Translated by Serena Love (ko-fi)

Edited by Haru (ko-fi)

Chapter 3: Pan-Fried Tofu Balls

Back whileTang Qiaoqiao was residing in the cultivation realm, where the master chef used her to make meals for hundreds of people in the sect. For those Taoists who had not yet reached bigu, food was still an essential part of their cultivation, and a ladle made of a thousand-year-old profound iron provided them with a steady stream of spiritual energy through food.

[T/N: Bigu is a Taoist fasting method. When a cultivator reaches a certain stage, they can get energy from the surrounding spiritual energy and do not need to eat anymore.]

Although Tang Qiaoqiao was no longer a big iron ladle, spiritual energy still leaped into her palm when she spread out her hands.

She gathered the qi in her hands together and turned it into the shape of an iron ladle.

As if it was conscious, the spiritual energy rubbed the palm of her hand affectionately.

"I feel relieved with you by my side."

The energy jumped up and down with joy. Tang Qiaoqiao smiled and retracted her palm.

She then looked at the ingredients in the refrigerator. After a moment of thinking, Tang Qiaoqiao took out a small palm-sized pumpkin, peeled it, dug out the seeds, cut it into pieces, and steamed it in a pot. Then, she took another handful of yellow-orange colored millet from a cabinet, washed it, added some water, poured it into a clay pot, and boiled it slowly over low heat.

With the staple food prepared, Tang Qiaoqiao began to make a few side dishes for porridge.

While she was outside Shen Yue’s door earlier, Tang Qiaoqiao took notice of the food he threw away, which included white porridge, scrambled eggs, and green vegetables. 

She could see that Aunt Wang followed the principle that a patient should eat light meals, but Shen Yue didn't even take a bite.

At the moment, he has a fever, so there must be no taste in his mouth. The food should not be too light and bland; otherwise, it would not be able to whet his appetite.

Tang Qiaoqiao found a piece of old tofu in the refrigerator and decided to make pan-fried tofu balls.

She crushed the old tofu, beat two eggs, added a little flour, and sprinkled a little amount of pepper and chives to taste. She continued stirring in one direction until it turned into a paste.

After that, she molded the tofu paste into small balls, then slightly flattened them with her palms. When the oil in the pan was hot enough, she started frying the tofu balls until both of their sides turned golden.

Together with the sizzling sound, an appetizing scent filled the kitchen.

"It smells so good." In fact, Aunt Wang had been waiting outside, fearing that the lady would accidentally burn down the kitchen.

Unexpectedly, she waited and waited for something big to happen, but instead, she met a tempting fragrance.

"Come on, have a taste."

Tang Qiaoqiao already fried three to four tofu balls on the plate.

Aunt Wang waved her hands again and again. "No, no, this is for the master."

Tang Qiaoqiao: "He can't eat so much."

As she said that, she freed up one of her hands and put one tofu in her mouth. The outside of the tofu ball is fried until crispy, but the tofu inside is still tender and juicy. It was also able to retain the heat from when it came out of the pot, making it slightly hot.

Tang Qiaoqiao took a few breaths and motioned Aunt Wang with her eyes to come and taste it quickly.

The more she chewed, the more fragrant it became. The spiciness of the pepper aroused the unique fragrance of tofu.

Aunt Wang swallowed and finally couldn't help but break her own rules. She took another pair of chopsticks and tasted one.

She widened her eyes immediately. Was this the old tofu she usually bought? Why was it that it tasted completely different from what she made herself?

It's absolutely amazing!

"It's so delicious." Aunt Wang sighed sincerely. This time she really believed that cooking is the lady's old profession.

Tang Qiaoqiao smiled crookedly. She has two great wishes in her life: cooking and being a soft and loveable girl.

Now it seemed that this dream was not too difficult to achieve.

After the pan-fried tofu balls were prepared, Tang Qiaoqiao washed a handful of fresh green bean sprouts. She then sauteed some green onions and dried peppers until fragrant, put the bean sprouts into the pot, stir-fried them over high heat, added a spoonful of balsamic vinegar, and stirred them a few more times before serving.

The small pumpkins have already been steamed and cooked, carefully mashed into a puree with a spoon. At this time, the millet porridge has produced a delicate layer of fine rice oil. She poured the pumpkin puree into the millet porridge and stirred it evenly. She continued to cook it for a few minutes and not long after, the millet pumpkin porridge was already complete.

Aunt Wang felt a little guilty that she had done nothing but eat the master's food, so she stepped forward and said, "Madam, let me take it."

Tang Qiaoqiao said, "No, I'll just do it myself."

*

Shen Yue was half leaning on the bed. He felt hungry. His stomach was empty, and he suffered from cramps from time to time. 

But he really couldn't taste anything, and the smell of the food served by the servants only made him feel nauseous.

Yet, at this moment, a faint smell came from downstairs, which made his stomach feel even more uncomfortable. He wondered what tricks that woman is playing?

“Knock, Knock." 

A knock came from outside the door.

"It's me. I'm coming in."

Tang Qiaoqiao pushed the door open and went in without waiting for him to reply.

Shen Yue said in a cold voice, "Who allowed you to come in?"

Tang Qiaoqiao didn't want to argue with him anymore, so she put the food on the table and walked to the window to open the curtains.

"Why are you still keeping the curtains closed? I told you to get some air and sunshine. It is good for your body."

As soon as the curtains were opened, the bright sunlight spilled into the entire room through the glass, and Shen Yue, who had stayed in the dark for so long, was suddenly blinded by sunlight and could not open his eyes. It took him a while to recover.

When he opened his eyes, Shen Yue saw Tang Qiaoqiao's face in front of him.

The woman's slightly damp hair was draped softly on one side. Her plain face was white and rosy. Her black grape-like eyes are blinking, and he could smell a delectable fruity scent when she gets close.

Tang Qiaoqiao waved her hand in front of his eyes. "Why are you dazed?"

Shen Yue gave a dry cough and turned his head. "What are you doing here again?"

"I brought you food. I made it by myself."

Tang Qiaoqiao pushed the millet pumpkin porridge, fried tofu balls, and stir-fried bean sprouts in front of him.

Shen Yue raised his eyelids and took a look. Was this the scent he just smelled? Was she cooking downstairs for him?

No, he didn't believe that she would suddenly be so kind.

"Who knows if the food you cooked is poisoned?"

"Only the heart of a villain will question the motive of a gentleman."

"I'm the villain, and no one asked you to cook for the villain." Although the scent of the food continued to burst into the tip of his nose, his hand under the quilt gently pressed his stomach. Holding back the discomfort, he ordered, "Take it away."

Of course, Tang Qiaoqiao would not easily admit defeat. "I won't. If I take it away, it would seem like I have a guilty conscience. Watch."

She tasted every dish in front of Shen Yue.

"Now, you can rest assured."

She was cooking for him with good intentions, but was repaid with suspicion. Tang Qiaoqiao whispered in a slightly resentful tone, "How could a 5'7 big man be so calculating and narrow-minded?"

Shen Yue closed both of his eyes, opened his mouth and said, "Six."

"What?"

"Six."

Tang Qiaoqiao was shocked and then laughed out loud, "You mean you are a man of 6 feet, not 5 '7? Oh Hahaha, so you mind this."

'This damned woman. It is the self-esteem of a man!'

Shen Yue's face was sullen. If she would keep talking about “a 5 '7 man", he would ignore her.

Tang Qiaoqiao laughed enough and looked at Shen Yue from head to toe. Although his body is thin, she can see that he is slender and should be no less than 185 cm.

"5'7 is just a general term. Besides, is the length of a man important?"

Shen Yue glanced at her coldly. "Important."

Tang Qiaoqiao nodded thoughtfully. "Since you still have such high self-esteem, it means you don't want to die at all. If you don't want to die, then you should eat."

She held up a spoonful of porridge and handed it to his mouth. "Shall I feed you?"

Shen Yue wanted to refuse, but it smelled sweet when the pumpkin porridge was handed to his mouth. The scent made him feel as if his stomach was about to be sprained.

He was silent for a moment. "I will eat it myself. Go and change the chopsticks and spoons."

Tang Qiaoqiao: ...

The master is very particular and difficult to serve, but fortunately, she brought an extra set of tableware.

"Let's eat."

Shen Yue slowly took a sip of the porridge. The millet pumpkin porridge was thick and soft. The scent of millet and the sweetness of pumpkin merged together. After taking a sip, he felt like a warm current spread from his throat to the bottom of his stomach. His cramping stomach finally eased.

Pan-fried tofu balls are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The mellow aroma of the tofu awakens his long-lost taste buds, leaving him with endless aftertaste.

The crispy bean sprouts were extremely refreshing in the mouth. The sour and refreshing taste makes his mouth salivate. He was unknowingly picking up chopsticks after chopsticks.

Shen Yue felt that his stomach finally came back to life. Since the car accident, he hadn't eaten so happily, but it was clear that what he saw in front of him was just porridge and side dishes.

'Is this really what she made?'

As soon as he looked up, the cook had her mouth open. Tang Qiaoqiao was eating the tofu balls he had just tasted.

Her tender white face bulged while chewing, like a hamster stealing food.

Watching her eat, Shen Yue seemed to have more appetite. By the time he noticed, the dishes on his dinner plates were already empty.

Looking at the empty dishes, Tang Qiaoqiao smiled. This was the best compliment for every chef.

Shen Yue pushed the dinner plate forward and said fiercely, "It's unpalatable. Take it away." He won't let the woman feel satisfied just because he ate a little bit of her food.

"I finally understand what is duplicity." Tang Qiaoqiao was angry.

In the end, she still stood up and reached out to quickly touch his forehead and compare his temperature with her own.

"Your fever has finally subsided. For now, just take a rest. Then everything will be fine soon after." Her spiritual qi is more than enough to treat a simple fever.

Shen Yue's whole body relaxed, as if the big stone pressing on his body suddenly disappeared, and his mood became a little better. When Tang Qiaoqiao touched his forehead again, he didn't even flinch like the first time. He just closed his eyes and said, "I want to sleep, you go out."

"You sleep just after eating. Sooner or later, you will become a pig." Tang Qiaoqiao secretly murmured.

When Tang Qiaoqiao carried her tray back to the first floor, Aunt Wang approached her and said, "Madam, there was a phone call just now. He said he was your agent, and he asked you to call him back quickly. It’s urgent."

Oh, she almost forgot. She is also a female star in the entertainment industry now.

---

Author's Note:

Tang Qiaoqiao: "Is the length of a man important?"

Shen Yue: "It's important, and speed also matters."

Tang Qiaoqiao: "I don't understand.”

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