Learning that there were ribs at home, Qiao Sheng left feeling completely satisfied.
Even if there weren’t any, it wouldn’t matter—she could buy some on her way back.
She had been craving them for two whole days.
Just thinking about it now made her mouth water uncontrollably.
No matter what, she had made up her mind—she couldn’t let herself have any more regrets.
Today’s rib soup absolutely must not be poured out again; she was going to eat it over rice, oh yeah!
With light steps, Qiao Sheng headed toward the bus stop.
Following the address, she successfully found the creative clay studio.
She pulled down the scarf covering her mouth, tucking it under her chin so she could speak, then took a deep breath and raised her hand to knock on the door.
Heaven bless her, let everything go smoothly.
She hoped all her handmade products would pass inspection, and that her earnings would quickly land in her bowl.
The door was opened by a young woman, who was first surprised that Qiao Sheng really was a student. Then, after carefully inspecting the handmade items, she promptly paid the wages.
All in all, aside from Qiao Sheng’s decent craftsmanship, it might also have been because the young woman was in a hurry to go home at noon to celebrate the New Year and have a reunion dinner with her family.
Everything went so smoothly it felt almost unreal.
Qiao Sheng walked downstairs with the young woman and politely said goodbye at the entrance.
Seeing her bus approaching in the distance, she hurriedly rushed over.
The young woman opened the car door and got into the vehicle parked by the roadside, taking out a small mirror to touch up her makeup.
Someone knocked on her car window. Looking up, she saw a boy dressed elegantly and quite handsome.
The car window rolled down, and the boy gave her a gentle, refined smile. His graceful and charming demeanor made the young woman blush.
He asked, “Hello, miss. May I ask what your relationship is with the girl who was just here?”
…
Starting from 10 a.m., social media platforms and friend circles began flooding with photos of delicious dishes on dining tables.
During the New Year, other families’ tables were laden with a full spread of delicacies, making their own simple meal seem almost embarrassingly modest in comparison.
Only three dishes and one soup…
Qiao Sheng believed that the quality of dishes mattered more than the quantity. If it weren’t for Gu Huo’s insistence, she would have thought that being able to enjoy delicious braised pork ribs during the New Year was already the happiest thing in the world for her!
The memory of spending the New Year alone in her past life, holding a bowl of frozen dumplings while forced to stay on duty, was still vivid. Ah, those were truly days she didn’t want to look back on.
Amid the deafening roar of the old range hood, which rivaled the sound of a passing train, the male lead tied a bright red apron around his waist—printed with an advertisement slogan for some soy sauce—accentuating his narrow waistline. With broad shoulders and long legs, he looked even more tempting than the steaming braised pork ribs on the table.
At this moment, happiness materialized for Qiao Sheng, who had been chased out of the kitchen by Gu Huo.
Greedily, she thought, if only she could stay this happy forever…
Gu Huo, busy in front of the stove, suddenly turned around. Qiao Sheng, who had been shamelessly admiring his looks while propping her chin in her hands, was startled. Trying to avert her gaze was already too late.
She felt extremely embarrassed—would Gu Huo think she was some kind of pervert?
Just as warmth was about to spread across her cheeks, Gu Huo smiled at her and said, “Starving? It’ll be ready soon.”
Qiao Sheng was moved to tears.
The male lead was truly wonderful. Just when she was feeling awkward, he gave her a perfect excuse, wuwu.
She pretended to pat her stomach. “It’s fine, I can hold on a little longer.”
Wait, no.
He smiled at her.
This time, it wasn’t her imagination.
He really smiled!
Even though the smile was faint, it was still so incredibly handsome!
Qiao Sheng mustered the greatest willpower of her life to tear her gaze away from Gu Huo’s face.
Stop looking, stop looking. No matter how much she looked, the male lead could never be hers.
The smile at the corner of Gu Huo’s lips deepened.
He suddenly recalled her first meal after her hunger strike.
She had wolfed it down—truly starving.
Though she had brought it upon herself, thinking back on it now, the way she had devoured the food while tears streamed down her face… was rather adorable.
Gu Huo froze for a moment.
He never would have dreamed that one day he would use the word “adorable” to describe Qiao Sheng.
Life truly was unpredictable…
The final dish, fish head tofu soup, was ready.
With all the dishes on the table, their New Year’s feast could begin.
Qiao Sheng finally got to eat the braised pork ribs she had been craving, and she even had rice soaked in soup—everything was perfect!
But she discovered a new problem.
Not only were Gu Huo’s braised pork ribs delicious, but his stir-fried shredded pork with green peppers, his fish head tofu soup, and his stir-fried greens were all incredibly tasty!
She couldn’t bear to waste even a drop of the soup, but her stomach had its limits. What could she do if she couldn’t finish it all?
Never mind. If she couldn’t finish it this meal, there was always the next. In any case, she wouldn’t waste even a bit of the broth.
On New Year’s Eve, they ate dumplings filled with chives and eggs. Qiao Sheng felt a deep sense of accomplishment.
Hehe, she had washed the chives and rolled out the dough.
Beyond that, nothing else…
To make it clear, it wasn’t that she was lazy!
It was just that Gu Huo was too skilled—a true all-rounder. After the experience of only causing more chaos the more she helped at noon, Qiao Sheng had learned her lesson. To ensure they could eat their New Year’s Eve dumplings on time, she chose tasks she wouldn’t mess up.
With the dough rolled out, Qiao Sheng had nothing else to do. She sat across from Gu Huo, watching intently as he wrapped the dumplings.
Gu Huo truly lived up to his reputation as an all-around academic genius. Whatever he did, he did with style.
The dumplings he wrapped were plump and lively, uniform in size, and full of festive charm.
Hehe, Qiao Sheng shamelessly thought, of course, she deserved some credit too. She had rolled the dough well, so he could wrap them perfectly.
Gu Huo’s fingers were long and slender, with distinct joints. His hands moved with dexterity, as if playing a game, and one after another, plump little white dumplings were born.
Qiao Sheng had held his hand before and faintly remembered the thin layer of calluses on his fingertips, which gave them a sense of strength.
Qiao Sheng couldn’t help but envy the female lead.
To be held by such hands every day in the future—even if the world were to end, she could face it calmly and without fear, right?
As for the sense of security, Qiao Sheng had already tested it for the female lead. Gu Huo had a unique aura about him. Though he was poor and weak now, if he wanted to, he seemed capable of anything.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the dough was running low, and she felt a faint sense of regret.
If possible, she could have sat there watching Gu Huo wrap dumplings until dawn.
It was incredibly pleasing to the eye and super relaxing.
Qiao Sheng couldn’t quite understand it.
She could sculpt clay figures with lifelike precision, so why couldn’t she handle dough?
It didn’t make sense.
Her dumplings weren’t actually ugly, but they couldn’t compare to Gu Huo’s.
Compared to his, hers made people lose even the desire to eat them.
Just as Gu Huo wrapped the last dumpling, the water in the pot began to boil.
A little after six, they were eating steaming hot dumplings.
Just as Qiao Sheng had imagined, they were delicious and flavorful.
The two sat facing each other, strictly adhering to the rule of not speaking while eating or sleeping.
The windows rattled incessantly, and from the sound of the wind, they could tell just how cold it was outside.
Though this old house had no heating, it at least sheltered them from wind and rain, providing a small foothold for them in this world.