Chapter 78: The Dinner Standoff

Hua Mu’ai caught the stare and shot back, “What are you looking at? Never seen a beauty before?”

The driver nearly jumped out of his skin and floored the gas.

Twenty minutes later, Hua Mu’ai pushed open the apartment door.

As she changed her shoes, the scene before her froze her in place.

At the dining table, two people sat on either side.

On the left was Xia Xingyan, with three plates in front of her. Hua Mu’ai couldn’t bring herself to call them food.

The first plate held a pile of blackened chunks reeking of charcoal, vaguely bone-shaped. Sweet and sour ribs, maybe.

The second was a reddish-yellow paste. Tomatoes and eggs had lost all dignity, fused into a sticky mess.

The third was a big bowl of clear soup. Literally clear. Two lonely leaves floated on the surface, not a drop of oil in sight.

The presentation was a crime against ingredients. But at least she had tried. The kitchen must have witnessed a brutal battle.

On the right sat Shen Tinglan. Her dishes looked completely different.

Stir-fried shrimp, crystal-clear and paired with emerald cucumber cubes. Inviting.

Steamed sea bass, freshly drizzled with hot oil, the rich scallion aroma filling the air.

Next to it, a small bowl of golden chicken soup steamed gently.

This was the kind of meal that came with its own glow effect, master chef level.

Hua Mu’ai stood at the entrance, unable to go forward or back. Her scalp tingled, and the hairs on her neck stood up.

‘This isn’t dinner. It’s an execution ground.’

‘I’m just a passing, helpless, weak, pitiful girl. Why do I have to endure this pressure from a battlefield of love?’

Just as she was complaining internally and considering escape, Xia Xingyan spoke first.

“I made dinner, Captain. Come and eat.”

Her usually icy eyes now shimmered with expectation, like a poor little puppy.

Then Shen Tinglan followed, her voice gentle and her smile warm.

“I made some too. You’ve been out all day, Captain. You must be exhausted. Eat up and regain your strength. They’re all your favorites.”

As she spoke, she pushed the steamed bass toward the center of the table.

That push was like a signal to start the battle.

Xia Xingyan frowned, then lifted her blackened ribs and placed them right next to the bass.

Hua Mu’ai looked from the charcoal to the delicacy.

She had a preference, but the best choice was to choose neither.

‘Help! Someone save me!’

She swallowed and tried to laugh it off.

“Um, I actually ate outside. You two go ahead. I’m heading to my room.”

Before she finished speaking, gurgle.

Her stomach betrayed her with a loud rumble.

Hua Mu’ai’s face turned crimson. She wanted to punch her own gut.

‘What are you growling for? Starve, then. Great, now I’ve lost my escape route.’

Xia Xingyan said nothing, just silently pulled out the chair beside her, signaling with her eyes.

Shen Tinglan chuckled softly, picked up a pair of chopsticks, and handed them to Hua Mu’ai.

No way out.

Hua Mu’ai sighed in resignation and dragged herself over, sitting between them like a condemned prisoner walking to the guillotine.

“Aren’t you supposed to be at summer camp on the mountain? Why are you back early?” Hua Mu’ai took the chopsticks, trying to change the subject and break the awkwardness.

“I wasn’t feeling well, so I asked for leave.” Xia Xingyan just stared at the chopsticks in Hua Mu’ai’s hand, not taking the bait.

Hua Mu’ai pouted.

‘Not feeling well? Your complexion is rosy and your voice is strong. You don’t look sick at all. You clearly just made an excuse to come back.’

Hua Mu’ai was annoyed, but she didn’t dare stop moving.

Looking at the blackened ribs in front of her, she took a deep breath.

‘Here goes nothing.’

Trembling, she raised her chopsticks, picked up a piece that looked slightly less burnt, and sent it into her mouth with the resolve of a martyr.

One bite, it was as hard as a rock.

Then came a saltiness so intense it could kill.

‘Did this girl murder the salt merchant?’

After the salt came a burnt bitterness, and the meat was as tough as bark.

Tears welled in Hua Mu’ai’s eyes.

“How is it? It’s… it’s my first time cooking, but I tried my best.” Xia Xingyan blushed, her hands twisting together.

Hua Mu’ai suppressed the urge to spit it out and forced herself to swallow.

She wanted to curse, but with Shen Tinglan there, she decided to save the girl some face.

She took another deep breath and tried to look natural.

“Mm, it’s… passable. Your cooking improved a little. At least you didn’t blow up the kitchen this time.”

Hearing that, Xia Xingyan’s tense nerves relaxed, and her face reddened even more.

“Th… thank you.”

Hua Mu’ai’s heart softened inexplicably.

‘She’s this happy over a perfunctory compliment?’

But the next second, Shen Tinglan spoke up.

“Captain, you can’t just eat ribs. Try the bass.”

Shen Tinglan picked up a piece of fish soaked in sauce and placed it directly into Hua Mu’ai’s bowl.

The familiar scallion aroma hit her again.

Hua Mu’ai’s heart skipped a beat.

She picked up the fish and took a bite. It melted on her tongue. The sweetness of the fish and the richness of the scallion oil burst perfectly on her taste buds. The timing was precise, any longer and it would be overdone, any shorter and it would be fishy.

‘Amazing.’ But this deliciousness sent a chill down Hua Mu’ai’s spine.

‘The taste is exactly like Su Wanning’s cooking.’

‘But she’s definitely not Wanning. If she were, she would have recognized me by now, not teased me like this.’

‘How much has she investigated about Wanning? To mimic such a private flavor preference perfectly. What ulterior motive does she have for getting close to me?’

“How is it? To your liking?” Shen Tinglan rested her chin on her hand, smiling warmly.

“Not bad.” Hua Mu’ai replied coldly and dove into her rice.

One bite of dark ribs, one bite of delicious bass.

Physical and mental torture made this meal exceptionally long.

In under five minutes, Hua Mu’ai swallowed the last bite of rice, slammed down her chopsticks, and said, “I’m full.”

‘If I don’t run now, something terrible will definitely happen. Whether it’s diarrhea or a mental breakdown, I don’t want to experience it.’

Hua Mu’ai fled back to her bedroom.

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