Chapter Fifty Helping with Cooking
After he finished speaking, the room fell into a deathly silence.
The palace servants stood by, and even Wang Degui did not serve Huo Lin because he wanted to give them space.
From the start of the meal, no one around spoke at all.
Huo Lin was stunned, and even the aloofness in his dark eyes faded by three points.
He looked at Jiang Huan, a big question mark written in his eyes.
"What's all the noise about?"
Huo Lin's voice carried a hint of hesitation.
There's even a touch of warmth in it, a sense that everyone has a responsibility to care for the intellectually disabled.
Jiang Huan didn't care about that and racked her brains to come up with a way to smooth things over.
"What I meant was..." she said quickly, "...that the cicadas outside the window were too noisy..."
Huo Lin turned to look out the window. In the height of summer, there were indeed cicadas chirping in the trees, but the sound was so faint that it was almost inaudible.
Why can't I hear you?
Could it be that Consort Zhuang possesses extraordinary hearing, making her a master of acting as a secret guard?
Upon hearing this, Jiang Huan quickly served Huo Lin some food.
If Huo Lin were to ask any more questions, she'd be preparing to report to the special forces training camp tomorrow.
"Your Majesty, I would like to prepare some refreshing and cooling dishes for tomorrow. Would Your Majesty please give me your opinion?"
She tried to distract Huo Lin by talking about the menu, feigning composure.
"I plan to prepare cold lotus root salad, steamed chicken in lotus leaves, and chilled mung bean soup..."
Huo Lin nodded: "Not bad."
Sure enough, Huo Lin's attention was immediately diverted.
But this time, they moved to some strange place.
That's great, she'll be coming again tomorrow.
Shen Yi is right, the way to a person's heart is through their stomach...
[Huh? No, wait a minute, isn't this backwards?]
Could it be... that she wasn't entirely without feelings for me after all?
What kind of nonsensical reasoning is this?
Jiang Huan choked, almost choking on the rice grains.
She quickly lowered her head to drink her soup to cover it up, but secretly she felt relieved.
Although my thoughts are still a jumbled mess, at least I'm not talking about serving someone in bed anymore.
After lunch, Huo Lin sent Jiang Huan back.
He was always busy with official duties, and with Jiang Huan around, he couldn't help but get distracted.
That night, Jiang Huan spent the entire night in fear, but thankfully, she didn't receive any notice to serve the emperor.
Only then could my heart be put back in its rightful place.
Fortunately, the dietary therapy was very effective. No matter where my attention was diverted, as long as it was diverted, it was fine.
The following day, Huo Lin unusually ended the morning court session early.
"That's all for today. I'll review the remaining memorials this afternoon."
He dismissed the ministers, his steps quickening slightly compared to usual.
Wang Degui jogged to catch up, puzzled.
The Emperor is usually very diligent in his duties, so why is he like this today...?
Wang Degui understood the situation once he saw the direction Huo Lin had gone.
So it was to see Consort Zhuang, that's not surprising.
Thinking about Jiang Huan's promise to prepare meals for him, Huo Lin, as if guided by a telepathic connection, went directly to the small kitchen in Jiang Huan's palace.
Just as he was about to arrive, he suddenly stopped at the corner.
"Don't be too deliberate," Shen Yi said, "women all prefer unexpected encounters..."
Huo Lin took a deep breath and casually strolled around to the outside of the small kitchen, where he happened to see Jiang Huan washing vegetables.
Sunlight streamed through the window and fell upon her, casting a soft silhouette on her.
Huo Lin's Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and he coughed softly.
Jiang Huan turned around upon hearing the sound and was quite surprised to see Huo Lin.
"Why has the Emperor come?"
"I... am just passing by."
Jiang Huan: ?
Your Majesty, would you like to hear what you're saying?
Who would be so kind as to deliberately pass by her palace?
Huo Lin had just walked in, his gaze sweeping over the ingredients on the cutting board.
"What are you doing?"
Jiang Huan replied, "Cold lotus root slices and steamed chicken in lotus leaves."
Huo Lin hummed in agreement, stood beside Jiang Huan, and asked casually, "Do you need any help?"
Jiang Huan's eyes suddenly widened, and the lotus root in her hand was broken into two pieces.
"How could I dare trouble Your Majesty..."
How could an emperor, the supreme ruler, possibly know how to cook?
It would be good enough if her boiler didn't blow up into the sky.
"It's alright." Huo Lin had already rolled up his sleeves and picked up another section of lotus root. "How should I cut it?"
[Shen Yi's strategy says, "I need to take the initiative so that I can create opportunities to spend time together."]
[I did a great job just now by pretending to pass by casually; she didn't even notice. I must keep up the good work.]
Jiang Huan was ashamed; Huo Lin had no idea how much he was secretly feeling.
She didn't notice; she was speechless.
But Huo Lin had already rolled up his sleeves; he couldn't very well just kick them out.
Jiang Huan had no choice but to demonstrate: "Just slice it thinly like this."
Huo Lin nodded and picked up the kitchen knife.
He was used to wielding a sword, and his grip on the knife was completely wrong. Before Jiang Huan could correct him, there was a "whoosh" sound.
The lotus root broke in half with a snap, the cut surface smooth and even.
"Your Majesty, this is cooking, not execution."
Jiang Huan was stunned. If the lotus root could talk, it would surely cry out its innocence from the pool of blood.
"I know."
Huo Lin was somewhat embarrassed, but he remained stubborn and picked up another section of lotus root.
This time, instead of beheading, they used slow slicing to kill him.
Jiang Huan looked at the unevenly sliced and oddly shaped lotus root pieces on the table, some of which were even broken into pieces.
Huo Lin remained silent, looking at his hands and then at the lotus root slices.
Why is cutting a lotus root harder than killing someone?
You can't think like that, Your Majesty!
Just as Jiang Huan was about to offer some words of comfort, she looked up and her eyes met Huo Lin's.
For some reason, Jiang Huan could see a hint of frustration and worry in Huo Lin's eyes.
Like a big wolfhound with droopy ears.
This was a rare sight for Jiang Huan, and she couldn't help but smile.
"How about I take it instead?" She reached out to take the knife.
Huo Lin stared at Jiang Huan's slender white fingers, momentarily lost in thought, and it was too late to release the cleaver.
His fingertips brushed against the back of Jiang Huan's hand, leaving a slight tingling sensation.
In an instant, Huo Lin froze.
[Did I... touch her hand?]
So soft... softer than sweet fermented rice balls and glutinous rice dumplings...
Jiang Huan couldn't help but chuckle; she seemed rather innocent.
She lowered her head and pretended to focus on chopping vegetables, but out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Huo Lin's ear tips were already bright red.
"If Your Majesty wishes to learn, you can hold the knife like this..."
Jiang Huan subconsciously felt a bit amused, so she slowed down her movements and taught Huo Lin how to hold a knife and how much force to use when cutting vegetables.
The distance between the two inevitably closed, and Huo Lin's breath hitched, his body stiffening.
She was so close...
[Should I...should I take a step back? But if I do, will Consort Zhuang think that I also dislike her?]
Upon hearing this, Jiang Huan couldn't help but turn her back, her shoulders trembling slightly.
She needed to find something to do to stop herself from laughing out loud.
"I'll go prepare the lotus leaves." She quickly walked to the other side.
After rubbing her sore nasolabial folds, Jiang Huan took a few deep breaths and then spread out some fresh lotus leaves.
"Would Your Majesty like to try the stuffed chicken?"
Huo Lin immediately walked over: "Okay."
The two stood side by side, their fingers occasionally touching among the lotus leaves.
Every time they met, Jiang Huan could hear the little fireworks exploding in Huo Lin's heart.
[I ran into her again, her wrists are so thin...]
No, no, I cannot lose my composure like this.
Jiang Huan was trying so hard to suppress her laughter that her stomach hurt, but she maintained a serious expression as she explained.
"Spread the seasoning evenly on the chicken, then wrap it up tightly like this..."
Huo Lin nodded solemnly, but in reality, he didn't listen at all.
His attention was entirely focused on Jiang Huan's nimble fingers and the slight trembling of her eyelashes as she spoke.
"Does Your Majesty understand?" Jiang Huan suddenly looked up and asked.
Huo Lin was caught off guard and met her bright eyes, his heart racing: "I understand."
Her eyes are so beautiful...
Huo Lin was stuck. In the past, he could write books with great ease, even when writing those magnificent and expansive articles.
[Has it been that I've neglected my studies? How come I'm so lacking in vocabulary when praising a woman?]
Jiang Huan finally couldn't resist and quickly left the kitchen, making an excuse to get some seasonings.
Then I burst out laughing.
When she returned after calming down, she found that Huo Lin had already wrapped a lotus leaf sachet himself.
Although the shape is crooked and twisted, like a primary school student's mud homework.
"Your Majesty learns so quickly," she praised sincerely.
Huo Lin's lips unconsciously curled up: "It's not difficult."
Not difficult?
If it's not difficult, then it's not difficult.
Jiang Huan smiled and looked again at the strangely shaped lotus leaf package.
Suddenly, I realized that Huo Lin is actually quite adorable.
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