C15 Only after the Rehearsal Is Done Can You Eat the Meat

It was an extraordinary sensation, one he had never experienced before—sitting quietly in the living room, observing someone bustling about in the kitchen, preparing a meal just for him. This feeling was delicate and warm, reminiscent of... the essence of home.

Qin Huan was startled by the sudden rush of emotion. The Project Plan in his hands no longer held his attention. He stood up and made his way to the kitchen's edge.

There, Tang Xinran's hands, as white and smooth as jade, were deftly handling the ingredients. She sliced the beef into medium-sized thin strips, mixing them with tapioca starch and soy sauce in a swift dance of culinary expertise.

She separated egg whites from yolks with ease, and after a vigorous whisking, the egg whites stood stiffly in the bowl, able to hold up a fork in the frothy mixture.

The finely minced fish paste, now mixed with tender ginger, was gently pressed between her delicate fingers. Squeezed through the circle formed by her thumb and index finger, plump, tender fish balls emerged.

She even pressed a small piece of fresh red pork filling into the center of each fish ball before dropping them into boiling water. Once they floated to the surface, a fragrant fish ball soup with green onions was ready.

Qin Huan couldn't help but swallow his saliva at the sight.

He noticed Tang Xinran's hands, even more porcelain than the fish balls, now slicing bright green asparagus into slender, diagonal strips. The contrast of white against the vibrant green was a feast for the eyes.

Her hands moved with practiced speed, too busy to even dab at the beads of sweat forming on her forehead.

Without hesitation, Qin Huan reached for a tissue to gently wipe away the sweat from Tang Xinran's brow.

Startled, Tang Xinran nearly dropped the knife, then quickly held it defensively in front of Qin Huan. "What are you doing?" she demanded.

Seeing her guard up as if against a thief, Qin Huan was nearly overcome with exasperation. "Is all this drama really necessary? You wanted me to practice a scene of affection, right? A husband should help his wife, especially when she's working hard to cook for him. If I don't even wipe away her sweat, how can that be loving? Later, you might use this as an excuse to call me unqualified and deny me a share of the meal..."

Hearing the term "wife" for the first time, Tang Xinran felt a jolt in her heart. She realized that today, she had indeed become someone's wife!

She was the legal "husband" she had chosen for herself!

Her face flushed with a hint of discomfort, "Aren't you the one who usually eats vegetarian?"

"Well, that depends on who's cooking the meat. If my wife makes it, I have to eat it no matter how it tastes. Otherwise, you'll use it as an excuse to call me unqualified and dock my year-end bonus!"

Oh! She did recall saying something like that!

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Tang Xinran set down the knife and popped a fish ball into her mouth, "Who says my cooking is bad? When I was studying abroad, the Western food was terrible, so I often cooked for myself. My classmates even called me a 'little master chef'... Mmm... This fish ball is so fresh and tasty, it's incredibly delicious – you can't find this quality at any restaurant..."

While speaking, she exaggeratedly chewed the fish ball with loud, enraptured noises, giving Qin Huan a smug, teasing stare...

Her bright, pink lips moved as she chewed the white fish ball, her small mouth stuffed to a plump roundness, making her pouty lips seem all the more enticing, as if begging someone to come and steal the fish ball from her mouth...

A fiery spark ignited in Qin Huan's eyes, "Let me have one too..."

After swallowing the fish ball, Tang Xinran gave Qin Huan a taunting, tempting look, "No, you better go review the Project Plan. I'll be quizzing you on the first chapter to see how well you know it. You'll only get to eat if you pass..."