Xiang Zhile paid no mind to Yan Junnuo’s current conflicted thoughts.
She gave him an indulgent smile. “Wangye, it seems you really enjoy noodles. I’ll make them for you more often in the future.”
Noodles and millet were both stomach-nourishing staples, relatively easy to digest. Later, she would have him drink some black tea after meals and take walks to aid digestion. That way, his stomach ailment shouldn’t become too severe.
In any case, her primary goal now was to first nurse his stomach back to health. Everything else could come slowly.
Yan Junnuo merely watched her with scrutiny, offering no response.
Xiang Zhile continued amusing herself, commenting on each dish. “This one’s too tough, this one’s too salty, this one isn’t fresh… If I’d known, I would have asked for half the noodles back.”
“The Kitchen… is skimping on your meals?” Yan Junnuo finally spoke.
His tone of concern carried a hint of awkwardness.
Seeing she had found an opening, Xiang Zhile immediately perked up.
With an exaggerated sigh, she spoke in a pitiful, aggrieved tone, “They’re not exactly skimping, they just won’t let me near the Zaotai.”
“Why?” Yan Junnuo asked again.
She pointed behind her, pouting her lips slightly, half-coquettishly saying, “You’d have to ask Chushan Daren about that.”
“Chushan.”
Hearing his master’s calm tone, Chushan couldn’t help but shrink his neck.
“W-Wangye… This subordinate… merely believed that the Kitchen is heavy with smoke and grease. If Wangfei spent too much time there, it might harm her delicate beauty, so…”
“So you told the Kitchen staff not to let me near the Zaotai or the chopping board, right?” Xiang Zhile continued his words with a half-smile.
Chushan guiltily lowered his head.
Yan Junnuo dismissed Chushan and looked seriously at Xiang Zhile, his voice low and magnetic. “You… what exactly do you want?”
Xiang Zhile’s cheeks flushed slightly, her voice as soft as a mosquito’s hum. “I just want to prove to you that I adore you.”
The heart-wrenching agony of his dying in her arms in her previous life—she never wanted to experience that again.
“You, come here.” Yan Junnuo gently beckoned to her.
Xiang Zhile obediently sat beside him, blushing as she looked at him.
Her eyes still held tenderness like water, and… indulgence.
The defenses in Yan Junnuo’s eyes slowly began to soften.
A soft whisper of “Yan Beimo” by his ear pulled back his rationality.
Remembering her infatuation last night, Yan Junnuo instantly sobered up again.
Her fawning over him today was likely another gentle trap. Once he let his guard down, she would undoubtedly leave without hesitation.
At the thought of this possibility, his expression instantly turned cold. “If you dare run away again, this Wang will personally break your legs.”
With that, he snorted coldly and left with a flick of his sleeve.
Watching Yan Junnuo’s retreating figure, Xiang Zhile looked up helplessly at the sky.
Indeed, karma comes full circle.
Now that he could turn hostile in an instant, how was she supposed to bring up letting her return to her maiden home alone?
The next day, before dawn had even broken, Xiang Zhile hurried to the Kitchen.
Yan Junnuo had not returned to the bedchamber all night.
She had been sleepless all night as well.
Fortunately, Chushan had been sensible yesterday and informed the Kitchen that she was allowed near the Zaotai.
Arriving at the Kitchen early this morning, He Dazhuang eagerly gave up the Zaotai.
“Wangfei, are you going to have a cooking contest with this servant today? Whether you stay in the Regent Manor or not doesn’t matter; this servant just wants to see Wangfei’s culinary skills.”
Xiang Zhile waved him away weakly. “I’m not in the mood today. Go play by yourself for now, I’ll need your help later.”
As she spoke, she instructed the cook to wash two marrow bones and put them in a large pot to simmer.
She then began rinsing rice.
While the rice was soaking in water, she selected two of the largest lianpeng from the morning’s purchases, carefully shelled the lotus seeds inside, removed the bitter cores, and tossed them into the rice.
He Dazhuang came over to the opposite side and took a look.
“Wangfei, what kind of congee are you making?”
Without even glancing at him, Xiang Zhile replied, “You’ll find out soon. Go and make some meat buns for me.”
“Right away.” He Dazhuang immediately tied on an apron and began chopping the meat filling.
When the bone broth had reduced to the right consistency, Xiang Zhile poured it into a tureen already containing the rice and lotus seeds, then slowly simmered it in a water bath.
“Do we have red dates?” she asked the cook.
The cook promptly retrieved a sealed clay jar from the cupboard and handed it to Xiang Zhile.
Considering the amount of congee, Xiang Zhile took out several dried red dates the size of a baby’s fist, sliced them thinly, and added them to the tureen after it had been simmering for half an hour.
Meanwhile, He Dazhuang was about to season the minced meat when Xiang Zhile stopped him. “Less oil, less salt. First dry-fry the meat in the pan to remove the gaminess.”
He Dazhuang had never heard of this method before and found it quite novel, immediately following her instructions.
After working for a while, a light yet nutritious breakfast was once again packed by Xiang Zhile into a food container.
Watching her brisk departing figure, another cook couldn’t help but look at He Dazhuang with concern.
“Do you think Wangfei is cooking herself because she finds our food unpalatable?”
Upon hearing this, He Dazhuang immediately reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, denying it twice. “Impossible, absolutely impossible.”