CH 24.1

Xia Shu’an was forced to cook several times in his previous life. The first time was when Shen Boyan “punished” him in a fit of anger, but since there was a second time, it means that his cooking skills should be good, at least to Shen Boyan’s liking. Infinite confidence surged in Xia Shu’an’s heart, so he first called the auntie at home.

“Auntie, where do you usually buy vegetables?”

The auntie was startled but then had a guess in her heart. She replied, “At the large supermarket in the city center.”

“Please send me the address.”

“What are you planning to do, sir?”

Xia Shu’an replied as he walked out the door: “I will cook for Shen Boyan tonight, so you don’t have to worry.”

Something else was said over there, and Xia Shu’an replied, “No, there’s no need to come over. I can just go by myself.”

Afterward, he got into the car parked by the side of the road.

Aunt Yu hung up the phone, glanced at Aunt Qiao at the side, and said, “Should we call sir?”

“Go ahead, give him a head up.”

Shen Boyan probably wasn’t busy, and the phone was connected after two rings. After Auntie explained the situation, Shen Boyan’s mouth curled slightly and he said, “Got it.”

Aunt Yu put down her phone, and Aunt Qiao asked, “What did he say?”

“He said he got it.”

“Well, they are probably showing affection in their own way. In short, it’s fine as long as Mr. Shen has no objection.”

The two aunts went back to do their own things with some unspeakable worries, while Xia Shu’an on the other side also stepped into the supermarket gate.

This is a large membership-only supermarket. The supermarket is clean and tidy, and all the products are displayed on the shelves by category. From time to time, supermarket staff will come forward to answer customers’ questions.

There are not many people here. Xia Shu’an likes to be organized. He had already thought about what to do on the way here.

Shen Boyan loves fish very much. He decided to cook a piece of braised fish, another stir-fried seasonal vegetable, and finally a soup, which is enough for one person. After entering the timeout, he walked straight to the aquatic area.

A man with an apron around his chest warmly greeted him: “Boss, what do you want?”

Xia Shu’an’s eyes darted over the long line of fresh fish tanks.

“I want a fish.”

“Okay, what kind of fish do you want?”

“…What fish are there now?”

“Sea bass, carp, hairtail, and yellow croaker are all delicious this time of year.”

Xia Shu’an’s brain froze.

“Let’s get a carp.”

“Okay, then, boss, how much do you want?”

“…”

After being asked such a set of questions, Xia Shu’an really felt that he came too hastily. He should have done his homework with aunties in advance.

He humbly asked, “How much does an adult male usually eat?”

The staff member patted his chest and said, “At least four catties11catty=0.6kg=1.3pound. Boss, it must be four catties. I won’t lie to you.”

“Then let’s get four catties.”

“okay!”

The staff’s voice was full of joy, but Xia Shu’an didn’t notice it. The man fished out a fish from the tank and threw it on the scale.

“Boss, 4.1 catties.”

Xia Shu’an vaguely felt that the fish was a bit big, but he thought it was normal because the fish still had to be prepared. The man handled the fish neatly, carefully put the fish into a plastic bag, and then put it into a foam box filled with crushed ice before letting Xia Shu’an take it away.

After buying the fish, Xia Shu’an continued his purchases, and by the time it was almost close to three in the afternoon, he was done and returned home with a large amount of ingredients in satisfaction.

The two aunts came out of the house to welcome Xia Shu’an and watched as Xia Shu’an entered the house with large and small bags.

“Sir, do you want us to help?”

Xia Shu’an showed a smile and said, “No need; I have to do it myself. I have to be sincere in doing things.”

“Yes Yes.”

Auntie glanced at the fish placed in the center of the ice after lifting the foam box, and her eyes jumped.

She tentatively asked, “Mr. Xia, how are you going to cook this fish?”

The expression on Xia Shu’an’s face could be described as righteous and justified.

He said, “Braised in soy sauce.”

“…” Auntie evasively said, “Then it has to be cut first. The pot at home is not big enough.”

Xia Shu’an was startled: “Ah, is that so?”

Auntie nodded with certainty.

The kitchen utensils at home are all exquisite, and even the plates are not as big as the fish, so it might not be easy to handle when serving. Aunt Yu was a little worried. At this time, Aunt Qiao asked again, “What should I do with this radish?”

“Radish pork rib soup.”

Aunt Yu hesitated to speak, but finally Aunt Qiao tugged on her sleeve, expressing a sentence with her eyes: Trust Mr. Xia.

Aunt Yu could only nod her head helplessly. The two of them looked at the kitchen for a while, then walked out. Before going out, they thoughtfully closed the kitchen door.

Aunt Yu: “Will he be alright?”

Aunt Qiao: “It should be fine. Mr. Xia is also an adult.”

Aunt Yu: “No, I mean Mr. Shen.”

Aunt Qiao: “…”

Xia Shu’an was busy all afternoon. Whether it’s the braised dish or soup, they’re very time-consuming. It was a quarter after five when he came out of the kitchen with a soup and a meat dish. Because the vegetables cool quickly, he is going to cook them last.

Aunt Yu and Aunt Qiao pretended to walk to the dining room as if nothing had happened. After getting along with each other, they both knew that Xia Shu’an used to be a young master. Putting aside the fact that he never does any strenuous work, he probably never cooks or knows what the grocery prices are either. Both of them didn’t expect much from him when he said he would cook for the other Sir, but standing in front of the dining table, both of them still had a look of surprise on their faces.

“…”

The two of them were silent for a while, and finally Aunt Qiao said, “Let’s call Mr. Shen and let him be mentally prepared.”

Aunt Yu: “Okay.”

…

At around five o’clock in the afternoon, Shen Boyan was about to get off work. He was locking all the important documents in the cabinet when the phone on the desk suddenly rang. Seeing the caller ID clearly, there was a bit of surprise in his eyes.

It’s rare for the aunt at home to call him twice a day.

“Hello, what’s the matter?”

“Sir…” Aunt Yu glanced at Aunt Qiao and stammered, “Mr. Xia brought out the dishes just now…”

Shen Boyan frowned. “And then?”

“Then… sir, you should be mentally prepared!” Aunt Yu spoke vigorously.

Shen Boyan: “…”

After a long silence, he said, “Okay, I get it.”

After hanging up the phone, Shen Boyan was still thinking about what the auntie said just now. When Xia Shu’an proposed to make dinner for him this afternoon, he was not without excitement. However, at this moment, a thought suddenly popped into his mind: Is it really a good thing to let Xia Shu’an cook?

Thinking of this, Shen Boyan couldn’t stay any longer. He immediately left the company and rushed home.

In the evening of November, it got dark very quickly. When Shen Boyan arrived home at 6 o’clock, the villa, surrounded by vegetation, was extremely quiet. A few stars in the night sky twinkled softly, and a fountain in the center of the courtyard was blown into beautiful folds by the wind. The sparkling waves merged into the white moonlight, flowing slowly like fine sand.

Ahead is the brightly lit villa, which looks like a huge night pearl under the shallow light around it. Shen Boyan’s car drove into the center of the pearl and stopped in the yard.

The people in the house seemed to have sensed something, and they also walked out. Shen Boyan strode into the house, and the light embedded in the corridor ceiling enveloped his figure. By then, the young man had already walked out of the living room.

There was a faint smile on his lips; his eyes were warm and deep; and his snow-white face under short black hair exuded a luster like white porcelain.

Shocked by the scene in front of him, Shen Boyan involuntarily stopped. Xia Shu’an stepped forward and gently hugged him with open arms.

“Welcome home; you’ve worked hard.”

His tone was soft, as if it were a cloud floating in his dream. Although it was not the first time Shen Boyan had been treated with such “enthusiasm,” Shen Boyan was still in a trance.

—Why is he so proficient? Did someone “teach” him?

If it hadn’t been for the repeated confirmation in the investigation report, Shen Boyan might have been crazily jealous of that non-existent person for the rest of his life.

Returning to his senses, Shen Boyan looked calmly at the young man, who took a step back after letting go of his hand.

“I heard from Auntie that you cooked dinner tonight by yourself.”

“That’s right.” Speaking of the results tonight, Xia Shu’an was clearly in high spirits: “Why don’t you hurry up and get changed, and then you can come down for dinner?”

Shen Boyan looked at his face, full of joy. His throat moved slightly, and he finally swallowed all the words back into his stomach.

“Okay,” he said.

The warm water washed away Shen Boyan’s day-to-day fatigue. Although he loves work and has great ambitions, his energy is limited, and even he would feel tired day after day at work.

It was for this reason that the thought of having someone waiting for him at home after work created an unending source of strength in his heart.

Shen Boyan changed into casual clothes and went downstairs. The lights in the dining room were peaceful and as soft as a kitten’s paw, scratching his heart.

Seeing Shen Boyan coming down, Xia Shu’an put down the book, got up, and waved to him. Xia Shu’an had taken a shower after making dinner. He wore a light blue sweater with a little green, and his pants were loose and casual, hanging comfortably at the junction of his ankles and slippers. It’s very similar to what Shen Boyan saw on TV as a child. Those obedient wives always accompanied and guarded the protagonist.

Shen Boyan walked forward involuntarily until he reached the dining table, and his gaze unconsciously swept over the several dishes on the table.

Even though he had received a friendly reminder from the auntie before returning, Shen Boyan’s eyes still jumped.

What’s with this fish? Why is there only the head and half of the body? Where’s the rest of the body?

And this color—does it completely absorb the soy sauce? Otherwise, how could it present a thick color similar to ink?

Shen Boyan calmly sat in his usual position.

Xia Shu’an said enthusiastically, “Eat it while it’s hot; the rice is in the pot; I’ll serve it for you.”

Fortunately, this rice was cooked by the rice cooker itself. Although it was softer than usual due to the out-of-control water volume, the northeastern rice, which costs more than 50 yuan27$ a catty, still maintained its pride. Compared with rice, the other dishes have their own characteristics.

At first glance, Shen Boyan saw a shiny layer of oil floating on the radish pork rib soup. The soup was yellowish in color. Shen Boyan didn’t know if it was due to his psychological influence, but he felt that the few pieces of radish were still raw.

The braised fish has already been mentioned. The last celery dish has a lot of chili millet. Because the celery was “stewed” too soft, the chili millet soaked up not only the aroma but even the color, which turned the crisp green celery stalks yellowish red.

“…”

Shen Boyan pointed to the fish and asked, “Why is this fish only half?”

Xia Shu’an replied with a natural look: “The fish is too big to fit in the pots and plates at home. I cut up half of it and put it in the refrigerator.”

“……oh.”