Chapter 24: A New Job

Mo Fei’s eyes were nearly glued to the roast goose. The chef, standing at the side and responsible for carving the goose, felt immense pressure under his gaze. Ji Xingjian also noticed Mo Fei’s expression and chuckled, waving his hand. “Let’s eat and talk.”

Lu Chunqiu felt thoroughly embarrassed; to an outsider, it might have looked like she’d been starving Mo Fei. Only after receiving the guest’s signal did the chef finally begin carving the goose. His hands were skillful and swift, while Mo Fei’s eyes tracked his every move as he continued devouring the fish without pause.

The sweet and sour Mandarin fish was tender and fresh, melting in the mouth with no bones to spit out. Mo Fei ate with unrestrained gusto. The braised lion’s head was thick with savory sauce, yet light and balanced inside, the fat and lean perfectly matched, topped with scallions for an appealing look. Mo Fei bent over his plate, eating intently.

The three-delicacy fish ball soup was light and refreshing, the fish balls springy, and the tofu skins soaked in broth, bursting with flavor in every bite. Mo Fei served himself a bowl of rice and focused wholeheartedly on his meal.

Ji Xingjian, meanwhile, continued his conversation with Lu Chunqiu. “At first, I wanted to offer a direct cash reward, but Xingyu felt that was inappropriate. I happen to have a director friend working on a web series and could sponsor Mr. Mo’s entry into the cast. What do you think, Miss Lu?”

Lu Chunqiu’s eyes sparkled. “The male lead?”

Even if it was just a web series, it was still the lead role! Ji Xingjian’s lips curved in a smile. “Of course.”

“Boss, you’re generous!” Lu Chunqiu raised her cup in a toast, only to realize there was nothing to drink but soup. Undeterred, she pressed on. “I’ll use soup instead of wine—cheers!” With that, she tipped her head back and finished the bowl.

Ji Xingjian was well pleased with the outcome of the discussion. He turned to give his younger brother a triumphant look, but Ji Xingyu wasn’t even glancing his way. Instead, he was watching Mo Fei without blinking.

Ji Xingjian frowned slightly, baffled at what was so captivating. He followed his brother’s gaze to Mo Fei, and, unexpectedly, felt a pang of hunger himself.

Mo Fei was eating with total devotion, joy overflowing from his face as if savoring the rarest of delicacies.

“Brother,” Ji Xingyu tugged Ji Xingjian’s sleeve and whispered, “I’m hungry.”

Ji Xingjian quietly patted his own stomach. So was he.

Usually, after business was concluded, the rest of the meal would be filled with small talk, flattery, and idle boasting. But now, both Ji brothers were so taken with their hunger that they began eating in earnest, saying nothing. Lu Chunqiu was perceptive enough to read the mood—and besides, the food was genuinely delicious.

For a while, the private room fell silent but for the sounds of focused dining. The goose carver had never seen such a quiet table of guests, their reverence for the food the very picture of a chef’s dream clientele.

When the entire roast goose had been carved and served, Mo Fei immediately reached for the goose leg he’d been eyeing for so long. At the table, the rule was that the drumsticks—whether from chicken, duck, or goose—were for the children. With four people at the table, two over thirty, surely he deserved one?

Before Lu Chunqiu could signal him, Mo Fei had already seized the goose leg in his mouth. The skin was sweet and crisp, the meat juicy and perfectly cooked, infused with flavor. Mo Fei’s eyes narrowed in bliss.

Ji Xingyu had been watching Mo Fei eat, and seeing that expression made him swallow involuntarily. He usually preferred light, vegetarian, and sweet foods; roast goose seemed greasy to him—could it really be so tasty?

Hesitating, Ji Xingyu picked up a piece and tried it. It wasn’t as incredible as he’d feared, nor as bad—it was acceptable, he supposed.

The meal ended with everyone satisfied. As they prepared to leave, Ji Xingyu held up his phone, hoping to exchange contacts with Mo Fei. Ji Xingjian watched the two converse, frowning slightly. To be honest, although Mo Fei had barely spoken through the entire meal, Ji Xingjian didn’t like this little celebrity. Part of it was professional prejudice; part was a genuine discomfort upon meeting him. On top of that, his subordinates said Mo Fei was highly skilled with knives—surely, that suggested a past in shady circles.

How could someone like that be friends with his gentle brother? He’d be a bad influence for certain!

Even so, Ji Xingjian knew it wasn’t the right time to interfere in his brother’s friendships. Once the groups had parted ways, Ji Xingjian tried to disparage Mo Fei. “That little celebrity is rather rude—he just kept eating and wouldn’t talk.”

Ji Xingyu didn’t even look up from his phone. “I thought he was quite nice. Focusing on your meal is cute.”

“But he doesn’t look like a good person,” Ji Xingjian pressed, grasping for evidence. “Xiao Wang saw him playing with knives—who does that for fun?”

“He’s an actor; it’s normal to know a few unusual skills.” Ji Xingyu put away his phone and shot Ji Xingjian a smile. “Besides, you’re always telling me not to judge by appearances.”

“But—” Ji Xingjian wanted to object, but Ji Xingyu raised a hand to stop him. “Brother, I think I’ve met my muse. I feel so inspired right now.”

Ji Xingjian was stunned. “What?”

“I’ve been struggling with how to depict the Seven Deadly Sins from Western legend—how to capture the demonic nature without making them too grotesque,” Ji Xingyu said excitedly. “Now I know how to paint Gluttony. Come on, let’s hurry home!”

Ji Xingjian’s words stuck in his throat, and he could only nod with a forced smile.

On the other side, Lu Chunqiu was also delighted. “Fantastic! Good deeds really do get rewarded. Now, after you finish Director Wang’s project, you won’t have a gap in your schedule.”

Mo Fei lounged lazily in the passenger seat and asked, “What gap?”

“Boss Ji arranged for you to play the male lead in a web series,” Lu Chunqiu explained, knowing Mo Fei’s habit of tuning out everything during meals. “We haven’t got the script yet, but considering you saved his life, it’s bound to be good.”

Mo Fei was taken aback. “A web series?”

“That’s right,” Lu Chunqiu replied casually as she drove. “Boss Ji is really generous—he was going to just give you cash, but then decided a job was better.”

Mo Fei felt as if lightning had struck him. He sat frozen. “Just give me cash?”

That would mean getting money without having to work, being able to stay home for ages, maybe even go back to the countryside and farm if the sum was large enough! What had he missed out on?

“You agree, don’t you?” Lu Chunqiu laughed. “You can’t just live off your savings. Teaching a man to fish is the right way.”

Mo Fei managed a forced grin. “Ha, yes, jobs are great… really great…”

Oh, his precious money… Was it too late to ask Ji Xingyu to change his mind? If he tried, Lu Chunqiu would definitely kill him.

Mo Fei slouched home dispiritedly, only to find a pair of green eyes peering at him from between the sofa cushions.

“I’m not in the mood to play with you today,” Mo Fei said, turning on the light and collapsing onto the couch, motionless.

A narrow line of fur leapt down from the sofa to sit on the floor, fixing Mo Fei with a look of utter feline disdain.