Chapter 148
The first time Yu Shu saw Shen Youfei, she appeared much like Yu Shu had imagined, except that the refined beauty with a cool and aloof demeanor was currently seated upright on a high-backed chair, glaring angrily at them both.
Shen Youfei slammed her hand on the table. "Speak! Whose idea was this?"
"Hers!"
"His!"
Yu Shu and Shen Youlin unhesitatingly pointed at each other.
"It was her, it was her!"
"It was him, it was him!"
Love is like this - I can die for you, I can live for you, I can even be half-dead for you, but don't ever expect me to take the blame for you at a critical moment.
Shen Youfei slapped the table again, her trembling finger pointing at the two of them. "You two are truly birds of a feather!"
The Little White Flower Yu Shu meekly snuggled into Shen Youlin's embrace, her voice frail and wronged. "Sister... seems to... dislike me."
"Oh oh oh, don't be sad, baby. Sister is just praising us for being a match made in heaven!" Shen Youlin patted Yu Shu's shoulder consolingly, then asked Shen Youfei, "Isn't that right, sis?"
Shen Youfei averted her eyes, not answering.
Yu Shu: "Wah..."
Shen Youlin: "Sis..."
Shen Youfei forced out a "yes" through gritted teeth.
Yu Shu wiped away her non-existent tears and demurely said in a small voice, "Thank you, sister."
"Sis, a greeting gift." Shen Youlin held out his palm towards Shen Youfei. "I brought your sister-in-law from afar to see you. It wouldn't be right if you didn't give her a greeting gift."
A crack appeared in Shen Youfei's serene expression. "I didn't prepare anything."
"No preparation, huh~" Shen Youlin dragged out the tone lazily as he retracted his hand. "Then you could make a meal for your sister-in-law. Let her help you and take the opportunity to train her."
Yu Shu shyly twisted the fabric of her clothes, the picture of innocent anticipation and coy shyness, perfectly embodying the harmless Little White Flower persona.
Shen Youfei massaged her temples in exasperation. "Stop pretending, dear. You're a thousand-year-old vixen, so quit acting like a little bunny."
"Mmm~" Yu Shu continued her demure act. "Sister~ could you teach me how to cook? Youlin loves your cooking the most. I want to capture his heart through his stomach~"
Before Shen Youfei could respond, Shen Youlin pretended to gag. "Darling, be normal, you're scaring me."
Being undermined by her own ally, Yu Shu felt vexed and shot Shen Youlin a glare. "You're done for."
Note taken in the little book!
Shen Youfei massaged her throbbing temples. "Alright, your name is Yu Shu, right?"
Yu Shu hurriedly said in an obedient tone, "Sister can call me Xiao Shu."
Shen Youlin nodded. "Mmhmm, she calls you Sister, you call her Auntie."
Incensed, Yu Shu kicked him. "If you can't spit out pearls, shut your dog mouth!"
After scolding Shen Youlin, she turned to Shen Youfei with an innocent, wronged look. "Sister, I didn't mean it that way... You can call me whatever you like..."
"The way you act makes me seem like an evil shrew." Shen Youfei was rendered speechless, not wanting to watch their back-and-forth any longer. She headed towards the kitchen in the small pavilion. "You, come to the kitchen with me. You, stay here!"
Shen Youlin's footsteps faltered, his mouth pursed in resentful reluctance as he watched their departing backs.
Yu Shu turned back and made a vicious throat-slitting gesture at him.
Shen Youlin snorted disdainfully. "Hmph." Let's see who gets dealt with tonight.
The kitchen of the small pavilion where Yu Shu and Shen Youlin lived received the best and freshest ingredients every morning, with all kinds of delicacies from land and sea.
After careful selection, Shen Youfei decided on four dishes and one soup: sweet and sour pork ribs, steamed sea bass, shredded chicken salad, boiled vegetable hearts, and a winter melon shrimp roe soup.
There was no need for Yu Shu to lend a hand. Shen Youfei chose the dishes, and two top chefs quickly prepared the ingredients and arranged them on the stove.
After the chefs finished processing the ingredients and left, Shen Youfei rolled up her sleeves. Today, she wore a wide-sleeved robe, so she had to fold up the sleeves and tie them with ribbons. Yu Shu eagerly helped her fold the sleeves and tie the ribbons, acting like an obsequious servant.
Shen Youfei felt slightly uncomfortable. "Thank you."
"You're welcome~ It's my honor to serve Sister."
"You can... act normal."
Yu Shu looked at her with teary eyes. "I know, Sister dislikes it."
Shen Youfei couldn't help but roll her eyes slightly. "Never mind, do as you please."
Yu Shu trailed closely behind her, imitating her every move with an eager-to-learn expression. Seeing this, Shen Youfei didn't want to ignore her either, so she began instructing her step-by-step. "Don't fry the sugar first, put the sugar and pork ribs into the oil together..."
"Mmhmm!" Yu Shu nodded vigorously, her eyes full of admiration for Shen Youfei, her face clearly stating, "Whatever Sister says is right."
Just as the sweet and sour pork ribs, the final dish, was placed on the table, Jiang Han appeared at the doorway with his personal bowl and chopsticks. "Perfect timing!"
Shen Youlin couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Do you have a radar for food or something? All you ever think about is eating, eating, eating! You're an old man, but you still haven't found a partner! Nephew, your uncle is so disappointed in you."
Jiang Han treated his words as if they were nothing, pulling out a chair and sitting down uninvited. He handed his stainless steel bowl to Yu Shu. "Auntie, fill it up."
Yu Shu took the bowl and filled it with a heaping portion of white rice, her expression full of an elder's affection. "Here, Auntie's love, take it."
Jiang Han accepted it. "Thank you, Auntie. Auntie is so kind."
Shen Youlin looked at them with disdain. "As long as there's food, you have no shame."
Jiang Han shamelessly accepted his evaluation. "Thank you for the compliment."
Shen Youfei arrived late but composed, her wide-sleeved robe once again neat and tidy as she sat down elegantly. "Let's all eat."
Before the words had left her mouth, Jiang Han was the first to pick up his chopsticks and put the largest piece of pork rib from the plate into his mouth.
"Were you reborn as a starving ghost?" Shen Youlin couldn't grab one in time, so he picked up a piece of pork rib and placed it in Yu Shu's bowl. "How are you not obese yet?"
Jiang Han spat out the bone. "Do you know how much I exercise every day? Of course you don't know. You're just a white-collar worker, you wouldn't understand."
"Who's a white-collar worker? Who's a white-collar worker?" Shen Youlin was infuriated.
"Wasn't I clear enough? You! You! You! Look at those flabby arms of yours. I'm embarrassed for you!"
"How can you tell I have flabby arms when I'm wearing clothes?!"
"I don't need to look! With your build, if you don't have flabby arms, then my name is written backwards!"
While engaging in this heated exchange, Jiang Han didn't neglect his meal, devouring everything in his path while still maintaining proper dining etiquette - not speaking with his mouth full.
Shen Youlin rolled up his sleeves. "Look at my biceps! Your future name will be written backwards!"
Shen Youfei had been eating her vegetable hearts and winter melon soup with rice, maintaining an elegant and dignified demeanor. But as she listened to their bickering, the calm expression on her face gradually cracked.
Yu Shu watched the show unfold while eating, her large eyes darting back and forth, occasionally picking up a dish for Shen Youlin.
The plate of sweet and sour pork ribs was quickly emptied, with Shen Youlin and Jiang Han simultaneously eyeing the last piece. They seemed evenly matched, but Yu Shu ended up taking it.
"Sister, have a taste." Yu Shu placed it in Shen Youfei's bowl, shyly and demurely saying while her large eyes blinked at Shen Youfei.
Shen Youfei's veins bulged as she looked at Yu Shu, then at the pork rib in her bowl.
Yu Shu's face clearly conveyed: If you don't eat it, I'll cry for you to see.