They were awakened by the sound of thunder.
Yu Antong opened his eyes to find it dark outside. Glancing at his phone, he saw it was half-past six.
He was startled, thinking he had slept from the afternoon straight into the next morning.
On closer inspection, it was still the same afternoon, but the thunderstorm outside and overcast skies made it seem much darker.
Xing Lixuan had also awakened. He turned on the light and got up to wash his face.
Yu Antong noticed Xing Lixuan in pajamas and reflexively looked down at himself. His tailored suit from the wedding had been rumpled in his sleep, no wonder he felt so uncomfortable.
Staring at Xing Lixuan's broad shoulders, Yu Antong mentally cursed: This despicable man! Not a shred of chivalry, not even considering helping me out of my clothes.
On second thought, undressing someone while they're drunk isn’t chivalrous—it's downright lecherous.
Recalling his audacious behavior when drunk, Yu Antong chuckled. Letting loose felt truly liberating!
Yu Antong's belongings had been transferred to Xing Lixuan's place a day before the wedding. He opened his suitcase, planning to find something to wear after a shower.
"What is all this? So outdated, everything's faded. Nothing looks good." Yu Antong critically sorted through the clothes in his suitcase, unimpressed by every piece.
The original owner didn't have many outfits. Since attending university, the Yu family had stopped providing him with an allowance. Tuition and living expenses were covered by his own part-time jobs. It was only natural his wardrobe was a bit modest.
Though Yu Antong had been adopted, his adoptive father, Old Man Yu, was wealthy, and Yu Antong himself had earned a considerable amount. Having never really experienced hardship, seeing the original body's clothes, and being used to high-quality fabrics, it was a bit of a shock.
Closing the suitcase, Yu Antong turned to Xing Lixuan, who had just emerged from the bathroom, "Honey, can I borrow one of your shirts?"
"Where are your own clothes?" Xing Lixuan frowned. "And stop calling me that."
He had thought Yu Antong's tipsy declarations were just drunken ramblings, but to think he'd still call him that when sober!
"All of my clothes are old; I don't want to wear them," Yu Antong replied.
Regarding how to address Xing Lixuan, Yu Antong felt rebellious. "How is it inappropriate? I am, after all, your legally wedded wife. We're married! Using names feels so distant. Calling you 'honey' is much more intimate."
Xing Lixuan said, “Just a reminder, even though we're married, we're not exactly close.”
To his surprise, the next moment, Yu Antong jumped into his arms, wrapping both arms around his waist, and gazing up at him, fluttering her eyelashes, "Is this close enough for you, darling?"
Xing Lixuan, for the first time, encountered someone as shameless as Yu Antong: "Hey, let go!"
Yu Antong held on tightly, "Lend me some clothes, and I'll let go."
In this position, Xing Lixuan struggled to break free, "Let go first!"
"Only if you lend me clothes."
Xing Lixuan compromised, "There are unworn clothes in the left wardrobe. Take whatever you need."
Triumphant, Yu Antong released him and teased while picking out clothes, "Even if you've worn them, I wouldn't mind."
Ignoring Yu Antong, Xing Lixuan's secretary called, and he headed to his study with a hand on his forehead.
When Yu Antong emerged from her bath, Xing Lixuan had just finished his work. Looking at his phone, he asked, "What would you like to eat? I'll order takeout."
Yu Antong remarked, "Ordering delivery during a storm? How heartless, typical of a capitalist."
Glancing outside at the rain, Xing Lixuan realized he'd been thoughtless. He usually had meals at the company during workdays, which were arranged by his assistant.
On days off, his housekeeper would cook, so he rarely ordered delivery and hadn't considered such issues.
He admitted, "I suppose this isn't the best weather for it. I'm not sure we have much to cook with, though."
"I'll have a look."
Yu Antong rummaged through the kitchen. While there weren't many main ingredients, the pantry was well-stocked with condiments and spices.
The fridge had some homemade noodles, tomatoes, and ham.
Yu Antong proposed, "How about tomato, ham, and egg noodles?"
Just hearing the idea left Xing Lixuan unenthusiastic, "You're going to cook?"
Yu Antong retorted, "What else would I be doing in the kitchen? Inspection?"
To be honest, Xing Lixuan had assumed she was looking for something to order, "You can cook?"
The disdain in his voice was palpable.
That irked Yu Antong. She could handle criticism about many things, but not her cooking skills!
Emphasizing with hand gestures, she declared, "Not just cook, but masterfully so, okay?"
Xing Lixuan merely nodded, dismissing her words as he turned to leave, "Go ahead then. Don't bother with mine; I'm not hungry."
As Yu Antong was washing the tomatoes, she turned her head to glance at him upon hearing his words.
"I'll make something that'll leave you salivating."
"You'll see what true deliciousness is."
Yu Antong carefully washed two tomatoes, made a crosswise cut on their tops, and placed them in a bowl before pouring hot water over them to peel the skin.
The tomatoes needed to be blanched for two to three minutes. Using this time, Yu Antong chopped spring onions, ginger, and prepared slices of ham.
After Xing Lixuan walked away, he couldn't help but return, worried that Yu Antong might cause a kitchen catastrophe. He tiptoed back to get a glimpse of what she was up to.
Xing Lixuan's kitchen was designed in an open concept, and while visually appealing, it wasn’t particularly practical for traditional Chinese cuisine, which involves a lot of frying and sautéing.
The biggest drawback being the kitchen could easily fill the house with cooking fumes.
However, for someone like Xing Lixuan, who rarely cooked, this wasn't a significant concern.
Setting that aside for now, as Yu Antong was about to slice the ham, she noticed Xing Lixuan's return. Winking and flashing a playful grin, she confidently said, "Watch closely."
Xing Lixuan, nonchalantly leaning against the counter, was taken aback the very next second, a clear look of astonishment painted on his face.
Yu Antong's left hand held the ham in place, while the fingers of her right hand followed the rhythm of her knife's rapid chops. Before Xing Lixuan could even process what was happening, the ham was already perfectly sliced.
Xing Lixuan stammered, "That was fast?"
Yu Antong smirked with pride, "Mm-hmm!"
The twinkle in Yu Antong's eyes and her elevated chin awaited admiration, resembling a proud little peacock flaunting its plumage. Her spirit was vibrant and lively.
Something stirred within Xing Lixuan, and he averted his gaze to the cutting board.
On closer inspection, he noticed that the other side of the ham appeared untouched. It looked as though she had made a single incision through the center, "Did you trick me...?"
As he tried to lift the untouched side of the ham, with just a nudge, the slices toppled over like dominoes.
They were neatly stacked in a perfect diagonal, and on closer inspection, each slice was cut to the same thickness.
He initially thought Yu Antong was merely pretending to slice, but to his surprise, she had managed to make such precise cuts that the ham looked untouched. Her knife skills were incredibly swift.
Xing Lixuan was momentarily at a loss for words.
Not that he was ignorant, but witnessing such a skill from a hotel chef wouldn't faze him. After all, each profession has its masters.
But who would believe that Yu Antong, a seemingly fragile orphan who had faced hardships growing up, possessed such a talent? Even her uncle, Yu Qingnian, would likely be oblivious to her capabilities.
After a brief pause, Xing Lixuan inquired, "Did you hone these knife skills yourself?"
Lifting her chin with evident pride, Yu Antong responded, "Of course."
She thought to herself that for the first twenty years of her life, apart from enjoying tea and attending concerts, she had mostly spent her time experimenting in the kitchen. Acquiring such knife skills was simply a matter of course for her.
Just as his adoptive grandfather, Old Master Yu, often remarked, he had a keen sense of smell and taste, and a deep passion for food – he was born to be a chef.
But the actual responsibilities of a chef, like wielding the spatula and stir-frying, demanded considerable physical strength. How could a top-notch chef not be physically robust? Unfortunately, he was frail and often ill, relegating his culinary adventures to home.
Thinking of this, not a hint of sadness clouded Yu Antong's face; instead, there was a touch of pride. After all, his home experiments led to the creation of several best-selling secret sauces, making quite a profit for old Master Yu.
Lost in these thoughts, Yu Antong said to Xing Lixuan, “Have you forgotten what our Yu family was founded on?”
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