Chapter 52 "Cough cough cough..." He Zhao coughed hysterically in the kitchen, while Qiao Yanyu was originally...
"Cough cough cough..." He Zhao was coughing hysterically in the kitchen. Qiao Yanyu should have been worried, since He Zhao's cold wasn't fully recovered and she couldn't stand such a strong smell. But for some reason, Qiao Yanyu sat outside, took a bottle of ice-cold mineral water from the refrigerator, and sat there drinking while watching her. Not only was she not worried, but she also found it a little funny.
Her kitchen, which she hadn't used in ages, was actually being used by someone cooking, and it was for their own consumption.
Qiao Yanyu couldn't quite put her finger on what she was thinking; she just really wanted to laugh.
Especially considering that He Zhao isn't a particularly good cook, her skills are limited to cooking rice and instant noodles. Even though He Zhao herself doesn't know how to cook, she's still trying so hard, which makes Qiao Yanyu want to laugh even more.
He Zhao had no idea what Qiao Yanyu was thinking. Otherwise, even if she was her crush, she would have thrown away the spatula today and let Qiao Yanyu come in and experience what it meant to be surrounded by cooking fumes.
He Zhao wasn't very good at cooking, but fortunately, the instructions given by the "Seamless Water Ghost" were very clear, and it wasn't difficult to make. After the hot pot ingredients had dissolved a bit, they could pour in the milk. He Zhao thought there were two of them, so she poured in two extra bottles. Then, worried that the milk might be too concentrated, she added some water. After the pot of water boiled, she started adding the ingredients as instructed by the "Seamless Water Ghost."
The instant noodles were the first thing to go in, along with the seasoning packet. However, He Zhao didn't put in all the seasoning packets; she only put one portion of the powder and sauce packets in the instant noodles. Next came the egg and the ham sausage. These were all ordered online and delivered directly to her door; she even specifically bought the more expensive kind of sausage. Only then did she suddenly remember and call out, "Sister Qiao, do you prefer your noodles softer or firmer?"
Qiao Yanyu replied, "I'm fine with anything, I'm not picky."
Qiao Yanyu wasn't just being polite; she genuinely wasn't picky. He Zhao knew she wasn't the type to stand on ceremony, so he started cooking according to her preferences. When it was almost boiling, she lifted the lid and added the greens. The greens were tender and could be eaten after a quick blanch. However, she also furtively took out a box of something else.
—It's beef rolls!
They've already upgraded instant noodles to look like the packaging, there's no reason they can't upgrade them a bit more. It's just that the "Seamless Water Ghost" isn't as good at eating as He Zhao, otherwise the beef rolls would have been in the pot already. Actually, He Zhao also wanted to add some hot pot meatballs or something, but those things are too much work and take too long to cook.
He Zhao was genuinely hungry when he placed the order, so he skipped the hot pot meatballs.
After cooking the noodles, He Zhao found two large soup bowls, washed them with hot water, and placed them on the cutting board. She very evenly divided the noodles into two portions, and the beef rolls were also given to both of them equally. Each person received one sausage, and the number of vegetables was also about the same.
She was stunned when she tried to scoop out the eggs; they were broken. He Zhao had no choice but to use a spoon to retrieve them, trying to be as fair as possible.
After doing all that, it wasn't over yet. He Zhao also chopped some scallions and sprinkled them directly on the instant noodles.
Although He Zhao wasn't a big fan of spicy food, the aroma of instant noodles was incredibly enticing. Instant noodles are naturally fragrant, especially when you haven't had them in a while and are hungry; the smell is truly irresistible.
Qiao Yanyu, who was outside, also saw that He Zhao had finished cooking. She didn't stay seated, but stood up, walked to He Zhao's side, and carried out two large bowls of instant noodles, one in each hand.
He Zhao followed behind her, repeatedly calling out, "Hot! Hot! Hot!"
Qiao Yanyu was a tough woman and didn't care about this bit of attention at all. She said, "It's nothing."
Wow, what a girlfriend-like older sister!
Qiao Yanyu wasn't exaggerating. The large bowl, which looked scalding hot and heavy to He Zhao, seemed to have no heat and was completely weightless in Qiao Yanyu's hands. She placed it on the table with ease. He Zhao followed behind, holding chopsticks and a spoon.
But after the bowls and chopsticks were placed on the table, He Zhao didn't rush to sit down and eat. Instead, he said to Qiao Yanyu, "Sister Qiao, shall we have some drinks?"
Qiao Yanyu was taken aback: "I don't have any at home."
He Zhao became smug, looking like he was about to swagger: "I know, I've checked, it's okay, I bought a few bottles when I went grocery shopping." But Qiao Yanyu was even more surprised, because when she went to get the mineral water, she didn't see any drinks at all.
He Zhao had already walked over to the refrigerator, squatted down, opened the freezer, and took out a drink.
The canned drink was wrapped in a tissue, which He Zhao peeled off and placed on the table. "Ta-da! I was prepared! This is the fastest way to make drinks ice cold! Sister Qiao, let's eat!"
Qiao Yanyu was amused by her actions, and she smiled so much that her eyes narrowed slightly: "Okay, let's eat."
The pull tab on the canned drink was opened with a crisp "click." It was He Zhao. She couldn't hold back any longer. She had been choking on it for a long time, and now only this little drink could soothe her wounded heart.
"Ha!" He Zhao took a big gulp with satisfaction before joining the group eating instant noodles, while Qiao Yanyu had been eating for a while.
This "stitched water ghost's" secret recipe does indeed taste quite good. It's probably something he found online, then put it into practice and turned it into his favorite food. The "stitched water ghost" loves spicy food, and so does Qiao Yanyu. The moment she takes a bite of instant noodles, she can feel the double spiciness of the hot pot broth and the instant noodle seasoning packet.
After a few bites, I casually ate some vegetables. The bok choy was cooked until tender, with a slightly crunchy texture, and the beef rolls were also cooked for a short time—they were delicious. A sip of an ice-cold soda, and all my worries vanished.
He Zhao couldn't handle much spicy food. He was full of energy when he was drinking his beverage, but when it came to noodles, he became listless. After just one bite, sweat started beading on his forehead, and he had already finished half a can of his drink in just a few bites.
The sounds of "hissing" were incessant. He Zhao hadn't recovered when he ate the spiciest part of the hot pot. It seemed like he had choked on something in the broth. He was sneezing while eating noodles and his hands were frantically searching for something on the table.
At that moment, Qiao Yanyu and He Zhao seemed to understand each other perfectly. She reached out and pushed the tissues on the table in front of He Zhao. He Zhao hurriedly took them and sneezed loudly.
She looked a bit disheveled, and Qiao Yanyu suggested to her, "Why don't you not eat it? It's quite spicy."
He Zhao took several tissues to wipe her nose clean and blew her nose as well. After a while, she calmed down. However, because of the sneeze, her eyes were watering, and her face and the corners of her eyes were red, making her look a little pitiful.
Even so, she waved her hand dismissively: "No way! I already promised it I'd give it a try. What if it finds out I was just bragging? Won't it look down on me like the Mud Demon? That won't do!"
He Zhao is inexplicably stubborn in some ways.
Of course, Qiao Yanyu also thinks this is quite cute.
After her setback, He Zhao became even more careful with her food. Qiao Yanyu even got two bottles of mineral water for her from the refrigerator so she could drink some if she felt it was too spicy. She'd probably finish the can of soda she was given in no time.
Qiao Yanyu continued eating; she had to admit, it was indeed delicious.
The milk-based broth was rich and creamy, reminiscent of hot pot, with a milky white hue in addition to the chili oil. Combined with the other vegetables, this premium instant noodle dish was quickly devoured by Qiao Yanyu.
After she finished eating, she wiped her mouth and started staring at He Zhao again. Having just experienced that sneeze, He Zhao was noticeably more cautious while eating, taking small bites one at a time. He would even use a spoon to first separate the chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns in the hot pot broth before taking small bites.
This meal, which was unclear whether it was breakfast, lunch, or afternoon snack, took almost an hour to finish. After He Zhao finished eating, Qiao Yanyu rolled up her sleeves and prepared to wash the dishes.
He Zhao sat in the chair, drinking mineral water, and didn't stop Qiao Yanyu, saying she would do it herself. With her personality, it was already good enough that she could cook instant noodles for her; to ask her to wash the dishes and pots afterwards... well, I'm really sorry, she couldn't do that.
Qiao Yanyu wasn't that heartless, leaving He Zhao to handle everything alone. She went into the kitchen, turned on the tap, waited for the hot water to come out, added dish soap, and started washing the dishes and pots.
Actually, Qiao Yanyu's family has a dishwasher, but this bowl of noodles is covered in oil. If the dishwasher washes it, the whole dishwasher will be full of hot pot broth, so it's better to do it yourself. Although Qiao Yanyu doesn't do these things often, she is quick and efficient, and she quickly tidied up the kitchen and even mopped the floor.
Once they both stopped, they changed seats and sat on the sofa. Qiao Yanyu chatted with He Zhao for a few minutes, and without hiding anything from her, told her about Lin Gao following her the night before.
He Zhao got goosebumps all over. The thought of a pervert, a man at that, secretly watching her, observing her food cart, and somehow figuring out her route and finding her stall made her feel disgusted.
Qiao Yanyu thought she was scared, so she reassured her, "Don't worry, I will protect you."
He Zhao shook his head: "I'm not worried, I just find it disgusting. Especially... the suture-lined water ghost is still there, and he still dares to come over. If it sees him, he won't even know how he died."
Qiao Yanyu nodded.
Compared to the two of them, the stitched-up water ghost was the one who wanted the other dead more.
After chatting for a while, He Zhao yawned, feeling full and with his blood sugar rising, and prepared to go back to sleep for a bit. Qiao Yanyu also stood up, but she looked radiant, seemingly planning to go to the study to work.
He Zhao's eyes widened, and he grabbed Qiao Yanyu's sleeve: "Sister, my only sister, please don't stay up any longer. I'm afraid you'll die suddenly if you keep going like this. Don't you have any idea how many hours you haven't slept? I'm begging you, please go to sleep."
Qiao Yanyu looked toward the study, clearly still wanting to continue working.
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