Reborn as Mr.CEO's Fat Wife-Chapter 824: Lawyer Jones’s Little Chef

Catherine Ford didn’t consider herself to have any particular strengths—her family background was average, she looked average, her studies were average; her only real strength was probably... cooking.

Her father was a village chef, the kind that catered for weddings and funerals in the village, and because he had a bit of a reputation, even the township would seek him out for events. Catherine had naturally picked up quite a bit from being immersed in that environment from a young age, and she excelled at various snacks and noodles in particular. However, in recent years, as she had been busy making a living, aside from the time when Alice first started eating solid food and she researched various complementary foods to provide nutrition for Alice, she seldom had the leisure and inclination to cook a meal in detail.

But since she owed Benjamin Jones money and a favor, she couldn’t be perfunctory about it.

There was everything in the fridge; she turned on the stove to heat up some water, then started mixing the dough. After covering the dough, she cleaned the shrimps and beef and then chose a few types of vegetables.

Even though she hadn’t done it for a long time, the skills she had honed from childhood were imprinted in her bones, and soon she found her rhythm, her movements getting faster and more proficient.

Crystal shrimp dumplings, small steamed buns, beef porridge, cold seaweed salad, steamed egg custard; worried that men might not eat Chinese breakfast, she also made a sandwich and cut a plate of fruit.

An hour later, after his workout, Benjamin Jones smelled the delicious aroma before he had even come downstairs in his suit after taking a shower, and he looked towards the kitchen.

The kitchen was open-plan, and from his angle he could see the busy woman inside. Despite her small and thin frame, her hands moved deftly and efficiently. Hearing him come downstairs, she turned to glance at him, quickly saying, "Lawyer Jones, it will be ready soon."

After speaking, she wiped the light sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand and got busy once more.

By the time he sat down in the dining room, she had indeed begun serving the dishes.

Only...

After Catherine’s nth trip to the kitchen, he looked at the half-table full of breakfast, "..."

It wasn’t at the level of a state banquet, but it was rich enough to raise his eyebrows.

As Catherine brought out the last dish, seeing that Benjamin hadn’t started eating, she explained somewhat apologetically, "You said I should decide what to make, and I didn’t know what you liked, so I just made a bit of everything. You can try whatever suits your taste, and I can make it again next time. Or if you have something you want to eat, you can tell me in advance."

It was then that Benjamin realized his mistake. Letting her choose what to make was not much different from saying "whatever," and the thing people fear most is hearing "whatever."

Because no one knows what ’whatever’ really is.

Looking at the excessive bounty of breakfast before him, Benjamin uncharacteristically explained, "I have no dietary restrictions when I eat, you don’t need to go to so much trouble in the future."

"Okay," Catherine replied with a sigh of relief, and turned back into the kitchen to clean up.

Benjamin took a spoonful of beef porridge, which was tender and fragrant, no less appetizing than the beef porridge from the Imperial Cuisine Pavilion. He then picked up a crystal dumpling—thin-skinned with a generous filling, fresh and not oily. The small steamed buns paired with cold dishes were really appetizing. He usually didn’t eat much for breakfast, but he ended up finishing a whole pot of beef porridge, half a basket of crystal dumplings, and half a basket of steamed buns. The cold dishes were nearly gone, and he looked regretfully at the soft and tender steamed egg custard. As for the sandwich, he had no interest in it at all.

As he got up, Benjamin embarrassingly realized he had eaten a bit too much.

Hearing movement, Catherine looked up at him, "Lawyer Jones, what time do you finish work tonight? Is it okay to have noodles for dinner?"

"Six o’clock, that’s fine," Benjamin replied. Noticing there was still about half of the food left on the table, he added, "You take care of the leftovers."

Catherine Ford answered and watched the man leave, then cleaned the kitchen and took the leftover food to Alice.

When she returned, little Alice was still sitting in the same spot, flipping through a picture book. Seeing her mom enter, she happily stood up, then suddenly snuffled with her little nose, "Mommy, what’s that delicious smell!"

Catherine shook her head amusedly and poked Alice’s nose with her fingertip, "You little dog nose."

After saying that, she gave the leftover buns to Alice to eat two, then took the little girl to the nearest market by their villa.

When leaving the neighborhood, she saw a very familiar figure—it was Mary Scott, the female star who had recently announced her marriage to the famous director. Catherine once again sighed that this place was indeed full of rich people.

After the sigh, Catherine took Alice to the bus stop, changed buses three times, and finally found a reasonably priced market near the Medical University.

After buying some daily necessities and enough groceries for a week, Catherine rushed back with Alice before three o’clock.

Under the unusual gazes of the security guards, the mother and daughter returned to the villa. The little girl was so tired she fell asleep on the bed soon after getting home, while Catherine organized all the food, made some simple eats for herself and Alice, woke the little one up to eat, and then went next door.

In the morning, she discovered that Benjamin Jones preferred Chinese food, just as he said he was not picky. Light dishes as well as spicy appetizers were both fine by him, so dinner was easier to prepare than breakfast.

After pondering for a while, she started to cook.

Benjamin hadn’t expected Catherine’s cooking skills to be so good that he found himself still thinking about the crystal shrimp buns he had for lunch, even when seeing the meals ordered by his secretary. After finishing work early in the afternoon, he hurried home.

As soon as he opened the door, he was greeted by a faint fragrance. He took off his coat, put down his briefcase, and saw Catherine, wearing an apron, attentively tasting the soup. When she saw him come in, she looked up and greeted with a smile, "You’re back, dinner will be ready soon."

Benjamin was momentarily stunned, feeling for a second as if he were a husband returning home from work, and Catherine was the wife waiting for his return.

"What’s wrong?" After speaking, Catherine saw that Benjamin hadn’t moved and touched her own face in confusion. Could there be something on her face?

"Nothing, where’s Alice?" After asking, Benjamin felt even more bemused.

But Catherine didn’t mind and casually replied while busy, "Alice has eaten and is watching cartoons."

"Hmm, Alice is too young. In the future, when you come over, you can leave her here," Benjamin said, his sense of strangeness growing but still he added the sentence.

Catherine could tell that Benjamin was quite fond of Alice, but after all, her current status was more like that of a part-time worker, and it wasn’t appropriate to bring her child along. However, she indeed couldn’t bear to leave Alice alone, so after hearing Benjamin’s words, she hesitated but eventually agreed.

For dinner, Catherine made seafood mushroom soup noodles, paired with chicken chunks stewed with tea tree mushrooms, stir-fried beef with seasonal vegetables, and finished with a tomato egg drop soup. These were all homely dishes, but Catherine made the color combination very appealing, making everything look appetizing.

After washing his hands and seeing the dinner on the table, Benjamin raised an eyebrow. For years, he had been too busy, his life irregular, often forgetting to eat when engrossed in work, and even when eating, it was the secretary who ordered the meals—always the same few places. Over time, eating had become just a task for him, and he rarely ate at home, even when the maid was there.

This time, it was simply because he saw Catherine was clearly short of money yet insisted on repaying the debt, to take care of her pride he had casually made this request, not expecting that the woman would take it seriously.

Sitting at the dining table, Benjamin tasted a mouthful—the broth was delicious, the noodles chewy, and the flavors of the other dishes were also good. He took a sip of the egg drop soup, and instantly, his stomach felt utterly satisfied. Looking up at the woman’s expectant gaze, he said, "Mhm, not bad."

"Thank you." Acknowledged, Catherine’s lips curled up in a smile as she thanked him, then went to tidy up the kitchen. But Benjamin stopped her, leaving Catherine looking at him puzzled.

Benjamin Jones cleared his throat, "Let’s eat together."

"No need, no need, Alice and I have already eaten," Catherine Ford hastily explained.

Benjamin Jones felt a twinge of guilt, realizing it was he who had uncharacteristically shown kindness and yet hadn’t noticed he let Reed buy such an expensive pair of shoes. Now, he was having the other party cook for him morning and evening as compensation, he sighed lightly, "In the future, you and Alice can just eat here in the morning and evening, to avoid the hassle."

"Is that... really okay?" Catherine Ford was somewhat flustered.

"It’s fine," Benjamin Jones replied softly and continued eating.

Catherine Ford stood in a daze for a while before she came to her senses, and then remembered something else, "Um... Lawyer Jones, I have to go to work tomorrow, so I’ll be back late after work."

"No problem," Benjamin Jones responded without lifting his head.

Catherine Ford hesitated for a moment, her feelings complex as she returned to the kitchen.

Benjamin Jones had a good appetite and finished his dinner cleanly before heading upstairs to work. By the time he came back down, the dining table had been cleared and the kitchen was clean and tidy, even the trash had been taken out. Still, his originally cold and lifeless villa seemed to suddenly have a taste of home and hearth.

He went into the kitchen to get a bottle of iced water from the fridge. As he was leaving, he suddenly opened the other side where various vegetables were neatly stacked together, and the meat underneath was the same. He opened the cupboard and saw dough that a woman had prepared in advance.

Benjamin Jones raised his eyebrows, suddenly looking forward to tomorrow’s breakfast.

The next day.

When Benjamin Jones came downstairs, he saw a petite figure busy in the kitchen. Thinking he had woken up late, he glanced at the time and saw it was only six o’clock. He frowned slightly, "Why so early?"

"I’m heading to work in a bit," Catherine Ford replied vaguely without going into detail, as the drive back and forth from her company takes an hour and a half, and she needs to leave two hours early to clock in by nine o’clock.

"Oh," Benjamin Jones said, understanding.

After Catherine Ford finished speaking, she continued with her busy work. Since she was rushed for time yesterday, she hadn’t prepared much, but today was different. She had got all of today’s ingredients ready last night.

By the time she came over in the morning, the dough had fermented perfectly. She made a few meat buns, then fried some dough sticks, cooked a pot of sweet potato millet porridge, and prepared pickled baby cabbage from last night at her home. She brought it over in the morning to eat; it was crispy, spicy, and sweet, perfect for whetting the appetite. She had also stir-fried some green vegetables with mushrooms because she feared Benjamin Jones’s appetite would not be satisfied with just the others.

By the time Benjamin Jones had finished his run, Catherine Ford had already served the breakfast. Then she glanced at the time, "Lawyer Jones, you can just leave the dishes here after you eat; I’ll clean them up when I come back in the evening."

After speaking, she hurriedly left.

Benjamin Jones looked at the golden-fried dough sticks and the white, soft buns that were emitting the fragrance of meat, as well as the sweet potato millet porridge that radiated a sweet aroma, accompanied by two side dishes. He took a deep breath, wiped the thin sweat from his forehead, and couldn’t help but pick up a dough stick first. In the past, he rarely ate fried food, feeling it was unhealthy, but now he was somewhat unable to resist and took a bite.

The crust was crispy, the inside soft, and the taste was delicious. He couldn’t help but take another bite, and quickly finished two sticks before remembering the other items. The buns were soft and fragrant, and while he initially felt some regret for not seeing yesterday’s crystal buns, he found these meat buns even tastier than the ones from yesterday. Paired with the spicy, crispy, and sweet baby cabbage, it was very satisfying.

Benjamin Jones previously didn’t understand why others said homemade dishes were delicious, but these past two days he had started to gradually come to realize why.

After finishing breakfast, he casually washed the dishes and then went upstairs to change his clothes. When he was about to leave, Catherine Ford had just closed the door. He got into the car but did not instruct Reed to start the engine right away. Instead, as Catherine passed by, he suddenly lowered the car window and said, "Get in."

Catherine was in a rush and hadn’t noticed the car next to her. Hearing Benjamin Jones’s voice, she turned around in confusion, "Lawyer Jones?"

"Get in the car," Benjamin repeated, his tone as cold and forceful as ever.

Intimidated by Benjamin’s aura, Catherine got into the man’s car with a puzzled look on her face and then asked softly, "Is there something you need, Lawyer Jones?"

"Drive," Benjamin simply instructed the driver to move the car without responding to her question.

Only when the car slowly exited Rose Valley did Catherine realize he was giving her a lift. She suddenly showed gratitude, "Thank you, Lawyer Jones. You can just have the driver drop me off at the bus stop later."

"Is Alice at home by herself?" Benjamin didn’t pay attention to Catherine’s words but instead asked.

Catherine felt a bit embarrassed, "Yes, there’s no suitable dance school nearby, so I’ve let her stay home for now."

In the morning, she had already prepared lunch for Alice, as well as some homemade healthy snacks, so if Alice got hungry, she could eat by herself.

But Benjamin’s brow furrowed, thinking of that pretty and well-behaved three-year-old girl, he felt somewhat reluctant but was clear about Catherine’s situation and didn’t say much.

"Don’t worry, Alice is very sensible. She won’t mess with things in the house, and she can use video calls. If anything happens, she’ll call me." Seeing Benjamin’s demeanor grow even colder, Catherine hurriedly explained.

After listening, Benjamin didn’t say much. Catherine breathed a sigh of relief but then realized that the car had already passed the stop, "Lawyer Jones, I..."

"You prepared the meal for me, so I’m giving you a ride as thanks," Benjamin knew what Catherine was about to say and interrupted directly.

The company Catherine worked for was in the same building as Benjamin’s law firm, which was on the way. However, the thought of possibly riding in Benjamin’s car to work every morning made her suddenly tense and confused, "I cooked as a way to repay..."

She only managed to say half of it before the man waved his hand at her and then pulled out his mobile phone to take a call. The words that Catherine was about to say were swallowed back down. After Benjamin hung up, she didn’t know how to continue.

It wasn’t until the car was almost at the company that she remembered she shouldn’t let others see her getting out of Lawyer Jones’s car. Fortunately, the man was more considerate. He let her out at a turning point.

After thanking him, Catherine nervously headed to her company and arrived half an hour earlier than usual. She secretly let out a sigh of relief, punched in her card, and entered the elevator, only to overhear two female colleagues excitedly gossiping, "I just saw Lawyer Jones, wow, so handsome!"

"Oh my god, you’re so lucky. Where? I didn’t see!" another female voice chimed in.

"In the parking lot. I saw him as soon as I got out of the car. His face, his figure, truly stunning. It’s just that he’s so cold. No idea what kind of woman he likes." While the female colleague said this, her eyes were filled with enthusiasm.

Catherine subconsciously looked at the other person, noticing she was dressed in branded clothes, with big waves in her hair and red lipstick, very glamorous. She recognized that the woman worked in the design department.

Feeling Catherine’s gaze, the woman glanced up, saw Catherine’s work badge, and let out a disdainful snort. Catherine responded with an awkward smile. She had studied accounting in college but was currently working in logistics.

It was the most inconspicuous and most looked-down-upon job at the company.