Free Web NovelChapter 178: Chapter 178: Lanlan and Admiral He Have Grown Much Closer
He closed his eyes for a moment, his gaze turning dark. It took him a while to suppress the surging wave of jealousy he felt from the scene just now. He gently pressed his lips to hers and said in a low voice, "Good girl. Lanlan, you’re a female. This is something we males should do."
However, as if sensing Shi Lan’s reluctance, He Hanshi smiled again and tightened his grip on her waist. "If Lanlan can’t bear to leave, then how about you help me out, okay?"
Shi Lan finally nodded, agreeing to his suggestion.
As she looked down at the apron He Hanshi was wearing, she found the sight so incongruous that it was amusing. She couldn’t help but laugh.
He Hanshi let her go and shook his head helplessly. "Lanlan, help me tie it."
"Okay."
Shi Lan smiled, took the sash, and tied it firmly behind He Hanshi’s back. Fortunately, his waist was so slim that the ties were just long enough.
She unconsciously glanced at his waist a few times. He really did have a narrow waist and broad shoulders. Looking down, it seemed like he was all legs. It was quite alluring.
The thought that this was her future Beast Husband made Shi Lan’s face secretly flush. She forced herself to look away and focus on helping He Hanshi.
Outside the kitchen, Jiang Xia and Mu Tangfeng, who had been secretly watching, were both in low spirits. But they also knew it was inevitable that Shi Lan would have at least five Beast Husbands. They could only hope to eliminate any extra rivals in the future and prevent new ones from joining.
Jiang Xia asked in a low voice, "Don’t you think Lanlan and Admiral He got a lot closer all of a sudden? Just now, Admiral He... even kissed Lanlan..."
As he spoke, his tone unknowingly turned sour with jealousy.
"Duh! You think I don’t have eyes?"
Mu Tangfeng, looking furious, turned and walked away. He was afraid if he watched any longer, he wouldn’t be able to resist the urge to punch Admiral He.
’He hadn’t even kissed Lanlan yet, and Admiral He had managed it after just one day.’
’It was infuriating!’
Jiang Xia glanced at the kitchen, then at Mu Tangfeng, and finally decided to go help in the kitchen too.
He Hanshi’s ears twitched slightly. He didn’t stop his skillful chopping; he had heard everything from outside the kitchen.
Soon, Jiang Xia came in and proactively asked, "Lanlan, Admiral He, is there anything I can do to help?"
Shi Lan knew Jiang Xia was likely to be more of a hindrance than a help, but he would surely be sad if she didn’t give him something to do, so she asked him to set the table outside.
Jiang Xia happily agreed. He diligently took the bowls and washed them all thoroughly before carefully setting the table.
He Hanshi had noticed that Shi Lan really enjoyed the Braised Gugu Beast meat from lunch, so he followed Uncle Gao’s method to replicate it.
Thankfully, his cooking skills hadn’t completely atrophied in prison. Though he felt a bit rusty when he first picked up the kitchen knife, he quickly got the hang of it again.
Watching from the side, Shi Lan couldn’t help but praise him. "He Hanshi, you’re so skilled! You’re separating the meat from the bones with such ease."
He Hanshi gave a short laugh and reminded her, "Lanlan, stand back a little. Be careful not to get any blood on you."
"You shouldn’t learn how to do dangerous things like this. Just leave it to the housekeeping robots."
Shi Lan nodded, not being stubborn about this.
Gugu Beasts were quite different from the poultry of the past. Although their meat was more tender compared to other animals in this world, it was actually still quite tough and thick-skinned.
She had tried to do it herself before, but it took a great deal of effort just to make a single cut. Plus, she was always worried about cutting herself, so she eventually let the robots take over.
That was why it seemed so incredible to see He Hanshi’s movements being so clean and efficient, making it look effortless.
Shi Lan watched for a while longer. Only after He Hanshi started putting the meat in the pot did she resume her task of washing vegetables.
He Hanshi’s cooking was even more skilled and swift than hers. In just half an hour, with the help of high-pressure cooking equipment, he had already prepared five dishes and a soup.
Jiang Xia called Mu Tangfeng down to eat. As the two looked over the dishes on the table, which were perfect in color, aroma, and taste, their expressions grew complicated. As complete novices in the kitchen, they couldn’t help but feel a new sense of admiration for He Hanshi—one that went beyond his combat prowess—along with an imperceptible trace of envy.
’How is Admiral He good at everything?’
Jiang Xia had been watching from the sidelines, so he knew very well that He Hanshi had handled everything. Mu Tangfeng, however, hadn’t been there and couldn’t help but ask, "Admiral He, did you make all of this?"
He Hanshi nodded with his usual calm expression, a faint smile on his face. "It’s been a while, so I’m not sure how it tastes. Please, everyone, start eating."
He looked at Shi Lan as he spoke. She sat down, and he followed suit, sitting right beside her. It was almost the same situation as at lunchtime, but the chairs in Shi Lan’s home were arranged with two on each side of the table, leaving Jiang Xia and Mu Tangfeng with no other choice.
Normally, they would have moved their chairs to sit next to Shi Lan. But now, seeing Admiral He beside her, they both inexplicably felt that such an act would be childish and embarrassing. In the end, they obediently sat down in their spots.
Jiang Xia secretly thought, ’Admiral He is already so powerful and has spent so long in the military. There’s no way his cooking can be that good, right? Who could possibly be so omnicompetent?’
Mu Tangfeng thought the same, but his admiration for his idol prevented him from saying anything disparaging.
He Hanshi was the first to act, using his chopsticks to place a piece of the Braised Gugu Beast meat in Shi Lan’s bowl. A hint of imperceptible nervousness flickered in his eyes. "Have a taste?"
This was his first time following Uncle Gao’s recipe, so it was inevitable that he wouldn’t be perfect. Perhaps he had added too much of a certain seasoning, and the flavor wouldn’t be as good.
Shi Lan nodded. She had been prepared to eat it no matter how bad it tasted, but she was stunned the moment it entered her mouth. Her eyes lit up, and she gave him a thumbs-up. "This is delicious!"
She chewed with enjoyment, her words slightly muffled.
But everyone heard her clearly.
He Hanshi finally let out a sigh of relief. "That’s good. I was worried since it was my first time making it that it wouldn’t turn out well and I’d have wasted the ingredients Lanlan so carefully picked out."
"Not at all, not at all! It’s really delicious. The taste is practically identical to Uncle Gao’s, but it’s not as cloyingly sweet."
Shi Lan liked sweets, but not things that were overly sweet. This was something He Hanshi had observed back in prison when she made dessert. Therefore, he had intentionally used a little less sugar.
Seeing that Shi Lan had even noticed this detail, the smile on his face deepened.
Soon, Jiang Xia and Mu Tangfeng also picked up their chopsticks.
At first, both were wondering, ’Could it really be that good?’ But the moment they took a bite, they discovered it was truly delicious. Even by Mu Tangfeng’s picky standards, he felt it suited his palate even better than Uncle Gao’s cooking.
As for Jiang Xia, his head was practically buried in his bowl.
He unilaterally decided that, for the duration of the meal, he would not consider Admiral He a love rival.
Jiang Xia ate with gusto, completely forgetting how he had darkly suspected before the meal that He Hanshi’s cooking probably only looked good but would taste terrible...
But just like Shi Lan, he was converted after a single bite.
As for Mu Tangfeng, he was of two minds about his idol becoming his rival. He was repulsed by the idea because he hated any male who got close to Shi Lan. At the same time, he was willing to accept it because Lanlan was destined to have five Beast Husbands one day, and it was better for one of them to be Admiral He than some other man.
’Admiral He is so outstanding. Lanlan deserves the best.’
But when he recalled the scene of the two of them kissing, he was simultaneously savoring the delicious food and yet unable to taste a thing.
By the time he snapped out of it, he was already getting a second bowl of rice...
