She Wants to Divorce Me

Chapter 35

Fresh events occurred daily on Weibo, each quickly replaced by the next. As the New Year approached, everywhere was bustling with festivity, even negative news decreased, perhaps due to an innate reverence for this season. However, just as countless employees awaited their year-end bonuses to return home for the holidays, news of Huahan Media's change in ownership exploded like a bomb in the crowd. After the initial shock, people who had been calm for a long time once again fell into an inexplicable frenzy.

Many people gathered at Huahan Media's headquarters, with nearly all reporters trying to unearth major stories. This timing was ideal for going on dates without the need to be secretive. Their relationship as wives was legitimate, so even if they were photographed together, it shouldn't have mattered. However, those unethical pens couldn't resist, dissecting every little detail as if doing a reading comprehension exercise, ultimately circling back to the rumor that their relationship was fake and they had already divorced.

Ji Yaoguang couldn't forget the delicacies from the small alley, always wanting to sneak off to "Spring Banquet" to learn secretly and then show off to Chang Yu at home. This time, the usually quiet place was suddenly flooded with people, frightening Ji Yaoguang into pulling Chang Yu's hand and running into various nooks and crannies. Fortunately, she had a backup plan, pulling sunglasses from her coat pocket and wearing them with a smug smile. Ji Yaoguang ran a few steps forward, suddenly turned around with her hands raised, and snapped her fingers at Chang Yu, who had paused in place.

Chang Yu shook her head and chuckled softly. She walked a few steps to Ji Yaoguang's side, her expression under the sunglasses showing some hesitation before finally reaching out to link arms with Ji Yaoguang. Surprised by Chang Yu's sudden embrace, Ji Yaoguang paused momentarily, then couldn't hide her wild joy, her inner self exploding like fireworks, spinning and jumping non-stop. The sweet feeling was like first love, as if returning to their youth. Tilting her head to look at Chang Yu's profile, she somewhat disliked those large sunglasses. If only they could both be invisible to other fans, they could enjoy themselves freely while maintaining privacy.

The busiest place in the alley was a restaurant called "Heart at Peace," while "Spring Banquet" across the street was quiet, with almost no customers. Even passersby would point and whisper, muttering who knows what. When Ji Yaoguang and Chang Yu entered again, they found that more than half of the staff had been cut, and there wasn't a single customer inside. Only a woman of about thirty sat reading in a sunny spot. When she heard footsteps, she suddenly looked up, her eyes flashing with joy before dimming again. In her eyes, Chang Yu and Ji Yaoguang's attire made them look more like customers.

The woman stood up, pointing across the street and said, "You must be here because of the hype? The person who's popular on the live stream is An Muyu across the street."

Ji Yaoguang raised an eyebrow. Despite the woman's pale complexion, there was a resilient vitality in her, and her eyes concealed too many emotions to discern. She removed her sunglasses, shook her head at the woman, and said with a faint smile, "We haven't come to the wrong place. We're here for 'Spring Banquet.' We tasted it once before and couldn't forget it."

Joy blossomed on the woman's face, like a flower silently blooming in the sunlight. She lowered her head, seeming even more shy than the customers, and after giving Ji Yaoguang a grateful look, she called out "Xiao Zhao" in another direction. A young girl ran out and led Chang Yu and Ji Yaoguang upstairs to a well-lit area. The chairs were neatly arranged, and the clean tables were spotless—it seemed like they hadn't had customers in a long time.

At the end of the year, when everyone was busy with gatherings and parties, it was strange that while the restaurant across the street was bustling with long queues, this place was so quiet it seemed like another world. Yet "Spring Banquet's" dishes were of good quality and taste.

Zhao Xi, who had led them upstairs, was a restless character. Seeing the confusion on Ji Yaoguang's face, and perhaps because they were the only customers in days who hadn't come for "Heart at Peace," she couldn't help but chatter, "The owner across the street is trendier. She does food live streams, and with her gentle and pretty face, she's won a lot of fans. Of course, the key is that she has many friends. Unlike our boss who's so reclusive, with no relatives or friends to speak up for her when she's bullied. Those so-called top singers and actresses, a whole bunch of people helping that woman promote, getting so many benefits without spending a penny. If I said I wasn't jealous, that would definitely be a lie. But our boss is truly kind, without a word of complaint, even though many things—"

"Zhao Xi."

The girl's words were interrupted. The owner, carrying a tea tray, came up and smiled apologetically at Ji Yaoguang and Chang Yu, "Don't listen to this child's nonsense, it's nothing."

"It's not nonsense!" Zhao Xi, having rarely found listeners, argued defiantly, "Just look at what that woman said in a food interview program? Even Lu Yusheng helped her repost it, really aiding the wicked! We don't have celebrity friends, we're nobodies and can't compare, so we're empty without a single customer, probably about to close down!"

"Have you forgotten what I told you?" the owner frowned, but her tone remained gentle as always, as if even the end of the world couldn't disturb her calm. Zhao Xi, naturally unafraid of her gentle boss, made a face and laughed, "I know, I know, just go with the flow, right? I know I should be a zen girl."

The owner rubbed her forehead helplessly, then turned with a gentle smile and said, "I'm sorry for disturbing you. Have you decided on your order?"

"We'll have the Bohua Gong and Shanhai Geng, with a jar of peach blossom wine," Chang Yu pointed at the menu and said softly. She added, "The alcohol content of this wine isn't high, is it? Maybe we should change to sweet wine." She didn't mind for herself, but worried that Ji Yaoguang might become intoxicated after just a few cups.

"Alright," the owner smiled gently, marked a few items on the menu, and went downstairs with Zhao Xi to busy themselves in the kitchen. An antique-style menu was left on the table, with very classical dish names. One could only guess what they might be based on the names and pictures. After the owner and Zhao Xi left, Chang Yu suddenly realized that they had been standing there waiting for her to order, probably ready to answer any questions about the menu.

"I think I know why it's so quiet here," Ji Yaoguang rested her chin on her hand and said lazily. The laughter and chatter from the restaurant across the street drifted in on the wind. The quietness amidst the bustle wasn't bad for them, but for the restaurant owners, it must be quite desolate.

"Oh? What's the reason?" Although Zhao Xi had already explained plenty, Chang Yu still asked, following Ji Yaoguang's lead.

"If you don't have some knowledge, you wouldn't dare enter this restaurant for fear of feeling inferior," Ji Yaoguang laughed and said, "Look at these poetic names. If you haven't read some books, how could you understand them?"

"The so-called Bohua Gong is actually just today's hot pot, isn't it? The ancients were more romantic. An old book records that someone picked up a rabbit in the mountains but unfortunately didn't have a chef with him. Guess what he did in the end? He lit a stove, used wine sauce, chili, and thin slices of pear as dipping sauces, and cooked the meat. Someone even wrote a poem about it: 'Waves surge in the clear river like snow, wind turns the evening glow.' The Shanhai Geng we ordered is essentially a 'shrimp, fish, bamboo shoot, and fern soup.' You take some tender bamboo shoots and ferns, pass them through the soup, then steam chunks of boneless fish and shrimp wrapped in soup, add oil, salt, sauce, and pepper for seasoning, put in some noodles, and steam it all together," Ji Yaoguang explained animatedly.

"Mm," Chang Yu held back a smile, finding this enthusiastic Ji Yaoguang particularly adorable. "Seeing you explain it so well, could you be a chef now?"

Mentioning this, Ji Yaoguang became a bit resentful. She glanced at Chang Yu and said, "My cooking skills are actually not bad, I just haven't had the chance to show them." For actors, physique is crucial, and at home, Chang Yu controlled their diet quite strictly. As for herself, she had gradually lost her way in the entertainment circle, slowly losing that impulse to cook for her partner.

"Mm, it's my fault," Chang Yu nodded, the corners of her lips curling into a faint smile. "When we get home, I'll give you a chance to show off." A considerable portion of the books in the study were odd volumes Ji Yaoguang had found, including many cookbooks. Chang Yu herself had absolutely no interest in this area. But could those ancient recipes really be recreated? She had tasted some home-cooked meals by Ji Yaoguang, which were indeed good, but she remained skeptical about those ancient methods. For instance, that failed jar of wine buried under a tree during their university years. Her own hobby was tinkering with small wooden crafts, while Ji Yaoguang immersed herself in these strange recipes.

From Chang Yu's expression, Ji Yaoguang could see what she was thinking, and also recalled an old incident. When she got a recipe for green plum wine, she had dragged Chang Yu to cancel all their plans and excitedly run to an orchard to personally select and pick green plums. The process was joyful; she still remembered the clothes torn by crooked branches—of course, the final result need not be mentioned. Afterwards, she secretly tried several times on her own and finally succeeded. However, the result of getting drunk on one glass was Chang Yu forbidding her from touching alcohol again.