Chapter 24: Cooking and Closeness

Jiang Yule’s mind raced as she caught a hint of expectation in Su Yubai’s gaze.

Realizing Su Yubai might be optimistic about her cooking, she nodded.
“It’s… okay.”

A clear smile flickered in Su Yubai’s eyes.
Jiang Yule blinked.

Huang Yuxin, not looking at her, said to Su Yubai, “I can help.”

“You’re a guest,” Su Yubai replied, turning to her.

It dawned on Jiang Yule that Su Yubai might consider her a guest too, hence not asking her to cook.

She wasn’t a guest.
Repeating this to herself, she felt comforted.
In Hong Kong, far from home, Jiang Yule wasn’t treated as an outsider.

Su Yubai’s firm words carried weight, rarely swayed.
Huang Yuxin pursed her lips.
“Fine.”

Su Yubai headed to the kitchen, then paused, turning back.
“If you two want to chat, there’s chess.”

She pointed to a shelf under the tea table, holding a chess set and Go.

“Okay, Senior, you guys go ahead,” Huang Siheng said timely.

“Yuxin, let’s play chess,” she added in Cantonese.

Jiang Yule didn’t catch it, following Su Yubai to the kitchen, touching her nose.
“Sister Yubai, my cooking’s really…”

“No worries, I’ll teach you,” Su Yubai said lightly.

Jiang Yule nodded eagerly.
“Got it!”

Su Yubai took shrimp from the fridge to thaw in room-temperature water.
Jiang Yule washed rice and put it in the rice cooker.

Su Yubai assigned her to wash vegetables and peel garlic.

Jiang Yule finished cleaning cucumbers and carrots, then started on garlic.

Su Yubai placed crystal shrimp dumplings in the steamer and blanched ribs, glancing at her.

Jiang Yule peeled garlic meticulously, as precise as handling data.

“Yule.”

She turned, seeing Su Yubai close.

The oolong tea scent hit her, leaving her dazed.

Su Yubai’s warm presence was inches away.
Jiang Yule stiffened, staring at the garlic, her breathing uneven.
“What’s up?”

Su Yubai gently took the garlic clove.
Jiang Yule turned, her cheek brushing Su Yubai’s neck, her breath catching.

Su Yubai’s expression remained calm, as if it were routine.

Standing beside her, she tilted her head.
“Look.”

Too close for comfort, Jiang Yule subtly stepped back, following her hand.
Su Yubai placed garlic cloves on the cutting board, smacking them with the flat of a knife.

Lifting it, the cloves were nearly crushed.

She peeled one quickly.
“This is faster.”
Leaning on the counter, she faced Jiang Yule, asking, “Got it?”

Jiang Yule stared at her high nose bridge, palms sweating, frozen.
She nodded rapidly.
“Got it!”

As Su Yubai moved to leave, she patted Jiang Yule’s head.
“Take your time.”

Jiang Yule faced the counter, avoiding her gaze, fearing her flushed cheeks would show.

This sister was too captivating, she thought.

She quickly shook off the thought—Su Yubai saw her as a little sister.
How could she think otherwise?

Shaking her head, she adjusted her breathing, peeling garlic Su Yubai’s way.

Her method was fast, even for a novice like Jiang Yule, who finished in minutes.

Next, cutting cucumbers.

Jiang Yule washed the cutting board.
“Sister Yubai, peel the cucumbers?”

“Yes, take your time.”

She clumsily peeled cucumbers and carrots, watching Su Yubai chop garlic with practiced ease.

Soon, the garlic was minced, and Su Yubai stepped aside.
“Your turn.”

Jiang Yule took her spot.
“Carrots in chunks for braised ribs?”

“Yes.”

Cutting carrots, she glanced at Su Yubai lifting the pot lid, steam filling the kitchen.

Su Yubai fished out the ribs, brought the pot beside her, mixed hot and cold water, and poured it down the drain.

Her life skills were impressive.

Jiang Yule, eyeing her carrots, sped up.

Slow and steady wins, she thought.
She’d learn to cook someday.

After carrots, she started on cucumbers.

“Yule.”

She turned.
“Come look.”

Setting down the knife, she listened to Su Yubai’s instructions—cooking times, seasoning amounts, water measurements.

Jiang Yule recorded it on her phone, ready.

They finished the braised ribs.

While Su Yubai plated, Jiang Yule cut cucumbers, beat eggs, and prepared to learn cucumber stir-fried eggs.

Su Yubai worked on garlic vermicelli shrimp, glancing up.
“Cucumber stir-fry’s simple. Want to try?”

“Sure.”
Jiang Yule stepped up, following her lead to heat oil and pour in the egg mixture.

Su Yubai checked the pan.
“Almost, flip it.”

Jiang Yule flipped, noticing slight scorching.
Su Yubai said, “No problem, it’s edible.”

Scooping out the eggs, she added cucumbers, hearing Su Yubai behind her.
“Stir casually.”

Su Yubai handed her a bowl with a bit of water.

Jiang Yule poured it in.
“Sister Yubai, what seasonings?”

“Just salt.”

She pinched some salt.
“This enough?”

“Add it, then a third more.”

After two minutes, “It’s done.”

Jiang Yule plated it, seeing Su Yubai place the shrimp in the steamer.

“Sister Yubai, I didn’t catch that dish.”

Su Yubai paused.
“Next time.”

Both had the conference tomorrow.

“Okay.”
Jiang Yule nodded, a pang of disappointment hitting her.

Their every-meal promise seemed hard to keep.

Huang Yuxin lingered at the kitchen door, sensing a strange tension between them, her unease growing.

Huang Siheng patted her shoulder.
“Let’s help.”

Su Yubai nodded.

Four dishes hit the table.

“Which one’s Yule’s?” Huang Yuxin asked curiously.

Jiang Yule pointed to the cucumber stir-fry.
“That one.”

So simple, Huang Yuxin thought, tasting it.
Average.
As she opened her mouth, Huang Siheng pinched her thigh, glancing with a warning.

Huang Yuxin pivoted, saying to Jiang Yule, “Not bad.”

Jiang Yule sensed her insincerity but brushed it off.
“Thanks for the praise, Sister Huang.”

Su Yubai took a bite.
“Really good.”

She rarely praised, making Huang Yuxin glance oddly at her.

“Senior Su, still jogging mornings?”

“Mm.”

Huang Yuxin even knew her running habits.

“I jog too. Hope to bump into you~”

Su Yubai nodded faintly.

Jiang Yule listened quietly, saying nothing.

Dinner dragged on, with Huang Yuxin sharing stories of Su Yubai’s past.

She wasn’t just her advisor’s daughter but a fellow student abroad during Su Yubai’s postdoc.

Their deep history spanned years.

Huang Yuxin even knew Su Yubai jogged at night after too many carbs.

Jiang Yule recalled that Wuzhou night, meeting Su Yubai with Su Yingying at the inn.
Su Yingying had wondered why her sister, a morning runner, was out at night.

It was the carbs.

Jiang Yule grew quieter, listening.

After dinner, Huang Yuxin offered to wash dishes, and Su Yubai didn’t refuse.

Huang Siheng joined her.

Jiang Yule visited the bathroom, overhearing Huang Siheng whisper, “You’re eyeing Senior Su again?”

Huang Yuxin was nonchalant.
“I like her. You know that.”

“But Mom…”

“Sis, you’re one to talk. Don’t you like Qiao Anqing?”

Jiang Yule turned, spotting Su Yubai exiting her bedroom with a tablet.

“What’s wrong?” Su Yubai asked, noticing her expression.

Jiang Yule adjusted, smiling faintly.
“Nothing.”

The kitchen fell silent.

Su Yubai headed to the sofa.
“Come read a paper.”

Jiang Yule tensed—a small tablet meant sitting close to see.

“Hm?”
Su Yubai looked up, puzzled.
“Tired?”

Just a paper.
Jiang Yule sat beside her, leaning toward the tablet—

“Mm.”
Su Yubai grunted.

She’d bumped her chin.

Jiang Yule pulled back, panicked, eyeing her chin.
“Did it hurt?”

Su Yubai shook her head, placing a hand on Jiang Yule’s head.
“Your head hurt?”

Her gentle rub sent heat to Jiang Yule’s cheeks.
“No.”
Her neck stiffened, frozen.

From the kitchen door, Huang Yuxin froze, seeing Jiang Yule nearly in Su Yubai’s arms, Su Yubai tenderly rubbing her head.

Su Yubai looked up slowly.
“She bumped her head.”

Mortified, Jiang Yule escaped her touch.

“Oh, Senior, got plans tonight? Want to take a walk?” Huang Yuxin asked.

Su Yubai’s gaze left Jiang Yule, standing.
“I’ll walk you downstairs.”

A polite refusal.

She glanced at Jiang Yule.

Remembering the water, Jiang Yule nodded quickly.

The four went downstairs.

Huang Siheng’s car was parked below, and the sisters got in.

Jiang Yule recalled their kitchen talk—Huang Siheng’s feelings for Qiao Anqing explained her familiarity with her properties and access to the complex.

“Senior, let me know if you want to jog by the sea,” Huang Yuxin said through the window.

Su Yubai nodded faintly.
“Drive safely.”

Huang Yuxin was making moves.
Who wouldn’t love a catch like Su Yubai?

Jiang Yule sighed inwardly—she didn’t like girls.

As the car left, she looked at Su Yubai, noticing her slightly red chin, feeling guilty.
“Sister Yubai, does your chin hurt?”

Su Yubai met her eyes.
“No.”

More guilt.
Jiang Yule planned to buy an ice pack.
“Sister Yubai, I’m off to get water. See you!”
She turned toward the complex gate.

A breeze brushed her, and Su Yubai was beside her.

“I’ll come.”

Jiang Yule felt worse—failed paper reading, bumped chin.
“No, no, I’m fine. Go read, Sister Yubai.”

Her steps didn’t stop.
“I want to walk,” she said softly.

Jiang Yule paused—hadn’t she just declined Huang Yuxin’s walk?