In the steaming hot pot of red oil, countless peppercorns and chilies tumbled and rolled with the heat, releasing a fiery and rich aroma.
Lu Zhe poured half a plate of tofu skin and enoki mushrooms into the pot, then added a few thinly sliced slices of fatty beef and tripe.
Both the sliced beef and tripe require precise cooking time; overcooking will greatly diminish their texture. Therefore, he specially used a strainer to place them on it, ensuring that they were submerged in the boiling hot red oil broth without dissipating and becoming undetectable.
During a break, he glanced at Tang Qi across the table.
The girl stared intently at the hot oil pot, her right hand gripping the chopsticks tightly, her knuckles even turning slightly white.
Lu Zhe casually asked, "Mildly spicy, that should be fine, right?"
"It should be fine..." Tang Qi swallowed. "When I ate hot pot in Huacheng, I also ordered the mild version."
The "mildly spicy" in Huacheng and the "mildly spicy" in Rongdu are probably not entirely the same thing—but Lu Zhe didn't say this out loud, because looking at the girl in front of him with such a defiant look, he was really looking forward to what was to come.
"Alright, have a taste!" Lu Zhe scooped up some slices of fatty beef and tripe, divided them in half, and put half into Miss Tang's dipping sauce. He put the other half into his own dipping sauce.
Tang Qi picked up a slice of fatty beef, sniffed it with her little nose, hesitated for less than two seconds, and then stuffed it into her mouth.
Lu Zhe was also eating, but while eating, he was watching her with great interest.
After the spicy and fragrant slices of meat entered her mouth, Tang Qi's already large and round eyes widened even more. Then, the girl's face quickly changed color, as if a green apple had ripened into a bright red apple in an instant.
She opened her small mouth and took a deep breath, fanning her mouth with her left hand, which wasn't holding chopsticks.
Seeing this, Lu Zhe also became a little worried: "Are you alright?"
Tang Qi shook her head vigorously: "It's okay, it's delicious!"
Lu Zhe expressed his doubts: "Is this level of spiciness really acceptable?"
"no problem!"
After saying that, Tang Qi picked up another piece of tripe and stuffed it into her mouth with a "whoosh." Her mouth kept chewing, while her little nose twitched as she breathed heavily.
Lu Zhe took a couple of bites, and seeing her like this, he couldn't help but say, "If you can't eat, don't force yourself!"
After finishing that bite, Tang Qi kept eating with her chopsticks, stuffing more food into her mouth: "I can eat! Just... get me some herbal tea, I can still eat!"
Since the young lady is so determined, what can Lu Zhe say?
He could only ask the waiter to order two cans of iced herbal tea, which he then opened, inserted straws, and placed in front of the young lady. Then, he started drinking it too.
After taking a big gulp of herbal tea, Tang Qi continued eating...
For Lu Zhe, the mildly spicy red broth at Rongdu Hot Pot Restaurant was nothing new. Compared to the hot pot restaurants he had eaten before, this one was only slightly more expensive and had better-tasting ingredients; otherwise, there wasn't much difference.
But for Tang Qi, the hot pot here was quite different from the ones she had eaten since childhood. On the one hand, the aroma was much stronger, making it irresistible; but on the other hand, the spiciness was also significantly higher, forcing her to stop even though she couldn't resist.
After eating several slices of fatty beef, tripe, tofu skin, and bamboo shoots, Tang Qi finally couldn't stand the burning sensation in her mouth. And when she picked up her herbal tea drink, she found the can was empty.
She slammed the empty can on the table, let out a long sigh, and even blurted out in Cantonese, "Why is it so spicy!"
Lu Zhe looked completely bewildered: "What did you say?"
Tang Qi: "Why is it so spicy?!"
Lu Zhe blinked: "That's why I said I wanted a clear broth hot pot. Do you know what it means for a hot pot restaurant to be at the top of the ratings in Chengdu? It means the flavor is really strong."
Tang Qi: "..."
Lu Zhe picked up another enoki mushroom with his chopsticks.
Tang Qi asked somewhat unwillingly, "Then why can you eat so much spicy food? You're not a local from Chengdu, are you?"
Lu Zhe chewed a few times, swallowed unhurriedly, and replied calmly, "I studied here for four years, so I've long since developed the skills. Besides, I grew up in the Northwest, where people can eat spicy food, at least more than in Huacheng."
Tang Qi lowered her head and couldn't help but sigh.
After a long silence, she cautiously raised her head, looked at Lu Zhe who was still eating, and asked softly, "What should I do if I still want to eat?"
Lu Zhe turned to the waiter and shouted, "Could you please bring a bowl of water for this table?"
The experienced waiter knew what was going on at a glance, and soon a bowl of water was placed in front of the girl.
Lu Zhe: "If you really can't stand it, just rinse it in the water before eating it."
Tang Qi: "Then, does that mean it won't taste as good?"
Lu Zhe shrugged: "At least it'll be enough for you to eat."
Tang Qi picked up a slice of meat, rinsed it briefly in a bowl of water, then dipped it in the oil sauce for a few seconds before eating it…
"That's all!" she breathed a sigh of relief.
————
More than half an hour later, the hot pot meal was finished.
Lu Zhe was very satisfied, but Tang Qi... well, that's hard to say.
"Delicious!" the girl exclaimed as she walked out after paying the bill.
Lu Zhe looked at her small face, a hint of hesitation in his eyes.
Tang Qi stared at him, pointed at herself, and asked, "Is there something strange about me? Why are you looking at me like that?"
Lu Zhe thought for a moment, and finally reminded him, "Your mouth... seems a little strange."
Tang Qi took out her phone and used it as a mirror to look at herself. She hadn't noticed anything until she looked, and what she saw startled her.
Wow! My lips are so swollen!
Lu Zhe couldn't help but chuckle, though he didn't laugh out loud.
Tang Qi sensed something, glared at him fiercely, and said, "Don't laugh at me!"
Lu Zhe nodded seriously: "Don't worry, I'm a professional assistant. No matter what happens, I won't laugh."
Tang Qi stared at her own lips reflected on the phone screen, feeling somewhat amused and exasperated. She slightly opened her mouth, making a toothy smile, trying to smooth out the swelling in her lips—but how could that possibly work?
Lu Zhe, however, noticed a detail.
"Tang Qi, your teeth... are those little tiger teeth?"
The girl rolled her eyes at him: "Yeah, is there a problem?"
Lu Zhe scratched the back of his head: "No problem, I just think... the little tiger teeth are quite cute, I just hadn't noticed them before."
These words were slightly unexpected for Tang Qi. She turned her head and stared at him, stunned for a while.
Lu Zhe: "What's wrong?"
Tang Qi: "We've known each other for so many days, and you're only just now noticing the tiger teeth?"
Lu Zhe: "Such a small detail is not easy to notice..."
Tang Qi covered her swollen little mouth and said in a muffled voice, "Then you can stay closer to me in the future so you can see me more clearly!"
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