Chapter 5 Eating at Jiang Suihe's House Today

At the agreed time, Song Luo knocked on the door of Apartment 2302 punctually. Jiang Suihe, who came to the door in an apron, had a very homely vibe.

"Sit." Jiang Suihe directed him to the sofa, where freshly washed fruit sparkled enticingly on the coffee table. "I didn't know what you would like, so I just prepared something casual."

Sitting down somewhat stiffly, Song Luo said, "Thank you for the trouble... Do you need help with anything?"

Jiang Suihe put a grape into his mouth, laughing, "You just sit."

The grape was full and juicy, rolling around in his mouth. Its skin was thin, and a light bite yielded a sweet flow of juice.

Delicious!

Song Luo had two more, savoring them with satisfaction.

Not long after, the rich aroma from the kitchen made his mouth water uncontrollably.

Unable to resist, he tiptoed to the kitchen doorway to peek inside. Jiang Suihe, wearing an apron, was stirring the soup. He was truly handsome, with a straight nose and long eyelashes. From the side, he looked like the very picture of tranquility.

"Why are you here? Are you hungry?" Jiang Suihe glanced back at him, smiled, but continued his work.

Feeling guilty, Song Luo fidgeted with his shirt, thinking it wasn't right to wander around someone else's house. Covering up, he said, "I came to see if I could help with anything."

"Come here." Jiang Suihe beckoned.

Song Luo obediently scampered over.

"Here." Jiang Suihe lifted the pot lid, scooped up a small spoonful of soup, blew on it, and brought it to Song Luo's lips, "Can you taste it for me?"

Song Luo slurped up the spoonful of soup.

The taste was fresh, with ham and chicken elevating the flavor to its peak; it was fragrant, with a richness from the skin and fat that was hard to describe; and it was mellow, a richness distilled from slow-cooked ingredients.

"Delicious!" Song Luo readily offered his thumbs up.

Jiang Suihe chuckled, "Really? That's good."

The finished dishes were brought to the table. For the two of them, Jiang Suihe had prepared three dishes and a soup: Dongpo pork, Sichuan boiled fish, blanched choy sum, and egg drop soup, accompanied by freshly steamed rice. He took out a chilled lemon sparkling water from the refrigerator and filled two glasses.

"You've worked hard, Mr. Jiang..." Song Luo sat at the dining table feeling uneasy.

"If you don't mind, you can call me 'Suihe'." Jiang Suihe lifted his glass and clinked it against Song Luo's, "After all, we're now on dining terms!"

Song Luo lowered his head, feeling a bit reluctant.

He felt... it was a bit too intimate...

Fortunately, Jiang Suihe didn't dwell on this, instead he picked up a piece of Dongpo pork and put it into Song Luo's bowl, "Want to try? My cooking skills aren't the best, so bear with me."

The rich wine aroma from the Dongpo pork was intoxicating. The meat was glossy brown, and you could still see the crisscross pattern of the strings that had tied it during steaming. It was mouth-watering. Song Luo thanked him, picked up the meat with his chopsticks, and took a small bite—

The pork skin was gelatinous and tender; the fatty meat was stewed to melt nicely in your mouth, it was rich but not greasy, instantly transforming into a mouthful of savory juice; the lean meat was soft and tender, not tough or stringy, it was full of meaty flavor. The pork was stewed to perfection, a collision of sweet and salty, bursting with rich flavor. The sauce of the Dongpo pork was excellently made, enhancing the taste without overshadowing the rich flavor of the pork belly itself.

"How is it?" Jiang Suihe asked.

This question was actually redundant, as Jiang Suihe clearly saw the moment Song Luo took his first bite of the pork, his eyes lighting up like small light bulbs.

"Delicious!" Song Luo couldn't bear to stop eating. And this was him not being great at cooking, Song Luo himself only knew how to boil things, he was simply not fit to enter the kitchen!

Having finished a piece of Dongpo pork, Song Luo then turned his chopsticks towards the fiery red Sichuan boiled fish.

The fish was sliced into thin bite-sized pieces. After being blanched, they were white as porcelain. Each slice was evenly coated in batter, it was tender and slippery; the spiciness was just right, not overpowering the fish's freshness, yet not making it tasteless. Only when the spicy fish slid down his throat did he taste a hint of numbness. The Sichuan peppercorn danced on his tongue, allowing his typically dull tastebuds to relish the spicy and refreshing flavor.

The hot and spicy Sichuan boiled fish made Song Luo break out in a light sweat, and the icy, slightly sour lemon sparkling water next to him was just right. He gulped down two large mouthfuls, the chill reaching his stomach through his esophagus, revitalizing him and making him feel like he could eat three more bowls!

Among the spicy and rich fish and meat, the blanched choy sum underscored its own importance.

The color of the bok choy was a lush green, lying in the plate like a piece of jade. The bok choy had been blanched in a rich broth, adding another layer of umami to its natural sweetness and providing a refreshing antidote to any feeling of greasiness.

Faced with such a dish, Song Luo ate two bowls of rice in one breath. When his stomach was almost full, it was the perfect time to have some egg drop soup to fill in the gaps.

The egg was as soft as tofu, and when he scooped a spoonful and gently shook it, the pale yellow would also tremble. The taste was purely of egg, without too much seasoning. This simple flavor brought a sense of calmness.

Who was it that said it? The pinnacle of cooking is to bring out the original flavor of the ingredients.

During this meal, Jiang Suihe didn't move his chopsticks much. Instead of enjoying the food, he seemed to enjoy watching Song Luo more.

This was not the first time Jiang Suihe had cooked for others. However, compared to simply eating, they seemed to prefer the romance of candlelight, the elegance of the environment, and the melodious violin music. Some, in order to cater to his intentions, would also compliment his dishes, but he knew that compared to quietly sitting down to eat a meal, they were more interested in flirting with him in the bedroom.

It was only Song Luo, who loved the food itself.

This discovery made Jiang Suihe feel a subtle itch in his heart.

"I've been watching your eating broadcasts," Jiang Suihe said with a smile as Song Luo was almost finished eating. " The impoverished Mr. Song?"

Drinking his egg drop soup, Song Luo stiffened, the embarrassment of being exposed made him want to claw at the wall, "That... I'm just doing it for fun!"

"Your fans are very interesting," Jiang Suihe said softly, watching him. "I can understand not wanting to show your face, but why don't you talk during the live broadcast?"

"I..." Song Luo looked away, uncomfortably scratching his earlobe, "I'm a bit shy in front of the camera..."

Jiang Suihe nodded knowingly, looking at Song Luo who was a bit nervous and stirring the remaining egg drop soup in his bowl, his eyes dark and inscrutable.

He had met many people like Song Luo, who were simple and introverted. These people were the simplest to understand. Just a bit of unintentional flirting, coupled with a touch of warmth at the right moment, and they would care about you, depend on you, and put you into their treasured, monotonous world.

Only when it came to letting go, then some effort would be needed, but...

Jiang Suihe propped up his chin, looking at him with interest.

If it's Song Luo, just a slight cold look, and he will run away, won't he?

Jiang Suihe's gaze made Song Luo uncomfortable, "Mr. Jiang, why are you looking at me?"

"Rice grain." Jiang Suihe stood up, one hand on the table, leaning over the barrier of the table between them, and leaned close to him, "It's at the corner of your mouth." He said, and gently wiped it off with his finger.

Their faces were very close because of this position. Jiang Suihe's warm breath fell on Song Luo's ear, itchy and tingling. He looked down at Song Luo, his eyes laughing and gentle, captivating.

But the flushed and flustered expression he expected from Song Luo didn't appear.

Song Luo calmly took a step back and said coldly: "Thank you."

Faced with such a reaction, the always successful Jiang Suihe was taken aback, but he quickly recovered his natural demeanor, stood up straight, and politely smiled, "You're welcome."

Song Luo helped Jiang Suihe clean up the leftover dishes and put the cold food in the kitchen, and when he wanted to help wash the dishes, he was stopped by Jiang Suihe.

"I wouldn't dare let you work," he joked, "What if you work too hard here, and then decide not to come next time?"

Song Luo didn't know how to respond to this and stammered out a reply. Seeing that there really wasn't anything else he could help with, he said goodbye and went home.

Jiang Suihe escorted him to the door, and as soon as the door closed, the smile on the corner of his mouth froze.

...Has his charm diminished recently?

Or is that guy, truly, a... straight man who loves listening to romantic audio dramas?

Jiang Suihe began to question his life.

On the other hand, Song Luo calmly left Room 2302, calmly took out his keys and walked into Room 2301, and calmly closed the door.

As soon as he heard the door lock click shut, his legs, which had been trembling, gave out, and he slid down to sit on the floor, leaning against the door.

So close... Mr. Jiang was so close just now...

Remembering the hot breath of Jiang Suihe on his ear and the sensation of his fingertip brushing against the corner of his mouth, Song Luo felt his heart pounding, his breathing becoming labored!

He clutched his chest tightly.

"No way! Song Luo, calm down! Mr. Jiang was just kindly helping you wipe off a grain of rice, why is your heart beating so fast! Although you've been single since birth, you shouldn't be so easily affected! Besides, he probably didn't mean anything by it..."

He took a few deep breaths to calm himself down, then couldn't help but feel relieved.

"Thank goodness, I didn't embarrass myself in front of Mr. Jiang... that would have been so embarrassing..."

"But on another note, the food at Mr. Jiang's place was really delicious!"