Li Yundong was surprised. “Why the sudden urge to cook?”
Su Chan pouted, her voice softening so sweetly it made him weak from head to toe. “I just want to! Please, let me!”
Li Yundong chuckled. “What’s this? Feeling a bit guilty seeing me running around, aren’t you?”
Seeing how understanding Li Yundong was, Su Chan nodded frantically, like a chick pecking for grain. Her bright, clear eyes widened, filled with expectant hope.
Li Yundong leaned close to her face and laughed. “If you feel bad, just give me a kiss, and forget the cooking. It’s smoky in here; don’t ruin your beautiful skin!”
Su Chan wouldn't let up, shaking his hand insistently. “No, no! I want to cook something!”
Li Yundong sighed in resignation. “Fine, fine, stop shaking me. What do you want to make? Scrambled eggs with rice? Rice scrambled with eggs? Egg scrambled with egg? Don’t tell me you plan to cook rice and then scramble it?”
Su Chan huffed, annoyed. “Don’t be silly! You’re the one who makes egg-fried rice!”
Li Yundong grinned playfully. “That dish requires no skill; it’s easy for you to learn!”
Su Chan became slightly displeased. “I can cook! You’re underestimating me!”
Seeing the little girl getting upset, Li Yundong quickly soothed her. “Okay, okay, you can cook! So, what dish are you aiming for?”
Su Chan’s mood instantly brightened. “I’m going to make braised crucian carp!”
Li Yundong was genuinely taken aback. “Whoa, I really did underestimate you! You know how to make braised crucian carp!”
The little fox nodded smugly, as if she had already prepared a dish that was the finest delicacy in the world. “Of course! You have to see who you’re dealing with!”
Li Yundong watched Su Chan with amusement. He pulled the already gutted crucian carp from the refrigerator and said, “Alright, let’s see the skills of this great chef of yours!”
Su Chan rolled up her sleeves and declared, “I’ll give you an eye-opening experience today!”
With that, she grabbed the knife, frowned, and stared intently. With a sudden cry, as if facing an irreconcilable enemy, she brought the knife down horizontally across the crucian carp lying on the cutting board!
With a loud thwack, the fish was instantly chopped completely in half across its width.
Li Yundong stared, unsure whether to laugh or cry. Who cuts a fish like that? Is she planning to make fish chunks?
Li Yundong pressed his forehead. “My dear young lady, that’s a rather uncommon way to prepare a crucian carp!”
Su Chan turned back and pulled a face. “Don’t rush me! My hand jerked just then!”
Li Yundong managed a dry laugh. “Right, it jerked a bit. Well, try not to let your hand shake again later, okay?”
Su Chan brandished the cleaver she was holding, threatening him fiercely. “You say that again, you say that again!”
Li Yundong immediately threw his hands up. “I’ll shut up! I’ll shut up!”
Su Chan stood triumphant, huffing, “That’s better!”
Then, she positioned the knife blade over the fish that was already severed into two pieces, aimed, and brought the knife down again.
This cut was vertical. The entire fish, head and tail included, was split into two sections.
This knife work tortured Li Yundong; he winced just watching it. Just as he was about to speak, the cutting board underneath the fish suddenly dropped to the floor with a resounding clang—Su Chan had managed to cleave it into several pieces!
“Whoa!” Li Yundong sucked in a sharp breath. He picked up the fallen cutting board and gave Su Chan a huge thumbs-up. “Impressive swordsmanship, my heroine!”
Su Chan’s cheeks flushed slightly. “I was nervous standing here, so I put a little too much force into it.”
Li Yundong retreated to the kitchen doorway. “Standing here is fine, right?”
Su Chan was trying hard to recall the time she and her Master had cooked fish. Having already made a fool of herself twice, she felt a prickle of anxiety. She muttered, “Stop talking, stop talking.”
Li Yundong fell silent, but watching Su Chan flit around the stove like a headless fly, he couldn't guess what she was trying to do, so he finally spoke up. “Stop circling, you’re making me dizzy!”
Su Chan snapped back crossly, “Where did you hide the salt!”
Li Yundong offered a wry smile. “It’s right there on the shelf to your right! Hey, hey, that’s pepper! Wait, that’s chili powder! Can’t you tell red from white? Are you colorblind? Honestly, is finding the salt that difficult?”
Li Yundong couldn’t stand it anymore and walked over to grab the salt shaker for Su Chan.
Su Chan took the salt shaker, but Li Yundong’s continuous muttering from the doorway made her lose face. She turned, pursed her lips, and pushed him firmly on the chest with both hands, shoving him backward until he was leaning against the wall by the entrance. “Stand right there, and don’t take another step forward!”
Then, she stomped back into the kitchen, only to rush out again immediately, placing her hands on her hips. “And you’re forbidden to speak!”
Li Yundong shook his head with a wry smile. This girl had quite a strong sense of pride!
He leaned against the wall, watching Su Chan circle in the kitchen for a while. Then she started scratching her head, jumping up and down, and he had no idea what was bothering her.
After a long moment, Su Chan couldn’t take it anymore. She burst out and stomped her foot. “Hey! You saw I was struggling and didn’t even think to help?”
Li Yundong stifled his laughter. “You’re the one who told me not to talk!”
Su Chan retorted, “You can speak now!”
Li Yundong fought the urge to double over laughing and asked, “Fine, what is it you can’t manage in there?”
Su Chan’s cheeks reddened, and she mumbled shyly, “How do you start the fire?”
Li Yundong burst into loud laughter, reaching out to aggressively ruffle Su Chan’s hair. Su Chan cried out, hopped backward to dodge, shielded her head with both hands, and snarled at him, “You’re annoying!”
Li Yundong laughed as he caught Su Chan’s hands and led her to the gas stove. He turned the knob, pointing to the flame that ignited automatically. “See that? You know how to use it now, right?”
Su Chan’s eyes widened as she stared at the blue flame burning on the stovetop, a mixture of novelty and astonishment on her face, as if she couldn't fathom how fire could materialize out of thin air.
When Su Chan finally snapped out of it, she glanced to the side and saw Li Yundong watching her with a knowing smile, a hint of teasing in his gaze. Her cheeks flushed, and without another word, she pushed Li Yundong out the door, this time straight into the living room. “You wait here! You aren’t allowed back in until the meal is done!”
Li Yundong shook his head and smiled, watching Su Chan disappear into the kitchen, followed by the sound of the door slamming shut behind her.
Bored in the living room, he instinctively reached to turn on the TV, only to realize that while the broken television had been thrown out, a new one hadn't been purchased yet.
“Hmm, I need to go look for a TV tonight. Gotta buy one fast, or the landlord will have a fit if she sees it,” Li Yundong muttered to himself.
In the kitchen, having confirmed the door was locked, Su Chan cautiously approached the still-lit gas stove. She beckoned toward the blue fire burning on the burner, and with a whoosh, the flame leaped into her palm.
Su Chan played with the blue fire for a while but soon grew bored. “I thought it would be some impressive Heavenly Fire, but it’s pretty lame. It’s nowhere near the Samadhi True Fire!”
Su Chan crushed the flickering flame in her palm and turned back to wrestle with the crucian carp.
However, she failed to notice that the gas stove knob was still open, and natural gas was silently seeping out...
Li Yundong in the living room had no idea about the danger lurking. He had just settled onto the carpet, intending to rest for a bit, when he heard a firm knocking at the door, making him jump up again.
“Who is it?” Li Yundong asked, thoroughly confused. He had almost no friends at school and had never stayed in his dorm room during his freshman year; practically no classmates knew where he lived. “Who would be looking for me at this hour?”
Li Yundong peered through the peephole and nearly fainted.
Standing outside was a plump, large-eared woman with an impatient and calculating expression—it was the landlady!
“Speak of the devil, and the devil appears!” Li Yundong glanced at the empty space where the television wall was, then at the bowl-sized hole in the ceiling, breaking out in a cold sweat.
He briefly considered pretending no one was home and not answering, but when he checked the peephole again, the landlady, after knocking for a while, was actually taking out her keys to open the door!
Feeling utterly miserable, Li Yundong had no choice but to brace himself and open up.
As soon as he opened the door, he saw the landlady standing there, looking utterly surprised. She shouted with a sharp voice, “Who are you?”
Li Yundong forced a smile. “Auntie He, it’s Li Yundong!”
The landlady scrutinized him from head to toe, inwardly thinking: The kid looks rather spirited now that he’s lost weight! Still, the same threadbare clothes though!
She stood at the doorway, fanning herself. “I thought you weren’t home! I called you so many times, why didn’t you answer?”
Li Yundong walked back into the living room, bewildered, found his phone, and flipped it open—sure enough, there were several missed calls!
“Ah, ah, sorry, sorry. I probably didn’t hear it during rehearsals today.” Li Yundong didn't want the landlady to come inside, so he didn’t offer her slippers. “What brings you here today?”
The landlady walked in anyway. “Isn’t your lease up in ten days? I came to take a look, collect the rent, and show the place to some prospective tenants.”
As soon as she finished speaking, voices sounded from outside the door. A woman said in a sugary, delicate voice, “Oh, you’re impossible. What’s so great about this place? Why must we stay here? Don’t you have property of your own?”
A man’s voice chuckled. “Isn’t it a bit remote here? Besides, it’s quite quiet.”
“Nonsense! I think you just don’t want your wife to know!”
“No way! You know I’m in the process of divorcing my wife! I only like you, you know that!”
“Hmph. You men are all full of empty promises. Do you think I don’t know you have three other mistresses on the side?”
As the two spoke, they reached the doorway. Li Yundong took a careful look. The first person to enter was a woman wearing a milky-white miniskirt, her two pale, white thighs looking quite alluring. The woman was heavily made up and looked quite pretty, though who knew what she looked like without the makeup.
The woman, wearing high heels, clicked her way inside. Her eyes lit up the moment she saw Li Yundong standing in the living room. She secretly thought: This guy is not bad! Very handsome and youthful!
After the woman stepped in, a man followed her in from outside. He was shorter than her, wearing a tacky, loud floral shirt, dark sunglasses, and his chest was open halfway, revealing a gold chain as thick as a thumb. He had a bulging black fanny pack strapped around his waist, radiating an aura of pure, thick nouveau riche swagger from head to toe.