Chapter 48: Why do I smell something sour?

By the time they got back to the hotel, it was already close to noon. Xu Yinyin directly called for room service and had lunch brought up.

Looking at the table full of delicate Western dishes, Xu Yinyin frowned. Foreign food really wasn’t good for someone recovering from an injury. It looked like she’d have to move up her plan to cook herself.

After Huo Yan sat down, he calmly picked up his knife and fork to eat. Xu Yinyin suddenly said, “What do you want to eat this afternoon? I’ll cook for you.”

“Hm?” Huo Yan was stunned. “Didn’t you say we’d wait until I got better?”

“I forgot we’re abroad. These Western dishes are fine once or twice, but eating them every day is just too much. Right now, your body would benefit more from some nourishing soup or congee. I may not have the skills of a Michelin chef, but I can handle homestyle cooking.”

Huo Yan gave a slight smile. “I’m not picky. Make whatever you want—I’ll like it.”

Faced with such a straightforward reply, Xu Yinyin was stunned for half a second before responding, “Alright then, I’ll just make what I think is best.”

“Okay.”

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He got up and cracked the door open just a sliver, sneaking a peek at the activity in the kitchen, but he could only see Xu Yinyin’s busy figure bustling back and forth between the dining area and the kitchen.

She was sometimes holding a frying pan, sometimes carrying fresh ingredients, stuffing them into the fridge with great enthusiasm—it was like she was completely in her element.

Seeing her show far more interest in food than in him, Huo Yan suddenly wilted like an eggplant hit by frost—deflated and dejected.

He was itching to have Ji Kai bring in Song Qing right now to test the waters; he couldn’t wait to find out what Xu Yinyin was really thinking.

But then he remembered—if they did that now, everyone would hear her inner thoughts, which wasn’t ideal. He’d have to wait until they returned home and stage it when they were alone.

In a flash of inspiration, Huo Yan came up with an idea. He quickly pulled out his phone and called Ji Kai.

---

Xu Yinyin spent the entire afternoon simmering a fish maw chicken soup, cooking millet congee, and stir-frying two plates of vegetables.

When Huo Yan came out, drawn by the aroma, Xu Yinyin was just ladling the soup. The table was already set, and the dishes were laid out. Hearing movement behind her, she turned and glanced at him. “Go wash your hands, the food’s almost ready.”

Huo Yan responded with an “okay,” but didn’t move.

Xu Yinyin, in her apron, bustled about while the pot on the stove bubbled and hissed. The fragrance filled the room, creating an atmosphere that could only be described as “home.” Huo Yan couldn’t bring himself to look away—he just wanted to keep watching her.

Her hair had fallen messily around her temples from all the activity. Noticing that he hadn’t moved, she turned to glance at him again. “What are you doing? Go wash your hands.”

“I already did.”

“Then come here and help me taste if it needs more salt.” Xu Yinyin turned, scooped a spoonful of chicken soup, and motioned to him.

Huo Yan walked over in a few strides, just about to take the spoon when Xu Yinyin raised it directly to his lips. He hesitated for half a second, then leaned in and sipped the soup from her hand.

As soon as it entered his mouth, the aroma of chicken spread across his palate—it was perfectly seasoned and rich in flavor.

Xu Yinyin watched him with anticipation. Huo Yan, without holding back, gave her a big thumbs-up and praised, “Delicious. Just the right amount of seasoning.”

Hearing that, Xu Yinyin’s eyes curved into a lovely arc, a bit of pride shining through. “Not bad, right? I’m a decent cook, huh?”

“You’re amazing. As good as a professional chef.”

Xu Yinyin smiled with satisfaction—who didn’t like being showered with compliments?

“Your work here is done. Go sit down and wait to eat,” she said, pushing his arm to shoo him away.

But Huo Yan didn’t budge. “You’ve been busy all afternoon. I’ll do the rest. My back’s injured, not my hands or feet. Don’t treat me like I’m completely useless.”

“Okay then, you take the soup out. I’ll get the rice.”

“Got it.”

Huo Yan took the ladle and started working smoothly. While scooping rice, Xu Yinyin kept sneaking glances at him, curious to see if the young master could actually manage.

Noticing her watching, Huo Yan chuckled, “I can cook too, you know. I’ll show off my skills for you another day.”

“Sure, but I’m picky with food. If it doesn’t taste good, I won’t fake praise.”

Huo Yan laughed, clearly amused. “Then I’ll hurry up and learn when we get back—so your compliments can roll off your tongue smoothly.”

“Sounds good to me.” Xu Yinyin replied matter-of-factly.

The system quietly observed their interaction, feeling like it was watching an old married couple.

Tsk Tsk Tsk… Look at them—still pretending there’s no chemistry. Host, you little liar!

That meal, both of them enjoyed it thoroughly. The atmosphere was no longer as tense as before.

After eating their fill, neither of them wanted to move.

“Just leave the dishes. Housekeeping will clean up,” Huo Yan reminded her gently.

“I wasn’t planning to wash them anyway.”

Huo Yan smiled casually, “Then I’ll wash the dishes at home from now on.”

“Hmm?” Xu Yinyin looked at him, slightly surprised.

“What does that mean?”

Only then did Huo Yan realize what he had said and hurriedly changed the subject, “My injury isn’t that serious. Can we go back the day after tomorrow?”

“You sure?” Xu Yinyin’s attention successfully diverted.

Honestly, if they couldn’t go out and explore, they might as well go home. Staying in a hotel all day was boring.

“I’m sure. You’ve seen my wound—honestly, we could leave tomorrow.”

“No way, I bought so many ingredients. It’d be a waste. Let’s leave the day after tomorrow. Tomorrow I’ll cook everything and invite Ji Kai and the others over for hot pot.”

Xu Yinyin suggested this excitedly.

Thinking about his future wife cooking for other men made Huo Yan feel annoyed and stifled.

“They eat a lot. It’ll be tiring for you to do everything yourself. No need—if there’s too much, just throw it out.”

“But hot pot is only fun with more people. I want to eat hot pot.” Xu Yinyin looked at him with big, pleading eyes.

Huo Yan’s biggest weakness was seeing Xu Yinyin act all sweet and obedient—he couldn’t say no to her.

“Fine. When Ji Kai comes later, you tell him. And make sure they help with prep too—not just show up to eat!”

“Ji Kai’s coming?”

“Yeah, he needs to rehearse the script with me ahead of time so I can better approach Song Qing when we’re back.”

Xu Yinyin’s smile froze.

“So that’s why he’s in such a rush to go back—he just wants to reach Song Qing sooner.”

“Ooh, I’m catching a whiff of jealousy. Aren’t you the one who pushed him to seduce her? Regretting it now?”

“Me? Regret it? I promised Ji Kai I’d help. The sooner the better, obviously.”

Even though the logic checked out, Xu Yinyin still felt upset, like something was stuck in her chest.

Huo Yan struggled to hold back a laugh. This trick really works.

“Don’t worry,” he said. “Since I promised you, I’ll cooperate fully. I won’t slip up.”

“Mm.” Xu Yinyin responded coolly.

“But if Song Qing throws herself at you, are you going to welcome her with open arms too?”

“Oh right, I heard from A’Kai that Song Qing has big ambitions. She might very well try to throw herself at me. But don’t worry—I’ll do my best to suppress my disgust. I won’t push her away, but I won’t say anything to upset her either. Sound good?”

“You can do whatever you want—why are you reporting to me? I’m not Ji Kai, go discuss it with him. I’m just the middleman. I’m tired, going to bed!”

After saying that, Xu Yinyin got up and went straight to her room.

As soon as she shut the door, she grabbed a pillow and started whacking it furiously:
“Stupid Huo Dog! Is he deliberately flaunting his charm? He’s so confident that Song Qing will fall for him, and now he’s saying he’ll restrain himself, try not to push her away or provoke her—ha! Shameless!”

“Yinbao, Huo Yan is pretty charming. You’ve only known him for a few days, and already a bunch of flirty butterflies have been buzzing around him like he’s irresistible. Gotta admit, that’s impressive!”

“Also, this whole thing was your idea. Why are you mad now? He’s just following your instructions.”

“I—I’m not mad! I’m just annoyed at how narcissistic he is. Isn’t he basically bragging about how attractive he is to me? Implying that I can’t recognize a good catch?”

“Well, you did fail to recognize it. Someone everyone else would kill to get close to, and you keep rejecting him left and right. That’s gotta be frustrating!”

“If he feels so frustrated, he doesn’t have to like me! No one’s forcing him.”

“Don’t worry, he’ll give up soon enough. Someone like Song Qing—a woman with that sultry vibe—any guy would be swayed.”

“Hey! Whose system are you, anyway? Why are you siding with him?”

“Just stating facts. Anyway, it’s not like you like him, right? So why care what he does? As long as the plan works and Ji Kai gets his girl, it’s all good.”

“Shut up! You’re so noisy!”

Xu Yinyin buried her head into her pillow, activating full ostrich-mode denial.

Meanwhile outside, Huo Yan was thrilled. He heard everything. That little hypocritical troublemaker!

He sent a message to Ji Kai, and soon, there was a knock at the door.

“Ji Kai’s here, wanna go eavesdrop?”
The system excitedly nudged her.

“Nope, not going. And shut up!”

“Fine, I’ll listen by myself then.”
The system tuned in like a human antenna.

Xu Yinyin took the pillow off her head, curled into bed, and peeked out from under the covers, ears perked up.

But she quickly realized—the door was closed, and the living room was way too far away. She couldn’t hear a thing.

Annoyed, she rolled over and forced herself to sleep.

Outside the room…

Ji Kai silently mouthed, “Where’s sis-in-law?”

“In her room,” Huo Yan replied.

“So? Did she react?”

Huo Yan grinned broadly, “Oh yeah. Big time. Super cranky.”

Ji Kai finally relaxed, “Looks like it’s working. I’ll send you Song Qing’s contact now. She’ll definitely add you within ten minutes. I told her I have a well-connected friend who can help her rise in the industry. Just follow her lead and act it out—make it super realistic. When the truth comes out, she’ll know how it feels to be toyed with.”

“But what if she snaps from the pressure?” Huo Yan was a bit hesitant—he wasn’t used to scheming like this. “I usually believe in leaving people some dignity.”

“What? Are you going soft now?” Ji Kai frowned. “She didn’t hurt you, so of course you feel bad.”

“Not really. I just don’t want to end up in a mess that’s hard to clean up. I prefer mutually beneficial arrangements.”

“What do you mean?”

Huo Yan explained his idea and added, “In the end, there’s no deep hatred between you two. Sure, she tricked you—but your motives weren’t exactly pure either. Petty revenge just makes you small-minded. You’re trying to win over her sister, and she’s chasing fame. I can help you both. Why not go for a win-win? An eye for an eye is a cycle never ends.”

Ji Kai thought about it—yeah, he had a point. Arguing with a woman like that wasn’t very manly.

“Alright, I’ll go with your plan. As long as I end up with Xiaoxuan, and you get your girl, the rest doesn’t matter.”

“Exactly. Big-picture thinking, bro.”

“Got it. I’ll cooperate fully.”

“We’re flying back the day after tomorrow. Yinyin’s inviting you guys over for hot pot tomorrow night.”

“Hotpot? We’re in R country. Where’s a hot pot restaurant?”

“You didn’t smell anything when you walked in?” Huo Yan couldn’t resist showing off.

Ji Kai sniffed the air, recalling, “Now that you mention it… there was a hint of delicious food. Wait, your girl cooked for you?!”

“Mm-hmm!” Huo Yan proudly tilted his chin, subtly pointing toward the dining table.

Ji Kai let out a loud “Damn!” and dashed to the table. He stared at the leftover food, practically drooling.

“You have no idea how much I miss Chinese food. How could sis-in-law be so biased—only cooking for you? Doesn’t care if the rest of us live or die. I’m sick of burgers and pizza. You had chicken soup? That’s my favorite!”

He grabbed a spoon, ready to taste, drawn by the irresistible aroma still wafting from the pot.

“Put that down. It’s mine,” Huo Yan said possessively.

Ji Kai froze with the spoon halfway to his mouth. “Seriously? Just one bite!”

“Depends on who made it. There’s still stuff in the fridge—go make your own.”

“If I could cook, would I need to mooch off sis-in-law’s skills?”

“Then wait until tomorrow night. But don’t touch this—Yinyin made it just for me. Simmered it all afternoon. Every spoonful is filled with care and love. Got it?”

Ji Kai nearly gagged from the cheesiness and quickly put the spoon down, backing away: “You’re disgusting. Fine, can I at least have some porridge?”

He eyed the golden, soft, sweet-smelling millet porridge and swallowed hard.

Huo Yan thought about how Yinyin said not to waste food and relented: “Fine. But wash the pot when you’re done. I’m making a fresh batch for Yinyin tomorrow morning.”

“You’re really something, Huo Yan. What, am I your trash can now?!”

“So are you eating or not?”

“I’m eating!” Who needs pride in front of good food?!

Grumbling, Ji Kai drank the rest of the millet porridge in one go. While Huo Yan wasn’t looking, he snatched a few pieces of chicken and devoured them like a whirlwind. As a final act of rebellion, he even arranged the chicken bones on the table in the shape of a middle finger. After washing the pot, he left, satisfied.

Huo Yan: “……”

Should’ve never tried to be kind!

*

Early the next morning, Xu Yinyin finished washing up and opened her door, only to see Huo Yan already busy in the kitchen from a distance.

She quickly walked over and asked, “What are you doing?”

“Cooking pumpkin porridge. It’s almost done. Go wash your hands and wait to eat,” Huo Yan answered while making egg and bacon sandwiches.

“Oh,” Xu Yinyin replied. Just as she turned to leave, Huo Yan’s phone on the dining table rang several times—it seemed like WeChat messages.

Knowing it was Song Qing, Huo Yan said, “Could you grab my phone for me? It’s on the table.”

“Okay.”

Xu Yinyin had just picked it up when a message from Song Qing popped up on the lock screen: Good morning, Mr. Huo.

Her pupils shrank, and her fingers clenched tightly around the phone.

“No wonder he’s in such a great mood this morning. Must’ve had a nice chat with a pretty girl. Damn dog of a man!”

Huo Yan’s hand paused mid-egg flip, and a smile crept up at the corners of his lips.

Xu Yinyin, suppressing her unexplainable irritation, put the phone down on the counter and said with a cold tone, “You got a message. Seems urgent.”

“Mm, I know. I’ll reply later. Go wash your hands.”

“Already did. I’m just waiting to eat!” she replied stiffly, turning and walking straight to the dining table.

“‘Already did’—so you’ve just been waiting, huh? Hmph!”

“Is Song Qing really that good at flirting? Ji Kai came by last night, and this morning she’s already got her hooks in him. I didn’t even say who it was, and he said, ‘I know.’ What a repressed weirdo. Why doesn’t he care this much about other women? If he’s this into her just from phone chats, won’t he fall head over heels the moment they meet?”

“Well, no other woman is as good-looking as her. Song Qing has that natural beauty, inside and out. That’s thanks to all those years of ballet—elegant, confident, a little aloof. It’s super alluring.”

The system started fanning the flames again.

“Like you’d know!”

“Of course I do. I’m great at guessing what men think. Huo Yan’s a man, and men love two things—dragging good girls into the mud, and saving girls from the mud. Song Qing’s got the second vibe, so of course he’ll want to “save” her.”

“Tch! (Xu-style disdain)”

Huo Yan brought over the porridge and sandwiches. Xu Yinyin ate without protest—even if she was mad, her mouth wasn’t going to suffer for it.

“I told Ah Kai to come for hot pot tonight. We’ll just use what we’ve got in the fridge. I’ll cook, you just direct me.”

“Like I’d dare boss around a patient. You go rest. Wouldn’t want to interrupt your chatting,” she replied, clearly snarky.

Huo Yan stifled a laugh and tentatively asked, “Are you mad?”

“What kind of question is that? Why would I be mad? Saying that makes it sound like I don’t want to host dinner or something.” Xu Yinyin pressed her spoon into her porridge, radiating irritation.

“Did I do something wrong to upset you?” Huo Yan asked, sounding a bit anxious.

His pitiful expression only made her angrier.

“No, you did great. Everything you do exceeds expectations. I should be praising you!”

“Then go ahead, praise me,” Huo Yan shamelessly coaxed.

“…The porridge is good. The sandwich too!” she gritted out.

“Yinyin, are you… jealous?” he pushed his luck.

That did it.

She slammed her spoon down and glared. “Jealous? Of who? You and Song Qing? Why would I? I’m the one who told you to seduce her in the first place. Why would I dig my own grave? Am I crazy?”

“I never mentioned her name,” Huo Yan replied innocently, though there was a sly glint in his eye—one Xu Yinyin caught right away.

“Damn it, got tricked again. Damn you, Huo Dog!”

“I actually didn’t want to—”

“Shut up. I don’t want to hear it. I gave you the task, now do whatever you want with it. As long as it helps Ji Kai, that’s all that matters. I’m just the go-between, not your boss. You don’t need to report every little thing. I’m not interested, and I don’t want to know.”

She stood up. “I’m done eating.”

Without waiting for a reply, she stormed back to her room and threw herself onto the bed—then immediately regretted everything.

“Xu Yinyin, what are you doing? Are you crazy? Why are you even mad? What did Huo Yan do wrong?”

“Admit it. You like him.” the system prodded.

“No, I just don’t like seeing him so smug. That’s all.”

“Then why are you so mad? And weren’t you just saying you’d take care of the sick? Now you’re roasting and mocking him. Tsk!”

“Shut up, you talk way too much lately!”

“At this rate, if Song Qing really kicks into high gear after you’re back home, Huo Yan’s toast. With how clueless he is, he won’t stand a chance. Danger!”

“Think about it—Song Qing’s in showbiz, she’s ambitious, and Huo Yan’s a hot bachelor. If she leaks a blurry back or side profile to the paparazzi, it’ll blow up the trending charts. That kind of buzz brings attention, attention brings opportunities. Once she gets a taste, she’ll never let go. Tsk tsk, he’s totally being used—and you’re the one who put him up to it! Why does he listen to you so much anyway?”

*”Exactly! He’s not even stupid. Why *does* he listen to me?! Ugh!”*

“Isn’t it all because of love? Sigh, even heroes fall for a beauty~~”

“I’m not listening! I’m not listening!”

Xu Yinyin covered her ears, trying to deceive herself.

“I just don’t get it—he’s into you, you’re into him, why don’t you two just ride off into the sunset already? What’s with all the angst?!”

“None of your business! Shut up already!”

Xu Yinyin didn’t even know what she was being so stubborn about. She was the one who pushed for this in the first place, yet now she didn’t feel even a sliver of satisfaction from helping someone—just a stomach full of inexplicable frustration.

Could it really be that she was in love and just hadn’t realized it?

Compared to Xu Yinyin, who was tangled up in emotional turmoil, Huo Yan was calm and relaxed. The plan hadn’t even properly started yet, and she was already revealing all her little thoughts—how adorable.

With such a rare opportunity, of course he had to tease her a bit more. Let’s see if she dares to keep being so stubborn in the future—heartless little thing!

---

Sansukini: There’s 2 chapters left. No extras for this one.

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