Neither of them spoke, but the atmosphere in the little kitchen was not stifling in the least.
Soft light fell over them. Huo Jiu picked out the shrimp veins, trimmed off the shrimp legs, then switched knives to slice the lotus root.
The steady chopping against the cutting board broke the kitchen's silence. The rice cooker puffed softly, and the cooked rice gave off a steaming, fragrant aroma. Diwu Ling looked up at Huo Jiu, and for a moment, he could hardly tell dream from reality.
The intense sense of disconnect made Diwu Ling speak. "I've never cooked before."
Diwu Ling looked at Huo Jiu and said with feeling, "This is my first time cooking."
Huo Jiu reminded him expressionlessly, "You only washed the winter bamboo shoots, tofu skin, and pork belly!"
Strictly speaking, that did not even count as being a kitchen helper.
Diwu Ling blinked and looked at Huo Jiu without expression.
Huo Jiu looked back at him without expression.
After a long silence, Diwu Ling emphasized, "It's my first time in the kitchen."
Huo Jiu raised a brow. "So?"
Diwu Ling's lips showed the faintest tendency to turn downward as he said, still expressionless, "You should encourage me."
"Oh, you're amazing." Huo Jiu went along with it and lowered his head to keep chopping vegetables.
For some reason, Diwu Ling felt just the tiniest bit wronged. He emphasized it again. "This is my first time. Even if you don't want to encourage me, you shouldn't be so cold about it."
Huo Jiu's hand trembled, and he nearly cut his own finger.
For a chef with such superb knife skills, that was practically unbelievable.
That showed just how lethal Diwu Ling's words were.
Seeing Huo Jiu's reaction, Diwu Ling also realized that what he had just said sounded