As Su Yushan spoke, she demonstrated for him. Upon seeing this, Hongli suddenly realized that there was a trick to washing chili peppers. "It seems that there is knowledge in everything you do."

He then tried the method she suggested, and sure enough, he was able to easily remove the root. Hongli couldn't help but smile and praise, "You're such a clever little devil."

She couldn't accept such praise. "This is common sense. Anyone who can cook knows this. It's just that you never go into the kitchen, so you don't know these little details."

"Isn't this what it means to come in?" Hongli smiled at her and said softly, "I'll accompany you no matter what you want to do."

Chang Yue listened silently for a while, then couldn't help but chuckle, "Did the sugar jar in the kitchen spill? It's so sweet! Should I go out and avoid it for a while?"

Teased by her like that, Su Yushan became even more embarrassed and didn't dare to look up. She just kept her eyes down and continued with her work. Hongli laughed loudly:

"You go ahead and do your thing, I'll just stay here and help Yushan out."

Chang Yue obeyed and left the room. The two chatted while preparing the dishes. Hongli learned a lot of common sense that he had never paid attention to before, which made him feel very novel and he was very happy to stay with her in the kitchen.

After working for half an hour, the dishes were finally served. Today she made pork tripe and chicken soup.

When eating pork tripe and chicken soup, you should first drink the soup. The soup is white and clear, with a fresh and rich aroma, which is very tempting.

Chang Yue served each of the two masters a bowl. Hongli picked up a spoon, blew on it gently, and then took a sip. He felt an exquisite enjoyment on his tongue and couldn't help but nod in praise:

"The pepper in the soup reduces the fishy smell of the pork tripe and perfectly blends the umami flavor with the aroma of the chicken, making it very refreshing to drink."

The cook longs for praise from others, and she hadn't touched her spoon yet, waiting to hear his evaluation. Hearing his compliments filled Su Yushan with joy and a great sense of accomplishment.

"If you like it, then it's worth all the effort I put into making it. This pig's stomach is delicious, but it's quite complicated to clean. Fortunately, it tastes great, so it's worth it."

Whenever he dined with her, he felt at peace and relaxed, simply because she was very interesting to talk to. He never felt bored and every day felt fresh. His happiness was something that Hongzhou did not understand; only he himself could understand it.

In the past, if he was busy, he would go back to his study after lunch. Today, since he had nothing important to do, he stayed in Huatang Pavilion to keep her company during her afternoon rest.

Perhaps because she had been in the kitchen for too long, with her head down the whole time while chopping vegetables, Su Yushan felt a bit sore in her neck. Hongli volunteered to massage it for her.

She obediently lay on her side with her back to him, letting him massage her neck and shoulders.

At first, he did massage her shoulders and neck properly, but later, his hands slid down her spine and massaged her waist, causing Su Yushan to instinctively flinch away.

"Don't pinch me, it tickles."

At the same time, Hongli moved closer to her, gently embracing her from behind, and asked in a hoarse voice, "Where does it itch? I can help you..."