Zheng Lun’s eyes widened. She nodded instantly. “Yes, yes that is true! We can wait until my brother and yours return. My brother cooks well too. We are not going to starve.”
Hearing that the three men could cook, Shangguan Ning felt assured and didn’t give any thought to the lunch.
What the three women had not realized was that they were not kind at all. They expected men to cook for their sake after handling the stressful incident.
At around 12 noon, three handsome men with different temperaments opened the door and walked in.
It was Zhao Anan’s birthday and both Shangguan Ning and Zheng Lun had bought her cakes. Mu Qing had one more with him as he walked in as well. He had made that cake himself.
They were hungry and it was Zhao Anan’s birthday. So no one mentioned anything about Shen Lingbing.
Mu Qing gave the cake to Zhao Anan and said smilingly, “Happy Birthday, Anan!”
Zhao Anan took the cake and thanked him delightedly rather than give him a cold face. Mu Qing was completely startled by that.
He was used to being tormented by Zhao Anan, and not so accustomed to being treated so gently by her.
Zheng Jing also said “happy birthday” to her. Only Jing Yichen had a calm face and said nothing. He went inside expressionlessly and sat down next to Shangguan Ning.
Everyone except for Shangguan Ning was already used to Jing Yichen’s coldness. He treated everyone in this way.
If he congratulated Zhao Anan on her birthday, everyone would get very surprised.
He always thought that these were useless words. Shangguan Ning knew of his personality too, but he didn’t expect that he could be so “stingy” towards his own cousin.
She held Jing Yichen’s arms and glared at him. “You must congratulate Anan on her birthday. We are going to sing birthday song for her later as well! Say it now!”
Jing Yichen could not say anything like this to anybody except for Shangguan Ning, not even to Zhao Anan!
Singing a birthday song?
How ridiculous? He was Jing Yichen. He was a cold and distant man!
He had never sung a song since he was young.
Zhao Anan had never expected Jing Yichen to pass on any greetings to her. He hadn’t even said anything on grandmother’s birthday. Jing Yichen might never have come here but for Shangguan Ning.
He had a cold and distant personality who regarded birthdays as nothing special. He didn’t even celebrate his own, let alone others.
She suddenly got curious about how Jing Yichen had celebrated Shangguan Ning’s birthday the night before. Had he been silent throughout the entire night as well?
She thought for a while and chuckled. “Ning, don’t bother. I am 27 years old and he has never celebrated birthday for me even once. Of course, I have never celebrated his, either. I already feel that it’s a good thing that he is here today. I don’t want to force him away.”
Jing Yichen changed the topic and said calmly, “You three have made nothing since the morning?”
That was the million yuan question. The three women deflated like flattened balloons.
Mu Qing and Zheng Jing stared at them in surprise, then shook their heads before walking towards the kitchen.
“Sigh, we have indeed spoiled these women. They would definitely starve to death if we are not at home.” Mu Qing chuckled as he shook his head. He then proficiently rolled up the sleeves of his azure coloured shirt, went through the ingredients in the kitchen and got ready to cook.
Zhao Anan followed behind and snapped, “No way! We ate chips and we are not at all hungry. Also, Ning and Lun have brought cakes and we won’t starve to death!”
She was trying to put up a brave front but was somehow unsure inside her heart. She had never been able to do anything related to the daily life skills.
Seeing Mu Qing washing and cutting the vegetables, mixing the spices, switching on the stove and making the food quickly, she somehow felt that Mu Qing was really excellent at this moment!
She always thought that Mu Qing looked best when he was dressed in a doctor’s gown and explaining the complicated diseases to patients in professional terms or when he saved one life after another.
But now, she found that he, as a cook could be so charming as well.
Was it because she was hungry?
Mu Qing had noticed the change in Zhao Anan’s eyes. The corner of lip lifted up but he pretended to notice nothing. He continued to cook. He knew Zhao Anan well – the best thing was not to talk, otherwise this quiet Zhao Anan would start cursing him the moment he spoke.
Before the vegetables were brought on the dish, Mu Qing offered a lotus root to Zhao Anan in a seemingly nonchalant way. “Try if it is okay.”
Actually, Mu Qing was very experienced with seasoning. He just wanted to get a piece into Zhao Anan’s mouth.
Immersed in the admiration towards Mu Qing, Zhao Anan opened her mouth and widened her eyes, “Mu, you cook very well!”
Of course!
He had been practicing for too long.
A smile hovered over Mu Qing’s face. He washed off the wok happily and got ready for other dishes.
Zhao Anan followed closely behind. Seeing him peeling off the eggplants and cut them into slices, she also wanted to give it a try. “Mu, teach me as well, I want to make food too!”
Mu Qing didn’t want Zhao Anan to take the knife. He was worried that she would cut her hands rather than the eggplants.
He was a doctor, but he couldn’t allow Zhao Anan to get injured. But as long as Zhao Anan was with him, he would agree with whatever she proposed.
It was just cutting vegetables. All she needed to do was be a bit careful. Even if she screwed up the dish, he would eat the entire thing alone.
Zhao Anan held the knife in her hands and started to cut under Mu Qing’s instruction.
Mu Qing took her hands whilst standing behind her back. He guided her carefully.
It was just slicing eggplants and wasn’t a difficult job! Zhao Anan learned fast, yet the eggplants turned out to be dices rather than slices. Also, she cut the vegetables way too slow.
When the two eggplants were done, she showed them off to Mu Qing excitedly, “Look, I can cook too!”
Oh lady, the eggplants were still uncooked, you just cut them into pieces. It was far from being able to cook.
Mu Qing chuckled inside his heart. But he looked very serious on the surface. He praised blindly, “Yes, Anan can cook now. Excellent!”
As long as Zhao Anan was happy, nothing else mattered!
