Chapter 224 Cooking Hot Pot

The Imperial Study.

The surprise and doubt in Huo Lin's eyes did not last long. He looked at Jiang Huan deeply, and his gaze gradually calmed down.

The Jiang family has produced a genius; to have raised such an exceptionally intelligent daughter is truly a life well-lived.

Since they intend to conceal their abilities, I will not inquire further.

Whether she speaks or not, it's up to her. As long as she's by my side, that's enough.

His gaze softened, revealing a sense of trust and indulgence.

Jiang Huan's eyes softened.

It feels so good to be trusted wholeheartedly.

She had considered that one day in the future, she would honestly tell everyone everything.

Tell him that you come from another world.

But as Huo Lin said, as long as you can still see the other person and stay by their side, it doesn't really matter whether you say it or not.

She took a deep breath to calm the turmoil in her heart.

The room was brightly lit by candlelight, illuminating the mountain of memorials to the emperor.

Huo Lin sat behind his large desk and continued to write and review.

On one side of the desk, Jiang Huan sat at a low table and carefully took out the purple clay pot containing the mandarin duck hot pot and placed it on the small clay stove that had been prepared beforehand.

The charcoal fire in the small clay stove was burning brightly, and soon the broth in the pot started to boil again, with the clear broth and the slightly spicy red oil bubbling around, emitting an enticing aroma.

Jiang Huan carefully placed the beef into the pot with long chopsticks.

She would occasionally stir the bottom of the pot with serving chopsticks to prevent it from sticking, and then pick up a perfectly cooked slice of meat and place it on a small plate to cool, waiting to feed it to the hardworking emperor.

During the breaks between reviewing memorials, Huo Lin's gaze would always unconsciously drift towards Jiang Huan.

This smells so good! It would even taste good as a hot pot dish.

[The beef slices look so tender, I can't concentrate on my work anymore, sob sob.]

Being an emperor is exhausting; I long to immerse myself in the world of hot pot.

Huo Lin raised his eyelids, glanced at the bubbling meat slices in the pot, and his Adam's apple bobbed almost imperceptibly.

He then forced himself to lower his head and continue fighting against the pile of annoying memorials.

Jiang Huan understood immediately and thoughtfully picked up a slice of dried beef, rolled it in the special sesame oil and garlic sauce, then stood up and gently placed it on the empty plate next to Huo Lin.

"Your Majesty, try this. It's piping hot, it'll get overcooked if you cook it any longer." Her voice was full of enticement.

Huo Lin paused, looking at the piece of beef on the plate that exuded an enticing aroma, and felt a surge of joy in his heart.

[What I want to eat, I have!]

He remained expressionless, only giving a faint "hmm".

But he honestly put down the vermilion brush, picked up the silver chopsticks, and put the beef into his mouth.

Mmm, so tender! Only I know the secret to its spicy and savory flavor!

[The sesame oil and minced garlic are the soul of the dish; it feels like the beef is so fresh it's practically coming back to life in my mouth!]

He chewed noticeably faster, his eyes brightened, and although his face remained expressionless, he exuded an aura of pleasure.

Seeing his satisfied expression, Jiang Huan's lips curved into a smile.

Very good, very good. In critical moments, delicious food is much more effective than calming mantras.

She continued to busy herself, cooking meat and vegetables, and adding food to Huo Lin's plate from time to time, like a diligent little cook.

"Try this bamboo shoot tip again, it's very fresh."

"The tofu is also good; it's soaked up all the broth."

"The mutton has a slightly gamey smell, but I've cleaned it up so you can't taste it."

She chattered on and on, her voice clear and melodious, like a cheerful little bird, dispelling the last trace of gloom in the imperial study.

Huo Lin ate quietly, but his gaze involuntarily fell on Jiang Huan.

She lowered her head slightly, focusing intently on cooking the food. Her profile appeared exceptionally soft in the candlelight, with long eyelashes drooping, a delicate nose, and a faint smile on her lips.

Those bright eyes were filled with tenderness.

[It's wonderful. With her by my side, I feel good about doing anything.]

If time could stretch on forever, the only eternity I would desire is for her.

As he ate the tender beef and watched the busy figures in front of him, he felt that the gloomy mood of the past few days had been largely dispelled by this warm scene.

However, Jiang Huan was already somewhat distracted at this moment. She kept rinsing the vegetables in her hands, but her thoughts were drifting further and further away.

Lately, she's been thinking a lot about He Ling's built-in system.

The known intelligence is that it is also vulnerable.

If the host suffers fatal damage, it cannot conjure any resurrection armor, nor does it have the function of transforming into a superhero with a single click.

From this perspective, how exactly does she intend to utilize this rule to make the system work for her?

What methods will they use to unlock those so-called advanced mall permissions?

She was lost in the world of logic, her long chopsticks stirring the pot unconsciously, her eyes vacant.

Sizzle—

A loud popping sound startled her awake.

It turned out that he had been distracted and, while stirring the hot pot with long chopsticks, had accidentally flung a large slice of mutton covered in chili oil onto the edge of the pot.

Spicy oil and hot soup splashed up instantly, with a few drops flying towards the back of her hand.

Jiang Huan instinctively tried to pull her hand away, but her body reacted a beat too late.

Just as the red oil was about to splatter onto the back of her hand, a figure in black suddenly appeared beside her at the last moment.

Huo Lin's movements were incredibly fast. He grabbed Jiang Huan's wrist and pulled her back.

At the same time, he raised his other hand, and the wide sleeves of his robe fluttered.

A few drops of chili oil and soup were precisely blocked by his sleeve, leaving a few dark oil stains on his sleeve.

Jiang Huan stumbled as she was pulled, her back hitting a firm, warm chest, the warmth of Huo Lin's grip still lingering on her wrist.

Huo Lin held her tightly around the waist, steadied her, and then quickly lifted her wrist. He looked down and carefully examined the back of her hand, only breathing a sigh of relief after confirming there were no red marks.

Fortunately, I reacted quickly and didn't burn her.

"What are you thinking about? How could you be so careless?"

Huo Lin's voice was low and reproachful, but even more so, it was filled with barely suppressed concern: "It's so hot, what if it splashes on your hands?"

Jiang Huan was speechless for a moment, stammering and making up an excuse.

"No...it's nothing, I was just thinking that the soup base seemed a bit bland, so I wondered if we should add some more ingredients."

Huo Lin raised an eyebrow at her, clearly not believing her.

[The broth is too bland? I think it's so thick it could marinate the Imperial Study.]

[He's probably thinking about something weird again.]

"Never mind, as long as she's alright, that's all that matters."

Huo Lin didn't press her further. He simply pressed her down to sit on a chair further away from the stove, while he walked over to the small clay stove and picked up long chopsticks.

"Don't move, let me do it."

He awkwardly scooped the ingredients out of the pot, occasionally putting them into Jiang Huan's bowl.