Chapter 24 – Pouty Princess’s Grievance

Chu Yin was sprawled on the sofa wrapped in a blanket, waiting for Wei Lai to come home. It was already past midnight, and his eyelids were drooping with sleepiness, but he was also too angry.

Too angry to sleep, yet too drowsy to muster any rage.

Just as sleep was about to overpower his fury, Chu Yin suddenly heard the sound of a key turning in the lock. Instantly, he perked up like a cat catching the scent of prey, opening his eyes and pricking up his ears as he turned his head toward the door.

Wei Lai closed the door behind him, stepping into the warmth of home, but before he could even exhale the cold air in his lungs, he choked—nearly passing out on the spot.

The kitchen was a complete disaster. Pots, pans, and utensils were strewn everywhere, and the walls were splattered with some kind of white substance. If he had to describe it, Wei Lai felt like Chu Yin had murdered the kitchen, and after the deed, not only did he not bother to bury the body, but he also went ahead and violated it.

Later, while watching a TV livestream, Wei Lai would learn just how much of a kitchen menace Chu Yin was. First, he had tried boiling tea in a small copper kettle, but the kettle never whistled—instead, the water boiled dry, and even the flame turned green. Then, he attempted to stir-fry tomatoes and eggs one-handed, only to be terrified by the splattering oil and end up smashing the pan. Finally, while heating milk, the milk boiled over everywhere.

But at that moment, Wei Lai couldn’t fathom how someone’s cooking skills could possibly be this catastrophic. He could only assume Chu Yin had deliberately made a mess and demanded, “What did you do at home?”

Chu Yin, feet resting on a foot warmer, cradled the sleeping Big Orange in his arms, stroking the cat as he snorted, “And what were you doing out?”

Wei Lai pointed at his hair. “Can’t you tell? I got my hair done.”

Chu Yin scoffed, “Li Xiaolu¹A Chinese actress at the center of a major 2018 cheating scandal. When asked about her whereabouts, her then-husband told the public she was “getting her hair done,” when in reality she was spending the night with another man. The phrase “getting her hair done” became an internet euphemism in China for infidelity since then. also went to get her hair done!”

“Oho!” Wei Lai’s temper flared, his voice dropping low. “You wrecked the kitchen like this, and you’re the one with an attitude?”

Big Orange, startled awake by the argument and sensing the thick tension between the humans, meowed softly before leaping onto the tall cat tree with its fluffy tail held high, tucking its paws in to enjoy the show.

Now that Chu Yin saw Wei Lai was home safe, his heart finally settled. Rubbing his eyes, he let out a huge yawn and said, “Why are you yelling? We can just hire a cleaner tomorrow.”

Wei Lai crossed his arms sternly. “Why not just suggest moving out altogether?!”

Chu Yin couldn’t understand why Wei Lai was being so harsh on him and shouted back, “Are you kidding me? This is my house! If I blew up my kitchen, what’s it to you?! You keep yelling at me, over and over—you’re too much!”

Chu Yin knew himself well. Whenever he argued with someone, before the fight could even reach its climax, his tears would always betray him first. But that just ruined any semblance of dominance he had. Before he could start sniffling, he quickly fled into his room and slammed the door shut with a loud ‘bang.’

“……”

Wei Lai’s sharp tongue twisted into knots. With a long sigh, he rolled up his sleeves and prepared to clean up the kitchen.

His obsessive-compulsive tendencies couldn’t tolerate the sacred kitchen being desecrated like this!

As Wei Lai tidied up the mess of takeout containers on the dining table, a white insulated lunchbox caught his attention among the plastic bowls.

A small sticky note was pasted on the lunchbox, reading:

“Dinner. Eat it or don’t! Hmph!”

Opening the box, he found a serving of beef and broccoli rice inside—neatly presented and still warm.

Wei Lai’s heart clenched. He thought, At this hour, if I were to eat this, it’d count as a midnight snack. But Chu Yin wrote ‘dinner’… Did he think I’d be back for dinner?

Wei Lai pushed open the bedroom door. Under the dim glow of the nightlight, Chu Yin was curled up in the corner of the bed, arms and legs tucked under the covers, looking as though he’d already fallen asleep.

Wei Lai called softly, “Chu Yin?”

Chu Yin turned over, presenting his back to Wei Lai—his way of saying “I’m ignoring you.”

Wei Lai sat on the edge of the bed. “Were you waiting for me to come home for dinner?”

Chu Yin stayed silent.

Wei Lai leaned in, tugging lightly at the nape of Chu Yin’s neck before trailing his fingers down his back. “Hmm? You waited for me the whole time?”

Chu Yin squirmed away, muttering, “…Like hell I waited. Who do you think you are? You think you’re that important?”

Wei Lai said, “…I had work to do. Getting my hair dyed takes a long time. And since you blacklisted me, I couldn’t tell you.”

Chu Yin rubbed his eyes, his voice thick with grievance. “Yeah, sure. You’ve always got an excuse—your mouth works just fine.”

Wei Lai: “…”

“What do you mean you couldn’t tell me… I didn’t block your number.” Chu Yin sniffled, his words slurring with unshed tears. “We were filming a show together. I thought you’d come back soon.”

Wei Lai: “…I’m sorry.”

Chu Yin: “But instead, you went to get your hair done. Leaving me all alone… at home. Who knows who you went to see…”

Wei Lai rubbed Chu Yin’s back soothingly. “Don’t cry. I brought you a gift, okay?”

Slipping into his slippers, Wei Lai dashed out and returned seconds later with a small black box his assistant had given him. He scooted closer to Chu Yin. “Wanna open it?”

Chu Yin turned away, closing his eyes as he rasped, “I’m sleeping. Whatever it is, talk tomorrow. Get lost. I don’t want to share a bed with you.”

But Wei Lai stubbornly climbed in anyway, bracing himself on one arm as he dangled something right under Chu Yin’s nose.

Something soft and fuzzy tickled Chu Yin’s nose, making him sneeze violently.

Furious, Chu Yin opened his eyes. In the dim golden light of the night lamp, a well-worn ball of fluff lay quietly beside his pillow.

Chu Yin: “…Furball…”

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  A Chinese actress at the center of a major 2018 cheating scandal. When asked about her whereabouts, her then-husband told the public she was “getting her hair done,” when in reality she was spending the night with another man. The phrase “getting her hair done” became an internet euphemism in China for infidelity since then.