Chapter 131: Cooking Skill
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
She stood frozen on the spot for a long time before Ruan Yesheng carefully said, “...You’re asking me to stay at your place?”
She was still in a daze, thinking she might be dreaming and hearing things. After all, Xi Mo suddenly asking her to come stay—that was something she never expected.
“Yes.” Xi Mo saw Ruan Yesheng still unsure and asked carefully, “Is it inconvenient for you?”
She had never invited anyone to stay at her home before, so she wasn’t used to it. She didn’t know how Ruan Yesheng would take it. But she felt a strange kind of nervousness, afraid Ruan Yesheng might politely turn her down.
“No, no.” Ruan Yesheng finally heard it clearly this time and quickly said, “It’s very convenient, especially convenient. Anytime is fine.”
Xi Mo: “...”
“Thank you.” Ruan Yesheng looked at her and softly said thanks, trying hard to hold back the excitement that almost burst out.
Fireworks were blooming wildly in her heart, but on her face was still the same bright smile. She must not lose composure in front of Xi Mo. Even if she was overjoyed, she had to keep her cool on the surface.
Xi Mo looked into Ruan Yesheng’s eyes and said, “I’m not using safety as an excuse to make you stay at my house. I really feel it’s dangerous. It’s like there are invisible nets around us. Until we figure out how these things are connected, it’s best we stay somewhere safe.”
She didn’t know why she had to explain all this.
But it was the truth.
Ruan Yesheng’s neighborhood was nice, but it didn’t have the same security like her own place. She was worried Ruan Yesheng might be alone and something could happen, with no one around to help.
Ruan Yesheng saw how carefully she explained and knew she meant every word.
This block of wood didn’t understand romance at all. It was hateful, but also adorable.
Compared to this practical reason, Ruan Yesheng would rather Xi Mo was just making up an excuse to invite her.
Unfortunately, Xi Mo didn’t seem to think that way.
Still, Ruan Yesheng was happy. At least Xi Mo cared about her safety.
Xi Mo paused, then looked away and added, “And in a few days, you’ll go to Sichuan to film that variety show. We’re on the same flight. It’s easier if you stay at my place first. We can leave together.”
“So all those reasons put together,” Ruan Yesheng summed up, “That’s why you invited me to stay at your house. Understood.”
Xi Mo heard that line and could tell Ruan Yesheng was kind of teasing her.
She didn’t reply.
“I have to go,” Ruan Yesheng said. “Let’s meet back here later.”
“Why are you in such a hurry?” Xi Mo frowned.
“Of course to pack my things. The sooner I pack, the sooner we go back.” Ruan Yesheng walked out fast, then turned back and gave Xi Mo a smile. “See you in a bit.”
After Ruan Yesheng walked far, Xi Mo stood in place. The corner of her mouth also lifted a little.
She had never seen Ruan Yesheng like that. She was in a rush, but happy too. Even her steps were light, like there was wind under her feet.
Xi Mo’s steps also felt lighter. She quickly started packing her own luggage.
Maybe both of them were in a bit of a hurry. Not long after, they finished packing. When Lu Qingming got the hospital discharge done, the two of them left the hospital with him and went back to the hotel. Feng Tangtang and Gu Qisong got Lu Qingming’s call earlier, so they had already gone to the hotel to get ready.
Hengdian wasn't far from Shanghai. Once everything was done, the group just drove back to Shanghai. It was actually easier and faster that way. When they reached near Xi Mo’s company, it was already past 9 p.m. But there were always entertainment reporters hanging outside the company day and night, so they stopped halfway.
Feng Tangtang and Gu Qisong had rare time off, said goodbye, and went back to their homes.
“Are you staying upstairs at the company tonight?” Lu Qingming asked Xi Mo.
Xi Mo was a little confused by the question and didn’t answer right away.
That time when they just swapped bodies, Xi Mo didn’t want Ruan Yesheng to stay at her house, so she told her to come up with a reason to stay at the company.
She never thought, now she would be the one asking Ruan Yesheng to stay at her place.
A few months wasn't too short, also not too long, but so much had happened.
"No. I'm on vacation later. I'll go home." After a while, Xi Mo said.
Lu Qingming was worried that Xi Mo would still stay at the company by herself and wouldn't listen. After hearing this, he finally felt better and said, "It's good that you're going home. Did you call Auntie Lan? Ask her to come cook for you. I can't reach her. She blocked me."
Xi Mo: "..."
"What did you do to make her mad?" Xi Mo asked.
"Nothing much." Lu Qingming was usually very serious, but now you could clearly hear that he was a bit scared of Auntie Lan. "She kept trying to set me up with someone. She said she's a daughter of her friend, has really good qualities, we're a perfect match. Told me to go meet her when I'm free. So I went and told the girl I don't want to date anyone, better not waste each other's time. After just a few words, the girl cried. That night Aunt Lan called me and nagged for a long time, scolded me for not knowing how to be nice to girls. Then she said she would block me for half a month to punish me."
Xi Mo thought that really sounds like something Aunt Lan would do. She wasn't surprised and just said, "I called her. She's at a party with relatives in another province. She sounded happy, so I didn’t tell her I'm going home, in case she rushes back and doesn't enjoy herself."
"Then what will you eat?" Lu Qingming frowned. "You can't cook, and you don't trust strangers in your house. Otherwise, I can find someone to cook for you for now."
Ruan Yesheng had been quietly standing not far away. Xi Mo suddenly felt a little embarrassed, afraid Ruan Yesheng would think she’s a spoiled rich Young Miss. She stared at Lu Qingming with a cold face and said, "I'm an adult. I have hands and feet. You think I’ll starve myself to death?"
Lu Qingming: "..."
What's going on? Are you unhappy again?
Even though Xi Mo often gets upset, Lu Qingming was used to it. Most of the time, he could guess why she was unhappy. But this time, he really didn’t get it.
He always knew Xi Mo couldn’t cook or do chores. She was pampered since childhood, never needed to do these things. Before, he didn’t have to tiptoe around her about this stuff, because Xi Mo didn’t care back then.
But now she was so firm about it, he couldn’t say anything more. He nodded and said, “Alright. Go home and rest early.”
He was like a nagging old mom. After saying a few more things, he finally drove off.
Xi Mo walked toward Ruan Yesheng. Behind Ruan Yesheng was the city night filled with glowing lights. The lights made her eyes shine bright. As Xi Mo walked, her breath turned white in the cold, but the winter wind didn’t feel sharp at all.
Because Ruan Yesheng looked warm.
“Let’s go,” Xi Mo said. She opened the car door for Ruan Yesheng to sit in the front passenger seat.
When Ruan Yesheng bent down to get in, Xi Mo naturally put her hand over the top of the car door, so Ruan Yesheng wouldn’t hit her head.
Ruan Yesheng felt her kindness and smiled at her.
Xi Mo sat in the driver’s seat and drove to her private villa. There was still a bit of a drive. Ruan Yesheng sat beside her and started talking. The first thing she said was, “Auntie Lan is not here. You don’t have to worry about having no food. I’ll cook for you.”
Xi Mo: “...”
She had tried Ruan Yesheng’s cooking back in college. She knew Ruan Yesheng was good at it. But after Ruan Yesheng got famous in movies, she got busy every day and probably didn’t cook much. Later, when she quit the industry, the two of them didn’t talk much anymore. Xi Mo almost couldn’t remember what those dishes had tasted like.
She only remembered there were chicken legs, green vegetables, shredded chicken salad, cola chicken wings, spicy chicken feet, and a bowl of rich chicken soup. All were delicious.
All chicken.
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
That day, Ruan Yesheng killed a chicken. Besides the two of them, there were also two classmates who wanted to eat, so they used the whole chicken to make food.
She still remembered clearly how Ruan Yesheng held a kitchen knife, with red chicken blood all over the blade.
Before that, she had never seen anyone kill a chicken. That scene was just too shocking.
She thought of the little courtyard they stayed in that summer. The sun was hot outside, but the yard was full of plants and flowers, so it felt cool. There was even a well.
That chicken wasn’t dead yet. It flapped from the kitchen to the edge of the well, leaving a trail of blood, like a crime scene.
It looked like the chicken was gonna jump in the well. There was no cover, so she rushed over to close it.
The chicken flew over in its last breath. Good thing Ruan Yesheng caught it.
But chicken blood splashed all over Xi Mo.
She had cleanliness obsession. Normally, this memory should feel bad.
Back then she really was upset.
But thinking about it now, she felt it was a bit funny.
“You think I can’t cook?” Xi Mo didn’t want Ruan Yesheng to look down on her. She sounded a little stubborn.
“You really couldn’t before,” Ruan Yesheng laughed.
“That was before.”
“You mean now you can?” Ruan Yesheng looked like she couldn’t believe it.
“...Of course.” Xi Mo snorted. “You think my kitchen is just for decoration?”
"What can you cook then?" Ruan Yesheng said. "Simple home dishes? Like what?"
Xi Mo held the steering wheel, eyes on the road, and said, "Boiled dumplings."
Ruan Yesheng: "..."
"What else?" Ruan Yesheng smiled. "Don't tell me it's instant noodles?"
"I don't eat instant noodles. No nutrition. It's not healthy," Xi Mo said seriously.
"Right, you are a rich Young Miss. How could you eat instant noodles?" Ruan Yesheng smiled more, trying to tease her.
Xi Mo looked at her right away and said, "I’m not a rich Young Miss."
Ruan Yesheng watched her face and saw she looked a bit upset. She felt bad, so she softened her voice and said, "Sorry, I was joking. If you don’t like me saying that, I won’t say it again."
But Xi Mo looked even more upset. "Why are you saying sorry to me?"
She did not like it when Ruan Yesheng said sorry, it made things feel distant and careful. She was not angry, just worried Ruan Yesheng would think she had a spoiled temper and rushed to explain.
Now Ruan Yesheng could not say anything right. She gave a helpless smile and said, "Then what should I say?"
Xi Mo looked back at the road, stayed quiet for a while, then said with mixed feelings, "…I don’t know either."
Ruan Yesheng sighed in her heart. Why was it so hard to understand what this block of wood was thinking sometimes?
She thought for a while and asked, “You know how to cook dumplings, so are there still dumplings at home? Did Auntie Lan make them for you?”
Xi Mo had already noticed that Ruan Yesheng was not unfamiliar with Auntie Lan, so she asked, “You know Auntie Lan?”
“I saw her a long time ago. She’s Mr. Ding Ru’s half-sister, right?” Ruan Yesheng answered.
Author's Note:
Cohabitation life has begun~~~~Bobobobobobobobo, it's good enough to be able to cook dumplings, there are people who can't even do it. [Hey, where does this cold wind come from?
Thank you for your ratings and comments, overlord tickets, nutrient solution, etc. ~
Happy Lantern Festival~~~~
