Free Web NovelChapter 153: Chapter 153: You Are Excellent
Aunt Gao shot him an exasperated look. "Couldn’t you have just told them Shi Lan is eating with us tonight?"
Uncle Gao looked aggrieved. "I did, but they’ve been standing there for over thirty minutes." It was clear they weren’t leaving until they saw Shi Lan.
Left with no choice, Uncle Gao had come up to report the situation.
Shi Lan glanced at the time on her chip. It was only a little past five. ’Are they hungry already?’
But then she remembered Jiang Xia’s huge appetite and decided not to linger.
"Aunt Gao, I’ll get going now."
Aunt Gao grumbled, "Honestly, these two males are so clingy."
But despite her grumbling, she didn’t stop Shi Lan. She had actually intended to have all three of them stay for dinner, but Shi Lan had refused; she had already eaten at Aunt Gao’s home quite a few times recently and didn’t want to trouble her any further.
When they saw Shi Lan emerge, the waiting Jiang Xia and Mu Tangfeng’s eyes lit up, and they both hurried to her side.
Jiang Xia lowered his voice. "Lanlan, I was starting to think you were going to abandon us."
Mu Tangfeng also looked at her, dejected and listless. After all, he could tell Uncle and Aunt Gao weren’t fond of them and was worried Shi Lan might be persuaded to send them away.
Shi Lan said with amusement, "What on earth is going through your heads?"
She continued in a deliberately teasing tone, "Besides, I haven’t even accepted you yet. How could we already be at the ’abandoning you’ stage?"
Jiang Xia’s and Mu Tangfeng’s hearts sank. ’What does Lanlan mean by that?’
’Is she really not going to consider us anymore?’
For once, Mu Tangfeng showed a bit of anxiety. With the corners of his eyes drooping and a listless expression, he looked like a pitiful puppy. "Lanlan, I know I can’t cook and my temper isn’t the best, but I really... like you. Can you give me another chance? I promise I’ll do my best."
Jiang Xia had said the word "like" several times.
But for Mu Tangfeng, expressing his feelings was an embarrassing act; he much preferred to keep them bottled up.
But now, worried that Shi Lan would send them away, he threw caution to the wind and said what he had never dared to say before, revealing his true feelings for the first time.
Shi Lan looked at him, slightly surprised. He looked up, his deep, gem-like black eyes meeting hers with stubborn resolve. He didn’t back down, but the slight droop at the corners of his eyes still betrayed his inner nervousness and unease.
It was the same for Jiang Xia, who was standing beside them.
His hand gripped Shi Lan’s tightly, yet it wasn’t a completely restrictive hold. He was testing her, and himself.
If Shi Lan didn’t pull her hand away, it meant there was still hope.
"Lanlan, I like you too. For my whole life, you’re the only female I want. I don’t want anyone else."
Faced with their scorching gazes and blunt words, even though Shi Lan already knew their feelings, her heart still skipped a beat, and her mouth inexplicably went dry with nervousness.
After a long moment, she stopped at her front door and softly broke the stalemate. "All right, don’t overthink things. I never said I didn’t want you."
"So, does that mean you’re willing to let us be your Beast Husbands, Lanlan?"
Jiang Xia’s eyes, which had nearly dimmed, instantly blazed with light. Shi Lan pulled her hand back. "Mm, my marriage matching is in about a month. This next month is all about your performance. Anyone who doesn’t perform well will be eliminated..."
She feigned a stern expression. Jiang Xia and Mu Tangfeng unconsciously straightened up and nodded seriously. "Understood, Lanlan!"
A smile flashed across Shi Lan’s eyes.
She had originally thought the two of them had called her back to cook, but when she looked in the kitchen, she saw that Xiao Ou had already prepared the meal.
When she turned around, the two were eagerly setting the dining table, laying out the cutlery, and bringing out the dishes, putting on a show of being very diligent.
Mu Tangfeng looked at her and said awkwardly, "Although I can’t cook like Uncle Gao, I can buy many different models of housekeeping robots. I can have them make all sorts of different dishes, so you’ll always eat and drink well. I won’t let you exhaust yourself."
When it came to cooking, Mu Tangfeng was indeed a complete novice. He’d never taken such an elective in college; after all, he had never planned on finding a wife.
However, when Uncle Gao had asked him to help in the kitchen a couple of days ago, Mu Tangfeng’s mind had gone blank just looking at everything, and he couldn’t help but regret not having put in more effort before.
Nearby, Jiang Xia, who was carrying a bowl, also perked up his ears to listen.
Shi Lan sighed softly. She knew what the two of them were worried about. After sitting down at the table, she looked at them seriously and said, "Listen, you two. Don’t worry so much about what other people think. Uncle and Aunt Gao might be looking at things from their own perspective, but that’s only because they don’t know you very well."
"You’re both outstanding, you know? A person’s worth isn’t determined by whether they can cook. Everyone has things they aren’t good at; that’s perfectly normal. Take me, for example. I can cook, but I’m clueless about robotics. But you, Mu Tangfeng, you can rebuild robots and upgrade my home’s security system. Those things are amazing."
"And Jiang Xia, you’re wonderful. You’re a sweet-talker, you know how to make me laugh, and you have such a good appetite that you make meals more enjoyable for everyone. Plus, you’re great at investing and making money."
"Not only that, but you both have high spiritual power and can protect me. You’re both already really, really great. Don’t be so hard on yourselves, okay?"
With every word of praise from Shi Lan, their faces grew a shade redder. By the time she finished, they had both obediently lowered their heads, a blush creeping down their necks. They tugged at their sleeves, deeply moved, both of them thinking, ’So this is how amazing I am in Lanlan’s eyes?’
Shi Lan looked at the robot-prepared meal on the table, which lacked a certain home-cooked touch, and silently added another point in her head: ’They have one more merit—they’re a feast for the eyes.’
Just looking at them improved her appetite.
In the end, Shi Lan’s praise successfully soothed them both.
After dinner, Jiang Xia mysteriously invited her to play a holographic game. Mu Tangfeng insisted on joining in on the fun, but Jiang Xia had only linked his session with Shi Lan’s. Unable to find them, Mu Tangfeng got so angry he just left his game pod and went back to his room.
Shi Lan had been wondering what Jiang Xia wanted to play, but it turned out he was taking her on a tour of Ocean Star inside the holographic game.
The holographic version of Ocean Star was even more fantastical than the real one. Here, the beaches were pink, seashells rolled about on their own, the ocean was a brilliant azure, and the sailing vessels were crescent-shaped clouds drifting through the sky.
The holographic Ocean Star tour was usually a very popular attraction, with tickets costing 100 Star Coins. But Jiang Xia had booked out the entire evening session, so the vast virtual planet was completely empty except for them.
Shi Lan sat with Jiang Xia on a crescent cloud, looking at him with confusion.
Jiang Xia nervously licked his lips. The holographic sea breeze, carrying the salty, damp scent of the ocean, lifted his long hair. A few strands drifted over to cling to Shi Lan’s dark hair, tangling together until they were indistinguishable.
His gaze, full of deep affection and infatuation, fell upon her. His voice was gentle as he said, "I heard females like visiting Ocean Star. Since we’re still on Yaoxing, I couldn’t take you to the real Ocean Planet, so I brought you here to experience it instead."
This had been his true reason for buying the holographic game pod in the first place.
"Lanlan, do you like it?"
He watched her with a hint of apprehension as he spoke.
