When Xue Xiaoshan was Han Cheng’s assistant, the man was already a young, renowned Movie Emperor, with a professional team handling his attire and accessories entirely. So he had never imagined Han Cheng’s inner aesthetic was so… bizarre?
As for Ji Nuo, after his initial surprise, he silently flipped his earthy yellow apron inside out and put it back on. This way, the distinctive Great Prosperity logo was hidden. As for the color not looking good on camera, it couldn’t be worse than those flashing traffic-light colors, could it?
Between two evils, choose the lesser. Xue Xiaoshan didn’t suggest changing the apron again this time. However, when Ji Nuo passed Han Cheng first and then Lu Ao’ao, both the adult and the child revealed subtly different degrees of disappointment in their eyes. Ji Nuo’s mood grew even more complicated.
The debate on whether pufferfish toxin is exogenous or endogenous still had no conclusion, so Sister Li bought strictly approved, farmed pufferfish that had already been professionally processed.
However, farmed pufferfish only meant drastically reduced toxins. Parts like the roe, blood, skin, and liver—especially the eyes—were still poisonous. Considering a child wanted to eat it at home, she kept only the safest part: the flesh.
But this way, there wasn’t much pufferfish left. So Ji Nuo planned to add tofu and make a White Sauce Pufferfish Tofu Soup.
The fish had been rinsed under cold running water for twenty minutes per pufferfish handling customs before delivery. The blood was already thoroughly cleaned out, but Ji Nuo still went ahead and rubbed it directly with salt to remove any fishiness. This step was somewhat redundant for pufferfish, but to ensure there was absolutely no fishy smell, he utilized all eighteen techniques for eliminating odor.
Then came marinating it with cooking wine, ginger, and scallion water for three to five minutes. This process was also for deodorizing. While waiting, Ji Nuo cut the tofu into cubes.
Since he was making a white sauce, meaning a white broth, Ji Nuo simultaneously had Han Cheng prepare a pot of boiling water.
To cooperate with Director Xue’s filming, when Han Cheng handed over the kettle, he somewhat awkwardly asked the line written on Xue Xiaoshan’s cue card: “Is the hot water for blanching?”
But Han Cheng didn’t actually know what blanching was, so his delivery lacked confidence. In Lu Aotian’s eyes, it looked exceptionally foolish.
Ji Nuo smiled and shook his head, explaining: “It’s for making the white broth.”
Since the marinating still had some time, Ji Nuo simply gave the adult and child a brief explanation of the white broth principle: it’s essentially oil-in-water.
“Water and oil normally separate into layers. But if you add an emulsifier, it allows water to encase ultra-fine oil droplets, distributing them evenly and stably throughout the water. Visually, we see this as various thick, milky-white broths. Adding boiling water and the step of pan-frying the fish are both to promote the fish and oil to produce more emulsifiers.”
Lu Aotian wasn’t someone who hadn’t eaten famous chefs’ masterpieces, but he truly loved the food Ji Nuo made. So when Ji Nuo gave the relevant explanations, he involuntarily raised his little head and listened attentively. By the end, he was even subconsciously nodding slightly, looking like a well-behaved student listening earnestly.
Meeting Ji Nuo’s gentle, approving gaze, the corner of Lu Aotian’s mouth twitched, and he immediately lowered his head. What did the method for white broth and that blasted emulsifier have to do with him!
The marinating time for the fish was up. Ji Nuo set the kettle aside. Now he heated oil in the pan over high heat. Since the direct pan-frying method was more prone to splattering, Ji Nuo, sensing the oil temperature rising, told Han Cheng to take the child farther away.
Lu Aotian and Han Cheng stood three steps back. Han Cheng was tall, so his view wasn’t affected. But little Lu Aotian, tilting his head up, could only see Ji Nuo’s back. Hearing the sizzling sound of fish entering the pan, the rest was pure imagination.
He wanted to watch but couldn’t bring himself to bow his head to Han Cheng. He could only purse his little mouth, his heels silently grinding against the floor.
From the corner of his eye, Han Cheng noticed the little one’s vivid expression changes. He bent down and scooped the child up. Just as the little dumpling bared his teeth and flailed his claws, the arm holding him gently jostled. Han Cheng pointed his other hand toward the pan. “Look, he’s tossing the wok.”
Ji Nuo’s cooking wasn’t just delicious; the cooking process itself was also pleasing to the eye. Lu Aotian watched the fish pieces, their edges already showing a faint golden-brown color, fly into the air and flip a neat one-eighty in perfect unison before landing completely back in the pan.
Under the high heat and hot oil, the fragrance of the frying fish quickly spread throughout the kitchen. Lu Aotian’s nostrils flared, and he secretly swallowed his saliva.
After about three minutes, Ji Nuo observed that the fish bones were fried to a light yellow. He directly poured in the prepared boiling water. Since the gas stove was already on high, the water began boiling almost instantly upon entering the pan. He skimmed off the foam and added ginger slices, garlic slices, and a handful of crushed scallions.
The continuously boiling broth accelerated and improved the emulsification of water and oil in the pan, quickly showing a rich, milky-white color. Ji Nuo then added the cut tofu and simmered it for five minutes.
Finally, he removed the scallion, ginger, and garlic, added salt, white pepper powder, and a bit of stock for freshness. Turning off the heat, he lifted the wok. A White Sauce Pufferfish Tofu Soup, perfect in color, aroma, and taste, was complete.
The adult and child, huddled together, wore similar faces with similar expressions. They gazed longingly at the delicious-looking, rich white broth and swallowed their saliva in perfect sync.
This scene was just captured by the ever-attentive Xue Xiaoshan. He then gave the White Sauce Pufferfish Tofu Soup a short close-up.
Because Sister Li had prepared the other dishes in advance, they could eat as soon as Ji Nuo’s soup was out of the wok.
Although Ji Nuo had guaranteed he could cook the fish without any fishy smell, Lu Aotian, who never fought an unprepared battle, remained cautious. This was fish he never ate. Even for Ji Nuo, he needed a backup plan.
So when Sister Li asked what he wanted for dinner, he hadn’t been vague. He quickly ordered a table full of his favorites, thinking that although Sister Li’s cooking was a bit inferior to Ji Nuo’s, it would be enough as a safety net. He had also heard that copycat Han Cheng didn’t like fish either, so he would wait for Han Cheng to “test the poison” first before considering whether to give Ji Nuo a little face and try some.
As a result, the moment the fish soup was served, he directly stood up on his stool, reaching to grab the soup ladle. Worried he might burn himself, Ji Nuo snatched the ladle first and served the cub a small bowl, complete with fish, tofu, and broth.
The little dumpling puffed up his cheeks and blew rapidly. Once the soup’s temperature dropped, he couldn’t wait to try a mouthful, and his eyes immediately lit up.
The brightness was even greater than the fluorescent apron before, reaching the level of a heat lamp. He then directly dumped his bowl of rice into the soup. After stirring to cool it down, he lowered his head and started shoveling it in.
The large-sized Ao’ao beside him—Han Cheng—was much calmer. He first served a bowl for the head chef, Ji Nuo, before ladling his own and tasting a small sip. A faint light flickered in his eyes, and the corner of his lips curved into a barely perceptible arc. “It’s very good.”
Ji Nuo’s lips curved into a smile, revealing shallow little dimples that made him look even gentler, sweeter, and softer, like a piece of glutinous, fresh sweet cake. He warmly suggested to Han Cheng: “Try the fish. Can you still detect any fishiness?”
The family of three enjoyed a harmonious dinner. Xue Xiaoshan, manning the camera, couldn’t join the table just yet. But even as he swallowed his saliva, obtaining such footage left him immensely satisfied.
The entire dining room was filled with a joyful, happy atmosphere—except for where Sister Li was.
Only after returning this time had she learned online that this Young Mr. Ji, who came home to film the show, was her employer Mr. Han’s boyfriend. The two were reuniting after a long time apart, rekindling an old flame.
Although there were all sorts of scandals online, at her age, she believed she still had some judgment of character.
Young Mr. Ji had clear, bright eyes. Although his build looked a bit slender, his back was straight and upright. In her hometown’s terms, he was the type who looked like he could handle things.
But at this moment, Sister Li’s eyes still held a few traces of worry, all because the more she looked at little friend Lu Ao’ao’s appearance…
How to put it? At first glance, he looked exactly like Han Cheng. But upon closer inspection, the corners of his brows, eyes, and the curve beneath his lips all carried a hint of Young Mr. Ji’s flavor… Could there really be such a coincidence in the world?
Years ago, there was a boy in her village born with some extra things down there, called intersex. So she had a bit more understanding of such matters than others.
Thus, with chaotic thoughts swirling in her head, she suddenly had an earth-shattering conjecture… Even more coincidentally, this child was exactly four years old this year. If she remembered correctly, the two’s collaboration seemed to be around four or five years ago…
Once this thought emerged, she couldn’t stop it. But then she reconsidered: this year, Young Mr. Ji was only 21!
Sister Li ate her meal slowly, her gaze toward Han Cheng now carrying a barely perceptible trace of discontent.
Sister Li finished her dinner with a face full of worry and resentment. Before washing the dishes, she splashed some water on her face. Calming down, she still felt this idea was too absurd.
How many special men in the world could actually give birth? If it were true, she didn’t think Young Mr. Ji was the type to abandon a child. And even if everything made sense, abandoning a child and then meeting again and interacting so naturally? No matter how she thought about it, it was impossible…
~
By the time Xue Xiaoshan left with his camera, Ji Nuo had mostly finished digesting his food. Han Cheng wanted to go for an evening run downstairs, but Ji Nuo had matters to deal with, so he politely declined the offer.
After all, at this stage, there was no need for him to exercise anymore. But the little dumpling, who had been sitting close to Ji Nuo’s side, suddenly straightened up: “I want to go.”
Lu Aotian’s body had shrunk. For a while, pursuing muscular strength and martial prowess was out of the question. But agility and movement techniques could still be trained in advance. He was willing to undertake any training that could help him shed this four-year-old child’s body sooner.
Han Cheng lowered his eyes and glanced at him: “Go change into your running shoes.”
The little dumpling shot Han Cheng a domineering look that said, “You don’t say?” He turned around suavely and walked quickly toward his children’s room.
Completely unaware that his current body, walking with his old stride, wasn’t domineering at all. It was actually extra cute because his little bottom wiggled with each step, like a charmingly clumsy little penguin.
The two adults watched the child enter his room, exchanged a glance, and then burst out laughing together.
They say a beauty looks even more captivating under lamplight. At that moment, the living room only had a few warm-toned spotlights with limited reach turned on. The light was slightly dim. Two equally outstanding faces smiled at each other, both feeling the same sensation.
But Ji Nuo’s smile soon faded. After a few clattering sounds from the children’s room, the little dumpling quickly pulled on his little shoes and came pattering out.
Under the dim yellow light, the child’s fluorescent green sneakers were like the reflective strips along a highway at night.
Previously, Lu Aotian’s conditions at the orphanage were limited. The clothes and shoes he brought were basically old items commonly used there. Only these shoes were a parting gift from the Dean, which he personally chose. So when Lu Aotian wore them, he stomped his feet with exceptional authority.
His face wore an expression of silent, imposing dignity, but the corner of his mouth kept involuntarily curving up slightly, as if saying: Look, aren’t they amazingly cool!
Ji Nuo was utterly speechless, feeling his aesthetic sense being ground into the floor.
Han Cheng smiled faintly, turned, and went into the walk-in closet, retrieving from a corner a pair of running shoes entirely in fluorescent yellow. This prompted the little dumpling to gift him a rare look of admiration and even blurt out in surprise: “These are limited editions from K Maison!”
