Flash Marriage

Chapter 10: Dining Together

Gu Xixi couldn't stand the man, yet she had to admit: he possessed an innate, almost unnerving elegance, even while eating.

An attendant offered her a steaming towel. She took it, wiped her hands, and returned it. Mirroring Yin Sichen's ritual, the attendant presented her with two more fresh towels in succession before finally pulling out her chair.

Gu Xixi sat stiffly across from him. After a moment's hesitation, she ventured, "You really didn't need to come."

Yin Sichen dabbed his lips with a napkin, his gaze cool. "Once I decided to marry you, this became an obligation. Nothing more." His tone left no room for misinterpretation.

Gu Xixi understood. She dropped the pretense, quietly eating the food the chef portioned onto her plate.

Yin Sichen's sharp eyes flicked towards her plate. "That's your third piece of salmon," he stated flatly.

Immediately, the chef removed the salmon platter.

Gu Xixi felt a surge of exasperation. "You monitor what I eat too?"

"I don't care what you eat," he retorted dismissively. "But the child you're carrying is another matter." He looked up at the head chef. "Bring her the ginseng soup."

Before Gu Xixi could protest, her phone rang. She glanced at the screen, and a flicker of profound sadness crossed her eyes before she could mask it.

She flipped the phone face down on the table, silencing the ringtone.

"Why not answer?" Yin Sichen's gaze sharpened, catching the fleeting emotion.

"An unimportant call," Gu Xixi murmured, focusing intently on her plate.

Unimportant? Yet it brought that look of sorrow? Yin Sichen observed her for a beat longer but said nothing further.

They ate in heavy silence.

Yin Sichen finished swiftly and departed. Only after the chefs cleared the elaborate spread did Gu Xixi pick up her phone. Several missed calls glared back at her.

Seeing the familiar name – Zhao Zegang – sent a painful jolt through her. It was a bitter cocktail of guilt, loss, and unresolved longing.

Since that night, she hadn't answered a single call or replied to a single message. Her silence screamed her withdrawal.

Why couldn't he take the hint? Why did he persist, calling daily for two months, chatting about mundane things abroad as if nothing had shattered between them? Didn't he suspect she had changed? Why wouldn't he just… disappear? His relentless normalcy made the severing infinitely more agonizing.

Dinner arrived with Yin Sichen that evening, the culinary procession now routine. Gu Xixi's melancholy afternoon had stolen her appetite.

Yin Sichen noted her untouched plate. "The food displeases you?"

She shook her head. "No. I'm just not very hungry."

His perfectly sculpted brow furrowed slightly. He raised his right hand. An attendant instantly placed an exquisite cloisonné porcelain bowl in it.

To Gu Xixi's utter shock, Yin Sichen scooped a spoonful of bird's nest soup and held it out towards her lips.

He was… feeding her?

"This child cannot be compromised. Eat it." The cold command shattered any illusion of tenderness.

Resistance was futile. Gu Xixi opened her mouth, swallowing the rich soup against her will.

The chefs standing nearby nearly gasped aloud, their eyes wide. The President, feeding a woman? This was unprecedented in the annals of time! Clearly, the Young Madam held unique significance!

Gu Xixi managed two more forced swallows before her face paled. She clapped a hand over her mouth, shoved her chair back, and bolted for the ensuite bathroom.

The unmistakable sound of retching soon followed.

Yin Sichen’s frown deepened. When Gu Xixi emerged, pale and shaky, his voice was stern. "Whether you feel like eating or not, you will eat. I care little about your hunger, but I will not tolerate the Yin heir being starved."

Gu Xixi met his gaze, seeing only cold resolve. She silently took the bowl back. Choking down her nausea, she forced spoonful after spoonful of the thick, gelatinous soup into her mouth.

How could anyone find this revolting stuff delicious?

Only when the bowl was empty did a flicker of satisfaction appear in Yin Sichen's eyes.

The chefs exchanged stunned glances, discreetly wiping imaginary tears. Heaven! The President smiled! A real smile!

The pattern repeated over the following days: Yin Sichen arriving punctually for meals, the elaborate spread, the silent tension punctuated by his commands regarding her diet.

Eventually, Gu Xixi learned the truth: these enforced mealtimes were solely on the Chairwoman's orders.

A wry twist touched her lips. Of course. What had she expected? Their union was a cruel accident, devoid of any affection. Did she truly imagine Yin Sichen would choose to sit across from her, watching her struggle not to vomit, listening to the unpleasant sounds of her morning sickness? The very thought was absurd. His presence was purely dynastic duty, enforced by his grandmother's iron will.