Chapter 142: Alliances in the Kitchen

After Wang Jie officially announced her relationship with the young idol, her social media feed quickly filled with likes.

Though the comments below were all well-wishes, people were secretly shocked that these two had gotten together, wondering when it all started.

Of course, Liu Yong, the vice president of Pan Cheng Electronics, learned about the announcement right away.

He was so frantic that he called the police and pointed at his phone, saying:

“Officer, I suspect these two are behind this. Otherwise, my safe couldn’t have vanished—it’s got important files inside, and stuff I need to work with them on… things I wanted to use for leverage.”

The two officers glanced at each other.

One of them asked:

“So, Mr. Liu, you’re saying the safe was there yesterday afternoon—it’s about 80 to 100 pounds—and now it’s gone? You think someone broke into your office last night and hauled it away?”

Liu Yong nodded. “Exactly!”

The other officer suddenly chuckled, then awkwardly coughed to cover it up:

“We don’t mean any disrespect, Mr. Liu, but think about it—if someone got past your security guard, snuck into a building with people still working late,

picked the lock, cracked your computer password, deleted the protected files, and carried off an 80 to 100-pound safe—all while your company’s surveillance conveniently failed…

I’d say you might have an inside job. Otherwise, how could an outsider pull that off? Unless they’re some kind of superhero.”

“An inside job?” He suddenly realized it was possible; everything seemed too coincidental.

The officer asked, “Would leaking those safe files cost your company a lot of money?”

Liu Yong replied, “It wouldn’t hit the company’s finances, but inside… there’s a contract with a certain studio and something else.”

“Something else?”

He sighed quietly, still baffled by the situation, and slumped in defeat.

“It’s nothing. None of it is worth much anyway.”

“So, basically, it’s just the safe that’s missing? Nothing else?”

Liu Yong knew from that comment the case would probably go nowhere. He glanced at the admin staff nearby.

The admin employee waved their hands quickly. “I’m not the insider, Mr. Liu! I was in my office all yesterday, and I don’t have a key to your room!”

Liu Yong shot them a frustrated look and sank weakly onto the sofa, thinking that though there was no direct loss,

failing to secure the studio deal plus losing that other file meant he’d lost countless future opportunities—and years of his own plan had just gone up in smoke.

In the private kitchen of the music studio, Lin Zheng Ran was surprised to learn that Jiang Jingshi had one here too.

While others might hide antiques everywhere, Jiang Jingshi preferred stashing kitchens in odd places.

The sleek, luxurious kitchen was about 200 square feet. Jiang Jingshi stood at the counter, checking the tomatoes and eggs Lin Zheng Ran had bought yesterday.

They were still fresh after just one night.

Jiang Jingshi held up a tomato and turned back. “Zheng Ran, you look a bit surprised?”

Lin Zheng Ran scanned the room. “I am. I didn’t know you had a private kitchen here, Jiang Jie.”

“Besides my temporary workspaces, I have one in every place I spend a lot of time. Sometimes I get the urge to cook something for myself. Most of the time it’s unused, but when the mood hits, I’d be miserable without it.”

Lin Zheng Ran nodded. “I get that.”

Jiang Jingshi expertly blanched the tomatoes, peeled them,

chopped the flesh into chunks, cracked the eggs into a bowl, added salt, and whisked them.

Lin Zheng Ran watched her skilled movements; she was clearly a pro at this.

She heated the wok and glanced back at Lin Zheng Ran. “It’ll be ready soon. This dish is simple.”

“Okay.”

Her hands moved with practice, but her mind wandered. She was curious about the warehouse incident that morning and felt an odd tension whenever she was alone with Lin Zheng Ran.

She couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

In her distraction, Jiang Jingshi’s hand brushed the hot edge of the wok, and she yelped in pain.

She pulled back, and Lin Zheng Ran said quickly, “Burned yourself? Run it under cold water!”

Jiang Jingshi agreed and turned on the faucet to cool her fingers, while Lin Zheng Ran shut off the stove.

As the cold water soothed her, Jiang Jingshi felt embarrassed; she rarely messed up in the kitchen and had wanted to impress Lin Zheng Ran, but this was a silly mistake.

Lin Zheng Ran stepped closer to check, their bodies almost touching.

Jiang Jingshi caught a faint, comforting scent from him.

“Think that’s enough?” she asked.

Lin Zheng Ran asked, “Still feel the burn?”

“A little.”

“No rush then. Let it cool more.”

Jiang Jingshi nodded, knowing she didn’t need to hurry but asking him anyway.

She whispered, “Sorry you had to see that, Zheng Ran. I bragged about cooking all the time, and here I go burning my hand like a beginner.”

“That’s no big joke. Everyone burns themselves cooking sometimes. Hey, Jiang Jie, do you have any ointment for burns in here?”

“Yes…” She pointed to a distant cabinet. “Should be in there.”

Lin Zheng Ran fetched it, opened the tube,

and Jiang Jingshi figured it was enough, pulling her hand from the water. Her fingers were just a bit red, no blisters.

It wasn’t serious.

She felt relieved. “Good, nothing major.”

She turned for Lin Zheng Ran to look, and he gently took her hand to check the redness.

The cold water had helped quickly.

“It’s not bad. A little ointment should fix it right up.”

Jiang Jingshi’s eyes trembled slightly as she felt his grip.

Her heart raced.

He squeezed out some ointment and carefully spread it on her finger.

“If it hurts, let me know.”

Jiang Jingshi shook her head. “It doesn’t. You can keep going.”

She bit her lip lightly, watching his gentle motions on her now-cool finger.

Once done, Lin Zheng Ran suggested, “The dish is almost ready anyway. I’ll take over for the rest.”

“You? Can you cook?”

“It’s just tomatoes and eggs. Even if mine aren’t as good as yours, we’re at the end— just need to get it done.”

Jiang Jingshi nodded slightly, feeling the warmth leave her hand as he let go, her cheeks flushing. “Alright, you handle it. I’ll watch from here.”

“Sure.”

Lin Zheng Ran fired up the stove again.

Jiang Jingshi eyed her finger for a moment, then as he stirred, she added a pinch of sugar to the mix.

She remarked, “You’re pretty handy in the kitchen yourself, Zheng Ran. That was smooth.”

Lin Zheng Ran smiled, thinking it was all thanks to a certain skill.

When the dish was done, Lin Zheng Ran grabbed a plate, but Jiang Jingshi picked up chopsticks and scooped some eggs, holding them up to his mouth with her other hand cupped underneath. “Try this.”

After the steak incident last time, Lin Zheng Ran just went with it.

He ate the bite off the chopsticks.

After tasting, he said cheerfully, “That’s great! Your cooking is always spot-on, Jiang Jie.”

“You can’t say it’s all mine—we made it together.”

Jiang Jingshi smiled and took another bite with the same chopsticks, whether by accident or design, popping it into her own mouth.

She savored it, licking her lips, her face turning red as she nodded. “Yeah, it’s good.”

Then she picked up a piece of tomato and offered it to him. “Now try the tomato.”

Lin Zheng Ran noticed she was still using the same chopsticks.

Jiang Jingshi looked at him with soft, inviting eyes. “What are you waiting for? Open up.”

Lin Zheng Ran ate the tomato and nodded after tasting. “The tomato’s good too. Really tasty.”

Jiang Jingshi’s cheeks flushed even more.

“Your feedback is so straightforward, but hey, as long as it’s good.”

Just then, Wang Jie and the young idol walked in. Since the kitchen door was open, Wang Jie clearly saw Jiang Jingshi feeding Lin Zheng Ran.

The intimate gesture spoke volumes about their relationship.

And Jiang Jingshi had admitted it yesterday anyway.

“Boss Jiang… and Lin Zheng Ran…”

The young idol behind her said politely, “Boss Jiang, Lin bro.”

Jiang Jingshi set down the chopsticks and turned. “Wang Jie?”

Lin Zheng Ran looked at the doorway. “Wang Jie? What’s up?”

Wang Jie’s face was full of gratitude. “Nothing much, just wanted to discuss the studio with you and Boss Jiang.”

Soon, they all moved to the office.

Jiang Jingshi and Lin Zheng Ran sat together, while Wang Jie and the young idol sat opposite.

A secretary came to pour tea, but as she reached for Lin Zheng Ran’s cup, Jiang Jingshi stopped her. “I’ll handle his. You can go.”

The secretary nodded. “Okay, Boss Jiang.”

Jiang Jingshi gently poured the tea for Lin Zheng Ran, carefully wiping the rim before sliding it over. “There you go.”

Lin Zheng Ran said thanks.

Wang Jie and the young idol exchanged shocked glances.

Jiang Jingshi sipped her tea and asked, “What did you want to talk about, Wang Jie?”

Wang Jie smiled. “You’re always so straightforward, Boss Jiang. My partner and I are truly grateful for what you and Lin Zheng Ran did.”

Jiang Jingshi smiled back. “No need to thank us; we didn’t do much.”

Wang Jie knew the morning’s events were their doing—no one else could have pulled it off. Jiang Jingshi wasn’t denying it; some things just couldn’t be said outright.

“Anyway, Boss Jiang, after all this, I’ve thought it through. I’ve been obsessed with music for years, trying to build my team on my own, but it’s never gone smoothly.

Even with Lily in the studio, she’s our most unique singer—we barely taught her anything, just handled some small competitions for her.

Her growth is all thanks to Lin Zheng Ran. And when she signed with us, it was a special contract since no training was needed. We didn’t contribute much to her success.”

She paused. “What I’m saying is, I know my limits and my studio’s. I probably don’t have what it takes to develop talent—that’s been clear for years.

And without you and Lin Zheng Ran stepping in, I’d be ruined by that compensation fee. I couldn’t fight those people on my own. So, if you’re interested, I’d like to give the studio to you for free.”

Jiang Jingshi was taken aback. “What? Give me the studio? Are you quitting, Wang Jie?”

“Not exactly quitting, but without Lily, the studio isn’t profitable anyway. I’ve just been holding on all these years.”

Lin Zheng Ran understood; Wang Jie was hinting at partnering with the Jiang Group, but she lacked the leverage to ask directly, so she offered the studio instead.

Her only real asset was Lily, who was connected to him, so without her, the studio would collapse soon.

Wang Jie wasn’t great at nurturing talent, but she excelled at spotting and managing it. Running a studio for years without backing took skill.

Lin Zheng Ran felt Jiang Jingshi nudge him lightly with her elbow.

They shared a quick, knowing look; she was asking if he wanted to go ahead.

Jiang Jingshi typed a message on her phone and showed it to him: “You know Wang Jie’s capabilities better than I do. If you want to keep her on, we will. I’m just the vice president; you’re in charge, so I’ll follow your lead.”

Lin Zheng Ran chuckled softly and spoke up:

“Wang Jie, we can’t just take your studio like that. You’ve been in this industry for years, and I’ve known you that long—I know you’re capable. How about we partner up instead? Work together going forward.”

Wang Jie hadn’t expected him to suggest it. “Ah?”

Once Lin Zheng Ran spoke, Jiang Jingshi added,

“My brother and I are planning to start a new company soon. As he said, if you’re interested, Wang Jie, you can join us. I’ll even give you some of my shares.

We’ll be building teams, and for the music side, we need someone in charge. We think you could handle that.”

Wang Jie was overwhelmed with joy. “Really, Boss Jiang? You’d work with me? But with my skills…”

Jiang Jingshi replied, “If Zheng Ran trusts you, so do I. Remember, I’m just the vice president; he calls the shots.”

Lin Zheng Ran said, “I’ve known you for years, Wang Jie, so I trust you. It’s up to you if you’re in.”

She looked at him gratefully. “Lin—Lin, I mean, Lin, of course I’m in! I’d love to partner with you both! Thank you so much!”

Jiang Jingshi smiled. “Great, it’s settled then? We’re all partners now!”

“Yes! Thank you!” Her gratitude was beyond words; she just beamed.

A week later, the new company was set up. Originally meant to be a studio, with Wang Lan’s involvement, they decided on a limited company structure after discussions.

The name came from combining Lin Zheng Ran and Jiang Jingshi’s names: Zheng Shi Media Limited.

Zheng Shi Media operated as a parent company with three subsidiaries: one for music run by Wang Lan,

one for sports, led temporarily by Jiang Jingshi and focusing on Taekwondo, and a livestreaming branch.

Wang Lan’s old studio merged with Jiang Jingshi’s music team, all under her management as a partner.

They had planned to give her 30% of the music company’s shares, but she insisted she didn’t have the capital and only took 20%, promising to earn it through hard work.

The rest of the shares were sorted out privately between Lin Zheng Ran and Jiang Jingshi.

Other company approvals were underway, with Zheng Shi Media expected to launch fully in a month.