me some rice.”
As she said that, she passed her bowl over. Lin Mo took it and went to the kitchen, while Liu Rushuang’s lips curved upward.
Soon, the three began to eat. Once the two women tasted his dishes, they froze for a second—because the food was much better than they’d imagined.
Especially the Kung Pao Chicken and Mushroom Chicken Soup—both were bursting with flavor. The two women, who’d planned to chat, instead found themselves too busy eating to talk.
“Seriously, little brother, with skills like this you could open your own restaurant! Want me to invest in you? You pick the location—if it loses money, I’ll cover it. Think of it as me supporting my little boyfriend’s startup, hmm?” Liu Rushuang said after sipping her soup, her face full of satisfaction.
Lin Mo said, “You’re not just being greedy, are you? Want me to cook for you all the time?”
Before he could finish, Liu Rushuang stomped on his foot under the table. “What, you don’t want to? Tough luck. Whenever I come over, you’re cooking!”
As a wealthy woman, Liu Rushuang had eaten all sorts of fine food. Yet even so, Lin Mo’s cooking stood apart—it was in a league of its own.
A state banquet chef’s skill was terrifying—far beyond ordinary cooks. And even someone as rich as Liu Rushuang couldn’t have a state banquet chef cook for her every day. It wasn’t that she couldn’t afford it—it was simply unnecessary.
Watching the two of them bicker playfully, Mrs. Zhao almost laughed, but when she thought about it again—those two, one was the man she liked, the other her love rival—suddenly, even delicious food didn’t taste so good anymore.
So Mrs. Zhao suggested having a few drinks, which Liu Rushuang readily agreed to.
“Come on, Yuanyuan. Didn’t expect you to live here too—what a coincidence! Let’s have a drink. My little man here has a terrible tolerance; just a little and he’s drunk.” Liu Rushuang took the canned beers Mrs. Zhao had bought and smiled.
“You’re drinking? Then how are you going to drive later?” Mrs. Zhao asked.
Liu Rushuang laughed. “Of course I’m staying the night—at my boyfriend’s place. I’ve been drinking, so I can’t drive. I’ll head home tomorrow.”
Hearing that, Mrs. Zhao nodded, and the two began drinking together.
Lin Mo sat nearby, completely confused—but one thing was clear: Liu Rushuang was staying the night? You’re kidding. Stay the night? Where exactly?
Before long, the two women had finished off two packs of beer. Lin Mo offered to go downstairs to buy more, but Mrs. Zhao refused.
The three then sat on the couch chatting.
“By the way, are your two friends okay? Especially that chubby one,” Mrs. Zhao asked.
Lin Mo waved his hand. “They’re fine. We went to my teacher’s house this afternoon. If you hadn’t come, I was going to settle accounts with them myself.”
“What happened this afternoon?” Liu Rushuang asked curiously.
So Lin Mo briefly recounted what had happened. After listening, Liu Rushuang couldn’t stop laughing. “Yuanyuan, you really misunderstood him. I’ve met that friend of his—after putting on makeup, she’s prettier than me! Good thing my little brother moved out, or even I’d start feeling insecure.”
“Yeah, I realized later. But that chubby roommate of his—either he’s got zero emotional intelligence or just can’t control his mouth. When I left, he called me ‘Officer Auntie’ twice! I was livid,” Mrs. Zhao said, still fuming at the memory.
Hearing that, Lin Mo chuckled. “Don’t worry. He’s not rude—just brainless. Didn’t today make that obvious enough?
But really, you hit me, not him! My teacher checked my pulse today and asked if I’d been punched in the chest by a strong man.
I said it was a woman—he didn’t believe me! My teacher’s a famous traditional Chinese doctor in our city. So just imagine how hard your punch was!”
Mrs. Zhao looked embarrassed. “I lost control for a second, sorry! Got caught up in my emotions. Are you okay though?”
Liu Rushuang had been laughing when she heard that the doctor thought a man had punched him. Then she suddenly realized, “Right! What did your teacher say? Is it serious?”
Lin Mo shook his head. “Nothing serious. If it were, my teacher would’ve said something.”
“That won’t do. Let me take a look. Oh right, Yuanyuan brought a bottle of red flower oil. I’ll rub some on you.” As she spoke, Liu Rushuang began lifting his shirt.
“Hey hey, what are you doing? There’s someone here!” Lin Mo protested.
Liu Rushuang punched him lightly and said teasingly, “Who cares? It’s just the two of us. I don’t mind if she looks; what are you so shy about? Come on!”
With that, she lifted his T-shirt up, revealing a red mark on his chest. It wasn’t swollen, but still quite visible.
Liu Rushuang immediately turned, glaring at Mrs. Zhao. “Why did you hit him that hard? Didn’t you say you held back?”
“I—I didn’t think he was that fragile! His roommate took two kicks and a punch from me and was fine,” Mrs. Zhao said, embarrassed.
Liu Rushuang snorted, pushed Lin Mo back against the couch, poured some red flower oil into her hand, and began massaging it into his chest.
The position was very suggestive, making Mrs. Zhao squirm uncomfortably, feeling as if she were being cheated on right in front of her eyes.
Fine then. You’re really going to do this in front of me? Flirting right before my eyes? Do you take me for a cuckold?
Mrs. Zhao stood abruptly and said, “Ahem, well… since that’s the case, I’ll get going. You two clearly have things to… handle. I’ll leave you be!”
She had already felt awkward running into Liu Rushuang earlier, and now after being force-fed this show of affection, she just couldn’t take it anymore.
“Huh? Leaving already? Stay a bit longer—there’s nothing to do here anyway,” Liu Rushuang said casually, though her hands didn’t stop moving. It was obvious she was doing this deliberately to provoke Mrs. Zhao.
She herself didn’t even know why. The moment she saw Mrs. Zhao knocking on Lin Mo’s door tonight, a strange little feeling welled up inside her.
So from the moment Lin Mo came in, she’d been subtly emphasizing her identity through every word and gesture.
“No, no, it’s late already. I have work tomorrow. You two should rest early,” Mrs. Zhao said, standing up.
Seeing that, Lin Mo was about to say something, but Liu Rushuang shot him a glare and pressed a finger to his chest, signaling him not to move. She then got up to walk Mrs. Zhao to the elevator herself.
Bang!
When Liu Rushuang came back, she slammed the door shut. Gone was her earlier gentleness—her eyes were sharp, her voice cold. “Not bad, little brother. It’s only been a few days, and you already have a beautiful policewoman showing up to invite you to dinner?”
Lin Mo: ???
“How do you figure she came just to have dinner? She was here to apologize! I got hit, remember?
And what’s with that ‘caught cheating’ look in your eyes? I was just helping out—why does it suddenly feel like I did something wrong?”
Hearing that, Liu Rushuang pulled off her socks and tossed them at him, teasing, “You’re the one managing me now? I do what I want! Hurry up, wash these socks for me. I’m going to take a shower!”
Lin Mo was startled. “Wait—you’re serious?”
“Of course! Look at the time. And I’ve been drinking—where else would I stay? You want me to drink and drive home?” Liu Rushuang said matter-of-factly, heading straight into his bedroom to grab pajamas.
Lin Mo: …
“Hey—wait, that’s not right, that’s not right!“