Chapter 16: A Change of Face
“Focus,” Jiang Zhiyun interrupted her impatiently.
“The point is, a few days ago, my little granddaughter happened to watch a variety show called ‘Super Dad Transformation’...”
Hearing the name of the show, Jiang Zhiyun’s eyelid twitched inexplicably.
“She saw that there was a dad on the show who cooked exceptionally well and told Old Master Lin about it.”
“Unexpectedly, Old Master Lin became obsessed with the idea. He said that before he dies, he wants to have a meal of the dishes cooked on that show.”
“He even declared that whoever helps fulfill this wish will receive the cooperation intention letter for the ‘Galaxy Bay’ project!”
Assistant Zhang’s tone was full of helplessness and absurdity. “President Jiang, this is simply a fantasy! We’ve investigated — the dad’s name is Chen Yu, just an ordinary person, and the production team has kept his information very well protected. We can’t find him at all.”
“The Lin Group has also caught wind of this and is mobilizing all their networks to search for this Chen Yu throughout the city. President Jiang, what do you suggest we do?”
On the other end, Assistant Zhang anxiously continued analyzing the situation, while Jiang Zhiyun on this side was utterly stunned.
She stood alone in the empty corridor, her mind blank.
‘Super Dad Transformation’...
A dad who cooks delicious food...
An ordinary person...
Named... Chen Yu?
The mysterious dad who holds the key to a multi-billion project, whom all competitors are desperate to find...
Isn’t he...
Her very own contract husband — the one currently working out at home, whom she “keeps” with a monthly salary of a hundred thousand?
This world is absurd beyond belief.
A mix of laughter and tears welled up in her heart.
She had schemed and toiled through countless sleepless nights, prepared thick stacks of proposals, ready to fight the Lin Group to the death at the bidding meeting.
Yet in the end, the deciding factor is apparently a single meal cooked by her “useless” husband?
“President Jiang? Are you still there?”
Assistant Zhang’s voice on the phone showed concern after a long silence.
Jiang Zhiyun took a deep breath.
Her mind raced.
The Lin Group is looking for Chen Yu.
Other competitors are searching for Chen Yu.
And Chen Yu is right here in her house — legally her husband.
This is... a godsend!
“I understand,” she said.
“I have a plan.”
“Ah?” Assistant Zhang was completely dumbfounded. “A plan? So soon? President Jiang, what plan? What do you need me to do?”
To her, this was nearly a dead end.
Searching for a deliberately concealed ordinary person across the entire city was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Even the Lin Group, with their vast connections, had no leads. How could President Jiang come up with a solution so quickly?
Yet Jiang Zhiyun gave no explanation.
“You don’t need to do anything. Wait for my news.”
Without another word, she decisively hung up.
Assistant Zhang, holding the phone now buzzing with a busy signal, was left baffled and confused.
...
At the Jiang family villa.
Chen Yu had just finished a set of sit-ups and was lying on the floor, gasping for breath.
Sweat soaked his hair, giving him a somewhat disheveled kind of sexiness.
At that moment, the phone tossed onto the sofa suddenly rang at an inconvenient time.
He clicked his tongue irritably, initially refusing to answer. But the ringtone persisted, ringing over and over.
Reluctantly, he got up and picked up the phone.
The screen flashed two words: Jiang Zhiyun.
What does this woman want now?
Frowning, Chen Yu swiped to answer.
He was too lazy to say anything, simply putting the phone to his ear, waiting for her to speak first.
But the voice on the other end made every hair on his body stand on end.
“Deaaar~ hubby~~”
The voice was sickeningly sweet, so coquettish it made his scalp tingle, each word dipped in honey and then coated in cream, winding sinuously into his ear.
Chen Yu shuddered violently, nearly throwing the phone across the room.
He glanced fearfully at the screen to confirm it really said “Jiang Zhiyun,” not some prank or wrong number.
What the hell!
Has this ice queen CEO been possessed or taken some bad medicine?
No good deed goes unpunished! If this woman is suddenly speaking to him this way, it’s definitely trouble!
An internal alarm blared in Chen Yu’s mind.
He instinctively looked at Nian Nian not far away; the little girl was still immersed in her book, completely unaware of what was happening.
He certainly didn’t want his daughter to hear her ice-faced mother acting like this.
Chen Yu immediately gripped the phone and sneakily slipped into the empty room nearby, then clicked the door locked behind him.
His furtive behavior was, of course, faithfully captured by the live streaming camera.
That sickly sweet “hubby” had been caught by the sensitive microphone despite its softness.
The live chat exploded instantly.
[!!!! What did I just hear?! Am I hallucinating?!]
[Hubby?! Which woman called him hubby?! That voice... it’s so intoxicating!]
[Wait, guys, this voice sounds familiar... Is it some actress?]
[Stop guessing, no matter which actress it is, the fact that the male lead hides away to answer the call means it’s serious!]
[Aww, the way he answered the phone is so cute, like a sneaky little kitten.]
Viewers frantically speculated about the identity of the woman on the other end, guessing every popular actress and internet celebrity — yet no one linked that voice to the ruthless, “ice queen” CEO of the Jiang Group.
Inside the room, Chen Yu leaned against the door, took a deep breath, and lowered his voice to speak irritably into the phone.
“Jiang Zhiyun, what kind of madness is this? Speak normally!”
On the other end, Jiang Zhiyun seemed momentarily choked up, silent for two seconds.
When she spoke again, her tone had returned to normal but still carried a trace of unnatural softness, deliberately softened.
“Ahem... it’s like this. I have a business friend whose father... well, he’s dying soon.”
Chen Yu frowned. “His dad’s dying, and you’re telling me this? Want me to attend the funeral? I’m not a professional, that’ll cost extra.”
“No!” Jiang Zhiyun was nearly suffocated by his words, barely restraining her urge to curse, patiently explaining, “His father has only one last wish before he dies — to eat a meal cooked by you.”
“A meal cooked by me?” Chen Yu was momentarily stunned, then sneered. “What a joke. I’m your husband, not your chef. If he wants to eat, go to a restaurant.”