The aprons they were wearing were the same in color and style, differing only slightly in size. They had been bought the last time Rong Xingyu and Ding Yixin went grocery shopping together.
Hearing Ding Yixin say that, Rong Xingyu could not help extending a finger and poking Ding Yixin’s waist after finishing tying the apron.
"What are you saying?" Rong Xingyu’s voice carried a hint of reproach. "Ethan is a guest. How can you treat a guest like that?"
Ding Yixin did not speak, but his brows lifted slightly.
Rong Xingyu did not realize that his tone at this moment sounded just like a newlywed wife complaining about her husband.
The fingers gripping the pan handle tightened unconsciously, rubbing against it lightly.
Once the oil in the pan began to smoke faintly, Ding Yixin poured the hot oil over the beef Rong Xingyu had arranged earlier.
With a sharp sizzle, the beef, which had previously only carried a light fragrance, instantly burst forth with a numbing, spicy, savory aroma that made anyone who smelled it want to swallow.
Ethan’s eyes went wide. He swallowed his saliva so hard that it made a loud gulping sound.
Rong Xingyu took a look, then finally pinched a small handful of fresh green scallions and sprinkled them on top as a garnish.
Now the appearance of this dish of boiled beef could finally be considered perfect.
"Oh my God! This smells absolutely amazing! My saliva is about to drip onto the floor!"
Ethan refused to take his eyes off the dish.
He rubbed his hands together and asked Rong Xingyu, "Dear Chef Rong, can we start eating now? I won’t lie to you, my stomach has already begun performing the Symphony of Destiny!"
Rong Xingyu was amused by how impatient Ethan looked. He cleared his throat and said, "Very soon. I just need to quickly stir-fry two more dishes."
However, Ding Yixin frowned. He squeezed Rong Xingyu’s hand and said with some disapproval, "That’s enough, Yuyu. You’ve already made several dishes. Be careful, the oil fumes aren’t good for your health."
Rong Xingyu: "..."
It was just stir-frying a few dishes. He wasn’t that delicate, was he?
Ding Yixin was about to say more when his phone suddenly rang.
Rong Xingyu quickly gave Ding Yixin a gentle push toward the outside, urging him softly, "Go answer the call first. I’ll really be done very soon."
Ding Yixin could only shake his head helplessly, take off his apron, and walk outside with his phone in hand.
As he went, he was still thinking about how to quickly throw the troublesome Ethan back overseas.
Rong Xingyu indeed finished the last two dishes very quickly.
However, when he carried the dishes out of the kitchen, he saw that Ding Yixin had already changed his clothes and looked as though he was about to go out.
"Are you heading out?" Rong Xingyu placed the dishes on the dining table and asked in confusion.
Ding Yixin draped his coat over his arm and walked toward Rong Xingyu.
He leaned down slightly and placed a kiss on Rong Xingyu’s cheek.
Rong Xingyu blinked his eyes.
"I’m sorry, Yuyu. Something urgent came up and I need to go out for a bit. Will you and Ethan eat lunch at home, all right?"
What kind of urgent matter was it, to the point that he did not even have time to eat lunch? Rong Xingyu could not help grumbling inwardly.
But he still looked at Ding Yixin and nodded obediently.
He wiped his hands clean and straightened Ding Yixin’s tie for him.
Rong Xingyu walked with Ding Yixin to the door and, still a little worried, he reminded him, "Be careful on the road."
Seeing this, Ding Yixin let out a low laugh and kissed Rong Xingyu on the lips.
"All right."
When Ding Yixin turned around, there was still a faint smile in his eyes.
He did not call for a driver, instead opening the car door himself and sitting down in the driver’s seat alone.
If Rong Xingyu had been with Ding Yixin, he would have been surprised to discover that this route was actually very familiar to him.
Because it was precisely the road leading to the Rong family’s old residence.
While Rong Xingyu was having lunch with Ethan, he would never have imagined that the "urgent matter" Ding Yixin referred to was actually a visit to the Rong family.
After parking the car, Ding Yixin happened to run into Rong Zishan who was also getting out of his car at the same time.
"Yo, what brings you here?" Rong Zishan raised a hand and greeted Ding Yixin.
Because of their previous exchange over driving skills, Rong Zishan’s attitude toward Ding Yixin was now fairly friendly.
Sometimes, he even casually called him "sister-in-law."
Before the two could exchange any further pleasantries, headlights flashed a few times not far away.
A man wrapped up rather tightly got out of the car and strode over with long legs.
"Second Brother?" Rong Zishan exclaimed in surprise. "Weren’t you filming with the crew?"
Rong Wen’er nodded, his voice sounding a little weary.
"Big Brother called me back. He said there was something urgent."
Rong Zishan slung an arm over Rong Zhenghao’s shoulder. Hearing that, his eyes widened in even greater surprise.
"Whoa, he told me the same thing. Looks like this ’urgent matter’ isn’t small at all..."
Before Rong Zishan could finish speaking, Rong Zhenghao finally noticed Ding Yixin standing off to the side, and his expression instantly darkened.
He frowned and cut off Rong Zishan’s words, his tone unfriendly. "Why is he here too?"
Ding Yixin gave Rong Wen’er a small smile as a form of greeting.
But in Rong Zhenghao’s eyes, that smile was no different from a provocation.
"You!"
Rong Zishan hurriedly pressed a hand onto Rong Zhenghao’s shoulder. "Hey! Second Brother, calm down, calm down! He’s not an outsider anyway. He is family. Let’s go in first and see what’s actually going on, yeah?"
Rong Zhenghao: "..."