Chapter 45 Don't release ginger
In his study, Huo Wenbo stroked the Song Dynasty edition of "Dongshan Ji" for a long time before locking it away in his bookcase with satisfaction.
The family dinner had already begun, and the downstairs area was bustling with noise. He thought it was time to go down.
As he walked down the stairs, he caught a glimpse of his son's tall figure. Instead of socializing in the living room, his son turned and headed towards the kitchen.
Huo Wenbo felt something was strange and turned the corner as well.
Before they even got close, they could hear Huo Yanzhi's highly recognizable, clear and cold voice giving instructions in an orderly manner.
"Uncle Zhang, for the steamed meatballs we added tonight, don't put any minced ginger in them."
"Also, let's change the dessert to mango pomelo sago."
Uncle Zhang, the person in charge of the kitchen, nodded repeatedly.
Huo Wenbo stopped in the shadows by the kitchen doorway.
No one in the Huo family, including himself, had any aversion to ginger.
Yanzhi's tastes are just like his grandfather's; he is never picky.
A thought suddenly popped into my mind.
As for mango pomelo sago... he remembered that Yanzhi himself did not like sweets.
Huo Wenbo's expression became somewhat subtle.
He remembered the only guest at the Huo family's residence today.
I see.
Huo Wenbo didn't say anything, turned around and left silently, but a very faint, gratified smile appeared on his lips.
His son is becoming more and more human.
Inside the restaurant, a huge crystal chandelier casts a warm and bright light.
Exquisite cold dishes were already laid out on the long dining table.
Ye Mei pulled Ruan Yao to sit down next to the main seat.
Huo Jing also came over, her face showing just the right amount of apology.
"Ruan Yao, I'm so sorry. Several international video conferences came up unexpectedly, and it's been delayed until now. Look at the mess this has made. I haven't even had a chance to hear your report."
She paused for a moment, then naturally extended an invitation: "Since it's almost lunchtime, why don't you stay and have a simple meal with us? It'll be perfect, and you can also try our chef's cooking."
This flawless acting was so convincing that if Ruan Yao hadn't seen through it long ago, she probably would have actually believed it.
She found it amusing, but on the surface she pretended to be flattered and nodded obediently.
"Then... I'll have to bother Director Huo and Aunt Ye."
"No problem at all! We're more than happy that you're staying for dinner!" Ye Mei quickly replied.
No sooner had he finished speaking than a tall, imposing figure appeared at the restaurant entrance.
Huo Yanzhi is back.
As soon as he stepped into the restaurant, he saw the girl sitting at the table.
She was talking to her mother with her head tilted to the side, a faint smile on her face. The soft light shone on her, making her appear gentle and harmless.
She just sat there naturally, as if she belonged there.
"Yanzhi is back, come and sit down." Ye Mei smiled and waved to him, then patted the empty seat next to her, which happened to be next to Ruan Yao.
Huo Jing chimed in, "That's right, Yanzhi, sit down quickly. I happen to have some follow-up details about the store that I'd like to discuss with Ruan Yao. If you sit next to her, you can offer some advice if there are any professional questions."
The two sang in perfect harmony, their voices blending seamlessly together.
Huo Yanzhi did not refute them and, following their wishes, sat down next to Ruan Yao.
As he sat down, a familiar, crisp woody scent instantly enveloped Ruan Yao.
Her heart skipped a beat, and the emotions she had just calmed down in the greenhouse began to stir again.
Today's family dinner was attended by only the Huo family's closest relatives.
Perhaps due to Ye Mei's prior instructions, no one cast overly probing glances at Ruan Yao during the meal, nor did anyone ask her any questions. The atmosphere at the dinner table was as relaxed as an ordinary family gathering.
But Ruan Yao's mind wasn't on the food at all.
She glanced at her side discreetly out of the corner of her eye.
The man sat upright, dining with elegant posture. The lines of his profile were particularly clear under the light, yet they also exuded a coldness that kept people at a distance.
Ruan Yao gripped her chopsticks tightly, and the courage that had been swelled up in the storage room began to peek out again.
She cleared her throat, trying to make her voice sound casual and natural.
"Grandpa Huo's orchids are grown so well. I learned a lot from him today."
Huo Yanzhi didn't stop moving, only uttering a single syllable from his throat: "Hmm, he likes to grow flowers."
Undeterred, Ruan Yao changed the subject again.
“Uncle Huo and Aunt Ye are also very kind to me.” Ruan Yao put it more plainly, “I feel that they both like me very much.”
The implication is quite obvious.
Look, your family likes me so much, we're a match made in heaven.
Huo Yanzhi finally turned his head to look at her, but his words remained calm and indifferent.
"They are always kind to people."
His reply was polite and considerate, yet it acted like an invisible wall, blocking out all her unspoken meanings.
The little flame that had just ignited in Ruan Yao's heart was extinguished almost instantly, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her head.
She lowered her head dejectedly, stopped talking, picked up her chopsticks, and absentmindedly poked at the rice in her bowl.
Is he rejecting her?
Was the erratic heartbeat in the storage room fake? Was the tense body in the dark also fake?
Perhaps he's just not used to physical contact with people, or perhaps he simply doesn't like her?
Ruan Yao felt somewhat disappointed and depressed.
Just then, a hand with distinct knuckles reached out and placed a round meatball into her bowl.
It was Huo Wenbo sitting opposite him.
He smiled gently and said, "Try this, it's our chef's specialty."
The sudden act of kindness startled Ruan Yao for a moment. She quickly looked up and gave Huo Wenbo a sweet smile.
"Thank you, Uncle Huo."
She wanted to refuse.
In her past life, the Huo family always added a lot of finely chopped ginger to their steamed meatballs to enhance the flavor and remove any fishy smell, which was the flavor she disliked the most.
But when faced with Huo Wenbo's gentle and concerned expression, she couldn't bring herself to refuse.
Ruan Yao hesitated for half a second, then scooped out a small piece with a spoon and put it in her mouth.
The expected stimulating smell did not appear.
Instead, you get the freshness of the meat and the sweetness of the water chestnuts, with a chewy texture and plenty of juice.
Surprisingly... there was no ginger.
Ruan Yao opened her eyes wide in surprise, just in time to meet Huo Wenbo's smiling gaze.
Huo Wenbo had been carefully observing her reaction, and upon seeing her like this, a very faint smile appeared on his lips.
He remembered the words he had overheard at the kitchen doorway.
Huo Wenbo picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and concealed the smile in his eyes.
I see.
He glanced at his son without making a sound; Huo Yanzhi had his eyes downcast, seemingly indifferent to everything.
Huo Wenbo sighed inwardly and remained silent.
Ruan Yao didn't think too much about it, assuming that the chef had just changed the cooking method today, and her mood improved a bit.
As the meal was almost over, the servants brought out dessert.
Ye Mei was somewhat surprised when she saw the bowl of bright yellow and tempting mango pomelo sago.
"Wasn't the dessert supposed to be almond tofu tonight? Why did it change to mango pomelo sago?"
Huo Jing jokingly added, "Has someone in our family changed their tastes?"
Huo Yanzhi remained silent.
Meanwhile, Ruan Yao was holding a small spoon, sipping the food with satisfaction.
The sweetness of mango, the slight tartness of grapefruit, and the richness of coconut milk make it her favorite flavor.
Having been reborn, even the food at the Huo family's house started to taste good.
Ye Mei and Huo Jing looked at their son, then at Ruan Yao who was eating with a happy expression, and instantly understood everything.
The two exchanged a knowing glance, their smiles barely concealed.
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