Utter Defeat

4. Dangerous Persistence

"Aunt Li!" Xiao Yang exclaimed in happiness, seeing his family's cook at the door with a huge bag of ingredients in her hand.

"Hello dear," Mrs. Li hugged the hyped young master, "Mrs. Sun sent me to cook for you. She was concerned about Mr. Zheng's cooking skills, haha."

Xiao Yang could only laugh it off as his husband never cooked for him in those three days. He ate breakfast in the faculty and ordered food each night. Let alone cooking, Zheng Hao didn't even eat the food he ordered.

"So show me the kitchen, dear," she snapped him out of his thoughts, sensing there was something wrong.

"Here," Xiao Yang got the bag from her hand and directed her to the small kitchen.

"Small but cute," she smiled brightly and gestured to him to leave the bag on the quartz kitchen counter. "What do you want to eat, aunty will cook whatever you like," she promised as she collected her long whitish hair in a ponytail.

"I-" Xiao Yang started, but was cut off by the third person.

"What is going on here?" Zheng Hao asked coldly, shifting his gaze between Xiao Yang and the short woman, "who is she?"

Smiling, Xiao Yang said "she is my Aunty Li, she cooks for my family. She is here to cook for-"

"No."

"What?"

"No one from your family house is allowed in my house," Zheng Hao snorted at Xiao Yang, then he turned to the old woman. He handed the ingredient bag to her, saying "please leave."

Mrs. Li looked at her young master with a bothered expression, waiting for his decision.

"It is okay, Aunt Li, my husband likes to cook for me, so he felt threatened by your amazing cooking skills," Xiao Yang lied blatantly, his fake smile hurting his face muscles. Did Zheng Hao really hate everything about his family? No, it wasn't true, right?

"Then I will take my leave," she said with a sigh and let Xiao Yang take her to the door.

After reassuring her with some more lies, Xiao Yang closed the door and returned to the kitchen where Zheng Hao was drinking coffee.

"So, what are you cooking for breakfast?" the younger man asked with a daring expression.

"I am not cooking, didn't you learn it already?" Zheng Hao replied with a 'duh' tone.

"You have to cook," Xiao Yang pressed with his arms crossed on his chest, "if you sent my aunty away, then you should take the responsibility and cook for me."

"In your dreams," Zheng Hao answered sardonically, his cold gaze sending shivers to the younger's spine. He put the coffee mug with a thud on the counter and wanted to leave the kitchen, but Xiao Yang grabbed his arm.

"You will cook for me," he repeated again, his slanted hazel eyes boring holes in the other's eyes.

"No."

"I won't eat anything until you cook for me," Xiao Yang challenged him.

"Then good luck," Zheng Hao retaliated as he didn't believe him. Xiao Yang was a foodie, so there was no way for him to stay away from food for more than an hour.

"Don't regret later," Xiao Yang said in between his clenched teeth and went back to his room in determination.

.

.

"It is childish as well as dangerous, you know," Ji Bo said scoldingly when Xiao Yang refused to eat for the tenth time.

"I don't care," Xiao Yang shrugged and pushed the sandwich away, "he will say sorry and cook for me."

"What if he doesn't?"

"Then I will starve myself to death."

"Oh my! You are so stubborn!"

Indeed, he was as he didn't put anything into his mouth for the entire day. His weak stomach was protesting loudly, but Xiao Yang was adamant. With great tenacity, he waited for his husband in the living room, his hand pressed onto his stomach as if it could help.

Like that, he waited and waited until the sun disappeared from the early October sky, and when he heard the sound of the keys, he jumped onto his feet and met his husband in the hall.

"What are you cooking, Hao ge?"

Zheng Hao threw him a glance, "nothing," he said as he hung his jean jacket on the hanger.

"I haven't eaten anything since morning, can't you show me a little pity?" Xiao Yang asked, blocking his husband's way.

"Yeah sure," Zheng Hao mocked the younger one and pushed past him to his room. No, he didn't believe the other. Not at all. He was just after some attention.

"So heartless!" Xiao Yang shouted behind him with a hint of dejection and went to his own room, slamming the door.

Although the anger and disappointment filled him well the night before, the morning was different. Poor Xiao Yang woke up with a terrible stomach ache and hoped his husband would care for him for once. Like before.

With the hope in his heart and the pain in his stomach, Xiao Yan dragged his weak body out of his room and almost collided with Zheng Hao.

"Hao ge, good morning," he greeted the older man with a weak smile.

Not even looking at his face, Zheng Hao walked towards the door, and panicking, Xiao Yang followed him.

"Where are you going?"

"To the store."

Xiao Yang stood in front of him, "it is Saturday, you don't open the store until eleven," he said with a frown.

"I will open it earlier today," Zheng Hao said with arched eyebrows, showing he was highly displeased to be interrogated.

"What about breakfast?" the younger man asked nervously.

"Stop it already, your little game doesn't work on me," the older man replied although he was slightly taken back by the pale complexion of Xiao Yang. He couldn't be telling the truth about not eating, right?

"Okay," Xiao Yang fought back his tears, "just let me die then, you will be free before long."

The seriousness in his tone and the solemn expression on his face caused a flip in Zheng Hao's heart, but he didn't want to be a softy. If he gave up now, Xiao Yang would be encouraged and wouldn't divorce him soon.

"Don't act like a child," he said in the end and dragged his hesitant feet out of the house.