Pei Yining smiled as she set out the bowls and chopsticks, and didn’t expose Xu Nianhua’s shyness; she saw that Xu Nianhua’s ears had even turned red.
"Let’s eat, I’m hungry too." Looking at the table with three dishes and a soup, except for the tomato and egg soup that she made, the rest of the dishes, the braised spare ribs, stir-fried beef, and Mapo Tofu, were all made by Xu Nianhua.
Pei Yining tasted the spare ribs and gave her a thumbs-up, as good as a chef’s, only with a homely flavor added to it.
"This beef is also tenderly fried, and this tofu, both numbing and spicy, is just too tasty."
Breaking her usual habits, Pei Yining ate two big bowls of rice. If her stomach hadn’t been absolutely full, she would have continued eating. Sitting on the chair, she rubbed her round belly and said, "I can’t eat anymore."
"If you like it, I’ll cook for you again, so you can eat until you don’t want any more."
Having her cooking appreciated made Xu Nianhua feel joyful inside.
"That sounds good, but also not good." Pei Yining spoke with a conflicted face, "If you really cook for me every day, are you sure I won’t get fat?"
"Don’t worry, you, you won’t get fat." Xu Nianhua took a glance at Pei Yining’s slender figure. She was so thin, even if she stayed at Ji Ying’s place with Ji Ying cooking different delicious meals every day, she never seemed to gain weight!
Xu Nianhua added, "Besides, it’s fine if you gain a little weight; you are a bit too skinny now."
Pei Yining looked at her plaintively and said, "Girls need to be thin to look good, otherwise, if I get fat, how can I wear pretty dresses?"
"Don’t worry, you’d still look good in dresses even if you put on a little weight." Xu Nianhua was also full, having not eaten her own cooking for a long time. An occasional cooking session and she couldn’t help but eat a lot.
She stood up straight, feeling a bit stuffed in her belly. As she cleared the dishes, she saw the leftover braised spare ribs which could be added to noodles for Cheng Ge when he returned in the evening.
Pei Yining, feeling a bit embarrassed just sitting around, hurried to wash the dishes and then pulled Xu Nianhua out for a walk. The wisteria in the yard was in the last moments of its bloom, contrasting against the white wall behind, creating a beautiful tableau. The sun was about to set but hadn’t completely disappeared, casting a golden light on the wisteria; Pei Yining thought it was as beautiful as a painting, wishing she could capture the scene with a camera.
That’s exactly what she thought, and what she did. She happily ran back to her room to bring the camera.
Standing in front of the wisteria flowers, Xu Nianhua was also captivated by the beauty of the scene.
When Pei Yining came out with her camera, she just so happened to see Xu Nianhua standing sideways under the wisteria, her hand brushing against the blooms, a smile on her lips, a gust of wind lifting a strand of her hair, the setting sun illuminating her profile. That moment brought the entire wall of wisteria to life.
Without hesitation, Pei Yining pressed the shutter button and, afraid of missing the shot, pressed it several more times.
The sound of the shutter made Xu Nianhua turn her head around. Seeing that Pei Yining was photographing her, she paused, then smiled for the camera and even purposely struck several poses to cooperate with Pei Yining.
After taking several pictures, Pei Yining, filled with excitement, said, "Nianhua, these photos will definitely turn out great. I want to pick the most beautiful one to enter a photography contest, is that okay?"
Pei Yining looked at Xu Nianhua pleadingly, full of anticipation, as if she was afraid Xu Nianhua would refuse.
"Sure, but only use side or back views, no full-face photos," Xu Nianhua stated her condition.