Chapter 1058: Deepening the Routine
Li Xiaoyun answered truthfully, "I got up at five. But because the ingredients were prepared, I just had to throw them into the pot. The remaining time, I could rest."
Zhao Dingli felt both moved and a bit guilty.
Li Xiaoyun must be trying to thank him, which is why she did this.
If he hadn’t mentioned wanting her gratitude, how could she keep remembering this, and seize the chance to express her thanks?
Zhao Dingli didn’t mean it that way; he just wanted to use the opportunity to get closer to her.
He didn’t mean to tire her out.
She was already very tired normally, with lots of pressure.
Getting up so early in the morning meant she wouldn’t be able to rest well.
Zhao Gushen furrowed his brows tightly.
"Earlier, when I said to prepare breakfast, it was just a casual suggestion," Zhao Dingli said. "I thought breakfast is simple; we could just have some bread and milk."
If not for making Li Xiaoyun feel better about it, he would have prepared it himself.
Let Li Xiaoyun live comfortably at home without needing to do anything.
"You get up so early and then have to work during the day. Your sleep time is already insufficient, and this makes it even harder for you," Zhao Dingli said.
Li Xiaoyun didn’t expect that she would get up early, work hard to make soup and porridge, and yet Zhao Dingli wasn’t really happy.
She also knew Zhao Dingli was concerned about her not being overworked.
Zhao Dingli’s words were very clear; she didn’t misunderstand his meaning.
She just hoped Zhao Dingli’s first reaction would be happiness, making her early rising and hard work feel worthwhile and joyful.
Li Xiaoyun said gloomily, "So I did all this for nothing; you’re not happy."
Zhao Dingli, though anxious to explain his intentions clearly and cheer Li Xiaoyun up, felt a small sense of comfort.
Li Xiaoyun now dared to show her unhappiness in front of him.
Previously, even if she was unhappy inside, Li Xiaoyun wouldn’t show it in front of him.
Even if he upset her, Li Xiaoyun would still smile as if unoffended.
A formulaic, courteous, and respectful smile.
Like dealing with President Lin from her company or a client.
Zhao Dingli had gradually managed to bring their relationship closer.
He worked hard to make Li Xiaoyun fearless of him, truly treating him as a friend.
Now, Li Xiaoyun could willingly and without pressure directly express her emotions in front of him.
Even letting him know she was upset because of him.
This made Zhao Dingli quite gratified.
"I know you want to nourish my stomach and want me to have a comfortable breakfast, with nutritious soup as a base for lunch." Zhao Dingli said, "But you’re working hard, and even if I drink it, I feel sorry for you. It feels like you’re sacrificing your rest time to prepare it for me."
"I’m very moved and happy that you did this for me, but I don’t want you to be overworked," Zhao Dingli said.
"Thinking of you sacrificing your rest time to prepare these for me, it pains me. I brought you to live over to take care of you, not for you to take care of me," Zhao Dingli said.
Li Xiaoyun opened her mouth but couldn’t speak.
Her heart pounded hard, "thump, thump, thump," echoing in her chest.
At first, she thought Zhao Dingli’s "it pains me" was said casually.
Seeing Zhao Dingli seeming unaware, Li Xiaoyun tried hard to tell herself not to take it to heart.
But still, because of his "it pains me," her ears turned red.
Her heart warmed, involuntarily leading to a wandering mind.
Unexpectedly, Zhao Dingli said it again.
Saying it a second time, Zhao Dingli surely wasn’t just speaking casually.
Li Xiaoyun couldn’t control her blushing.
Afterward, whatever Zhao Dingli said, she couldn’t remember.
Her mind was filled with his "it pains me."
"Xiao Yun?" Zhao Dingli called out, "Xiao Yun?"
He called several times, waving his hand before her eyes.
Only then did Li Xiaoyun snap out of it.
"I’m not being ungrateful; on the contrary, I’m very touched," Zhao Dingli said. "How about this? You usually making meals for me pains me. I’ll ask an auntie to come and follow Ye Fei’s recipes."
For some reason, Li Xiaoyun wasn’t too willing about it.
She asked Ye Fei for the recipes, intending to cook them herself for Zhao Dingli.
Zhao Dingli noticed the unwillingness on Li Xiaoyun’s face.
He couldn’t help but smile, saying, "How about you cook for me when you rest on weekends?"
Li Xiaoyun instantly looked at Zhao Dingli.
"Normally, we’ll keep it simple for breakfast, like before, with some bread and milk," Zhao Dingli said.
No need to prepare.
Bread is bought ready-made.
Milk even more so.
At most, just heat the milk so it’s not too cold and doesn’t upset his stomach.
He thinks Li Xiaoyun probably feels like him, not liking when there’s an auntie at home while they stay.
It feels inconvenient.
"My stomach is fine, not that fragile. As long as I eat meals on time and reduce coffee, it’s fine," Zhao Dingli said. "With you watching over breakfast, I’ll definitely eat on time."
"For lunch, if work gets busy, it might be delayed or forgotten. If you’re really worried, you could send me a WeChat or call me at noon to supervise."
In this way, doesn’t it force Li Xiaoyun to care about him?
Caring leads to holding him more closely in her heart, remembering him more firmly.
This is precisely Zhao Dingli’s tactic now.
However, Zhao Dingli still felt unsatisfied.
He thought he could deepen the tactic more.
Thus, Zhao Dingli said, "Of course, if it’s just sending WeChat messages, when I’m busy I probably won’t notice them. I might miss your messages. If I don’t reply in time or reply late, it just means I didn’t see it then."
"As soon as I see your message, I will immediately reply," Zhao Dingli said.
Li Xiaoyun was completely led by Zhao Dingli.
Finally, the "pains me" in her mind temporarily moved aside.
Listening to Zhao Dingli, she said, "Then what’s the use of reminding you via WeChat? You won’t see it."
If she calls, he might be busy, wouldn’t it be disruptive?
But now, Li Xiaoyun doesn’t have as many concerns about Zhao Dingli as before.
So now she thoughtlessly posed doubts.