*Co see tonight?*
Xu Qian glared at Wang Jian. The man was truly... so naughty.
But at least I didn’t waste the effort of dressing up. The only problem is that Cai Qiong is also staying over tonight. If Wang Jian cos over, won’t we easily be caught? This is getting a little out of hand... Just thinking about it makes nervous. It’s as if I can already feel the sensation of being discovered at any mont.
"Stop ssing around!"
Xu Qian made a gesture as if to hit Wang Jian, but she didn’t really an to refuse.
Her interest in this mont was a clear sign of their mutual affection.
Wang Jian planned to cook a few simple dishes. Since Xu Qian couldn’t make any big movents, she just helped out on the side.
Watching Wang Jian cook with such concentration, Xu Qian felt a strange stirring in her heart as she prepped the vegetables and let her mind wander.
"Xiao Jian."
"What is it?"
"Were you very lonely in Capital City when you were by yourself?"
Wang Jian’s hands paused. He turned to look at Xu Qian and asked, "You’re not asking this just because you saw cooking, are you?"
"Pretty much," Xu Qian nodded. Standing nearby with her arms crossed, she smiled. "You said before that you could cook, but I just assud you ant simple dishes. I never expected you to be a master chef."
Watching Wang Jian’s movents and the way he controlled the heat in the wok, Xu Qian knew he wasn’t just boasting. He was clearly skilled.
"Master chef is a bit of an exaggeration. I only cooked occasionally back in Capital City." Wang Jian gave the wok a flip, showing off a little—who doesn’t like being complinted? "Try it later. If you like it, I’ll cook for you every day."
"Are you saying you don’t like my cooking?"
Wang Jian was stunned. Her question completely threw him for a loop. He never expected his simple offer to cook for her could be twisted like this. With a pained expression, he said, "I really didn’t an that. I just wanted to cook for you."
"Hahahaha! I should give you a mirror so you can see your own expression," Xu Qian laughed. "Did you just feel really frustrated and confused? Like I’m being as unreasonable as those won in internet s, getting angry for no reason?"
"..."
Wang Jian squinted. To be honest, that was exactly what he had been thinking.
The influence of social dia is so toxic these days. It leads won astray with this kind of irrational behavior, which is honestly terrifying. Even now, he was carefully observing her expression. For a second, he really wished he knew so psychology so he could at least tell if the woman in front of him was genuinely angry or just pretending. He thought of Cai Qiong. Initially, he had only planned to humor her research, but now it seed he might have to change his strategy. He would have to go and learn a thing or two from her after all.
Of course, Xu Qian was oblivious to Wang Jian’s complex train of thought. After teasing him, the resentnt she’d felt over Cai Qiong’s sudden arrival finally dissipated. She laughed and said, "Alright, don’t look so scared. I was just teasing you. Do I seem like the kind of person who’s so unreasonable?"
"Not at all!" Wang Jian wasn’t stupid. He let out a couple of chuckles and replied, "You’re the most understanding person I know."
"How co I never noticed you were so sweet-tongued before?" Xu Qian said with mock annoyance. "I thought you were as dense as a block of wood."
It wasn’t just her impression, either. Li Liping had said the sa thing when they chatted.
Upon hearing this, Wang Jian imdiately put down the wok and took a large step toward Xu Qian.
His sudden action startled her.
"What are you doing!"
Xu Qian took a step back, nearly bumping into the rice cooker behind her.
"Didn’t you say you couldn’t tell how sweet my mouth was?"
Wang Jian wrapped his arms around Xu Qian’s waist and, before she could react, gave her a taste of his lips.
"Well? Is it sweet?"
Xu Qian’s mind went blank. When had she ever seen such a domineering side to Wang Jian? Her senses were so overwheld by the kiss that she had no energy left to respond.
There was no denying it; her face was already flushed.
Xu Qian shot him a glare but didn’t say anything more. Instead, she bit him playfully before pushing him away. "If you keep this up, the food will burn."
"You’re right."
Wang Jian’s nose twitched. Besides Xu Qian’s scent, he could sll a faint charring in the aroma from the wok. It wasn’t burnt yet, but it was close. He quickly turned and grabbed the handle to give it another toss.
Cooking was actually quite fast. It didn’t take much effort for Wang Jian to finish the dish.
The philosophy of Sichuan cuisine, above all else, begins with a wok of hot oil. No matter the ingredients, passing them through the oil first is always the right move. That’s why even the water spinach and Sichuan peppercorns had to be flash-fried.
Dishes made this way were incredibly fragrant and went perfectly with rice.
Seeing the finished dish—perfect in color, aroma, and presentation—Xu Qian felt a surprising sense of satisfaction. However, that good feeling imdiately soured when she rembered that this was the first ti Wang Jian was cooking for her, only to have to share it with that woman, Cai Qiong.
Her mood swung back and forth, a ss of conflicting feelings.
Her thoughts finally settled when Wang Jian handed her a pair of chopsticks and asked her to try it.
Hmph. I don’t care if Cai Qiong gets to eat it or not. I got the first bite. Even if she eats so, she’ll just be eating after .
Xu Qian viciously took a large bite, her fierce expression looking surprisingly cute.
After one bite of the shrimp, her eyes widened. "Mmm..."
It was truly delicious, not just for show.
Xu Qian gave him a thumbs-up. "Not bad at all! I didn’t see this coming. Your skills are amazing."
"You’ve really mastered the essence of Sichuan cuisine!"
With that, she took another large helping. It was partly because the food was genuinely delicious and partly a deliberate attempt to leave less for Cai Qiong.
...
The two of them were busy in the kitchen for a while. It was half an hour later by the ti Cai Qiong sat down to eat, and that was only because Xu Qian had already ward up the rice and prepped the other ingredients.
"After dinner, you’re in charge of washing the dishes." Just as they sat down at the table, Wang Jian said to Cai Qiong, "She has an injured rib, so you need to be considerate."
"But..."
Cai Qiong’s eyes widened slightly, her first instinct to object. When she was studying abroad, she had rarely washed her own dishes, always trying to get out of the chore if soone else could do it. Laziness was one reason, but she also genuinely hated it. However, Wang Jian had a point. You couldn’t ask an injured person to wash dishes. Besides, she had heard them ntion that Xu Qian had prepped the vegetables while Wang Jian cooked, which ant she was the only one of the three who hadn’t contributed.
Thinking this over, Cai Qiong nodded. But during the al, she still couldn’t help but ask, "So, Xu Qian is your sister-in-law?"
Cai Qiong knew about Wang Xiang and was generally familiar with Wang Jian’s family situation. However, Xu Qian’s attitude toward Wang Jian earlier had left her confused and uncertain, which was why she asked the question deliberately.
Sure enough, the question made both Wang Jian and Xu Qian visibly uncomfortable.
The two exchanged a look. Cai Qiong noticed Wang Jian’s questioning gaze and Xu Qian’s frown.
Xu Qian nodded. "Yes. Right now, I am his sister-in-law."
"Mm."
Cai Qiong nodded. Xu Qian served her so food, for which she mumbled a "thank you."
Wang Jian’s cooking was genuinely delicious, and she found herself completely absorbed in the al.
As she buried her head in her food, a thought suddenly struck her.
What did she an by ’right now’? And what about later?
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