Volume One, Chapter Seven: The CEO Who Cooks

Xiao Yudie: "???"

Hearing Li Ya’s inexplicable remark, Xiao Yudie was momentarily taken aback, uncertain what the young master meant this time.

“Ahem, young master, you can rest assured. Our Luoshen Group has never withheld employee benefits!”

“Our company provides both dormitories and housing subsidies for everyone, from management to ordinary staff!”

Xiao Yudie initially thought Li Ya was a new official wanting to inspect the company’s internal finances, reporting everything without any concealment.

Li Ya brightened at this, feeling his accommodation issue was now resolved.

As for the dormitory conditions, he didn’t mind much; during the early days of his ventures, he had even slept in parks. As long as there was shelter from the wind and rain, he could accept it.

“Then, as a member of the company, do I have a dorm too?”

“You must be joking, young master. You’re the company’s ruler, of course you have your own residence.”

Xiao Yudie was now thoroughly puzzled by Li Ya’s words. As a shrewd female CEO excelling in the business world, she found it hard to fathom what the young master was thinking.

“Ahem, um… may I ask, where is my residence?” Li Ya inquired.

“Since you are the young master, your accommodation must be the best, located at Yunhu Elegant Residence.”

Li Ya was stunned, not expecting such a coincidence.

“Young master, you don’t know, Yunhu Elegant Residence is actually one of the projects our Luoshen Group has invested in. Our company holds shares in this real estate.”

“Several villas there are under Luoshen Group’s name, which not only solve accommodation for senior executives but also serve to host business partners.”

“However, none of them are currently in use, since most senior managers have their own homes.”

Li Ya nodded in understanding. Luoshen Group was indeed a giant in Luo City, with stakes in real estate, finance, and many other sectors.

Driving, he hadn’t noticed Xiao Yudie’s slightly peculiar expression at that moment.

Yunhu Elegant Residence lies in a wealthy district of Luo City, somewhat distant from the city center.

The custom Rolls-Royce glided slowly away from the dazzling city nightlife under the night sky.

The surrounding streets gradually grew tranquil, flickering lights dancing on Li Ya’s face.

Sitting in the passenger seat, Xiao Yudie glanced at Li Ya out of the corner of her eye, a ripple stirring in her heart.

Soon, the car entered Yunhu Elegant Residence.

The community featured rivers and lakes, with lush vegetation and forested hills.

Most villas were three or four stories tall, scattered like stars across the area—not a neighborhood but more like a natural scenic zone.

Guided by Xiao Yudie, Li Ya drove to a three-story villa.

“Young master, this is your villa.”

As she spoke, Xiao Yudie took the villa keys out of her limited-edition handbag.

Li Ya sensed something was off but didn’t think much of it and parked the car in the garage.

Standing before the villa’s door, Li Ya noticed Xiao Yudie hesitated, her expression conflicted, which piqued his curiosity.

Taking the keys from her, Li Ya opened the door himself. When he turned on the lights, he froze.

Several pairs of women’s high heels were neatly placed by the entrance, and the furnishings and decor suggested someone lived here regularly.

Seeing Xiao Yudie blushing beside him, Li Ya finally realized the truth.

It turned out his supposed employee dorm had actually been occupied by Xiao Yudie all along, explaining her odd demeanor during the drive.

“Sorry, young master. Before your arrival, I was the highest-ranking official of the group here in Luo City, so this villa has been my residence. I didn’t expect you would also…”

Xiao Yudie stood at the doorway, feeling at a loss.

Li Ya was also embarrassed; he hadn’t expected the place he had finally secured would turn out to be her personal quarters.

“Young master, I’ll pack up and move out immediately; I won’t inconvenience you.”

Being the renowned female CEO of Luo City, Xiao Yudie was efficient and quickly composed herself to gather her belongings.

“No need. I’ll find another place,” Li Ya hastily interrupted. It was already dark, and it wouldn’t be proper for a young woman to carry her luggage searching for a new home at this hour.

Besides, since Xiao Yudie had been living here, he couldn’t just kick her out upon his arrival.

Just then, as if on cue, a heavy rain began to fall outside.

“Well… young master, if you don’t mind, you could stay here for now. After all, it’s a three-story villa with plenty of rooms…”

Her voice trailed off almost to a whisper.

A rain-soaked night with a young man and woman alone together naturally stirred endless thoughts.

The rain intensified, and Li Ya reluctantly agreed to stay.

The villa had four floors: three above ground and one basement, each floor spreading over two hundred square meters.

As one of Luo City’s most luxurious communities, each detached villa boasted nearly three hundred square meters of private courtyard.

Li Ya realized his villa was the crown jewel of the neighborhood, with a panoramic view of the entire lake outside the window.

Inside, the decor was simple yet luxurious, furnished with top-tier custom-brand items.

Finding a lakeside guest room on the third floor, Li Ya made it his temporary refuge.

He casually placed his luggage on the floor and gazed out at the lake, moonlight shimmering on its surface.

The torrential rain stirred ripples across the water, reflecting the turmoil within Li Ya’s heart.

He had hoped to live quietly as an ordinary person, but reality had dealt him a heavy blow.

Clutching the purple dragon-shaped jade pendant over his chest, his restless mood eased somewhat.

Since his mother’s accident, this pendant was the only thing she left him.

“Mother, you told me to give up everything except this pendant. But what secret does it hold? All these years, I have yet to comprehend it…”

Li Ya held the purple dragon pendant before his eyes; the pure moonlight easily penetrated the jade.

The pendant, half the size of his palm, was flawless, translucent—a true jade masterpiece.

To unlock its secret, Li Ya had studied much about jade, yet could not discern its material.

Even the finest amethyst jade could not compare to this pendant by a hundredfold.

Knock, knock, knock!

At that moment, a knock sounded at the door.

Li Ya opened it to find Xiao Yudie standing there, now dressed in a pink silk nightgown.

At Luoshen Group, Xiao Yudie usually wore a simple shirt and pencil skirt, exuding mature allure.

Now, home in silk sleepwear, she nearly caused Li Ya to choke on his breath.

Without the veil of stockings and blouse, her skin was strikingly fair and tender; her snow-white arms and long legs were exposed beyond the sleepwear.

Especially when Li Ya lowered his gaze, he caught sight of the plunging neckline revealing alluring curves.

“Young master, I’ve prepared dinner. Would you like to eat together?” Xiao Yudie smiled softly, her voice tender.

However, Li Ya noticed she was forcing calmness; her normally pale complexion was visibly flushing pink.

“All right, let’s eat together,” Li Ya nodded and followed her to the dining room.

He did his best not to look at her enticing movements, fearing he might embarrass himself by nosebleeding.

Xiao Yudie’s cooking was simple: scrambled eggs with tomatoes, hot and sour shredded potatoes, lotus root and pork rib soup, and a plate of braised pork—home-style dishes.

Yet they looked and smelled delicious.

Looking at the spread, Li Ya felt a flood of emotions.

During his years with Su Yunjin, he had always been the one cooking, but no matter how much effort he put in, she would always find fault.

“Young master, I usually cook for myself, so I’m not sure if these dishes suit your taste,” Xiao Yudie said with a smile, thoughtfully serving Li Ya.

After a few bites, Li Ya’s eyes brightened.

“Who would have thought, Madam CEO Xiao, you’re quite the chef!”

“If you like, young master, I can cook for you always…”