My Hero Tongtong

River Dam, kitchen.

As soon as Jiang Ning's words left his mouth, Xue Yuantong immediately said, "You only explained the result. Looks like you don't know the reason either!"

Xue Chuchu's reaction was completely different from Tongtong's.

When Jiang Ning said that, he was looking directly at her, as if he were speaking to her.

In an instant, Xue Chuchu understood what he meant. Was he using one thing as a metaphor for another? The fire in the stove burned even hotter, and the fragrance of the food drifted from the gaps around the pot lid with the misty steam, curling like thin fog. Amid that haze, Xue Chuchu's cool face seemed to fade in and out of view. She was a little angry. How could he say something like that?!

How was I like that...

Xue Chuchu pursed her lips and said nothing. Unhappy, she went by herself to prepare ingredients at the cutting board.

Xue Yuantong was too oblivious to notice the shift in atmosphere. She happily continued discussing the principles of smoldering with Jiang Ning.

Drawing on her store of knowledge, she explained smugly, "When something smolders, there's less oxygen in the stove, so the flames on the dry wood are small. But the wood begins to undergo pyrolysis in the limited oxygen, producing lots of combustible substances. Then, once the lid is opened and plenty of air gets in, those accumulated combustible substances mix with oxygen, and the flames burn stronger and stronger."

After finishing, Xue Yuantong lifted her little chin proudly. "Impressive, right?"

Jiang Ning clapped in praise. "Very impressive."

Although he had always known to do it that way, he had never understood the principle. It seemed Tongtong wasn't entirely useless after all.

"Then how are you going to reward me?" Xue Yuantong began