“Qingqing…” Gu Jing’an’s gaze darkened, and the faint flush at the corners of his eyes lent him a dangerously alluring beauty, like a soul-stealing fox.
He suddenly leaned in, gripping Luo Qingqing’s chin as he bit down on those delicate, petal-like lips.
His movements were deeply lingering, touched with a hint of reverence, as though he were handling a priceless treasure. Luo Qingqing trembled and closed her eyes, accepting his affection.
Afraid her legs would grow numb from standing too long, Gu Jing’an pulled back from her lips. They were left glistening with a trace of moisture, like ripe cherries inviting someone to taste them.
Luo Qingqing’s cheeks flushed red as she buried her face in his chest.
“Qingqing, call me that again.”
“…Husband!”
Satisfied, Gu Jing’an stopped teasing her.
Along the way, Luo Qingqing kept her head lowered, pretending to be an ostrich.
A giant in words, a dwarf in action. That description fit her perfectly.
“Qingqing, how should this goat milk be used?”
“Put it in the kitchen, I’ll handle it. Go back to studying and continue reading.” If they stayed together any longer, who knew what might happen next.
“Alright.” He needed to go and properly study the Marriage Pursuit Manual.
Luo Qingqing lifted a hand to her lips. His lips were so soft, like chewing gummy candy, and his eyelashes were so long, his nose bridge so high…
Alright, stop daydreaming. Time to focus on work. Luo Qingqing gave her face a few firm pats, and it stung a little.
She peeled and diced the washed peaches, added sugar, and stirred until the fruit released its juices. Then she poured everything into a pot, added enough water to cover the fruit, and simmered it over low heat. As it cooked, she continuously stirred and mashed it until it turned into a thick puree. Once the sauce became rich and sticky, it was ready to be removed from the heat. After cooling, she transferred it into a jar, where it could be stored for a month or so.
The lychee jam was made in the same way, except lychees had a slight astringency, so she replaced the sugar with honey to balance the flavor.
When she was about to make pastries, she suddenly realized she had not set up the oven.
So she called out, “System Lord, System Lord?”
“What is it?”
“I want a reward. I need to borrow my kitchen from home. How many points will it cost?”
“Five hundred.”
“What? I’m only using it once, make it cheaper, please.”
“…Four hundred.”
“Deal.” She knew when to stop bargaining.
There was only a little milk left, not enough to make anything, so Luo Qingqing poured the goat milk into a pot and boiled it. Once it came to a boil, she added honey to remove the gamy taste.
Luo Qingqing was a matcha enthusiast, and she still had quite a bit of matcha powder left, so she made a large matcha mille crepe cake. She also made tiger skin rolls, soft cheese desserts, and milk cakes.
Just as she was about to bake some cookies, the System informed her that Gu Jing’an was coming, and immediately took away all her tools.
She felt like crying. Four hundred points gone just like that. No, she would have to get them back from the System someday.
Luo Qingqing looked at him resentfully. “Have you finished reading your books?”
“Qingqing, would you like to test me?” Gu Jing’an waved the book in his hand. If he had not been studying the Marriage Pursuit Manual just now, which Qingqing absolutely could not see, he would never have gone to the study.
“No.” He was a top scholar who had achieved first place in all three levels of the imperial examinations. Why would she go looking for trouble?
“Would you like to have a taste?” Luo Qingqing cut a slice of matcha mille crepe cake and handed it to him.
It melted smoothly in his mouth, carrying the delicate fragrance of tea. The sweetness was just right for him. “Very delicious.”
Gu Jing’an scooped up a spoonful and fed it into Luo Qingqing’s mouth. The young woman narrowed her eyes in enjoyment as she took a bite, then another spoonful followed, then another, and another…
“I’m not eating anymore, you finish it.” He had only taken one bite, and she had nearly eaten the rest.
“Alright, I’ll eat.” His Adam’s apple bobbed as he leaned down.
A moment later, Luo Qingqing lay limp in his arms. She had meant for him to eat the matcha mille crepe cake!