Braised pork ribs, cola chicken wings, garlic lettuce, and a tomato and egg drop soup had Shitou’s mouth watering.
Shitou’s favorite foods were pork ribs and chicken wings, as he could never tire of them, no matter how they were cooked.
Xiao Shu felt the same, although he preferred beef. While eating, he said to Shitou, "Brother, let’s have boiled beef tomorrow."
"Okay," Shitou nodded, as he liked good food.
With a smile on his face, Xiao Shu continued, "The day after tomorrow let’s have three-cup chicken, then beer duck, crayfish, crab, scallops, and twice-cooked pork..."
Xiao Shu listed a series, fondly remembering hometown dishes after eating cafeteria food for several days.
The school cafeteria was magnificent and grand, emphasizing nutrition and cleanliness, but the meals were ordinary and buffet-style. They were somewhat repetitive, acceptable for occasional dining, but Xiao Shu didn’t like eating there every day.
Though Xiao Shu also enjoyed steak, back in China he loved ordering it at Western restaurants, whether with black pepper sauce or curry sauce.
After their move, Xiao Shu was delighted to have steak every day for a while, but now the mere sight of it turned him off.
Even the tastiest food, eaten daily, can become wearisome, so moderation was key.
Xiao Shu, who generally preferred Chinese dishes, would sometimes cook himself.
Shitou’s cooking was always precise, following recipes exactly, measuring ingredients meticulously—perfect and standardized.
Xiao Shu’s cooking skills, in contrast, were honed through practice. When Shitou was busy, Xiao Shu would cook on his own. Initially, his dishes weren’t delicious, but gradually, his culinary skills improved.
"I’ll cook for you tomorrow," Shitou said.
Xiao Shu was delighted, "Then tomorrow after school I’ll make a trip to the supermarket."
"Just send the bodyguard," Shitou concluded, then, recalling today’s events, he shared them with Xiao Shu and added a word of caution, "Be extra careful these days."
Xiao Shu looked at Shitou and asked, "Brother, are you still investigating that organization?"
Shitou nodded, "It’s tough to investigate."
Xiao Shu suggested, "Perhaps the people from Desire Alliance would know something."
"We shouldn’t have contact with people from Desire Alliance."
Nowadays, many wanted to take advantage of the Gao family, both domestically and internationally, and even some murky organizations aimed to drag them down.
"Brother, I saw Xi Shanyue today," Xiao Shu suddenly said.
Hmm, Shitou nodded, it wasn’t strange for Xiao Shu to run into Xi Shanyue.
"Brother, weren’t you close to her before? How come you seem distant now?" asked Xiao Shu.
"We’re not distant, everyone is just caught up with schoolwork." As he said this, Shitou remembered he hadn’t seen Shanyue in a while. "Tomorrow, you can invite her for dinner."
Oh, Xiao Shu acknowledged, feeling that there was something odd between Shitou and Xi Shanyue. He had once thought something might happen between them, especially since his brother had looked after her so attentively, and Shanyue had been the girl his brother had been in contact with the most over the years.
The brothers chatted while eating, and after a satisfying meal, Shitou went to wash the dishes.
Their division of labor was clear: when Shitou cooked, Xiao Shu washed the dishes, and if Xiao Shu cooked, Shitou cleaned up.
The next day, Xiao Shu went to the supermarket to pick out ingredients, without calling the bodyguard, preferring to choose himself.
But before selecting ingredients, Xiao Shu had contacted Shanyue, who immediately agreed to Xiao Shu’s invitation for dinner.
An Qian asked Xiao Shu, "Gao Jiashu, can I come too?"
Xiao Shu paused, then nodded, which delighted An Qian.
Thus, An Qian and Shanyue accompanied Xiao Shu to select ingredients. Upon returning home, Shitou found Xiao Shu, An Qian, and Shanyue busy in the kitchen.
An Qian wasn’t skilled in cooking, and at home, she rarely entered the kitchen since her family was well-off and servants prepared the meals; at school, she ate cafeteria food or meals cooked by Shanyue.
Now, seeing Xiao Shu in an apron, An Qian’s eyes sparkled. Xiao Shu, eighteen years old, tall and slender at six feet, had the elegant demeanor of a noble young man.
Even now, in the kitchen wearing an apron, he lost none of his refined air, rather it added a touch of warmth, truly a gentle and elegant man.
Shanyue nudged An Qian with her elbow, signaling her to tone it down a bit just as Shitou returned and promptly stood up to greet him, "Brother Shitou."
If it had been before, Shanyue would have rushed over, but since arriving here, her interactions with him had lessened, bringing a subtle sense of distance.
"Um," Shitou nodded, showing a slight smile.
When An Qian saw Shitou, her eyes widened, and she suddenly screamed, "Ah, my idol Gao Peize, ah, Shanyue, why didn’t you tell me this was Gao Peize’s home?"
Shanyue, embarrassed by An Qian’s enthusiasm, blushed.
"Brother Shitou, this is my classmate An Qian, a girl of Chinese descent."
An Qian excitedly said, "Hello, hello, Senior Brother Peize, I’m An Qian. Shanyue was right; my grandfather migrated."
Shitou politely replied, "Hello An Qian, welcome."
After this, Shitou left Shanyue to entertain the guests and headed to the kitchen.
An Qian was beyond excited, "Shanyue, Senior Brother Peize is really ridiculously handsome, even more so up close, truly stunning."
Shanyue whispered, "Aren’t you into Jiashu?"
"It’s different. Senior Brother Peize is like an unattainable idol, intimidating but that doesn’t stop us from adoring him." An Qian continued, "You really know how to keep a secret, not telling me you knew Senior Brother Peize. You’re so lucky."
An Qian couldn’t stop talking, and her voice was loud. Shanyue felt speechless and somewhat embarrassed, unsure if Brother Shitou and Jiashu would mind.
"You go out, I’ll cook," Shitou said.
Xiao Shu shook his head, "I’ll do it, brother. You entertain the guests."
At this point, Xiao Shu wasn’t sure if inviting An Qian home was a mistake. This girl was too... forthright and boldly enthusiastic.
But her gaze was clean, though they were still strangers, making such enthusiasm hard to handle.