SZAR Chapter 75

【Your male lord… he seems to be A-rank.】

Yi Xi’s hand paused as he opened the file. Picking up the light-brain, he stared at that line of text for a long time without speaking.

After a moment, he typed back:

【Noted.】

Today’s matters had already been arranged. Subordinates had dispersed, and Yi Xi sat alone at the top floor, waiting for Chu Xiu to join him for a meal. In the meantime, the lawyer’s messages were kept at the highest priority, in case the courtroom situation changed, so Yi Xi could intervene in time.

The situation had indeed changed, but the nature of the change was completely different from what he had imagined.

He asked the lawyer: 【How did you find out? Did they re-test his rank in court?】

Re-testing in court did happen, but it was generally only for cases where a severe injury caused a drop in rank, clearly not applicable to Chu Xiu.

The lawyer said cautiously: 【 No… 】

He continued carefully, 【 Lord Chu Xiu himself requested it. He asked for his rank to be re-checked in court. 】

Yi Xi’s finger hovered over the cursor for two seconds before he said: 【 Good. 】

Chu Xiu brought it up himself, so he should have known already.

Then when did he find out? Before the trial, before the wedding, or even before elevating him from a female attendant to a female monatch… had he known all along?

Yi Xi’s fingers tightened slightly, unconsciously clutching the light-brain. Moments later, a faint tremor ran through his hand. Looking down, he saw a communication invitation.

It was from another imperial conglomerate, Jinggu, sent by their leader.

Yi Xi pressed to connect. A deep, hearty voice came through:

“Yi Xi, I heard your male lord went to court today, and they announced him as A-rank! Good heavens, that’s a high rank. You’ve got a keen eye, hiding him so well!”

Yi Xi’s expression darkened slightly: “You flatter me.”

“Ha! Back then, us old folks all said, you, an S, paired with an F. What a pity! But now, looks like fortune favored you!”

Yi Xi smiled faintly: “I’m a little surprised myself.”

At their level, busy as they were, no one would call for small talk. He waited quietly for Scenic’s follow-up.

“Hmm, I won’t bother with formalities, we’re all straightforward people,” the voice shifted tone. “Yi Xi, I don’t come here without a reason. I actually have something I’d like your help with.”

“My grandson is about the same age as your male lord. Very handsome, oh, you’ve seen him, back when I used to hold him as a child. He’s got a great personality, top-notch cooking and flower arranging skills, all A+. But he’s never found a suitable male lord. Could you arrange for him to meet Lord Chu Xiu?”

Every major conglomerate has its intelligence network. It wasn’t surprising to Yi Xi that Jinggu had someone among the court reporters who got first-hand news. Someone wanted to set up a female for Chu Xiu, again, not surprising. What surprised him was the speed of the approach.

Yi Xi flipped the light-brain over, removed his gold-rimmed glasses, and rubbed his throbbing forehead.

“Hey Yi Xi, are you listening? Hello?”

“I’m listening,” Yi Xi replied calmly, putting his glasses back on. “You overestimate me. I can’t make decisions about the male lord. If your child wants to meet him, just submit a date request through the matching site.”

“You—!”

Both were sharp-minded. No further words were needed; the gentle refusal was understood.

But if submitting a match request was enough to meet Chu Xiu, there’d be no need for Jinggu to come rushing to Yi Xi. Once the news of an A-rank male hit the net, Chu Xiu’s matching interface would be flooded tonight, applications from females of all levels and looks, dazzling and countless. Jinggu’s grandson might be outstanding, but Chu Xiu wouldn’t necessarily even notice him.

Jinggu softened his tone: “Yi Xi, we’re all smart people here. Why go to such lengths?”

“Your male is A-rank, not F. You’re never going to monopolize him. Females of all kinds will keep coming in like a stream. My grandson, you’ve met him, he’s a well-behaved good kid. We’re partners; if he gets in, he’ll just be your ally. Think about it, if a new young and beautiful S shows up and insists on competing for the female monarch’s position, what would you do?”

Yi Xi smiled. “I’ll consider what you said.”

His tone didn’t change, calm and unshakable, like nothing could touch him.

The other side stayed silent for a moment. “Yi Xi, I’ve been through marriage myself. Here’s a word of advice: a male’s feelings are unreliable. They’re as changeable as June rain. If they don’t secure a way out during their sweetest moments, what comes after will be ugly.”

Yi Xi: “Thank you for your warning.”

The call ended.

Yi Xi set down the light-brain and let out a slow sigh.

As a businessman, he knew how to weigh gains and losses. In this game, his chips were few: his rank advantage and the male’s love.

There weren’t many S-rank females, but there were some. Their chances of marrying Chu Xiu as attendants were low. That meant, while not entirely secure, he wasn’t without hope against other females who might come.

Yi Xi wasn’t the gambler type in business, he invested steadily, but in this matter, he had to take a risk.

He couldn’t willingly give up the male’s love.

If he won the gamble, he could always reach out to ruffle Chu Xiu’s messy hair. If he lost, freedom, wealth, status, even life itself, would all be lost.

Just then, Secretary Lin knocked on the door, poking his head through the glass: “Boss, Chu Xiu has arrived. He’s waiting downstairs in the prep room for you.”

By the time Yi Xi arrived, Chu Xiu had already set up the cameras.

He tested the mic in front of the lens, his handsome face filling the frame. Even the fisheye lens couldn’t diminish his beauty. Hearing the door open behind him, Chu Xiu turned and broke into a smile: “Yi Xi!”

He led Yi Xi to the table and said, “Today I want to try making some pastries.”

Earlier, while checking the ingredient list for small sweets, he noticed that although the Zerg knew how to make glutinous rice desserts, their technique was extremely crude, and the flavors were limited to a few artificial essences. The chocolate and matcha flavors that Chu Xiu liked in his previous life didn’t exist. Considering both the visual appeal for the stream and the difficulty of sourcing ingredients, he decided to make matcha mochi.

The Zerg had tea leaves, but they had no method for making matcha.

This technique originated in the Wei and Jin dynasties and gradually faded in China. It was preserved in Japan and then reintroduced, giving a flavor that is slightly bitter with a lingering sweetness. Matcha mochi mixes matcha powder into the glutinous rice dough and wraps it around a cream filling, the balance of sweet and bitter makes it perfect for after a meal.

However, the Zerg knew nothing about this.

As Chu Xiu took out the tea leaves and ground them in a mortar, the chat on the live stream immediately filled the screen again:

【 Help, what kind of weird cooking is this now? 】

【 Yesterday it was throwing medicine into soup, today grinding tea leaves. Is the male a dark cuisine master? 】

【 …Weren’t we supposed to be making sweets? How do you even eat something this bitter as powder? 】

Then, as usual, the viewers simultaneously typed:

【 Poor Yi Xi! 】

Chu Xiu raised an eyebrow at the comments. “Why? It’s obviously delicious.” He turned the camera toward Yi Xi: “They don’t believe me. Tell them, isn’t it really tasty?”

Yi Xi’s resigned yet tolerant expression was caught on camera: “Yes… it’s very good.”

Still, no one believed him.

【 Yi Xi must be under threat, right? It has to be, right? 】

【 The male’s looking at you all pitiful. If it were me, I couldn’t say it tastes bad either. 】

【 Compared to all the abuse before, eating some dark cuisine is nothing. Just spoil him, what’s the harm? 】

The male took a small grinder, threw the tea leaves in, and ground them. After obtaining a small cup of matcha powder, he went off to simmer the soup and porridge, leaving the kneading of the glutinous rice dough to Yi Xi.

Yi Xi rolled up his sleeves, feeling slightly awkward.

It had been over twenty years since his student days. Even if he had been skilled at cooking back then, those skills had long been left with his teachers. Later, as he ran Stellar, he never did this kind of manual work. As a result, his movements were hesitant and a little weak.

Many viewers in the chat were either still in culinary school or responsible for their household kitchens. They could tell immediately how inexperienced he was. The sympathetic comments quickly turned into worried ones:

【 Seems like the big boss… isn’t that skilled? 】

【 …But isn’t this a basic skill for a female? Will Chu Xiu mind? 】

【 Chu Xiu isn’t on camera; we can’t see his expression. 】

Yi Xi inhaled quietly.

Decades without manual work had dulled his skill. He struggled to get the right ratio of water to dough, adding water multiple times without reaching perfection. His fingers pressed against the edge of the bowl, and a feeling of tightness rose in his chest.

This tightness wasn’t fear of Chu Xiu’s displeasure. Chu Xiu loved him now and wouldn’t get upset over something so minor. Rather, it was the frustration of failing to do the female’s essential duty properly.

If Chu Xiu were just an F, Yi Xi’s advantages could compensate for these small mistakes. But Chu Xiu was an A. These tiny, almost imperceptible lapses might accumulate, amplify endlessly, and eventually become an irrecoverable disaster. Yi Xi couldn’t be certain.

Chu Xiu tossed the ingredients into the pot and turned the heat down low. He covered the clay pot, then noticed Yi Xi struggling a bit and leaned over, peering curiously: “You don’t know how to do this?”

A sly excitement stirred within him.

Chu Xiu was doing this on purpose.

Ever since he asked Yi Xi yesterday if he knew how to cook, and Yi Xi had admitted he hadn’t done it in almost twenty years. Chu Xiu had quietly decided he wanted to do some dough work.

Kneading dough is a hands-on skill. Too much kneading makes it tough; too little makes it sticky. A beginner rarely gets it right without guidance. Chu Xiu remembered reading novels where a pastry chef male lead taught the female lead to knead dough, hands from behind on her waist, guiding her fingers, chin on her shoulder, whispering instructions in an intimate way. The dough shapes weren’t just food, they were flirtation.

Chu Xiu wanted to flirt with Yi Xi.

Previously, he had played the innocent student too convincingly. Many of his usual seductive methods wouldn’t work: serving wine with a pose was too showy; looking at snow, moon, or stars felt awkward. After thinking it through, teaching kneading was the least out-of-place way.

Who could resist a tall, slender, top-tier handsome male teaching them to knead dough?

With that in mind, he stood next to Yi Xi and peered into the bowl: “The water-to-flour ratio seems a bit off.”

A thin bead of sweat appeared on Yi Xi’s nose. He didn’t want the male to notice how clumsy his hands were.

Yi Xi knew well that Chu Xiu’s affection was a mix of admiration and that instinctive fascination a fledgling feels for its parents. He also knew Chu Xiu liked seeing him calm and in control. But a master of everything shouldn’t be unable to knead dough, nor should a composed leader be helpless in the kitchen. Revealing these flaws could definitely lessen the male’s affection.

So Yi Xi stepped forward, half-blocking the bowl, and said calmly, “It’s fine. You go ahead… I’ll be quick—”

But he couldn’t continue because Chu Xiu was already close.

Chu Xiu took his arm, covered his fingers with his own, lifting them from the edge of the bowl. Post-second awakening, he was taller than Yi Xi. His fluffy head nuzzled close, cheeks touching: “Let me show you, okay?”

A faint complaint escaped his lips: “You’re too busy. I’m more used to these things.”

Then, skillfully, he added water to get the ratio just right, sprinkled in the matcha powder, gently wrapped Yi Xi’s fingers in his hand, and whispered close to his ear: “It’s okay. Really simple.”