Chapter 80: What’s Wrong With You?

Chapter 80: Chapter 80: What’s Wrong With You?

For lunch, Nan Zhi made clay pot rice from scratch.

The clay pot had just been dug out from a pile of junk in the attic. She washed it several times until it was spotless, then coated the inside with a thin layer of lard and poured in the pre-soaked raw rice.

She used slender, crystalline jasmine rice, which had a rich aroma and was excellent at absorbing flavors—the perfect choice for clay pot rice.

Once the rice was about eighty percent cooked, she layered slices of Cantonese sausage on top, cracked an egg into a hollow in the center, and covered the pot to let it simmer.

When she opened the lid again, she added some blanched green vegetables and poured a specially made sauce over everything.

SIZZLE.

A rich aroma of rice, mingled with the sweet and savory scent of the sausage, immediately filled the air.

Stirring it all together with a spoon released even more fragrant steam, tantalizing the taste buds.

The clay pots were small, one for Nan Zhi and one for Nan Yi. Both of them ate with hearty satisfaction.

After all, the best part of eating clay pot rice is scraping up the crispy, golden-brown crust of rice from the bottom of the pot with a spoon!

The lingering fragrance as you chewed, the need to scrape the pot until it shone—only then was the meal truly complete!

Nan Zhi’s skill went without saying.

Both clay pots were scraped completely clean. At a glance, they looked as if they had just been washed!

A contented smile graced Nan Yi’s little face.

Then, he suddenly remembered the over-the-top, flowery praise Qi Pei’er had lavished on the snacks that morning.

Great!

’I’ve learned a new trick!’

"Mom! Your clay pot rice... um... is super yummy!"

Nan Yi had struggled for a long time just to squeeze out that one sentence.

After saying it, he felt dejected.

’I can’t believe I didn’t even graduate from kindergarten,’ he thought, lamenting his lack of culture. ’I can’t even say anything nice!’

But Nan Zhi was delighted to hear it.

Nothing was more important than seeing Nan Yi eat happily.

When it was time to wash the dishes, Nan Yi eagerly volunteered to help.

Unfortunately, even standing on a stool, he couldn’t reach the sink.

Nan Yi pouted.

"...I’ll get taller!"

Nan Zhi burst out laughing.

After cleaning up, the mother and son went out again to meet up with the others.

There was a lot to do today to get the restaurant opened as soon as possible.

Business permits, health certificates, fire safety inspections...

Even with the support of the production team and relevant authorities, which greatly shortened the timeline, the necessary procedures couldn’t be skipped. Just running back and forth took up a lot of time.

In addition, figuring out how to renovate everyone’s shops, integrate their resources, and minimize expenses was an art in itself.

In short, they faced many challenges.

Throughout the process, their brainstorming sessions, arguments, and discussions filled the livestream with plenty of content.

However, the livestream, which was scheduled to end at 9:00, dragged on until 9:30.

After settling the next day’s schedule, a weary Nan Zhi and Nan Yi headed home.

But they didn’t seem to feel tired themselves.

Nan Yi was still full of energy.

Nan Zhi remained as patient and meticulous as ever.

Not far behind them, members of the production team followed.

Their purpose was to ensure the guests’ safety and prevent any accidents.

So, as Nan Zhi and Nan Yi reached their shop’s entrance and saw a man get out of a black Bentley parked by the roadside...

...the production team members immediately moved forward, on high alert.

Lu Shixu casually glanced up.

He didn’t say a word, but the intimidating aura he had cultivated through years of power was enough to make people shrink back.

Lu Shixu sized up the young man who was trying to shield Nan Zhi.

The young man felt a chill, as if he’d been targeted by a powerful figure, but he still summoned his courage.

"Who are you! What do you want!"

Lu Shixu didn’t answer, his gaze indifferent.

Nan Zhi’s feelings were complicated.

She reflexively stroked Nan Yi’s head.

She noticed he was hugging her tightly and assumed he remembered this unpleasant "uncle" and was a little scared.

She comforted him.

"Don’t worry."

She said, patting Nan Yi on the back.

’Some problems can’t be solved by running away.’

’It’s better to face them head-on.’

"He’s someone I know."

After explaining, Nan Zhi asked the production team member to take Nan Yi inside the shop first, saying she needed to talk with the visitor.

Nan Yi immediately clutched the corner of her shirt, his little face stubborn.

"I don’t want to!"

Nan Yi could feel the man looking at him.

His little heart trembled with a deep-seated, instinctual fear of danger.

But his courage to stay by his mother’s side overcame that fear.

Hiding by Nan Zhi’s side, Nan Yi shot a fierce glare at the man.

Lu Shixu remained unfazed, a corner of his mouth twitching into a slight smile.

He looked like he was watching a wolf cub bare its claws for the first time—casual and amused.

Nan Yi understood the look and got very angry.

But before he could act on it, Nan Zhi’s expression darkened.

"What are you doing, scaring him like that!"

Her voice rose, tinged with displeasure.

Lu Shixu almost instinctively withdrew his gaze from Nan Yi.

...A half-second later, he realized what he had just done, and his mind filled with disbelief.

He then started studying Nan Zhi with a strange expression.

Nan Zhi didn’t feel a thing.

She had long since grown accustomed to Lu Shixu’s intense stares and was immune to them.

"Yiyi, be good and go inside first."

This time, Nan Yi didn’t resist.

Perhaps he could tell his mom was unhappy.

As he followed the staff member away, his sparkling eyes were filled with the hope that Nan Zhi would take care of that annoying man!

Nan Zhi found it amusing.

Once she confirmed that Nan Yi and the staff member had disappeared into the shop and were too far away to hear their conversation...

Nan Zhi turned to Lu Shixu, her expression grim.

"You’ve disturbed our peaceful life several times now. What exactly do you want?"

The more Nan Zhi thought about it, the more bizarre it all seemed.

’Before, I just thought Lu Shixu’s brain was wired differently from other people’s.’

’But now, I think he’s completely nuts!’

’He keeps seeking me out, only to stare at me like a stranger!’

’And he asks moronic questions like, "Is he your biological son?"!’

’What on earth is he thinking?’

’Did his IQ actually go down in the years since we broke up?’

Lu Shixu froze for a moment.

He knew Nan Zhi was very unhappy, so he subconsciously searched for something to say that might please her.

"Wang Zhixing’s father is under investigation. The evidence of corruption and bribery is conclusive. He’s looking at a minimum sentence of twenty years."

"Who’s Wang Zhixing... Wait. Are you following me?"

Nan Zhi remembered Wang Zhixing and the conflict from that day.

Based on her understanding of Lu Shixu, she easily guessed the source of his information.

Her eyes narrowed instantly, her expression becoming something beyond ugly—it was a calm stretched to its breaking point.

For the first time in his life, Lu Shixu felt a genuine sense of dread.

He lowered his voice, adopting a humble posture he himself didn’t even notice.

"It’s not following. It’s bodyguards."

He then launched into a lengthy, patient explanation.

Only then did Nan Zhi’s anger subside a little.

But she was still dissatisfied and couldn’t help but retort sarcastically:

"So what? Are you looking for credit? Mr. Lu, isn’t this what you’re supposed to do?"

Nan Zhi wasn’t about to burst into tears of gratitude just because Lu Shixu had dealt with the Wang family on her behalf.

When his son gets bullied, isn’t it only natural for the father to strike back?

Lu Shixu, however, looked surprised and asked in earnest,

"Why am I supposed to do it?"