Chapter Twenty-Six: We'll Do Better Next Time
When the doorbell rang, Cheng Yin was in the kitchen basting the steamed fish with the last bit of hot oil.
Li Yaodong went to open the door, and a moment later, Cici's exaggerated exclamation came from the entryway: "Wow! Dong-ge, this is my first time in your house!" The sound of high heels clicking on the marble floor grew louder as she approached. "My god, this decor is so minimalist!"
Cheng Yin paused, tilting the oil bottle a little too far, causing a few drops of scalding oil to splash onto the back of her hand. She frowned, but didn't say anything, simply wiping it off with her apron before continuing to plate the food.
"Where's Accountant Cheng?" Lin Shirong and He Jingwen followed behind, carrying red wine and desserts. "I brought a bottle of Burgundy."
This domestic image is completely different from the taciturn accountant they are familiar with.
"Surprise~" Cici was the first to snap out of her daze, running over in her ten-centimeter heels. "Need any help?"
Cheng Yin shook her head: "No need."
Lin Shirong walked over, his eyes behind his gold-rimmed glasses sweeping over Cheng Yin's reddened hand: "Did you get burned?"
Cheng Yin hid her hands behind her back: "It's nothing."
Li Yaodong appeared beside her at some point, grabbed her wrist to check, and said briefly, "The first-aid kit is in the living room," without letting go.
"Let's serve the food first," Cheng Yin said softly. "It won't taste good when it's cold."
The two stood facing each other in silence, while Cici and He Jingwen wisely began serving the dishes.
"I'm really okay."
Cheng Yin continued to work in the kitchen, while Li Yaodong stood beside her, occasionally handing her a plate or a condiment bottle. The two worked together as seamlessly as partners who had been working together for many years.
The colors are vibrant and the aroma is enticing.
"Wow!" Cici clapped exaggeratedly, "Cheng Yin, you've been hiding your talent!"
Lin Shirong nodded in approval, "It looks very good."
He Jingwen picked up his chopsticks, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Is this fish... a little undercooked...?"
Cici stomped hard on his foot under the table, and He Jingwen immediately changed his tune: "...He has a bit of an artistic flair!"
"Try it." Li Yaodong broke the brief silence, picking up a piece of fish first. "Cheng Yin has been busy all afternoon."
As everyone began to eat, the only sounds in the restaurant were the sounds of chewing and occasional polite compliments.
"Next time..." Cheng Yin put down her spoon, "let's eat at the hotel."
There was a moment of silence at the dining table.
"You'll do even better next time," Li Yaodong suddenly said, picking up a large piece of chicken and putting it in his bowl. "The cooking time was just right."
Cheng Yin looked up at him. Li Yaodong's expression was calm and resolute, as if he were stating an undeniable fact. His chopsticks reached for the plate of baked prawns again, and he ate three in a row, not caring that the sauce got on the corners of his mouth.
Lin Shirong adjusted his glasses and asked, "The dipping sauce for the poached chicken is very authentic. Could you please share the recipe?"
Even He Jingwen reluctantly nodded: "The fish...the fish is very fresh."
Cheng Yin's fingertips gently caressed the tablecloth, feeling the rough texture of the fabric.
"Okay," Cheng Yin replied softly, "Next time."
Cici suddenly leaned closer, her perfume wafting over you: "Tell me honestly, did you learn this specifically for Dong-ge?" She blinked. "He loves Cantonese food the most."
Cheng Yin nodded halfway, then shook her head: "Not entirely." She paused, "It's just... I felt it should be done this way."
This answer silenced the table for another second. Li Yaodong's Adam's apple bobbed, a slight smile appearing on his lips. He raised his glass: "To the chef."
Amidst the crisp sound of the glasses clinking together, Cheng Yin felt a vague sense of belonging for the first time.
After a few glasses of red wine, He Jingwen began to recount embarrassing stories from when he first met Li Yaodong and Lin Shirong. Cici laughed so hard she almost fell over, and Lin Shirong didn't stop her.
Cheng Yin listened quietly, occasionally being pulled by Cici's arm for a response or approval, to which she simply nodded indifferently.
"Really!" Cici's cheeks were flushed from drinking. "The first time Dong Ge took me to an auction, he even forgot my name! He called me Coco!"
Li Yaodong raised an eyebrow: "Is that so?"
"Of course there was!" Cici gestured exaggeratedly. "Later I found out that Coco was a dog he used to own."
Everyone burst into laughter.
Li Yaodong remained noncommittal, but poured Cheng Yin half a glass of red wine: "Try it."
Cheng Yin took a small sip, and frowned at the astringent taste.
Li Yaodong chuckled, took back the cup, and drank it all in one gulp: "If you don't like it, don't drink it."
"I'll go get the dessert." Cheng Yin got up and went to the kitchen to get the dessert, and Li Yaodong followed her in.
"Not used to it?" he asked in a low voice.
Cheng Yin shook her head and took out a mango pudding from the refrigerator: "They really appreciated it."
"Because you made it," Li Yaodong said, helping her set the table, "so I'm showing my support."
Cheng Yin paused, her hand still. "Because I'm your person?"
The words slipped out of her mouth, and even she was taken aback. Li Yaodong's eyes instantly turned deep. He took a step forward, trapping Cheng Yin between the island platform and his own body.
"Yes," his voice was deep, "my man."
Cheng Yin's breathing quickened slightly as Li Yaodong's scent, mixed with alcohol, wafted towards her.
"The pudding is melting," he said, taking a step back.
Cheng Yin blinked, then quickly lowered her head to arrange the desserts.
Back at the restaurant, Cici was pestering Lin Shirong to read her palm. He Jingwen was playing on his phone, but quickly put it down when he saw them return. "Accountant Cheng," he suddenly said, "I didn't know you could cook."
Cheng Yin distributed the pudding to everyone: "My aunt's family needs someone to cook."
"Your aunt..." He Jingwen was interrupted by Cici's scream halfway through his sentence.
"Wow! This pudding is amazing!" Cici exclaimed, scooping up a huge spoonful. "It's even better than what I've had here!"
Lin Shirong took a bite and nodded, "It's really good."
Cheng Yin knew they were changing the subject, and a strange sense of gratitude welled up inside her. She ate the pudding in small bites, the sweet mango flavor spreading across her tongue.
After the meal, Cheng Yin cleaned up the mess in the kitchen.
"Are you happy today?" Cici asked, leaning against the kitchen counter.
Cheng Yin thought about it carefully for a moment: "Hmm."
"Dong-ge is very happy," Cici whispered in her ear. "I've never seen him host a dinner party at home before."
Cheng Yin paused, her hand still. "This isn't my home."
Cici smiled meaningfully: "It was bound to happen sooner or later."
In the living room, He Jingwen, his face flushed from drinking, was telling Li Yaodong about his new model. Lin Shirong sat elegantly to the side, sipping his red wine. Seeing Cici come out of the kitchen, he walked towards it.
"Thank you for dinner," Lin Shirong said softly. "It was really delicious."
"Thank you for the skincare products too." Cheng Yin paused, "And the chocolate, it was delicious."
"Cheng Yin." He hesitated for a moment, "If... I mean if, someone were to treat you well, not because of debt, would you... be happy?"
Cheng Yin stopped what she was doing, thought for a few seconds, and asked, "For example?"
"For example..." Lin Shirong pushed up his glasses, "giving you gifts, showing concern for your meals..."
Cheng Yin nodded: "Cici really helped me a lot."
Li Yaodong's voice suddenly broke in: "What are you chatting about so happily?"
He had walked up to the two of them without them noticing, holding a half-empty glass of red wine, his eyes scanning back and forth between Lin Shirong and Cheng Yin.
Lin Shirong tactfully stepped aside: "Let's talk about chocolate."
"Really?" Li Yaodong stood next to Cheng Yin, so close they were almost touching. "I brought some coconut candy from Siam. Would you like to try some?"
Cheng Yin nodded, and Li Yaodong naturally placed his hand on her lower back, leading her towards the living room.
As Lin Shirong watched the two figures disappear into the distance, his glasses, which were perched on the bridge of his nose, gently slid down to the tip of his nose.
As night deepened, He Jingwen was the first to say goodbye, drunkenly calling a designated driver. Cici, having finished touching up her makeup, blew Cheng Yin a kiss: "Teach me to cook next time!"
Lin Shirong was the last to leave. He stopped at the entrance and said to Li Yaodong, "We need to follow up on the situation in Siam."
Li Yaodong nodded: "We'll discuss this at the company tomorrow."
Lin Shirong turned to Cheng Yin: "You're a very good cook."
Cheng Yin shook her head: "It could be even better."
"Then we'll look forward to next time." Lin Shirong smiled, his eyes behind his gold-rimmed glasses gentle and restrained.
After the door closed, the room suddenly became quiet.
Are you tired?
Cheng Yin shook her head.
"They like you," Li Yaodong suddenly said.
"Because of you."
"No." Li Yaodong turned to her, "It's because of you."
"Lin Shirong never attends dinner parties on weekends, Cici turned down a date with some old money guy, He Jingwen..." He pointed to the expensive bottle of red wine, "...that's a treasure from his family's wine cellar."
Cheng Yin didn't know how to respond to this affirmation. The concept of "like" was too unfamiliar, like an unsolvable math problem. She could only look down at her water glass, in which a slice of lemon floated, like a tiny moon.
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