Ruan Jiu Jiu remembered this plot detail because from beginning to end the entire novel was sweet and fluffy, with pretty much zero bumps in the road. There was only the brief section when the male lead encountered a setback. The author didn’t actually go into much detail, but this made Ruan Jiu Jiu truly able to feel the male lead’s pain.
An esports player’s career was short-lived, and those in the industry were often young. Though Gu You had the skills, he didn’t have the luck. There were a couple times when he was about to finally hit success before unfortunately running into a wall, like Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo.
This time was the worst setback yet.
If Ruan Jiu Jiu recalled correctly, Gu You happened to pass by a robbery and heroically jumped in. He ended up injuring his hand, and it would take at least a few months to heal.
To him, this was none other than a disaster that had befallen an innocent Samaritan.
Fortunately, the female lead Xu Bi Ying stood by his side with words of encouragement. In his darkest moments, she gave him warmth and light. It was at then that Gu You truly fell in love with the female lead. What followed was a sudden reversal of luck. He quickly ascended in his career and married the female lead.
After two lovey-dovey years of marriage, Gu You retired from esports and took a position behind the scenes, becoming one of Jiacheng’s capable assistants.
When Ruan Jiu Jiu had transmigrated, she had forgotten this detail. At that time, she had been pulling an all-nighter reading the book and only occupied herself with roasting the book’s braindead logic and ridiculous views. Who knew that once she opened her eyes again, she found herself transmigrated into the book.
Tu Nan’s expression was very solemn.
He expressed his understanding with an “Mhm”, and then continued to ask Gu You what his current situation was. After telling him to relax and just properly recover, making sure not to injure his hand again, Tu Nan finally hung up.
“Sis-… Um, let’s go. The driver is waiting in the garage for you. It just so happens that I’m able to send you back.”
Ruan Jiu Jiu silently sighed in her heart.
No matter how problematic Xu Bi Ying was, she still was the cure Gu You needed at this moment. Ruan Jiu Jiu could only hope that she would help Gu You quickly return to normal.
Ruan Jiu Jiu followed behind Tu Nan. A few programmers they passed by stopped to stare with shiny eyes. But they very quickly realized that their CEO’s expression was sterner than usual, and so they didn’t dare act brashly. Thus, Ruan Jiu Jiu was able to return home without being harrassed.
She pushed open the door. The living room was dark and the lights weren’t on. She guessed that Cheng Jun had probably gone to sleep.
Ruan Jiu Jiu quietly changed her shoes and opened the lights. Suddenly, she yelped and staggered backwards.
“Why are you sitting on the sofa so quietly?!” She flustered.
The first thing she had seen was a man dressed all in black, sitting on the sofa. Ruan Jiu Jiu’s hairs stood on end and goosebumps popped out all over her. She had almost chucked a house slipper at him.
Compared to her fright, Cheng Jun was very calm.
He lay against the sofa motionlessly, like a serene couch potato. His eyes weren’t even closed as he stared straight ahead at the opposite wall like a puppet.
Ruan Jiu Jiu ventured, “…What are you doing?”
He’d really scare the wits out of people like that.
Cheng Jun’s voice faintly floated over. “Fasting.”
Ruan Jiu Jiu, “?”
He continued in his faint voice. “I fasted a bit and fainted in hunger”
Ruan Jiu Jiu really hoped that Cheng Jun would fast successfully so he could ascend to the heavens to be an immortal.
Master chef Ruan Jiu Jiu successfully whipped up poached eggs and noodles, and brought the mortal Cheng Jun back to life. She looked at Cheng Jun eating his noodles and suddenly realized that ever since she started cooking, this bastard apparently lost all interest in junk food and started to spend all day waiting to be fed.
This sort of I-don’t-even-have-to-lift-a-finger-and-the-goods-will-come feeling was unacceptable.
Ruan Jiu Jiu earnestly scolded, “You can’t always expect me to cook! What if one day I’m not here anymore? You have to learn to take care of yourself.”
Later on, there’d be too many unknown factors. Who knows? Maybe one day she’ll open her eyes and discover that she returned to her original world. By then, Cheng Jun wouldn’t be able to find her even if he wanted to.
When that thought crossed her mind, Ruan Jiu Jiu suddenly grew melancholic. She discovered that she was liking this world more and more.
Cheng Jun’s motions of eating noodles paused for a moment.
He unhurriedly said, “That won’t happen.”
Ruan Jiu Jiu snapped back to reality and said, “Huh? What won’t happen?”
Cheng Jun continued to bury his head in the bowl of noodles and didn’t reply to her question.
Ruan Jiu Jiu thought that sometimes she really couldn’t tell what Cheng Jun was thinking. She wasn’t sure if he was just acting dumb or if he really was smart. His words always seemed to come out of nowhere.
One day’s work had thoroughly exhausted her. By the time she got home, Ruan Jiu Jiu already felt sleepy. Rubbing her eyes, she told Cheng Jun to hurry up and eat faster so they could sleep earlier, and then went by herself to wash up in the bathroom. Before long, the splashing sound of water came out as the shower was turned on, and only then was the cold stillness of the house finally replaced with some liveliness.
The next day, Ruan Jiu Jiu got up very early.
Moving quietly, she quickly prepared two servings of food and arranged them into two separate lunchboxes. One was for her to take to work, and the other was placed into a conspicuous spot in the fridge.
When she glanced up and noticed that she was already running late, she immediately rushed out the door to catch a taxi.
At noon, when Cheng Jun finished up his work in the study, he got up from his chair. He was still dressed in his pajamas. Slowly, with a feeling of fatigue, he turned and walked to the fridge and habitually took out a bottle of milk to drink.
When he opened the fridge door, he was immediately struck by the sight of a neatly prepared meal.
He slowly let out a sound of surprise and opened the lid. Inside, the container was stuffed to the brim with rice, veggies and meat. There was even an extra egg for him, sliced into halves.
For the first time in his life, Cheng Jun hesitated.
Just at this time, his phone buzzed. It was a Wechat message from Ruan Jiu Jiu.
Ruan Jiu Jiu: I forgot to tell you, make absolutely absolutely sure that you heat the food up first in the microwave!
“…”
He stared at his phone with his head lowered. Half of his face was blocked by the fridge door, so it wasn’t clear what kind of look he had on his face.
……
Ruan Jiu Jiu, who had just begun her working lifestyle, speedily adapted to the atmosphere of the company. Unlike other companies that had clear divisions between the ranks, Tu Nan and the other big bosses here were extremely friendly to Ruan Jiu Jiu. According to Tu Nan, when their company first started it was just a few people who decided to collaborate together. It hadn’t been long since their small company grew to the size it was today, so they still thought of themselves as ordinary employees.
Plus, the bosses being so lively, engaging, and approachable, was also because they were still so young.
However, Ruan Jiu Jiu could clearly feel that they were extraordinarily interested in the boxed lunch she had in her hand.
“…” Ruan Jiu Jiu really wanted to cover her lunchbox as she ate.
It really was odd! What food hadn’t such a big boss eaten before, so why was he so interested in her lunchbox?
Tu Nan really just wanted to experience Sister-in-law’s cooking skills, but he was too scared to say so. Anyone just walking by might think that he was taking advantage of her. He forced down the feelings of increasing restlesness in his heart and silently ate his curry rice, feeling extremely envious of the boss’s dreamlike lifestyle.
Just look at those artfully arranged colors! That attention to nutrition! That heartwarming little lunchbox!
This was love that you couldn’t feel from a meal made by a nutritionist or famous chef, no matter how carefully it was prepared!
On this cold winter day, a single loner finally reached a heretofore unmatched level of misery.
Under Ruan Jiu Jiu’s blank stare, he paused in the middle of eating and inexplicably let out a deep sigh. How baffling.
Lately, work was really stressful. Luckily Ruan Jiu Jiu had a good foundation and her style just so happened to be in line with Jiacheng’s. Moreover, she was willing to work overtime every day. Tu Nan was originally worrying over how to handle matters but unexpectedly, Ruan Jiu Jiu turned out to be better than he had anticipated. Finally, he wouldn’t have to worry about progress being delayed.
“Not bad, not bad. It looks pretty good.”
Tu Nan looked at the designs and his eyes sparkled. Without holding back, he praised Ruan Jiu Jiu for the hundredth time. “If you continue like this, there will be no problems!”
Ruan Jiu Jiu was a bit embarrassed by the praise.
Out of her peripheral vision, she could see the crystal-clear blue skies through the window and she suddenly thought of Gu You.
Half a month had passed. She didn’t know how the romantic plotline between the male and female lead had progressed in this time.
At this time.
Xu Bi Ying was feeling really wronged.
From her last life till now, Gu You had never been so cold towards her. She had comforted and encouraged him, yet she didn’t reap much results. This made Xu Bi Ying doubt whether she had even done the right thing.
She thought, in her last life she took responsibilities for her actions, and in this life she would too.
Since she had chosen Gu You, she would walk this path to the end and definitely not abandon it halfway.
Gu You hadn’t left home for a few days. Xu Bi Ying was also out of her wits and didn’t know how to proceed. Her thoughts were jumbled. Reports from her past life describing the story of Gu You’s legendary ascent flashed in her mind.
She definitely remembered correctly. In the past life, Gu You had suffered serious damage at this time. This was the start of his ascent. He was a golden nugget that would definitely shine.
Ah, Jiacheng. It was a place like a dream.
Only
Upon thinking of Jiacheng and that city in which she had stayed for a few years, Xu Bi Ying thought of the face that had appeared in her dreams so many times, scaring her awake.
After being reborn, Xu Bi Ying vowed to never think about Cheng Jun again. This guy was nothing but a pretty face. Besides his looks, he was nothing. Comparing Gu You to him was like comparing Heaven and Earth. There was nothing for her to dwell on.
But the more she thought about it, the more she recalled her past life’s bitter memories.
She thought, according to her past life’s timeline, Cheng Jun should still be shacked up in that shoddy apartment of his that he couldn’t sell off, wasting away. His money had been whisked away by his ex-wife and he lived a life with no future, alone.
Xu Bi Ying really wanted to see his sorry self.
She suddenly felt a bit tempted.
People have a tendency to compare themselves to others. After seeing Cheng Jun’s destitute state, she’d feel all the more assured that her choice was the right one.
Why not… take a quick glance from afar? It’d help her cleanly cut off all hopes of her past life.
