Chapter 208

A short while later, the girl tried to imitate Xia Yan's instructions. While not perfect, it was significantly better than the previous lump; at least it had pleats and resembled a dumpling. Xia Yan, still smiling, said, "Great job!" "?" "Are you treating me like an idiot?" A big question mark popped into her head. Realizing what was happening, Hua Xin Red Temperature slightly and stared at him, her wide eyes quite adorable. Xia Yan coughed lightly, then gently picked up a handkerchief and wiped the flour-covered face of the girl, winking tenderly, "I see you as my wife." "..." "Could you be any more cheesy and old-fashioned?" "Even watching the Spring Festival Gala Xia Yan is unbearable now, so I'm making dumplings too." Hua Xin didn't dodge or reject it, but instead curled her lip in disdain, her gaze falling on the Spring Festival Gala -making and smashing skit playing on the large screen TV beside her. This damn gentle man. Why doesn't he go into a Japanese light novel and build a harem, instead of playing some kind of romance game with her here? "Isn't the Spring Festival Gala about making and smashing dumplings every year? Every year it's the same old story?" "I'm not taking the blame for this." "Here." Xia Yan also turned around and handed the girl a clean 50-cent coin: "It'll be wrapped in a dumpling later. Whoever finds the coin will have good luck all year round." "? Is there such a saying?" Hua Xin, who had always spent the New Year alone, was clearly unaware of this custom. She muttered something half-understanding, then picked up the coin Xia Yan handed her and wrapped it in the filling of her dumpling. After several practice attempts, her dumplings were now quite similar to Xia Yan's, and once cooked, they wouldn't be easily distinguishable. This would also eliminate any suspicion of cheating. "Let's see who can find the coin and have good luck all year round!" "Oh, right." Xia Yan seemed to suddenly remember something, then stopped what he was doing, looking at the girl beside him with a mysterious expression, his tone slightly seductive. "The loser has to grant the winner a request, how about it?" Hua Xin placed the dumpling on the plate, coldly smiling without any fear, "Heh heh, fine, let's bet. Trying to out-luck me is really asking for trouble. Just don't cry later if you don't find the coin." Xia Yan extended his little finger, his smiling expression saying nothing. "Tch..." The girl didn't hesitate, and decisively extended her little finger to hook it with Xia Yan's. She wasn't afraid to compete with Xia Yan in luck. After all, even a supernatural phenomenon that might only happen once in ten thousand years could happen to her, which already proved that her luck far surpassed that of 99.999999% of people in the same world. So what was there to be afraid of! The two began chanting the "ritual" simultaneously, their male and female voices overlapping, their eyes reflecting each other's faces at this moment. Both were confident that they would be the winners. "Pinky promise, for a hundred years..." "No changing." The dishes for the New Year's Eve dinner were prepared well in advance, and the freshly made dumplings were bubbling away. To make room for the dumplings, Xia Yan and Hua Xin simply placed all the dishes on the dining table in the living room. The dumplings cooked quickly, and the dishes didn't get cold. If you were to ask Hua Xin what the best thing she had ever eaten in her life was, she would undoubtedly say Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs. Because this dish held a special meaning for her, and it was truly delicious. Although she had later eaten real hot pot with Xia Yan, as well as crab roe noodles, milk tea, and the like, these could only be considered "delicious," not "the best" to be included in Hua Xin's culinary collection. But today, when the girl saw the dishes in front of her... After a table laden with a feast for the eyes and the palate, a moment of silence fell as everyone hesitated, unsure of what to say. "Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs, corn and pork rib soup, braised carp, braised prawns, steamed pork with rice flour, stir-fried lettuce, braised beef..." It was hard to believe that all of this was prepared by Xia Yan alone. Was there anything Xia Yan couldn't do? Hua Xin swallowed hard, her heart itching as she gazed at the table full of delicious food. At the same time, a somewhat dazed feeling spread through her. Spending the New Year with others, and with so much delicious food, instead of eating frozen dumplings and cheap meat in her Little Black. The girl's eyelids drooped slightly. It felt like a dream. 158. Love at First Sight? "So delicious..." "This is so delicious too!?" "Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs! My god! Wait, how come these prawns are so delicious, and these pig's trotters are absolutely amazing..." "Wait." Hua Xin swallowed all the food in her mouth, then stared intently at the braised beef in front of her. You know, this kind of thing, which easily costs tens of yuan per pound, is practically enough to kill her, and Xia Yan just happened to have bought it from a very famous braised beef shop. As a girl's favorite meat, it would be disrespectful for Hua Xin to focus on other foods while facing such a delicious-looking and fragrant dish. She secretly glanced towards the kitchen and saw Xia Yan still busy cooking dumplings, while she was sneaking a bite—it seemed rather impolite...I'll go help right away! Just one piece! Just one piece! Hua Xin picked up her chopsticks and slightly disturbed the beautifully arranged dish, but the taste that filled her mouth almost made her cry. How could something in this world be so delicious... Resisting the urge to take another bite, she used her chopsticks to rearrange the neatly sliced beef. She'd better try not to get caught stealing food during the New Year. Feeling guilty, the girl put down her chopsticks and tiptoed towards the kitchen. After all, Xia Yan had already cooked all the dishes; she couldn't let him cook all the dumplings too... "Ah?!!!!!" "Uh..." The sudden turn of the corner caused the girl to bump into Xia Yan, who was holding a condiment bowl. Their heads collided with a crisp sound. However, Xia Yan's physical strength was clearly greater than Hua Xin's; even such a violent attack didn't affect him much. He quickly recovered and checked on the girl. After all, Hua Xin was the only other person in the house besides him. He asked anxiously and cautiously, "Are you alright? Where did you bump into something?" "..." Wait a minute. Xia Yan's eyes narrowed. The mixture of vinegar, garlic, chili oil, and sesame oil he had poured had mostly disappeared from the large bowl, leaving only a small amount at the bottom. Seemingly realizing something was wrong, Xia Yan's gaze stiffened as he looked down. He saw Hua Xin crouching on the ground, clutching her head as if Tom had been struck on the head, her clean white clothes faintly stained with black and red... The girl, already in tears, suppressed the urge to roll on the ground in agony, only managing a few soft sobs. Xia Yan's concerned voice made Hua Xin hold back her tears and slowly stand up. What?