Huo Qi chuckled, "My cooking skills aren’t that great, everyone, just make do with this meal."
"No, no, no, it’s already very good, really good." Allen’s eyes were glued to the hot pot, but he was speaking to Huo Qi.
Huo Qi chuckled, didn’t say anything, and then they divided up the tasks: some went to get bowls and chopsticks, others helped with the dishes, and still others grabbed the drinks. By the time they regrouped, they were basically ready to eat.
They found the hot pot meal extraordinarily satisfying; even though their mouths were slightly swollen and burning from the spiciness, they still craved more after eating.
Ao Chen knew that everyone was a meat-lover, and that devouring large chunks of meat in a hot pot meal was the ultimate pleasure, so he bought a lot of beef and beef rolls. There was only a small plate of vegetables, embodying the idea of eating meat and drinking heartily.
As they ate, they didn’t stop praising Huo Qi. Jessica stared at Huo Qi with fervent eyes, "Huo Qi, the hot pot base, can I have two servings of it?"
Allen, "Huo Qi, the hot pot base, I also want two servings."
Huo Qi’s hot pot had won over their stomachs; it was really too adorable.
It tasted so good, much better than Ao Chen’s cooking. Ao Chen had thought that Huo Qi must be somewhat skillful from the way he chose his ingredients. But it was still a delightful surprise to taste these creations completely for the first time.
He looked at everyone acting shamelessly, his face darkening immensely and his eyebrows slightly raised, "You’re really dreaming big, getting one portion each is already generosity on our part, and still you dare to make demands? Have you no shame, any of you?"
Allen, while continuing to eat, argued back, "Ao Chen, you have no morals. Huo Qi was saved by all of us together, why can you ask him to cook hot pot, and we can’t ask for an extra serving of the base? You’re being unfairly partial, so who’s the shameless one now?"
Ao Chen snorted coldly, "Do you believe that you won’t be taking home even a single portion today?"
Huo Qi, feeling helpless, tugged at Ao Chen’s sleeve, and Ao Chen’s stern face finally softened a bit, showing signs of relenting.
Everyone was astonished, their gaze fixed on Huo Qi. Huo Qi chuckled, "Alright, isn’t there another hot pot meal tomorrow? I’ll make a different flavor for everyone. Tomorrow, I’ll also go shopping for ingredients. You can all let me know in advance how many portions you want, but naturally, I was thinking, no more than three portions per person, since it’s really too much for just Ao Chen and me to handle."
Everyone agreed in unison. Jessica, the most unabashed, grinned, "I want three portions, Huo Qi. I can go shopping for ingredients with you to lend a hand. If you can make two more servings, that would be even better. I live in Hollywood and seldom come over here. This time I happened to be here for a filming job. Wouldn’t it be pitiable if I craved hot pot and couldn’t have it? Can you show me some pity, please?"
Huo Qi groaned, truly at a loss for how to respond to her question.
Ao Chen came over, unhesitatingly pushed Jessica back, and said, "Don’t be so shameless. If you keep pushing your luck, I’ll make sure you don’t get any."
With Ao Chen’s expression growing colder, nobody dared to ask for more than three portions or push their luck any further. Ao Chen stood by like a guard, making it quite difficult for everyone.
Huo Qi couldn’t help but laugh.
After the meal, Huo Qi cleaned up the bowls and chopsticks and got ready to head back to school. Allen eagerly offered to give him a ride, but Ao Chen abruptly pulled on his own clothes and dragged the guest out the door.
Once the two of them had left, Jessica kicked Allen, "Not to criticize you, Allen, but how can you be so clueless? Damn, I ate too much. Huo Qi’s cooking really is good."
Eric, "Jessica, I’ve been meaning to ask you, why did you drag Huo Qi into the group so suddenly? We haven’t known each other long, and you pulled him in just like that?"
Allen squinted his eyes and smiled suggestively, "That, I agree with."
Davis also slowly raised his hand, "I’m on board with that. Just for Huo Qi’s cooking skills, I would also like to drag him in."
Jessica laughed, "See? It’s unanimous. I didn’t do anything against the will of the people, right? And aren’t you blind? It’s pretty clear that Ao Chen has taken a liking to him."