Contract Couple – CH16

Chapter 16

Long Yu quickly prepared several dishes, stewed beef, and steamed a mandarin fish, then washed his hands and went to the small study.

“How’s it going? Anything to revise?” he asked.

“No, it’s great. Much more thorough than I expected,” Zhuo Yifan replied carefully, having only seen half of it so far.

Long Yu walked a few steps over, gesturing for him to sit while he stood across the desk. “This preparation was rushed; time was tight.”

Zhuo Yifan’s expression twisted. He had provided about ten pages of materials, yet Long Yu had expanded them two to three times over in just a few days. A thick stack lay before them. Rushed? He guessed Dr. Long was being modest and politely said, “It looks sufficient to me, really.”

Long Yu adjusted his glasses. “With more time, not only the online platform but all the publishers he cooperates with would face action.”

Zhuo Yifan was stunned. “Ah? The publishers too? What about Master? His name is on the books…”

Long Yu said, “Then we separate copyrights. If one party damages their reputation, they must pay the price. Your previous lawsuit against Luo Yi was correct—the first step.”

Zhuo Yifan was bewildered. “Master, there’s a second step?”

“There is.” Long Yu’s lips curved slightly. Appeased by the title, he patiently explained the plan.

Zhuo Yifan had disliked Luo Yi for years but never considered removing him from his master’s work. Now, with Long Yu in charge, he was thoroughly restructuring everything, separating that person completely from inside out. Work ties would be entirely severed—future collaboration would be impossible.

Zhuo Yifan admired him completely. Previously, his lawsuit against Luo Yi had a hint of revenge, and he only provided the most obvious evidence, at most forcing a public apology. But Long Yu was preparing rigorously, like handling a medical legal case, analyzing every detail. Any potentially relevant material beyond what Zhuo Yifan provided was gathered meticulously.

“Master, which lawyer did you hire? In such a short time, this is way more thorough than the one my dad recommended—it’s like a whole team!” Zhuo Yifan couldn’t resist flattering him.

“It is a team,” Long Yu said. “My family works in medicine and has a dedicated legal team.”

Concise and authoritative, it impressed Zhuo Yifan. Clearly, Long Yu’s family were exceptional in their field. No wonder he spent money freely.

“…Our chances of winning are high. Given how the opponent operates, copyright division is inevitable. Jing Yao will be in a passive position otherwise. Winning now gives us some public opinion advantage. Here’s what we do—get ahead of them and seize control.” Long Yu flipped through key pages for him.

Zhuo Yifan nodded.

He listened attentively, occasionally adding points along Long Yu’s reasoning. Most of the time, though, he just absorbed Long Yu’s explanation. He didn’t feel any disrespect toward his master. Long Yu acted with precision, staying strictly within Fang Jing Yao’s previous boundaries. If Fang Jing Yao had collaborations, Long Yu respected them; if he left the studio, Long Yu didn’t need to accommodate Luo Yi. Every claim was clear, and no rightful gains were lost.

Zhuo Yifan only had a half-understanding of the copyright issues Long Yu was explaining, but he could understand the tone and attitude. Especially with such straightforward explanations, his admiration for Dr. Long shot up by several points in an instant.

After about ten minutes of discussion, Zhuo Yifan was already calling him “Master.”

Long Yu glanced at his watch. “The fish is done steaming. I’ll go to the kitchen. Check it yourself, and if there’s no problem, you can start using it.”

Zhuo Yifan nodded and looked up, catching sight of his master tying on the apron and leaving the room. He was stunned. Such an ethereal figure—so elegant, otherworldly—was actually cooking! Just the aroma alone made him feel the food couldn’t possibly be bad. For the first time, Zhuo Yifan felt his master’s warmth and approachability; he didn’t seem so distant anymore.

Dr. Long’s face carried that aloof, “above worldly concerns” look, yet his actions were precise, calm, and ruthless—cutting the opponent’s lifeline without hesitation. If this lawsuit succeeded, half of Luo Yi’s studio wouldn’t survive. The publishing schedule would be delayed, and the film adaptation would probably fall through…

Thinking of that scene, Zhuo Yifan couldn’t help but laugh, eyes crinkling with delight. Finally, it was Luo Yi’s turn to taste a beating! After all his master’s years of effort, and Luo Yi thought a simple “sorry” could make it all go away? Dream on. He wouldn’t get away with it!

Chortling, Zhuo Yifan grabbed the documents on the table, stuffed them into a kraft paper bag, and hummed a tune.

Meanwhile, Fang Jing Yao was overjoyed in the study.

He had expected a short adjustment period for the new computer, but the “little wife” (his affectionate nickname for the tablet) was so smooth to use that he instantly forgot his old equipment and became utterly absorbed.

After testing it with a rough sketch, he got the hang of it quickly. Using the little wife, he felt like he could work three full days without fatigue!

Fang Jing Yao held the stylus, tears of joy streaming down his face, silently giving Long Yu seventeen or eighteen “likes” in his heart.

When he shut the computer and stepped out, he noticed Zhuo Yifan standing at the kitchen doorway, talking to Long Yu while holding the kraft paper bag. Curious, he asked, “What are you two talking about?”

“Nothing,” Zhuo Yifan replied. “Just checking with Dr. Long about that contract from a few days ago.”

Fang Jing Yao’s eyes fell on the bag. He was about to ask, but Long Yu called him: “Wash your hands; dinner’s ready.”

Fang Jing Yao nodded and went to wash. Though he had eaten with Long Yu many times, this was the first time he could truly anticipate Long Yu’s cooking.

Long Yu prepared three dishes and a soup: stuffed bitter melon with meat, steamed mandarin fish, stir-fried edamame with diced meat, and chicken soup with beef.

All were homestyle dishes, but the flavors were excellent. Even Zhuo Yifan, who usually disliked bitter foods, ate quite a bit of the bitter melon. But his favorite was the soup. It had clearly simmered for a long time—the broth was clear, the meat tender and soft, fragrant and rich. Zhuo Yifan drank three bowls in a row.

Fang Jing Yao, who had been eating fish with Long Yu all week, found today’s steamed mandarin fish perfectly done—tender meat with a touch of the broth, fragrant and delicious. He couldn’t help taking extra portions.

Long Yu refilled his soup bowl and smiled. “I thought you loved edamame the most.”

“I do!” Fang Jing Yao added some beans to his rice, eyes squeezing shut in satisfaction. “When I was a kid, I used to beg my mom to buy these. I’d peel them at the door with a small bowl, then freeze them for winter. I was so careful, savoring them slowly.”

Long Yu chuckled. “So you peeled a lot, huh?”

Fang Jing Yao sighed. “Yes. One summer, I peeled a bunch to save for later, but my dad brought friends home and boiled them all with salt for drinks. I was furious.”

Zhuo Yifan listened eagerly and asked, “Then what happened?”

Fang Jing Yao: “What could I do? Forgive him.”

Zhuo Yifan thought to himself, “If it were me, I’d cry.”

Fang Jing Yao coughed. “Why cry? Just edamame. And this was twenty years ago—I don’t even remember the details.”

Long Yu scooped a spoonful of edamame and diced meat for him. Fang Jing Yao’s face lit up with a big smile. So easy to please! Long Yu lowered his eyes slightly and smiled too. His mind wandered twenty years back to a courtyard in a government compound. At the time, his father had gone abroad for study, his mother was busy, and his aunt took care of him. He had trouble adjusting to the North, and even his accent marked him as different. Though not bullied, he was subtly excluded by peers.

Quiet by nature, he sat by the window reading. The courtyard was large, full of sounds. But the loudest sound that day was a child in the next yard crying in a small iron bowl, heartbroken as if suffering the greatest injustice in the world.

Long Yu couldn’t help glancing over, noticing the beautiful child holding the tiny bowl with only a few bright green edamame inside…

Fang Jing Yao kept spooning edamame and diced meat onto his plate. Seeing Long Yu distracted, he considerate-ly offered some to him: “Long Yu, eat! If you don’t, I’ll finish it all!” He sounded slightly embarrassed.

Like most chefs, Long Yu couldn’t judge taste from his own cooking. He asked, “Is it good?”

Fang Jing Yao nodded vigorously. “Delicious!”

Long Yu smiled. Having someone appreciate your cooking is always satisfying.

By the end of the meal, both Fang Jing Yao and Zhuo Yifan were reluctant to put down their bowls.

Zhuo Yifan, a strong-willed disciple raised by Fang Jing Yao, had never bowed to anyone—but now he was completely humbled under his master’s presence.

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