The Thirty-Fourth Night (1)
The two were busy in the kitchen preparing the hot pot, which was finally ready at eleven o’clock. Jiang Ran prepared an abundant variety of ingredients, including a number of meats as well as the vegetables she’d herself cultivated at the Star Manor.
Staring wistfully at the fresh tripes, pork ribs, and spicy beef on the table … Er Huang was about to drool.
“Er Huang, get down, you have your dog food.” Jiang Ran bent down and carried him off the chair. Er Huang clung to her after she hugged him, refusing to let her go and begging her with his big eyes.
Jiang Ran: “—”
Finally, Jiang Ran made a concession. “I’ll give you some when the meat is cooked. Now, no more nonsense.”
Er Huang squatted down at the dining table and waited for scraps. Jiang Ran turned on the induction cooker and waited for the stock to boil before adding the ingredients.
Feng Jing sat opposite to her, looking down at the dog lying by the table and asked, “How is Er Huang’s wound?”
Jiang Ran, who was whipping up pickled relish to go with the hotpot, replied, “It’s almost healed. His limp is also basically gone.” She put away the sauce, passed a small bowl to him, and inquired, “Do you want coriander?”
“Okay.” When Feng Jing took the bowl, he accidentally touched Jiang Ran’s finger. The two quickly separated as if electrocuted.
Jiang Ran coughed and asked, “Do you want something to drink? How about juice?”
Feng Jing pretended to be calm. “Okay, juice please.”
“Okay, how about the passion fruit?”
“Sure.”
Jiang Ran went to the kitchen to cut a few passion fruits. She added two spoons of honey and two ice cubes. Then she mixed and prepared two glasses of juice. By the time she came out, the pot had just started to boil. She seeped a fatty piece of beef and put it in Feng Jing’s bowl. “Try it.”
“Okay.” Although the fatty beef was very hot, Feng Jing couldn’t resist taking a bite. “Delicious.”
“That’s good.” Jiang Ran smiled and started to add other dishes to the pot. “Do you like mushrooms?”1MG: This goose loves mushrooms and 5 spice tofu, dear reader, consider me Er Huang and save me a few scraps next time you cook hotpot!
“It’s fine, but I prefer beef.”
“Haha, let’s take the meat first.” Jiang Ran cooked both the beef and pork ribs, then threw in two mushrooms to season.
“Woof, woof! ” Er Huang was fascinated by the strong scent. He forcefully lifted his forelegs to move to the table, hoping to put his paw in the pie.
Jiang Ran boiled another piece of fatty beef, rinsed it in clean water, and fed it to him. “You are only allowed to eat one piece.”2MG: Remember, dogs can’t eat seasoned food! Except for my dad’s old dog, he loved curry style fish stew.
Er Huang held the fatty beef in his mouth, chewed it in practically no time, swallowed it, and then looked up at Jiang Ran in anticipation again, wagging his tail.
Jiang Ran: “—”
Feng Jing boiled some tripe like Jiang Ran did for him earlier and placed it in her bowl. “Have it.”
“Ok, thanks.” Jiang Ran ate, took a sip of passion fruit juice, looked at the scenery facing her, and asked, “Well, I just remembered that you posted a salad on Weibo. Did you make that with the vegetables I gave you?”
“— Yes.” Feng Jing felt a little embarrassed about being discovered. “I was so glad to receive your vegetables that I wanted to share them on Weibo, but I feared you might recognize them, so I made a salad. “
Jiang Ran gently arched her well-shaped eyebrows. “You are quite clever.”
“Haha.” Feng Jing acted dumb and put some food into her bowl. “The beef is almost ready, it’ll turn stiff if cooked any longer.”
“Okay, you take it.”
The two continued to serve food to each other, leaving Er Huang wagging his tail and lolling his tongue out under the table.
What about me?
“Woof, woof!” He yapped unwillingly, trying to catch his owner’s attention.
Jiang Ran glanced down at him and said, “Er Huang, go and eat the dog food that I prepared for you.”
Er Huang still looked at her indomitably. She had no choice but to feed him another piece of beef.
Feng Jing smiled and said, “You treat Er Huang very kindly.”
“No way, my heart softens as soon as he acts cute.”
Is it? Feng Jing thought, Maybe I should try it myself later.
But … He had kissed Jiang Ran in the kitchen just then, a true kiss this time. If Chang Xin didn’t lie to him, he wouldn’t be able to exchange souls with Er Huang tonight!
“What are you thinking about?” asked she asked, noticing he was suddenly in a daze, as she handed a rib to him.
He smiled at her and replied, “Nothing, it’s just that this is the first time I’ve had dinner with you. I’m very happy.” Looking at the extra rib in the bowl, his expression softened. “It is said, only a meal involving two can be called an actual dinner, for when a person eats all alone it is just that- eating. Now it seems absolutely true. While being with you, even if we were eating fodder, it would feel the same as eating haute cuisine.”3MG: Son, are you comparing her dishes to grass?
Jiang Ran smiled, her hand covered her mouth as she asked, “What are you talking about, who wants to eat fodder with you?”
Feng Jing looked at her and laughed.
They ate for a long time … until all of the dishes on the table had been swept clean. Jiang Ran hadn’t had so much food in a long time. She leaned back on her chair and didn’t want to move anymore.
“Ah, I might get fat from eating so much,” said she, and as if remembering added, “Is it okay for you to eat so much?”
Artists had to always strictly maintain their bodies, and they had just had all the food.
“I’m fine. My body doesn’t gain weight easily, and besides, I have been keeping fit. I told you before.”
“Well, do stars like you always have personal trainers?”
“Yes.”
“Then their methods must surely be a notch above ordinary gym trainers outside? Quick, impart all the insider secrets to weight loss!”
Feng Jing laughed and said, “This is based on individual physical conditions, but I can give you a few tips.”
“Oh, okay, wait, I’ll go get a notebook to take notes!”
Jiang Ran skipped to her room to find a small notebook. Feng Jing watched her back and smiled again.
By the time she came out, Feng Jing was already washing the dishes in the kitchen. For a few seconds, Jiang Ran stood in a daze looking at the man’s broad back, a sea of thoughts coursed through her mind.
This was a man so radiant before the camera, one smile could set a million girls screaming, now nestled in her tiny kitchen helping her wash dishes.
She couldn’t describe her current feelings— She felt a little warm … a little upset.
Suddenly, overcome with a desire to embrace him, she went up to him … wrapped her arms around his waist from behind, and rested her head on his back.
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