Chapter Fifty-Four: Braised Spare Ribs and the Marriage Contract

When Xue Tian'ai noticed Qin Mengxue peeking at him through the crack of the door, he already knew she was there. Slicing green peppers, Xue Tian'ai shook his head in helpless amusement. Was this woman truly so hungry? He put down the knife, dusted off his hands, and walked straight to the kitchen door, pulling it open.

Qin Mengxue hadn’t expected this at all and was startled, jolting upright.

“Darling, what’s the matter? Hungry for dinner already?” Xue Tian'ai smiled at her, his eyes crinkling in mirth as he watched Qin Mengxue fumble in embarrassment.

“I just came to check if you’d started cooking. As a CEO, I have all the self-control required,” she replied, trying to sound composed, her gaze shifting evasively.

Yet Qin Mengxue inwardly chastised herself. How could she lose herself just watching Xue Tian'ai’s silhouette as he cooked? He was nothing more than a shameless scoundrel!

“Oh, so you came to sneak a look at me, did you?” Xue Tian'ai leaned lightly against the doorframe, one hand propping up his chin. The golden rims of his glasses caught the kitchen light as he paused, then teased, “Were you just thinking how devastatingly handsome your husband is?”

At this, Qin Mengxue flustered, her cheeks betraying a rosy hue and her eyes darting away. She had, for a fleeting moment, truly thought he looked handsome, but she mustered her composure.

“Handsome? Nonsense! I just came to see if you’d blown up the kitchen. Don’t get the wrong idea—nothing more than that!”

“Oh? Is that so? Then why did your eyes nearly glaze over just now? Was that my imagination?”

“You… You’re definitely imagining things! Since you haven’t set the kitchen on fire, I’ll just go back to the sofa…” Under Xue Tian'ai’s intense gaze, Qin Mengxue felt mortified, blurting out a string of hurried words before dashing back to the sofa.

Watching her scurry away, Xue Tian'ai couldn’t help but smile wryly. Sometimes, his wife was truly adorable.

Qin Mengxue, having fled to the sofa, seized a cushion and pressed it to her burning face.

That scoundrel! He was definitely making fun of her on purpose. Just wait—she’d find fault with his cooking and give him a piece of her mind!

But her behavior just now was so embarrassing! It wasn’t as though she’d never seen a good-looking man before. Why, then, had she been so mesmerized by Xue Tian'ai’s back?

Could it be that, now that she knew about their marriage certificate, her heart had begun to surrender? No, no, Qin Mengxue, this was just that lecher’s gentle trap—she mustn’t fall into it.

Besides, just think about it: today he’d dared to spank Su Jiaqi at work, flirt with other women in front of her, and when he came home, he reeked of alcohol and a faint trace of perfume—clearly, he’d been out drinking with other women!

So Xue Tian'ai was still the same shameless scoundrel, unchanged in the least.

As Qin Mengxue rolled about on the sofa, clutching her head and letting her thoughts run wild, the kitchen finally erupted with the clatter and sizzle of stir-frying, and a tantalizing aroma of meat began to waft through the apartment.

Even sprawled on the living room sofa, Qin Mengxue could smell the rich scent of meat. She sat up, hair in disarray, sniffing the air greedily as her stomach grumbled in betrayal, growling ever louder.

What on earth had that scoundrel cooked? Why did it smell so good? She’d only seen him chopping carrots and green peppers—where had this mouthwatering meat aroma come from?

At that moment, Qin Mengxue felt as though her stomach was being mercilessly gnawed by countless hunger-driven worms—utterly unbearable. She swallowed incessantly, her stomach growling ever more fiercely, fighting the urge to run back to the kitchen.

Just then, the sounds of stir-frying faded into silence. Soon after, Xue Tian'ai emerged from the kitchen, dishes in hand.

“Darling, dinner’s ready—come and eat!” Xue Tian'ai plopped into a chair, his appearance now restored to normal: golden glasses put away, the little ponytail gone without a trace.

At his words, Qin Mengxue sprang off the sofa like a coiled spring, storming over to the dining table.

When she saw the dishes laid out, her eyes lit up uncontrollably.

Two sets of cutlery, two bowls of white rice, and a platter of braised spare ribs. The ribs gleamed golden-red under the lights, lying serenely on a porcelain plate, garnished with green peppers and carrots. It was a feast for the eyes.

From the glossy, sauce-laden ribs, a faint wisp of steam curled upward, teasing Qin Mengxue’s senses with its intoxicating aroma.

“Just going to stare at the food without eating?” Xue Tian'ai chuckled. “If you’re not eating, I’ll have to help myself.” With that, he deftly picked up a rib and popped it into his mouth.

“You jerk!” Qin Mengxue stomped her foot in indignation. How could he start without her? First he’d eaten her instant noodles and drunk her milk, then promised to cook for her, but now he was the first to eat!

With a huff, Qin Mengxue sat across from Xue Tian'ai, grabbed her chopsticks, and stabbed a rib, bringing it to her lips for a fierce bite.

But with just that one bite, her eyes widened in delight.

The meat, crisp on the outside and tender within, fell apart at the slightest chew. The rich sauce blossomed across her tongue, happiness flooding her mouth with every bite.

Delicious—unbelievably delicious! This was, without a doubt, the best braised spare ribs she’d ever tasted. Not even the famed chefs of five-star restaurants could hold a candle to this.

In the face of such a feast, Qin Mengxue forgot all about her earlier resolve to nitpick and scold Xue Tian'ai. She dove in, chopsticks flying as she devoured rib after rib, all decorum forgotten.

Xue Tian'ai was momentarily stunned by this display. Was this really the ice-cold beauty, the dream woman of every man in Beiyang City? There was nothing of the aloof CEO in her manner now.

“Xue Tian'ai, why are you so good at cooking?” Qin Mengxue asked between mouthfuls. These ribs could only have been made by someone with professional skill.

“Of course I am! Who do you think I am? I’m a culinary genius! Isn’t my cooking amazing?” Xue Tian'ai grinned at her.

“Hmph, praise you a little and you’re over the moon. I’m only enjoying it because I was too hungry, that’s all. It’s nothing special.” Qin Mengxue mumbled, still chewing on a green pepper, not looking up as she reached for another rib.

“Darling, if you’re going to lie, could you at least stop eating for a moment? It would be more convincing.” “I—I’m not lying!” Qin Mengxue retorted, cheeks stuffed with food, glaring at him.

“But tell me, darling, why did you call me so urgently? I rushed back before even eating,” Xue Tian'ai asked, amused by her flustered face and the way her hands never stopped moving. But he couldn’t be bothered to argue further, choosing instead to change the subject.

“Hmph, I’m sure I interrupted your rendezvous with another woman,” Qin Mengxue muttered, not meeting his gaze, a cold snort on her lips.

Xue Tian'ai paused. Had she somehow found out about his latest indiscretion? “Darling, what are you saying? With such a beautiful wife at home, why would I look elsewhere?”

“Hmph!” she retorted with another snort, then seemed to recall something. She stood, returned to the sofa, rummaged through her bag, and pulled out a document before hurrying back to the table.

“See if there’s anything wrong with this. If not, sign the last page.” She tossed the document at him and resumed eating with satisfaction.

She’d originally told Xue Tian'ai to come home early tonight just for this, but his antics had nearly made her forget.

Xue Tian'ai stared in confusion. He’d thought she was about to storm out and refuse dinner, but before he could speak, she’d returned, thrusting a stack of A4 pages at him.

He picked up the document, shaking it. “Darling, what’s this?”

“A marriage contract.”

With the weight of both the Qin and Xue families pressing down, and having been secretly registered as married for three years already, Qin Mengxue had resigned herself to fate. Still, it didn’t mean she’d fully accepted Xue Tian'ai. So, even working overtime tonight, she’d found time to draft this contract.

At her reply, Xue Tian'ai hesitated, then opened the first page to read carefully.

But as his eyes moved down the page, his face turned green. No revealing clothes at home—not even going shirtless? He was a grown man, and in the sweltering summer heat, he couldn’t go without a shirt? No sleeping in just his underwear?

Fighting the urge to tear the contract to shreds, Xue Tian'ai forced himself to keep reading. His expression darkened with each line, sweat even beginning to bead on his brow.

Qin Mengxue watched his discomfort with a secret sense of satisfaction, a smug smile on her lips. “Oh, and one more thing—all future meals at home are your responsibility.”

Xue Tian'ai’s face turned an even deeper shade of green. At last, reaching the final page, his eyes widened in disbelief. “Darling, this last clause—no, this whole contract—are you serious?”

“Of course I am. Why? If you have no objections, sign the last page.” Qin Mengxue, nearly finished eating, patted her stomach in satisfaction.

Hearing this, Xue Tian'ai’s mouth twitched uncontrollably, his expression as if he’d swallowed a fly. The next second, he waved his large hand and, under Qin Mengxue’s astonished gaze, tore the contract to pieces.