37 ☪ Hot Romance 37
◎You’re a pervert, I’m still on my period◎
Carrying a full bowl of water, Song Chan poured it all into the pot before she suddenly realized that she didn’t actually know how to cook anything—boiled noodles were about the extent of her skills.
The sound of her bold claims from moments ago still echoed in her ears.
Her confident tone had made it sound like she could whip up anything.
It was almost eight o’clock already. There was no time to go out and buy ingredients to cook. A spark of inspiration hit Song Chan, and she suddenly remembered that the last time she opened the fridge, it had been stuffed full of liquor, even though it wasn’t plugged in and had been turned into a liquor cabinet.
If there were no ingredients in the fridge, it wasn’t her fault if she couldn’t cook.
Full of confidence, she yanked open the fridge door, only to be met with a crammed assortment of fresh ingredients.
The fridge… had somehow been stocked full at some point.
Song Chan stared at the open fridge. The cold white light carried a chill that brushed over her skin, giving shape to her breath.
There were enough ingredients in there to make at least ten or eight dishes, but she didn’t know how to prepare a single one.
Now Song Chan fell silent. She started to regret her shameless bragging earlier.
After a moment of quiet, she slapped her forehead and rallied her spirits, deciding to tough it out.
It wasn’t like she couldn’t look up video tutorials. She absolutely couldn’t let Su Yicen find out that she’d just been bluffing.
Otherwise, with that Flower Peacock’s personality out there, who knew how long he’d tease her about it.
Song Chan was stumped, staring at the full fridge of ingredients and not knowing where to start, when Su Yicen walked over. He narrowed his cold eyes slightly, his gaze landing on her.
“Miss Song, is your culinary skill so refined that you don’t know what to make?”
He was completely putting her on the spot. Song Chan neither confirmed nor denied it out of guilt, leaving only a stiff smile frozen on her lips.
The man continued, “How about I order a few dishes?”
Without giving her a chance to object, Su Yicen pointed at the ingredients in the fridge and considered them carefully before saying,
“One meat dish—braised pork belly and sweet-and-sour ribs will do. For veggies, shrimp with bok choy and pine nut corn. Then add a mixed mushroom soup…”
He lowered his gaze and met Song Chan’s eyes, seemingly oblivious to the anger flashing in them. His line of sight slid past her and landed on the pot of water heating nearby.
Su Yicen looked entirely like a considerate soul.
“For the staple… let’s keep it simple with boiled noodles.”
“I’m not picky. These should be enough.”
Song Chan could tell he was deliberately making things difficult for her. The furrow in her brow proved her mood was far from good.
She challenged him, “This is breakfast. Can you eat all that?”
“My stomach’s big enough.”
Su Yicen replied casually, his gaze piercing right through her.
“Does Miss Song have any difficulties? From your tone earlier, it shouldn’t be that you don’t know how to cook…”
At a complete loss for words, Song Chan reined in her anger and shot back with a cold smile.
“No difficulties. None at all.”
She squeezed out each word as if from between gritted teeth.
“Mr. Su, go wait in the living room. I’ll call you when it’s ready.”
After shooing Su Yicen away, Song Chan turned around and frantically pulled ingredients from the fridge.
“Can’t cook rice, but sure knows how to order dishes.”
Muttering complaints, she took out pork belly, rib racks, bok choy, corn… and all the other ingredients for the dishes Su Yicen had ordered, laying them out until the counter was piled high.
Faced with ingredients she recognized but had no idea how to process into actual dishes, Song Chan was utterly at a loss.
She sneaked a glance at Su Yicen not far away. He was holding his tablet with a troubled expression, probably tangled up in Su Corporation work again.
After living together for so long, Song Chan had learned a bit about him. Once he picked up that tablet, he tuned out everything else.
She breathed a sigh of relief. This was the perfect opportunity. Song Chan decisively pulled out her phone and opened a short video app to search.
【Homestyle Braised Pork Belly Recipe】
She picked a simple, classic-looking video that seemed appetizing and not too hard, then clicked in.
【Mom-level classic braised pork belly recipe—guaranteed to teach you step-by-step…】
The moment the chef’s hearty voice came from the video, Song Chan panicked. She nearly smashed the volume button turning it down to the lowest, then peeked over at Su Yicen, who was still busy with work. Only when she was sure he hadn’t noticed did she relax.
In this open kitchen, every move she made was visible to anyone in the living room if they just looked up.
Song Chan didn’t dare get careless. She muted the phone and followed the video’s text and visuals step by step.
She managed the initial steps—scalding the pork skin, cutting the meat, blanching—just fine. But when it came to the sauce mix, her pace slowed. She had to pause repeatedly to check the seasonings, and one slip-up meant starting over.
This back-and-forth wasted too much time, and it even gave her déjà vu of when Su Yicen had made the ginger milk pudding earlier.
No other choice, Song Chan grabbed her Bluetooth earbuds and popped them in. With sound in her ears plus the visuals, her cooking speed picked up noticeably.
The meat was stewing now, and Song Chan started searching for the next dish.
【Homestyle Sweet-and-Sour Ribs…】
She hadn’t even finished typing when a shadow fell over her. She looked up to find Su Yicen, who had been working in the living room, standing right in front of her.
Caught red-handed, Song Chan guiltily clutched her phone to her chest to hide it.
“Mr. Su… do you need something…?”
Su Yicen leaned in to glance at the orderly kitchen, which did look a bit better than when he’d been messing around earlier.
He pursed his lips, feigning nonchalance.
“Nothing, just came to see if Miss Song needed any help.”
“No need, no need.”
Song Chan waved him off frantically. The screen flashed briefly in front of Su Yicen before she hid it against her chest again.
His gaze lingered on the phone at her chest. Under his distinctly double-lidded eyes, a scrutinizing glint swept over her.
He raised a hand and tapped his ear.
“Miss Song, with those earbuds in, can you even hear what I’m saying?”
Song Chan froze for a split second, then recovered and casually tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
“I’m on a call. Doesn’t affect anything.”
“Oh—doesn’t affect.”
Su Yicen nodded, a meaningful smile tugging at his lips.
“Miss Song truly has masterful culinary skills, managing to take a call while cooking…”
“I thought you’d need to follow a video tutorial like me.”
Song Chan declared firmly, “Of course not!”
Masking her guilt, she shoved and patted him out of the kitchen.
“Aren’t you busy? Go be busy. You’re seriously disrupting my flow…”
Just then, a burnt smell wafted over. Song Chan sniffed and suddenly remembered the braised pork belly stewing in the pot.
Her nerves tensed. She whipped around to see the pot smoking.
“Oh no!”
She rushed to the induction stove, turned off the heat, and lifted the lid with a heat pad.
A wave of white steam carrying an intense burnt stench swept through the entire dining area.
The braised pork belly in the pot had long since overcooked into a lump of charred black.
Outside, Su Yicen couldn’t hold back his laughter, looking thoroughly delighted at her misfortune.
“So, is this Miss Song’s innovative dish?”
“Charcoal-grilled pork belly?”
Already furious at ruining the dish, and now teased heartlessly, Song Chan’s anger boiled over. She pointed at him accusingly.
“It’s all because you distracted me.”
Her tone was resolute as she warned, “Su Yicen, don’t come over here again.”
Maybe because he’d really gotten her bristling this time, Su Yicen cooperated and didn’t come bother her anymore.
But even following the video step by step in the kitchen, the fresh batch of sweet-and-sour ribs Song Chan made still fell short on flavor.
It wasn’t inedible, but it was nowhere near tasty.
Confirming Su Yicen wouldn’t come over again, Song Chan opened a food delivery app and decided to cut corners.
Aside from the boiled noodles she could handle, she placed orders at a nearby restaurant for everything Su Yicen had requested.
Note: 【Make it homestyle, not too fancy, and rush it! Super urgent!!!】
At this hour, restaurants had just opened, and snagging an order like this first thing…
Sure enough, not two minutes later, Song Chan got a call from the restaurant owner.
Without hesitation, she hung up and replied in the app.
Invincible Beautiful Girl: 【Emergency rescue! Follow the note, no calls.】
After a long wait with no reply, just as Song Chan was about to exit, a new message popped up, startling her.
Shopkeeper: 【Should I call the cops for you?】
Invincible Beautiful Girl: 【???】
Shopkeeper: 【Who orders this much food right at opening, wants it homestyle, and super urgent?】
Shopkeeper: 【You trying to hint at something?】
Song Chan was speechless. She hadn’t expected the shopkeeper to misunderstand. She explained tactfully.
Invincible Beautiful Girl: 【Just lied to my husband that I can cook…】
After sending, Song Chan realized it wasn’t wrong, exactly.
The term “husband” had come out way too naturally when typing.
Shopkeeper: 【Got it, couple’s little game (thumbs up)】
Shopkeeper: 【Don’t worry, sis. It’ll be homestyle and satisfy you for sure.】
Delivery Guy: 【Impressive (thumbs up)】
After fiddling around in the kitchen for over half an hour—washing pots three or four times—Song Chan finally got the delivery guy’s call.
Same as before, she hung up and replied in the chat like some covert operative.
Invincible Beautiful Girl: 【Hold on, I’ll message security. Just hand it off to them.】
Delivery Guy: 【(OK)】
After sending, Song Chan mentally mapped out the smuggling route for the delivery.
The dining area was at the far end of the room. To reach the front door, she’d have to pass through the living room—and right in front of Su Yicen.
In her distress, Song Chan completely forgot to tell the delivery guy not to ring the doorbell.
Ding-dong~
The bell rang out of nowhere, catching Song Chan off guard.
She set down the pot she’d scrubbed to a shine and rounded the kitchen partition, only to bump into Su Yicen.
He quickened his pace, so she blocked him. “What are you doing?”
Balking him, Su Yicen stopped and pointed toward the door.
“Going to answer it. Someone rang the bell.”
Song Chan threw up a hand to bar his chest. The panicked contact darkened his gaze as he looked at her in confusion, waiting for an explanation.
Song Chan’s sly, charming eyes blinked rapidly, her long lashes fluttering. She blurted an excuse.
“No need to trouble Mr. Su. It’s a coworker dropping off files. I’ll get it.”
Su Yicen sharpened, the crease in his brow smoothing as if he’d seen through her ploy.
“Files first thing in the morning? Can’t wait till the office?”
Song Chan went all-in, blocking him stubbornly and not letting him pass.
“My business is my own. Don’t meddle too much.”
The man across from her kept a straight face, his gaze sharpening with assessment.
Seeing her unyielding stance, Su Yicen nodded, seemingly without a temper.
“Fine, whatever Miss Song says.”
He tested, “Then… should I…”
“Go use the bathroom and give me some privacy?”
Only after hearing the bathroom door close did Song Chan open the front door and “successfully” smuggle in the ordered food.
She dumped the takeout into pots and reheated it, adding a touch of ritual to her disguise.
“Cooking raw ingredients is just heating them up. This is the same principle.”
After some positive self-affirmation, Song Chan confidently served all the “dishes” she’d “made,” including the one real thing from her hands: the boiled noodles.
Su Yicen didn’t show her any respect. The first thing he said when he returned was to directly expose her disguise.
“Takeout ordered pretty well. One look and I could tell Miss Song put thought into it.”
He didn’t even glance at the dishes on the table. Instead, he showed particular interest in the bowl of clear boiled noodles in front of him, thoughtfully garnished with two slices of greens and a fried egg.
“You saw through it?” Song Chan asked him bluntly.
He acted like he had seen through the truth long ago, but his answer didn’t address her question.
“Aunt Xu mentioned before that you can’t cook.”
Song Chan held back her annoyance. She recalled how he had cooperated with her the whole time earlier without exposing her.
“Then what about earlier?…”
Su Yicen curled his lips in a smile and replied naturally.
“Watching your performance.”
After a moment, he looked at her and gave his evaluation.
“Miss Song, your acting skills are pretty good.”
Song Chan had anticipated that Su Yicen would tease her, so she wasn’t too surprised.
She couldn’t cook, and this guy had caught her red-handed. Unable to hold back her frustration, she channeled it into her appetite and picked up a piece of sweet and sour spare ribs to bite into.
Song Chan ate for a while, then turned to see the person beside her hadn’t touched his chopsticks yet. That was fine, but what bothered her was that he kept staring at her, like he was watching an eating show. She couldn’t help but ask.
“Aren’t you going to eat?”
That person’s chopsticks picked up a shrimp and placed it into her bowl.
“I’m not too hungry. This bowl of noodles is enough for me.”
“Miss Song, you barely ate anything yesterday. Eat more today.”
A wave of warmth passed through her heart. Only now did Song Chan realize that all the dishes on the table were ones she liked, while he didn’t seem to care for them much.
Seeing Su Yicen lost in thought without speaking, she couldn’t help but ask.
“What’s wrong? What are you thinking about?”
Su Yicen answered seriously: “I’m considering our future dining arrangements.”
“Since neither of us can cook, what do we do about meals from now on?”
Song Chan pursed her lips and went along with him: “How about we hire an auntie?”
“But I don’t like having strangers at home.”
Su Yicen nodded, clearly pleased with her words.
“I don’t like it either.”
“So, I’ll learn how to cook in the future and make meals for you.”
“Huh?” Song Chan looked at him in a daze. Had their relationship progressed to the point where one would learn a new skill just for the other?
After the surprise, what remained in her heart was a belated warmth.
It felt like she had obtained a star that many couldn’t touch, one that belonged solely to her—scorching hot, shining and sparkling only for her.
Su Yicen looked at the dazed Song Chan with great interest and glanced down at her formal outfit.
His eyes curved up as he drawled slowly: “Miss Song, you dress so formally even at home?”
Su Yicen’s sudden remark made Song Chan notice that he was only wearing loose pajamas, looking very much at home.
In comparison, she was dressed far too stiffly.
But Song Chan refused to admit defeat: “You wouldn’t understand. This is proper business attire.”
Su Yicen looked at her and let out a meaningful “Oh.”
“I get it. Uniform temptation.”
Song Chan: “…..”
She picked up a piece of braised pork and tossed it into his bowl, retorting irritably.
“Eating won’t shut your mouth.”
Seeing how Su Yicen curved his lips upward whenever their eyes met, completely unlike his usual aloof, icy demeanor,
Song Chan asked him seriously: “Su Yicen, why do you smile so much around me?”
“Does that mean… in your mind, you think I’m that funny?”
At her words, the man’s already slightly curved lips lifted even higher.
He said lightly: “My lips have a mind of their own.”
After teasing her, Su Yicen finally answered her question seriously.
“Because someone once told me not to always keep a straight face—it makes me seem boring.”
As he spoke, he met her charming eyes, enunciating each word with clear intent.
“She told me to smile more.”
“But I’m naturally a bit aloof. Only when I’m with her do I involuntarily smile…”
An uncontrollable flutter stirred in her heart, throwing her heartbeat into disarray. Song Chan understood the deeper meaning in his words.
Was it because of their childhood? That was what she had said to him the first time they met.
But Song Chan hadn’t expected him to remember it for so long…
His scorching gaze was impossible to avoid, as if it had magic drawing her deeper in.
Su Yicen reached out and grasped her hand, holding it tight as he guided her fingers to touch his face.
He told her: “That’s exactly what she said to me back then.”
Su Yicen’s gaze was too intense, burning Song Chan’s face red with shyness. She pulled her hand away but floundered, not knowing where to put it.
With the ZE Fashion Charity Gala approaching, both of them had to attend.
It was Song Chan’s first time participating in such an event, and as the person in charge, she had to walk the red carpet with the celebrities and give a speech on stage.
She really didn’t know much about the dos and don’ts of these events. Luckily, Su Yicen was right there, giving her a chance to change the subject and ask for advice.
“Mr. Su, with years in the industry, you must be very familiar with gala events. Could you share some tips?”
Her polite question made Su Yicen furrow his brows.
“No work talk at home. We can discuss it during work hours.”
After a brief pause, he changed tack. His tone turned teasing, and his meaningful gaze landed on Song Chan.
“But Miss Song, if you really want my advice, it’s not impossible…”
He dragged out the word with emphasis, lingering on the meaningful “tuition fee.”
Song Chan eyed him warily and scooted back, his beastly gaze unmasked as she warned him.
“Su Yicen, are you a pervert?!”
“I’m on my period…”
The man she had labeled a beast chuckled softly, clearly delighted by her flustered state.
She dodged, and he shifted his seat to follow.
His words brimmed with undisguised indulgence as he asked her.
“What goes on in that little head of yours every day?”
“I didn’t even say what the tuition fee was, and you’ve already decided for yourself?”
Without calling out her panic, Su Yicen was in a great mood. He felt the noodles in his bowl tasted even better.
He took a big bite, savoring the flavor that suited him perfectly.
Going along with her, he said generously.
“Since Miss Song is inconvenienced these days…”
“This bowl of noodles will serve as the tuition fee for now.”