Grapes Soaked in Cold Water
Li Zexuan stood there helplessly. âDid I say something wrong?â He didnât want Lin Wan to fight with his father.
âDad, I donât need my name to be removed from the hot search, too. You can donate the money to charity,â he said.
Li Yanchen sighed. âGo and call Jiejie and Xinxin. Itâs time to eat. Iâll go heat up the food.â Li Yanchen changed the topic.
Li Zexuan heaved a sigh of relief when he came out of the house. He clearly didnât like Lin Wan. He wondered why he felt afraid when he realized they might quarrel.
[Xuanxuanâs out. He seems fine.]
[Li Yanchen âs out as well. Heâs chopping firewood. Is he preparing to heat up the meal?]
[The fight ended so quickly?]
After Lin Wan regained her composure, she walked out of the door as well. She looked at the grapes on the table and struggled internally. She had brought many tea bags with her, so it wasnât difficult to make the fruit tea. But she definitely didnât want to feel like she had given in to the plot hatched by the father and son duo.
After thinking for a long time, she finally softened and went to the room with the bowl.
At Wheatleyâs house, Nannan had returned after the chat with Xu Xiaoxiao and was preparing a meal with Michael.
When Michael was not around and there were no cameras, Wheatley argued with Nannan. But compared to Tutu, Wheatley was alright.
In the live broadcast though, Wheatley and Nannan always created a heartwarming scene for the audience to watch.
Just like now.
Nannan washed vegetables, and Wheatley sat on a stool near her stepmother, trying to pluck the wilted, yellow leaves from the green leafy veggies.
[If I had a daughter who was as sensible as Wheatley, I would definitely consider having a second child.]
[ Nannan and Wheatley getting along has taught me a lot. As a mother, Iâm ashamed that I donât have such patience for my child.]
[Me too. Nannan has done a really good job.]
Every day after the broadcast ended, Nannan would read the comments. The netizens always had something nice to say about her family. Sometimes, she would read those comments to Michael. Every time, Michael would put his arm around her and thank her.
Because her husband loved her, Nannan could stand having a two-faced stepdaughter.
At Xiao Xiaoâs house, Xiao Tianlin cooked dinner. Xiao Yi and his mother rested underneath the shade in the backyard. This spot had no cameras, so the mother and son talked freely.
âMom, are you really not going to consider participating in the Yun City Dessert Master competition?â âDidnât you always tell me that confidence is half the way to success?â Xiao Yi asked, crossing his legs.
Xia Moâs fingers that were holding the cup paused. âYes...â
A year ago, in the finals of the Yun City Dessert Master competition, she tried to make a Napoleon Cake. The four dessert chefs who entered the finals had all chosen Napoleon Cakes, too. It was the most difficult thing to make. And all who participated were masters of their crafts. However, none of them had gotten it right, including Xia Mo.
Xia Moâs confidence had taken a blow. She felt that if she couldnât even pull off a Napoleon Cake then she wasnât really a good dessert chef. She had tried making it a few more times but it always fell apart. She thought there was no point in joining the competition if she couldnât get this right.
âYou donât have to make the Napoleon Cake.â Xiao Yi didnât know why his mother was so insistent on making this most difficult dessert. She had already perfected everything else anyway.
âI donât need to prove my strength through a competition. I just need to surpass my past self.â Xia Mo patted her sonâs shoulder. âA craftsman is different from you people who compete. I donât need to compete with others. I just have to compete with myself.â
âSon, the Kingâs spring competition will be held next month. Wonât you lose if you donât practice?â Xia Mo changed the topic.
âYouâre underestimating me,â said Xiao Yi. âAlright. Letâs make a deal. If I win that championship, you will have to sign up for the next season of Dessert Master competition.â
Xia Mo hesitated. âIâm not afraid of the competition. â
âAlright then,â he said.
In order to encourage her son, Xia Mo agreed.
At Tutuâs House, Tutu returned home covered in mud.
Xu Xiaoxiao looked at the camera. âTutu, the waterâs ready for you. Take a shower first.â
Tutu ignored Xu Xiaoxiao but he went to shower.
The smile on Xu Xiaoxiaoâs face froze. She couldnât show her anger in front of the camera. âIâve made your favorite sausage fried noodles. After you cshower, have some.â
Tutu didnât even look back.
Without his father around, Tutu didnât dare to be stubborn. He was scared that Xu Xiaoxiao would really throw him into the jungle at night when his father wasnât here.
In the Li familyâs courtyard, the leftover food was already on the table.
Li Zekai and Li Zexin washed their hands eagerly. Even though they were leftovers, the food was delicious.
Li Zexuan peeked into the house through the wooden window. Lin Wan was making fruit tea with grapes. The boy was secretly very happy.
Lin Wan made a pot of fruit tea. She sighed. She told herself that she was only making this fruit tea because if she hadnât, the grapes would have gone to waste.
After she was done, she took the bottle of tea and walked to the courtyard.
[Whatâs that? Didnât Lin Wan hide so that she could rest? She made fruit tea again.]
[The last time, I didnât even get to see the little kidâs reaction after drinking it before they shut down the stream. This time, I can finally see it.]
[She didnât put any goji berries this time.]
[You canât ask for it every day, right? It was already intense last night.]
[Positive energy, positive energyâ¦]
Li Zexuan had already gotten a cup and sat up straight at the table.
Li Zekai and Li Zexin didnât know anything about the tea because they had fallen asleep early. âWhat is this?â asked Li zexin. âGrapes soaked in cold water?â
[Li Zexin is killing me. âGrapes soaked in waterâ]
[Itâs the truth.]
âLi Zexuan, we agreed that this would be the last time.â Lin Wan rubbed her neck. In her original world, other than her best friends, no one had ever eaten what she made for free.
Li Zexuan nodded, his eyes shining.
Li Yanchen hadnât found even a sip last night when he had searched the kitchen. So, he was excited. She pushed his sonâs cup away and placed his cup in its place.
...
âDad, donât you know about âfirst come first servedâ?â Li Zexuan didnât want to be outdone. He pushed his cup forward again.
[Are they fighting to be the first to drink it?]
[It doesnât really taste that good, right?]
Li Zekai and Li Zexin were shocked. They didnât understand why their father and elder brother were fighting.
âAre grapes soaked in cold water that delicious?â Li Zekai asked.
Lin Wan pushed Li Yanchen âs cup away and poured the tea in Li Zexuanâs cup. âYou did promise you would help me correct my notes for Für Elise.â
âOf course, of course.â
[Xuanxuan, look at you. Youâre selling yourself for a cup of tea.]
[Did Lin Wan put some kind of drug in it? Why is Xuanxuan addicted?]
[She doesnât have the guts to do that.]
[I donât believe that the fruit tea she makes is that good.]
...
Li Yanchen âs heart turned heavy when his cup was pushed aside.
Li Zexuan took a sip. Unlike the loquats from yesterday, the grapes were sweet with a tinge of sourness. It heightened the taste of the tea. He wanted to savor every sip today.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
[Xuanxuanâs expression looks like he is in heaven.]
[Lin Wan is covering the mouth of the water bottle. Is she purposely not letting Li Yanchen drink the tea?]
Li Zexin knew his brotherâs temper. He wouldnât swallow anything that didnât taste good, just like the compressed biscuits on the first night.
âI also want a cup,â said Li Yanchen.