Chapter 585: 374 The relationship is like an affair, is Aunt Flo sabotaging herself? (3 more updates)
He just looked at her deeply, then gestured with his hand for her to come out—the kitchen was too small to fit two people. Shen Shuci simply stood outside and watched.
Also due to his profession, he cleaned up the tools quickly and neatly; even his vegetable cutting technique was familiar and fluid, making her clumsy attempts seem infinitely worse.
"What were you planning to do with these ingredients you bought?"
"Scrambled eggs with tomatoes, braised eggplant in oil, and braised fish."
He glanced at her and then cast his eyes down to the fish on the floor...
His expression clearly said:
With your skills, braised fish?
Shen Shuci coughed lightly and looked down, "I’m really no good at cooking."
"There’s no rule saying women must know how to cook."
Shen Shuci felt somewhat astonished upon hearing this. He seemed too domineering and possibly a bit chauvinistic, the type who might prefer a homely, virtuous wife. She hadn’t expected he wouldn’t care about those things.
"As long as..."
"One person in the family knows how, that’s enough."
Shen Shuci’s heart fluttered at his words. Standing outside the kitchen, unable to be of any help, she felt somewhat idle and fidgeted with her fingers.
Ah—
She had promised to treat him to a meal, yet now the guest himself was cooking. If her parents found out, they would surely scold her to death.
Shen Shuci’s eyes suddenly caught the photo frame on the table that had fallen over at some point. She frowned slightly, walked over, and straightened the frame that someone had turned upside down...
His cooking skills weren’t particularly good, but they weren’t bad either. Shen Shuci was somewhat surprised—just how many hidden talents did he have?
The two of them didn’t talk much during the meal. Tang Wan did call once to ask about her cooking progress.
"...It’s okay, I’ll call you back later." Shen Shuci hurriedly hung up the phone after speaking.
When she looked up, she met his gaze.
Although he said nothing, it was as if he saw through everything, making Shen Shuci feel quite embarrassed.
In just a few short hours, they had gotten to understand each other better...
He understood that the capable person in front of him also had her inept and even muddled moments.
As for Shen Shuci, her understanding of him deepened a bit more. She felt he wasn’t as cold and inaccessible as he seemed...
The atmosphere between them changed subtly without them realizing it.
...
Tang Wan had been hung up on the phone and seemed a bit worried.
"What’s the matter? It’s time to eat, why the daze?" It was also lunchtime at the Jiang Mansion. The Jiang Family had moved in, and today nearly all the family members were present. Shen Zhixian cooked in person, and it was quite lively.
"My aunt suddenly said she wanted to cook."
"So what? Maybe she’s tired of takeout and wants to try cooking herself."
"I find it strange, mainly because she’s not good at cooking. I’m really afraid she might blow up the kitchen by herself."
"If you’re that worried, why don’t you go check on her this afternoon?"
"That’s what I was thinking."
**
Shen Shuci had promised to treat her guest, yet she ended up having the guest cook. Naturally, she took on the task of washing dishes after the meal. They also had a cup of tea, and then he got up, ready to leave.
"Mr. Huo, let me walk you out." Shen Shuci wiped the water off her hands and escorted him downstairs.
The Huo Family members sitting in the car watched the two of them come downstairs and immediately perked up. They stood in the hallway quite far apart and couldn’t hear clearly what they were saying.
"...I’m really sorry, I said I would treat you, but ended up troubling you instead." Shen Shuci felt more and more embarrassed.
"It’s no problem."
"Then... maybe next time, I’ll treat you." Shen Shuci looked down, too embarrassed to meet his eyes.
The more she owed, the worse it got. Before it was just letting him pay, now she even had him cook—this wasn’t the way to repay a favor.
Meanwhile, a delivery rider’s bike stopped at the entrance of the apartment building; carrying the delivery, the young man swiftly approached, and they happened to be standing right at the stairs, almost blocking the way. Shen Shuci instinctively stepped back to make room for him...
However, just as she took a half step back, her arm was suddenly gripped, and she stumbled forward—if she hadn’t instinctively braced herself with her hands, she would have fallen right into his arms.
"Thank you," the delivery man said as he quickly walked up the stairs.
The two observers outside nearly shouted in excitement.
"Holy shit, did they just hug or what?"
In truth, with Shen Shuci bracing herself, the two didn’t really hug at all, but from their viewpoint, the two seemed very close.
"Has our guy finally caught a clue? I’ve got to take a photo..."
"Are you f**king looking to die? You dare to take his picture?"
The man seated in the passenger seat had already taken out his phone, silently clicked away a few times.
The man cast a sideways glance at his car and remained silent.
"Thank you," Shen Shuci took a step back to increase the distance between them, "Mr. Huo, I’ll leave you here, please hurry up and get in the car."
"Mhm," he didn’t say much, let go of her, and got into the car.
By the looks of it, everything seemed normal, but only after the Huo Family’s car had departed did Shen Shuci stretch her hand to touch her forearm, which he had been gripping. It felt a little warm...
After returning home, she tidied up the place again, only then noticing that he had left his watch behind.
She recognized the brand; it wasn’t cheap.
She immediately phoned him, "Mr. Huo, your watch is left at my place. Do you want to come back for it?"
"I’m a little tied up with urgent matters right now, how about next time."
"All right then." Shen Shuci hung up, fondling the watch before placing it in a conspicuous spot so she wouldn’t forget later. She then raised her head, slightly frowning. Why is the picture frame toppled over again? Could it be broken?
On the other end, no sooner had the man hung up, the passenger laughed and asked, "Sir, do you actually have any urgent matters to deal with right now?"
He just coldly stared at him, "Took pictures just now?"
"I snapped a few, but I promise there won’t be a next time! Really, it was just a lapse of judgment..." He hastily tried to explain.
But the man had already reached out, "Give me your phone."
"Sir..."
The man wanted to explain further but still tremulously handed over his phone. Quickly, the phone was returned to his hand, the photos deleted clean. However, according to the residual records on the phone, a minute earlier, several pictures had been sent out from this device.
Meaning...
Someone got hold of the photos, then destroyed the ones on his phone?
The operation was still unyieldingly hardcore.
**
After tidying up her home, Shen Shuci turned on her computer, getting ready to finish the work she hadn’t completed earlier when the doorbell rang, and she felt a twinge of anticipation.
Could he be back for his watch?
She grabbed the watch lying aside and went to open the door.
"Mr. Huo..."
"Auntie!" Tang Wan, carrying a carton of milk and a basket of fruit, stood at the doorway.
"Wanwan." Shen Shuci instinctively clenched the watch in her palm and hid it behind her back.
"What about Mr. Huo?" Tang Wan asked casually, placing the milk and fruit on the table before turning to change into slippers, "What were you going to say just now?"
"It’s nothing. Why didn’t you give me a call before coming over?" Shen Shuci gripped the watch as if holding a hot potato.
"Were you waiting for someone else?"
"No, come in quickly."
Out of the corner of her eye, Tang Wan caught a glimpse of the lunch leftovers in the kitchen, smiling slightly, "I was worried you wouldn’t manage to cook successfully today, but to my surprise, everything looks pretty decent. You had me concerned all afternoon."
"My fifth brother kept telling me that you would be fine, but I know myself, you’re a kitchen disaster."
"He was busy helping our older brother check the wedding guest list, so I came over after lunch. I also bought you some fruit. Judging by the look of the dishes, they seem quite all right."
Shen Shuci gave a wry smile, "Not bad, I guess," and subconsciously told a little white lie.
Some things, once started, seem hard to explain.
"Let me taste it," Tang Wan was family after all, making herself right at home. She took some chopsticks and sampled the braised fish sauce, "To achieve this on your first try, that’s quite impressive."
"Is it?" Shen Shuci coughed lightly, feeling somewhat guilty.
But what Tang Wan said next truly made her heart skip a beat, as she casually remarked, "Next time I come over for a meal, make me some braised fish, too."
"You want to eat it?"
"But Auntie..." Tang Wan looked over the various dishes, "Eating three dishes and more than half a fish by yourself, you sure have a big appetite."
"Wanwan..."
"Is it because the food you cook yourself tastes exceptionally delicious?" Tang Wan said with a laugh, tasting another dish, "Everything tastes good, you definitely have to make it for me next time."
She and Shen Shuci didn’t stand on ceremony at all.
This wasn’t even her cooking, where would she find Tang Wan a fish to make the exact same braised fish dish?
What to do?
Should she sneak a lesson from him? Or be honest with Tang Wan?
She had managed to turn their relationship into something resembling a secretive affair, and now she found herself trapped...