“How can they be so excessive!” Yu Nian exclaimed as she stood in Li Xiang’s home, hands pressed against the dining table, venting her frustration to Li Xiang.
Following Shi Zhengqing’s instructions, Yu Nian had just returned home and promptly knocked on Li Xiang’s front door. With her eyes blinking, she aggrievedly claimed to be there to mooch a meal, presenting a pitiful appearance that was just shy of holding a small, shabby bowl.
Li Xiang’s eyes sparkled with a playful smile as he let this person in.
Later, as the two exchanged stories, they discovered that Li Xiang had received a call from his mother shortly after returning home, informing him that she would be working late. She asked him to make dinner and invited Yu Nian to join them. However, Li Xiang forgot to invite her, and before he knew it, Yu Nian had hurried over at lightning speed.
As a result, Yu Nian was in charge of mooching the meal, while the cooking duties fell on Li Xiang’s shoulders.
Li Xiang was used to being independent, and cooking was not a challenge for him. However, this was the first time he was cooking in this world, and it was for Yu Nian. He wanted to put in some effort.
At the moment, Li Xiang was browsing through his refrigerator. His face showed little expression, but in reality, his mind was calculating what to cook to capture the little heartless’ stomach.
He turned around and said, “There’s not much in the fridge. Accompany me to the supermarket to buy some.”
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“Ps usw jdso bso vs nssj?” Zw Lkyd’p tygl blze y bkdv sq eswcv.
“Let’s give it a try ba,” Li Xiang said casually, tossing the spare ribs into the shopping cart after speaking.
Yu Nian thought this person was treating her like a guinea pig, so she hurriedly caught up. Somewhat uneasy, she added, “Let me tell you ah, I’m very picky. If it tastes bad, I won’t eat it.”
A hint of pleasure flickered in Li Xiang’s eyes, but he didn’t respond to her. Instead, he headed towards the vegetable section.
The vegetable area was crowded, and Yu Nian maneuvered her cart through the twists and turns, avoiding several carts before catching up. It was only when she noticed people intentionally or unintentionally glancing at her that she realized something was off.
Couples pushing carts together were a common sight, with the man doing the pushing and the woman choosing the groceries. However, in Yu Nian’s case, it was the complete opposite. Some even walked by, comparing them with Li Xiang.
“Look at that young lad who already knows how to please his girlfriend, and then there’s you. It’s been so many years of marriage, and you’ve never set foot in the kitchen. Isn’t that embarrassing?”
“Ai ya, come on, don’t scold me, wife. I’ll give it a try when we get back, alright?”
“Cut it out. I’m afraid the kitchen will explode with you in it.”
Li Xiang was selecting potatoes, planning to braise them together with the spare ribs. Yu Nian stood quietly beside him, feeling like she wanted to find a hole to hide in after hearing the conversation.
No wonder everyone was giving her and Chi Yao strange looks just now. So they thought the two of them were a couple? Quite the imagination.
Yu Nian muttered in her heart.
She discreetly glanced at Li Xiang, and seeing his unchanged expression, she breathed a sigh of relief. She was glad that either he hadn’t heard or he simply didn’t take it to heart. It was nothing like her, who, when misunderstood, could only feel her face turn red and wouldn’t dare to lift her head.
In the end, the two of them gained quite a lot, carrying numerous bags back home. Following Li Xiang’s advice, they stored the groceries in the fridge to avoid frequent trips.
Once Li Xiang returned home, he naturally put on an apron and moved around the kitchen.
Yu Nian, considering herself a university student, felt somewhat uneasy having a high school boy cook and take care of her. She decided to offer help in the kitchen.
Though she wasn’t particularly skilled in cooking, Yu Nian was capable of assisting. Since Zhao Yuyan’s death, the household meals were either prepared by a hired auntie or by Yu Ruiping. During times when the auntie took holidays, and it was Yu Ruiping’s turn to cook, Yu Nian would join him, helping with tasks like washing vegetables and peeling. The father-daughter duo would share laughter and conversations in the cramped kitchen, creating a warm and pleasant atmosphere.
When Yu Nian volunteered to help, a hint of hesitation flashed across Li Xiang’s face.
Seeing his apparent lack of trust, Yu Nian snorted and confidently picked up a large potato, squatting down to peel it. As she peeled, she boasted, “Let me tell you, don’t underestimate me. I’m quite skilled. Every time the old man cooks, I’m the one assisting.”
Watching Yu Nian’s stubborn figure, Li Xiang’s eyes revealed a hint of an ambiguous meaning.
As far as he knew, in the novel he wrote, Ling Ya had always been the one in charge of the kitchen for Shi Nian Nian’s family. If he heard correctly, Yu Nian had just instinctively referred to the cook as the “old man.” This inadvertent revelation further confirmed his earlier speculations.
While his previous assumptions about Yu Nian’s identity were mere guesses, Li Xiang could now be certain that the person before him was definitely not the “Shi Nian Nian” he had created but someone else entirely.
Suppressing the excitement bubbling within, Li Xiang feigned confusion and calmly asked, “Hasn’t it always been Aunt cooking in your home?”
As soon as these words fell, there was a “clang” sound, and the peeler in Yu Nian’s hand slipped from her grip.
She quickly picked it up, turning her head in a fluster to explain, “Ah, no, no, that’s not what I meant. I meant that when my mom works late and isn’t home, I help the old man with the cooking. That’s why I’m so skilled at it.”
Perhaps no one had told Yu Nian that she was truly terrible at lying, always had been, from childhood to now. When she lied, her eyes would wander aimlessly, and after speaking, she’d subconsciously purse her lips, as if contemplating whether what she said was right and if she needed to add something to make it more believable.
Li Xiang glanced at Yu Nian, finding it amusing in his heart, but he simply uttered a casual “Oh,” on his face.
Seeing his lack of reaction, it seemed he believed her words. Yu Nian secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
That was close. She nearly exposed herself and risked being taken away for research as some kind of monster.
Don’t ask why Yu Nian thought this way; the Mary Sue transmigration novels she had read before mostly followed this pattern.
Surprisingly, Yu Nian peeled the potato skin quite beautifully, defying Li Xiang’s expectations. He had assumed that the large potato in her hands would somehow end up losing weight and becoming thinner.
However, when Li Xiang praised her, Yu Nian didn’t feel any sense of accomplishment. The way he smiled always made it seem like he was sarcastically mocking her, leaving her uneasy.
“Alright, you can leave now,” Li Xiang pretended to look disgusted, attempting to shoo Yu Nian out of the kitchen to rest.
Yu Nian felt that he was just trying to get rid of her because she was in the way.
In a place where Li Xiang couldn’t see, Yu Nian stuck out her tongue at him and made a funny face. With a light hum, she turned and went back to the comfortable sofa, leaving Li Xiang alone to toil away in the kitchen.
Author’s Note:
Today is the day Nian Nian thought she nearly (already) exposed herself.
So… who does Li Xiang suspect Nian Nian to be?