Evening.
Jiang Li stood in the kitchen doorway, staring at the ribs and a few greens on the cutting board.
The original host had never lifted a finger around the house.
Before transmigrating into the novel, Jiang Li had also been the sort who survived on takeout.
And now she was supposed to cook?
What kind of international joke was this?
But she couldn’t just not do it.
Huo Yan worked himself to the bone every day, hauling bricks, and then came home to take care of a troublemaker like her.
If she kept acting up like this, she’d probably die pretty quickly.
She had to do something to stabilize the situation.
Jiang Li steeled herself as if facing her own death.
How hard could it be to stir-fry something?
She tossed the ribs into a basin, sloshed in some soy sauce and cooking wine,
then grabbed a handful of sugar and sprinkled it in.
A couple of stirs.
There. Let it marinate.
Next, the greens.
Jiang Li picked up a stalk and rinsed it under the tap.
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted several little bugs wriggling on the leaves.
“Holy shit!”
She threw the greens straight into the sink.
No more washing.
They were going in the wok anyway. The heat would disinfect them. All creatures were equal before it.
Jiang Li turned on the gas. Flames leapt up.
She grabbed the oil bottle and poured a generous circle of oil into the wok.
The oil immediately covered the bottom.
A few seconds later, it began to give off a strange bluish smoke.
Jiang Li grabbed the marinated ribs and, eyes shut, tossed them straight into the wok.
Sizzle!
Hot oil splattered wildly.
A drop landed on the back of her hand.
“Ah!”
Jiang Li jolted backward, hopping and retreating a full meter.
The ribs in the wok crackled like firecrackers.
Thick smoke billowed out, filling the entire kitchen in an instant.
She snatched up the lid and held it in front of her like a riot shield.
Three steps back.
She backed right into the trash can and knocked it over.
The ribs crackled louder and louder, as if they were about to blow the kitchen apart.
Gritting her teeth, Jiang Li rushed forward and wildly stirred them from as far away as she could with the spatula.
But there was far too much oil.
The ribs were swimming in it. She couldn’t turn them over at all.
She made up her mind and slammed the lid on.
Out of sight, out of mind.
Then she turned to deal with the greens.
They were still soaking in the sink.
Jiang Li scooped them out and tore them into pieces.
She tossed them into another wok.
Without even checking whether there was oil in it, she turned on the heat.
The greens hissed and crackled, quickly wilting into a heap.
Jiang Li stirred them a couple of times, grabbed the salt bag, and sprinkled some in.
Her hand shook, and the bag hadn’t been tied properly.
Half the bag of salt came tumbling out.
…Forget it.
As long as it was edible, it would do. A little extra salt would help it go down with rice.
She decisively turned off the heat and dished up the greens.
Then she turned to the other wok.
Smoke was still seeping out from under the lid.
Jiang Li steeled herself and lifted it.
A fierce, burnt smell hit her in the face.
The ribs in the wok were black and shiny, like lumps of coal.
She prodded one with the spatula. It was hard as a rock.
When she tapped it against the side of the wok, it even rang like a blacksmith’s hammer.
Would eating this thing kill someone on the spot?
Jiang Li stared at the plate of “iron-rib coal,” lost in thought.
Maybe she should just destroy the evidence.
It wasn’t as if she’d promised to cook. If Huo Yan came home to no dinner, he’d yell at her at most.
She could use the opportunity to throw a fit, perfectly in keeping with her persona.
Jiang Li picked up the plate and was just about to dump it into the trash when heavy footsteps sounded outside.
A moment later, the front door swung open.
Huo Yan squeezed inside sideways, carrying a huge latex mattress.
The mattress nearly filled the entire doorway.
His forehead was covered in sweat, and his black tank top was soaked through, clinging tightly to his body.
Jiang Li froze, plate in hand.
Huo Yan set the mattress down and straightened up.
His imposing gaze swept across the kitchen.
He saw the plate of salt-heavy greens on the stove, then looked at the “coal” in Jiang Li’s hands.
“Baby, are you cooking?” He walked over.
His body blocked the kitchen doorway, shutting out the light.
Guiltily, Jiang Li tried to hide the plate behind her.
“N-no.”
“Then what’s that?” Huo Yan lifted his chin toward the stove.
“This… this is ribs I deep-fried,” Jiang Li said, bluffing as best she could.
“Burnt them?”
“Yeah. Extra-charred flavor.”
“Is this your first time cooking?”
“No.” Jiang Li turned her face away, stubbornly refusing to back down. “I cook all the time. I just messed up today.”
Huo Yan said nothing. He picked up one of the shiny black ribs
and put it straight into his mouth.
He chewed a few times without changing expression.
“Baby, it’s a little salty.”
“It’ll go well with rice…” Jiang Li’s voice was as faint as a mosquito’s.
“And a little burnt, but…” Huo Yan swallowed, then turned to look at her. “It’s delicious.”
“Huo Yan, have you lost your sense of taste?”
“No.” He turned away. “You made it, Baby. No matter how bad it tastes, I’ll think it’s good.”
This man was definitely sick.
Seriously sick!
“Stop eating. I’ll make something else.” She reached for the plate.
Huo Yan lifted his long arm, easily raising it above his head.
“No need. This is fine.”
“Huo Yan, put it down! What if you get a perforated stomach? Who’ll be responsible?”
“I’m not putting it down.”
“Do you believe I’ll kick you?”
“No.” Huo Yan bent his head, his warm breath falling over the crown of hers. “Baby wouldn’t have the heart to.”
“Who wouldn’t have the heart to? Don’t flatter yourself!”
“Weren’t you just worried I’d get sick from eating it?”
“I’m worried you’ll be too sick to go to work tomorrow, and no one will earn money for me! If you end up in the hospital, I’ll have to pay your medical bills!”
Huo Yan stared into her eyes.
They were beautiful, their outer corners naturally tilted upward, but now she kept darting her gaze away, unable to meet his.
“Is that so? Then why did Baby cook today?”
“Because I felt like it!” Jiang Li turned her face away.
“So obedient today?” His voice was low and husky, with a hint of a magnetic quality.
What did he mean, so obedient?
How was she obedient?
Huo Yan reached out and grasped her wrist.
She tried to pull free, but his grip only tightened.
Huo Yan took a step forward.
Jiang Li was forced to retreat again and again until her lower back struck the edge of the stove.
He braced one hand on the counter beside her, his whole body closing in over her.
“Baby, are you trying to ask me for something?”
Oh no.
Had he figured something out?
Impossible. Absolutely impossible.
She hadn’t let anything slip.
“What have I asked you for? Huo Yan, don’t flatter yourself.” Jiang Li tipped her head back, doing her best to stay calm.
She shoved Huo Yan away,
then turned and darted into the bathroom.
Leaning against the door, she breathed hard, her chest heaving.
That was too dangerous.
She was completely on the defensive now.
She had to take back control.
She really couldn’t learn the original host’s tricks.
At this point, she’d just have to grit her teeth and go for it.
It was all just a dream!
After calming herself down, Jiang Li went out.
Huo Yan was standing in the living room. The new mattress had already been laid out.
The old one had been thrown out, too.
Jiang Li returned to the bedroom and sat on the bed.
It was just the right balance of soft and firm.
“Huo Yan, take your clothes off…”