Wen Nan crouched in front of Lin Xuemei. As he rubbed the soft flesh of her calf with his fingertips, he could clearly feel the muscles in her leg tense, her toes curling up.
It was an unmistakably guarded, nervous posture.
Wen Nan called out to the system in his mind: [9527, check the mission progress.]
9527: [Main Mission 2, current completion: 62%]
The completion rate had gone up by 2%.
It seemed this tentative move of Wen Nan's had been the right one.
Lin Xuemei was so tense now not because she was disgusted or resisting, but simply because she was shy.
Wen Nan released her foot and stood up, smiling at her. "Should I go peel the garlic?"
"Oh... sure."
Lin Xuemei lowered her long lashes, hiding the fluster in her eyes.
She shoved the bowl of garlic into Wen Nan's arms, then turned to the stove, avoiding his gaze.
Watching Lin Xuemei get back to work, Wen Nan smiled. He didn't approach her again, instead going to the sink to wash his hands before carefully peeling the garlic.
A while later, he heard the gas stove click off behind him.
"The chicken soup's ready," Lin Xuemei said. She scooped up a spoonful and came over to Wen Nan, holding it out to him. "Xiao Jiu, give it a taste. How is it?"
She wore a warm smile, brimming with confidence.
But when Wen Nan looked down at the spoon, he paused.
The chicken soup Lin Xuemei had offered him was a deep, blood-red color and thick in consistency, with a powerful fishy stench. It looked as if she'd just scooped it out of a slaughterhouse.
Looking at that bloody soup and Lin Xuemei's smile, Wen Nan half expected her to add, "Darling, take your medicine."
When Wen Nan didn't move, Lin Xuemei picked up a piece of meat with the serving chopsticks and brought it to his lips. "Try this chicken foot. Is it tender?"
[(╬Д)]
[Oh my god, I'm gonna puke.]
[Nope. I can't do it.]
[I can't either.]
But Wen Nan was only stunned for a moment. He quickly came to his senses and opened his mouth.
"The flavor's just right, and it's cooked perfectly. It's delicious, and the gelatinous texture is great."
Wen Nan praised it with such sincerity that you would've thought he'd tasted a delicious chicken stew. "Aunt Mei, your cooking keeps getting better."
Aunt Mei smiled, two rosy patches appearing on her cheeks. "Xiao Jiu, you're getting better and better at sweet-talking people."
[⊙﹏☉]
[The streamer really... Can he actually eat that? And praise it with a straight face?]
[I salute you, you absolute madman!]
[No wonder the streamer can win this round.]
Soon, the dishes were brought to the table—
Blood-red chicken soup, fluorescent-green braised fish, bacon fried with indigo-blue dried bamboo shoots, and, as the grand finale, boiled beef ringed by flies, brownish-yellow and looking as if it had just been fished out of an outhouse.
Qiqi followed the smell to the table, eagerly bent over, and took a deep breath. Then she licked her lips. "It smells amazing! I'm starving! I can't wait. I'm digging in!"
As she spoke, she picked up her chopsticks and went straight for the biggest lump in the bowl of boiled beef.
But just as the tips of her chopsticks were about to touch the brownish-yellow lump, Wen Nan intercepted her.
His chopsticks flicked deftly, and with a slurp, he popped the biggest lump into his mouth.
"Why'd you steal my piece?" Qiqi stamped her foot in anger.
"Yours? Call it and see if it answers." Wen Nan chewed with bulging cheeks. "Whoever gets it in their mouth first owns it."
"Hmph!" Qiqi shot Wen Nan a glare, picked an eyeball out of the chicken soup, and popped it into her mouth.
Sitting across from them, Aunt Mei laughed. "There's more in the pot, so don't worry. There's plenty for everyone."
As they say, birds of a feather flock together.
You guys have fun.
I'm gonna go throw up some more.
[Urp.]
The three of them ate their fill.
Qiqi picked up a big lump and put it in Lin Xuemei's bowl, grinning. "Auntie, your cooking keeps getting better. It's almost as good as the food at a five-star restaurant."
Lin Xuemei chuckled. "Are you just saying that to make me happy?"
Wen Nan chimed in. "It's really good. Even a five-star chef can't beat home cooking. Home cooking has... Aunt Mei's flavor."
Lin Xuemei paused and looked at Wen Nan. "My... flavor?"
"Mm." Wen Nan delivered the nonsense with a perfectly straight face. "You smell so good."
Another blush spread across Lin Xuemei's cheeks. She picked up a piece of bright green fish and put it in Wen Nan's bowl. "Then... have a few more bites."
Hugging her bowl, Qiqi glanced back and forth between her aunt and Wen Nan, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. Something about the two of them seemed a little strange.
That odd feeling lingered until dinner was over.
Lin Xuemei went to clean up the kitchen, Qiqi volunteered to mop the floor, and Wen Nan took on the task of washing the dishes.
After Wen Nan broke a porcelain bowl and dropped two soup spoons, Lin Xuemei walked over to the sink helplessly and lightly tapped his forehead with her finger. "You must be exhausted from studying so hard, huh? All right, leave it to me. Go have some fun."
Wen Nan didn't leave. He just moved a little to the side to make room for Lin Xuemei.
When she saw he had no intention of leaving, Lin Xuemei took the dish sponge. "Then watch me wash them and learn."
The kitchen was cramped, and with two adults standing side by side at the sink, it felt especially crowded.
Lin Xuemei had to stand in the middle of the sink to wash the dishes. Wen Nan pressed himself as close to the wall as he could, but he was broad-shouldered and long-legged. Even hunching up, he couldn't help but have his arm pressed against Lin Xuemei's body.
That softness swayed as she washed the dishes, brushing against Wen Nan's thoughts and making him feel warm.
He tried to keep his eyes on Lin Xuemei's slender fingers as she washed the dishes, but his peripheral vision kept straying to the other side.
Lin Xuemei had taken off her apron and was wearing only a loose T-shirt. Its wide neckline had slipped off one shoulder, revealing a graceful stretch of neck, a snow-white shoulder, and further down...
Wen Nan felt his blood rush.
Aunt Mei really didn't treat him like an outsider...
He'd come over for dinner, and she'd gone the whole time without wearing a bra, not even underwear?!
Realizing his thoughts were starting to run wild, Wen Nan hastily reined them in. Just as he was about to look away, the system's prompt sounded in his mind.
9527: [Main Mission 2, current completion: 65%]
It had... gone up another 3%?
So Aunt Mei had noticed Wen Nan staring, let him keep peeking, and even... enjoyed it?!
Before you continue