CHAPTER 710: CHAPTER 655: AO CHEN VS HUO QI 21_2

Jessica thought for a moment, then gave up, "Never mind, since you all say it doesn’t pair well, I won’t choose the red wine; let’s drink something else."

Although Jessica was almost thirty, she still possessed an innocence like that of a little girl, which was very endearing.

As she spoke, she hopped and skipped towards the living room. Ao Chen didn’t know what he found irritating, but he called out behind Jessica, "For someone nearing thirty, can you stop acting so young and tender?"

Jessica was so angry that she threw a pillow at him, standing in the living room with hands on hips, "Come and face me one-on-one, who are you saying is nearing thirty? I’m only 27, okay? Compared to you who is actually over thirty, I don’t know how much younger I am. You have the nerve to criticize me? You’re the one looking for a May-December romance, okay?"

Huo Qi looked at Ao Chen with surprise, very curious, "What’s this about an old cow eating tender grass?"

Ao Chen’s face briefly flashed an unnatural expression, too quick to capture. He moved back to the sink to wash vegetables, "It’s nothing, she’s just talking nonsense."

Huo Qi clearly didn’t believe him, but since Ao Chen wasn’t elaborating, he didn’t feel like pursuing the matter further, "Don’t wash too many vegetables, there are just a few of us and we might not finish them all. Once the hot pot base is ready, there will probably be enough left for two servings, do you want to keep it for later or eat it tomorrow?"

"My suggestion," Ao Chen thought for a moment and looked at Huo Qi’s handsome face, "is that it’s probably best if you don’t make it too delicious. They all have quite thick skins, if you make it too tasty, they won’t empathize with you and let you cook less. Instead, they’ll pester you to cook more because it’s so good."

"Promoting gourmet food is also a social skill. If it’s just hot pot, I can make them dozens of different kinds without repeating any."

Ao Chen was somewhat surprised, "When you came here to study, did you spend all your free time cooking?"

Huo Qi smiled, his eyebrows slightly raised, "You’ve hit the nail on the head, Mr. Ao. Indeed, I can’t say the food here is bad, just that I’m not accustomed to it and can’t bring myself to eat it. In the first few months, I was losing about five or six pounds a month. It got worrisome after a while."

Indeed.

Anyone losing weight like that would be concerned.

"So later, to stay alive, you had to take care of your own stomach, right?"

"Isn’t that the truth?" Huo Qi laughed, nodding in agreement.

Seeing the harmonious scene in the kitchen, Jessica nudged Davis, tilting her chin towards the kitchen, "Look how harmonious that is. When have we ever seen Ao Chen like this? It’s incredible."

At first, Davis hadn’t paid attention, but prompted by Jessica, he indeed noticed something curious, "Ao Chen fell for Huo Qi at first sight, I knew that, but could it be that Huo Qi is also superficial enough to fall at first glance? That’s too shallow."

"Don’t you talk about Huo Qi like that. Just by looking at the hot pot he made, I know he and Ao Chen are not cut from the same cloth. Falling into the hands of Ao Chen, that beast, poor little Huo Qi, it’s really too pitiful."

Allen was surprised, "The two haven’t even made any announcement, and here you are scripting their lives?"

Everyone: "..."

Angus shared his opinion, mainly because the two silhouettes in the kitchen really looked harmonious together, "It’s the first time I’ve seen Ao Chen act with such caution. I think if Ao Chen really gets serious, he could win Huo Qi over. But mutual affection is definitely the best. I want to keep eating Huo Qi’s hot pot. Just by looking at how he prepares the base, I know it must taste better than Ao Chen’s. It’s not fair. How can that guy Ao Chen find such a gem? I’m quite the catch myself, yet I don’t get such opportunities."

"Pfft..." Unable to hold back, Allen laughed at Angus, "Bet if you dare say that in front of Ao Chen, he’ll challenge you to a duel right away."

Angus shut up.

Eric, reclining lazily on the sofa and playing with his phone, said, "I’ve realized something, if those two get together, we might be able to leverage Huo Qi to deal with Ao Chen in the future. The way he is around Huo Qi, he clearly cares a lot."

Jessica frowned slightly, "Don’t be like that. Let’s change the subject. Huo Qi isn’t some sort of bargaining chip, and the least we could do right now, especially since we’re about to enjoy his hot pot, is to show some grace."

"Alright then."

Mo Yue had waited two hours, and the sky had gradually darkened. Huo Qi meticulously poured the hot pot base into square containers to set, leaving the rest bubbling in the pot. He brought the pot to the dining room and didn’t need to call anyone from the living room—they all crowded around eagerly.