Chapter Thirty-Three: When a Man Gets Jealous, the Food Suffers
In the small kitchen of Qingshui Manor, Li Bao'er was humming a modern tune as she prepared her secret sauce.
The sauce in the porcelain bowl had an enticing amber hue. It was a unique recipe she had developed over a decade of living alone before she transmigrated. Back then, with this recipe, she could even make instant noodles taste like they came from a Michelin-starred restaurant.
“It’s delicious even if you dip the soles of your shoes in this.” She tasted it proudly and then sprinkled on some of her secret spices.
Footsteps sounded outside the courtyard gate. Li Bao'er was overjoyed, thinking Ye Yun and the other person had arrived. "You're here so quickly!"
The words came to an abrupt halt.
Xiao Han, dressed in a dark blue outfit, walked at the front, carrying two lively bass in his hands. Zhang Chi and Li Qing followed behind, one carrying a whole leg of lamb and the other holding a wine jar.
All three had shed their usual fine clothes, yet they couldn't hide their inherent noble air.
"Sister Bao'er!" Zhang Chi's eyes lit up, and he excitedly shook the wine jar in his hand. "I even stole the Zui Qingfeng wine that has been stored in the cellar for three years. I'm just waiting to pair it with your divine barbecue!"
Li Bao'er raised an eyebrow: "Your alcohol tolerance has improved? Last time, someone drank so much they were clinging to a tree and yelling for their mother."
"Let bygones be bygones! I absolutely won't get drunk this time!" Zhang Chi was so embarrassed that he wanted to go up and cover Li Bao'er's mouth, but he was interrupted by Xiao Han's sudden appearance.
Xiao Han silently took out a paper package from his pocket. When he opened it, it turned out to be Wang Ji's most sought-after osmanthus pastry, the kind that is limited to thirty portions per day.
This is Li Bao'er's favorite pastry. In the past, whenever Li Yu made her angry, she would use osmanthus cake to coax her.
Li Bao'er's eyes lit up, and she was about to reach out to take it when Xiao Han suddenly withdrew his hand and said meaningfully, "Let's make it clear first, you're not allowed to give any more to that brat Li Yu today." He hadn't forgotten that the osmanthus cake he had worked so hard to get for Li Bao'er last time had all been eaten by Li Yu.
Li Bao'er patted her chest and assured him, "Don't worry, I won't leave him a single piece. Last time, that kid just stole some from me by surprise."
The four of them chatted and laughed as they walked inside, starting to bustle together for the evening's feast.
Xiao Han unconsciously looked at the person beside him, and for a moment he was lost in thought. Bao'er was wearing a simple light blue gauze dress today, and her black hair was tied up with a wooden hairpin. The apron around her waist did not make her look like a commoner. Instead, it perfectly outlined her waist, which was so slender that it could be grasped in one hand.
When Qingshuizhuang saw the lakeside, the wind was strong. As the wind blew past her, it scattered a strand of hair by her ear, which swayed gently beside her fair cheek.
Just then, her hands were occupied with food. Seeing her trying to blow away a strand of hair with her mouth, Xiao Han felt a sudden urge and subconsciously reached out to help her tidy it up.
"I'll help you."
The moment his fingertips lightly touched her ear, Li Bao'er looked up and met a pair of eyes filled with tenderness. The gaze was so intense that it made her heart tremble. She was startled by Xiao Han's tenderness.
"Thank you..." Before she could finish her words of thanks, a sudden surge of intense anger overwhelmed her.
At the entrance of the courtyard, Mu Cenlin stood amidst the lake, dressed in a blue robe, his face so gloomy it seemed to drip water.
Behind him, Li Yu and Ye Yun stood dejectedly, looking like two quails soaked by the rain.
Why is Mu Cenlin here?! That was the first question in Li Bao'er's mind, but then she realized that he hadn't forgotten his promise to come to the dinner party. Oh no!
Li Bao'er gestured with her eyes, asking the dejected Li Yu what was going on.
Li Yu winked and mouthed, "Bad luck, we bumped into each other on the street!"
Li Bao'er's scalp tingled instantly. She was in deep trouble now. Not only did she not pick up the person, she didn't even notify them. Now she had been caught red-handed. She was doomed!
An angry demon king is not easy to appease!
The alarm 001 sounded at just the right moment: [Host! The Demon King's corruption level is fluctuating!]
Fearing that Mu Cenlin's "darkening value" would skyrocket, Li Bao'er immediately put down what she was holding, washed her hands, and ran towards the door.
She forced a guilty smile. "Isn't this a coincidence? I was just thinking of going to invite His Highness when I bumped into him."
Li Bao'er pretended to be happy and said, "It's true that it's better to be lucky than early. Your Highness, please come in quickly." As she spoke, she reached out to take Mu Cenlin's hand.
However, the other party dodged to the side. Mu Cenlin looked at her with complicated emotions. She was very different from usual. Unlike her usual noble and beautiful self, she was dressed in the simplest clothes, which made her look as fresh and elegant as a white lotus in a pond.
Every corner was breathtaking. The night breeze carried the faint scent of pear blossoms from her hair. Mu Cenlin's Adam's apple bobbed slightly, but he suddenly snapped back to reality when he caught sight of Xiao Han's figure in the courtyard.
"I think Miss Li is too busy chatting and laughing with others to remember me." Mu Cenlin stared at Li Bao'er's fake smile with a half-smile. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that her face had become a bit softer and looked quite plump after not seeing her for a few days.
Even Mu Cenlin himself didn't realize that he subconsciously felt that Li Bao'er should be full of vitality. Her previous frail appearance, as if she would be blown away by the wind, made her look like a short-lived ghost.
Because of the shared feeling, Li Bao'er couldn't hide her guilty conscience and couldn't help but mutter to herself, "This is a disaster."
However, her expression quickly changed to one of grievance, and she gently tugged at Mu Cenlin's sleeve with her slender white fingers: "I'm sorry, I really forgot to call you, but I wasn't busy chatting with people, I was busy preparing ingredients."
Li Bao'er is very good at using her advantages, such as her impeccable face and pitiful appearance. Even Mu Yuan, who has been using her, would soften when he saw her showing weakness. Therefore, she is confident that winning over Mu Cenlin will not be a problem!
Unexpectedly, Mu Cenlin suddenly grabbed her chin, his thumb grinding heavily against the corner of her lips, and whispered in her ear, "How many times have you used this trick on Mu Yuan? Hmm?"
These words reminded Mu Cenlin of many times when she had acted weak and coquettish in front of Mu Yuan, which made her even more unhappy.
Li Bao'er's pupils contracted sharply; this family wasn't playing out according to her script!
001 said with a hint of schadenfreude: "[I told you back then that the Demon King has a great memory and won't forget. You didn't want to bother calling him, and now you've messed things up. Your 'darkening' value has risen to 75.]"
Before Li Bao'er could speak again, Mu Cen's dangerous voice rang out once more, "Since you're so good at acting cute, then tonight you'd better prove that you and Xiao Han were really just preparing ingredients."
After saying that, he grabbed the woman's soft hand and walked inside. Mu Cenlin raised a flirtatious eyebrow and thought to himself, "Hmm, the feel is not bad."
With a crisp "crack," the bamboo shoot in Xiao Han's hand shattered into several pieces between his fingers.
Juice dripped through his fingers, splashing onto the cutting board in dark patterns.
“Brother…” Li Qing carefully poked his arm and couldn’t help but remind him, “If you keep pinching, we’ll only be able to drink vegetable puree soup tonight.”
Xiao Han then came to his senses and looked down at the mess on the cutting board. The once fresh and tender vegetables had all been crushed to a pulp by him, and his hands were covered in vegetable leaves and juice. Then he looked up again towards the direction of the courtyard gate, where Li Bao'er was being held by the wrist by Mu Cenlin, and the two figures were almost overlapping.
"I'm sorry." His voice was hoarse beyond belief. He grabbed a rag and wiped his hands haphazardly, the surging bitterness in his heart becoming even more pronounced.
Zhang Chi silently handed over some wood: "Brother, why don't you go start a fire?"
Xiao Han didn't take it; instead, he picked up a kitchen knife.
The chopping sound suddenly quickened, and the bamboo shoot slices on the cutting board were so thin they were almost transparent.
Li Qing and Zhang Chi exchanged a glance and simultaneously shrank back. This wasn't chopping vegetables; it was clearly torturing someone's flesh and blood.
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