"See you at 8 a.m. tomorrow."
Zhuang Yan agreed almost unconsciously, looking at Lu Yan's pinkish eyes, afraid that her eyes would redden again.
Zhuang Yan started cooking at six o'clock in the afternoon. An Xinrong said she wanted to learn how to cook, so she assisted her. Jiang Ning also found something to do in the kitchen, making tea or heating milk. They were all small things, but she was never idle.
Fang Chen wanted to get closer to An Xinrong, so he kept circling around her.
All five guests were in the kitchen, and Ling Xuan felt awkward playing around, so he could only awkwardly join in.
The kitchen was crowded and stuffy with too many people, but no one left.
Zhuang Yan said, "Don't you guys think it's hot in the kitchen?" The subtext was, "Why don't some of you go out?"
There wasn't much going on in the kitchen to begin with. The ingredients had already been prepared, and cooking four or five dishes wouldn't take long. All that was needed was for one person to watch the fire, which was his and Lu Yan's job. Now that everyone was crammed into the kitchen, what was the point of cooking in groups?
Jiang Ning was the first to react and said, "Xinrong, you can't cook, why don't you go out?"
An Xinrong refused: "Why should I leave? I'm learning to cook from Zhuang Yan. He's my master now... Why don't you leave? I see you walking around in the kitchen, but you're not doing anything."
“I’m making iced drinks for tonight.” Jiang Ning suddenly looked at Lu Yan. “Lu Yan, aren’t you on your period? Why don’t you go out and rest for a bit? The kitchen doesn’t need so many people.”
Upon hearing this, An Xinrong quickly agreed, "Yes, Lu Yan, you go and rest. I'll keep an eye on the fire."
In their eyes, their biggest competitor was Lu Yan.
Lu Yan seems to have distanced herself from Zhuang Yan recently, but her every move is affecting Zhuang Yan's reaction.
It's safe to say that whenever she's with Zhuang Yan, she's definitely in control.
Lu Yan met their gazes and stood up: "I'm doing fine here. The fire is making my stomach feel nice. But you guys, are you starving? Why are you in such a hurry to take my job?"
Lu Yan stood up, ignoring the expressions on their faces, and took an apron off the wall: "Zhuang Yan, come and help me tie this apron."
Lu Yan wasn't asserting sovereignty; rather, she *was* sovereignty. She didn't need to say much to them; a single call to Zhuang Yan, a single gesture, and she had won.
Zhuang Yan was very close to her, and without thinking much, he turned around and helped her tie her apron and tidied her long hair.
The atmosphere had become somewhat awkward.
Zhuang Yan was completely unaware, because he was researching how to make ginger milk curd.
He knew how to make ginger milk curd, which seemed simple, but he had never succeeded, which was why no one could eat it.
Once Zhuang Yan is immersed in his own world, it becomes difficult for him to pay attention to his surroundings.
Jiang Ning stood next to Lu Yan and clearly witnessed the details of Zhuang Yan tying an apron for Lu Yan. An unbearable bitterness rose in her throat.
The most obvious feeling is that Lu Yan and Zhuang Yan have reconciled, and their relationship is even closer than before.
"It's just wearing an apron, what's the big deal?" An Xinrong asked, changing the subject as she watched Zhuang Yan intently mashing ginger. "Zhuang Yan, what are you doing?"
Ginger milk curd.
What is ginger milk curd? Is it milk tea made with ginger? Does it taste good?
Zhuang Yan lowered his head and replied, "The taste is alright, but the ginger flavor will be diluted by the milk, so it will turn out a bit like pudding."
"Wow, that's amazing! Can I try some after it's made?"
As soon as An Xinrong finished speaking, Zhuang Yan felt a cold gaze fall on him. His shoulders stiffened, and when he turned around, it was indeed Lu Yan.
Lu Yan wanted something unique. The image of Lu Yan with red eyes and distress from earlier that day involuntarily flashed through Zhuang Yan's mind, and he decisively refused: "No."
Lu Yan was taken aback, her expression softened, she lowered her head and smiled softly.
An Xinrong was unaware of what had happened. She was always slow to realize that Zhuang Yan's "no" meant he didn't want her to try the food.
Unexpectedly, Zhuang Yan only made one serving. While the ginger milk curd was taking shape, An Xinrong was still watching it curiously from the side.
She likes serious men, especially Zhuang Yan when he's serious.
When An Xinrong saw Zhuang Yan hand the prepared ginger milk curd to Lu Yan immediately, her smile froze instantly, and she stared at him in disbelief.
An Xinrong felt a pang of hurt and grievance. She asked, "Why did you give it to Lu Yan?"
Lu Yan took it and savored it slowly. She remained silent, wanting to see how Zhuang Yan would respond.
Zhuang Yan didn't think much of it; she said, "Because this was made just for her."
Upon hearing the word "alone," An Xinrong felt a surge of anger. "Why is it only made for Lu Yan? Can't we eat it?"
After shouting fiercely, she noticed everyone was looking at her, and then she remembered that there were hundreds of thousands or even millions of people watching in the live stream.
An Xinrong felt wronged and ashamed at the same time. It was like she had returned to her childhood. Her family made her favorite honey-glazed roasted chicken. Her favorite part was the chicken leg, but a chicken only had two legs. Her parents always gave the chicken legs to her older sister and younger brother, and there were none left for her.
It was fine once, but it happened every time, and finally one day she confronted them in a fit of rage.
"Why are the chicken drumsticks always given to them? Can't I have chicken drumsticks? Why is it so unfair? Why can't you be fair to me?"
Perhaps it was the memory of those unbearable past events that made An Xinrong's eyes redden. She quickly lowered her head and ran out of the kitchen in a panic.
Fang Chen quickly chased after him.
Jiang Ning stood quietly to the side. Of all the people, she and Zhuang Yan were clearly the closest, but now she felt like an outsider who couldn't get involved.
Before this, Zhuang Yan always put the big picture first, sharing everything he did with everyone. This was the first time he had prepared something just for one person. Was Lu Yan really that special to him? Jiang Ning thought bitterly.
Ling Xuan awkwardly dug his toes into the ground, hesitated for a long time, and then withdrew as well.
Jiang Ning silently took the bowls and chopsticks out, and the originally crowded small kitchen was instantly left with only Lu Yan and Zhuang Yan.
As if nothing had happened, Zhuang Yan asked Lu Yan, "How does it taste? Is it good?"
"Not bad." She actually doesn't like ginger and never puts it in when cooking. Even when eating out, she picks it out bit by bit. But she ate every last drop of the ginger milk curd that Zhuang Yan made.
This is the first time I've succeeded.
Lu Yan put down the bowl in her hand: "What if we fail?"
"Then I'll think of something else." Zhuang Yan finished cleaning the stove and prepared to cook.
Do you know why An Xinrong is angry?
An Xinrong often got angry with him. Although Zhuang Yan was puzzled this time, he didn't think too deeply about it. In his opinion, An Xinrong was just a child. She got angry quickly, but she also regulated herself quickly. She would calm down after eating.
If Zhuang Yan doesn't know, then he doesn't know. Lu Yan won't bother reminding him.
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