The setting sun cast a honey-colored hue on the floor-to-ceiling windows. When Jin Chanyun untied his tie, the electronic clock at the entrance struck seven.
He had just put on his slippers when he heard the sound of porcelain breaking from the kitchen, followed by his sister's suppressed cry.
"Anno?" He walked quickly through the corridor covered with Persian carpets, his leather shoes making a rapid sound on the marble floor.
The moment he pushed open the kitchen door, the scene in front of him made his pupils shrink slightly - the white tile wall was splashed with suspicious brown sauce, half of the burnt filter was hanging on the range hood, and a deformed milk pot was soaking in the sink.
The culprit was huddled behind the counter, flour on his fingertips and half a head of broccoli hanging from his hair.
"Brother..." Jin Annuo raised his face, with water droplets on his eyelashes, not sure if it was because of the fumes or because of his anxiety.
Her pink apron was crooked, with half of the recipe book sticking out of her pocket. The words "Zero Failure Cake for Beginners" on the cover made Jin Chanyun's temples throb.
"Come out first." He took off his suit jacket and draped it over the back of the chair, then rolled up his shirt cuffs to reveal his cold, pale forearms. "Are you hurt?"
"The pan exploded..." My sister's voice gradually became softer, her toes curling up nervously in her slippers. "I wanted to make you caramel pudding..."
Jin Chanyun bent down to avoid the fallen filter and pulled out the first aid kit from under the operating table.
The flour from his sister's fingertips rubbed against the back of his hand, but he simply wiped her reddened knuckles with an alcohol cotton pad: "Is the oil too hot?"
"Hmm..." Jin Annuo stared at his brother's focused profile, "The recipe said to cook it until it turns amber, but it suddenly started to emit black smoke..."
"Next time you want to make desserts," Jin Suyun wrapped a Band-Aid around the small burn on her fingertip and gently pressed the edge of the bandage with his fingertips. "You can look up a video tutorial first, or just tell me directly."
"But you are very busy every day..." Jin Annuo muttered, and the tips of his ears turned pink.
Jin Chanyun suddenly reached out and ruffled her hair, and chuckled when his fingertips touched the piece of broccoli.
Jin Annuo angrily slapped his hand away, only to see that he had already turned around and opened the refrigerator, the hem of his white shirt rising in a beautiful arc as he moved: "Eating pasta tonight? Or do you want to continue studying the aesthetics of explosions?"
"It's not an explosion!" She grabbed a rag and threw it at his back, but he dodged it sideways, and the rag landed precisely in the sink. "It's caramel... the caramelization reaction is out of control!"
"Yes, yes, we are doing a scientific experiment at An Nuo." Jin Suyun took out the beef and tomatoes, and cut them with a knife on the cutting board in a regular rhythm. "Go change clothes first, and clean up the kitchen later."
"Brother..." Jin Annuo drew out his words, but immediately fell silent when he saw him turn around.
The afterglow of the setting sun passed through the ends of his slightly curled hair, casting fine shadows under his eyelashes, but there was an indulgent smile on the corner of his mouth, very much like the expression on his face when he hid the broken vase for her when they were children.
When Jin Annuo slipped out of the kitchen with his clothes, he heard the sound of running water behind him.
She hid at the corner of the stairs and peeked, only to see Jin Suyun wiping the range hood with his shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing a light scar on his forearm - the scar was left when he fell from the wall while trying to pick up a kite hanging on a tree for her when he was twelve years old.
"What are you daydreaming about?" Jin Suyun suddenly turned around, the detergent bottle in his hand still dripping. "Go change your clothes quickly, or the noodles will burn."
"I know!" Jin Annuo stuck out his tongue, turned around and ran up the stairs.
Outside the floor-to-ceiling window on the second floor, the sunset was dyeing the sky the color of orange soda. She heard a cheerful humming coming from the kitchen - it was the piano piece that her brother occasionally played in the study.
When she changed into her home clothes and went downstairs, two sets of tableware were already set on the dining table.
Jin Chanyun was putting the last piece of steak onto the plate. He wiped off the sauce on the edge of the white porcelain plate with his fingertips, his movements as serious as if he was handling a business contract.
"Wow..." Jin Annuo leaned over to smell the aroma, the aroma of tomato and basil mixed with the aroma of burnt beef hit him in the face, "Brother, when did you learn Western cuisine?"
"Last time you said the pasta near the school was too salty." He pulled out a chair for her and handed her warm lemonade. "I've tried the recipe three times, and it should be to your liking."
She nearly bit her tongue when she took her first bite. The beef was so tender it practically melted in her mouth, and the sauce, mixed with shredded cheese and thyme, was exactly the flavor she'd mentioned in Italian restaurants as a child.
"Is it delicious?" Jin Suyun wiped the sauce from the corner of her mouth with a tissue and gently rubbed her cheek with his fingertips. "What do you want to eat next week?"
"Brother, do you have a secret kitchen?" Jin Annuo's eyes widened. "Why is it that every time I enter the kitchen, it's like a battle, but when you cook, it's like a magic trick?"
"Because someone just stares at a recipe."
Jin Chan tapped her forehead with his finger, but when she pouted, he immediately added, "But it's impressive that An Nuo dared to try caramel for the first time in making desserts."
"Of course!" She puffed out her chest, but then lost her temper when she saw the terrible state of the kitchen. "But it's such a hassle to clean up..."
"Let's clean up together after we finish eating." Jin Sunyun quietly transferred the broccoli from her plate to his own bowl. "Eat first. It's not good for your stomach if it gets cold."
Jin Annuo stared at the mountain of broccoli in his bowl, then suddenly reached out, grabbed a piece of steak, and stuffed it into his mouth: "Don't be picky! They say online that broccoli tastes best when eaten with meat."
Jin Chanyun chewed his steak helplessly, a smile in his eyes. His sister's hair was slightly curled by the heat from the bathroom, and the ends of her hair were still dripping with rose-scented shampoo. Like a little animal that had just taken a bath, she stared at him with sparkling eyes, as if waiting for praise.
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