Chapter 22: First Update

The kitchen in Gao’s house wasn’t large, but at that moment, it held five people—four men and one woman. As the male host, Gao Jianguo was utterly surprised that his kitchen could be this crowded.

With not enough pots and pans to go around, the bewildered Gao Jianguo went to borrow tools from Aunt Pang.

Qin Yao, her hair wrapped in a white towel, having just showered and changed into casual clothes, hadn’t expected to see such a scene either.

To be honest, the kitchen in Gao’s house wasn’t small. Chen Baozhen had once complained that the design was flawed and the kitchen too large. Now, with several large men inside, it was packed to the brim.

Gao Jianguo had told Dr. He that he would help in the kitchen. Zhao Mingjin said he would lend a hand, and Gu Cheng said he couldn’t just sit and watch. So, the men all went into the kitchen.

"Dr. He, you marinate the meat. Comrade Zhao, you wash the vegetables. Captain Gu, you chop the vegetables. Old Gao hasn’t come back yet," Qin Yao issued instructions to keep the three men busy while she dried her hair, planning to stir-fry later.

Dr. He nodded and buried himself in his work without a word.

Zhao Mingjin, feeling pleased with himself, prepared to wash the vegetables. The water flow here was weak, and it took ages to fill a basin. He took a basin to collect water.

Gu Cheng took out two kitchen knives, raised his handsome eyebrows, and began to sharpen them.

The kitchen knives in Gao’s house were rarely used and not very sharp. This division of labor matched Captain Gu’s mood at the moment.

He really wanted to "sharpen the knife."

The three men in the kitchen were bustling with activity. Chen Baozhen leaned on the doorframe, peeling an apple. Once she finished, she called Qin Yao over and gave her half of the apple, saying pleasantly, "Good sisters share apples."

Qin Yao smiled, and the two sat in the yard, enjoying the breeze and eating apples.

Next door, Jiang Dinghai saw the two women sitting idly in the yard and couldn’t help but joke, "Teacher Chen, aren’t you hosting guests today? As the hostess, shouldn’t you be busy in the kitchen?"

Chen Baozhen, who disliked the original male lead Jiang Dinghai, said deliberately, "I can’t help it. I was born with good fortune."

"There are enough people busy in the kitchen. There’s no room for me to stand."

Jiang Dinghai was left speechless.

"Old Jiang, your wife works hard at home every day. When will we see you in the kitchen, rewarding your wife?"

Jiang Dinghai said nothing and went home.

After finishing the apple, Qin Yao and Chen Baozhen saw Gao Jianguo and Aunt Pang approaching with pots and pans. Aunt Pang’s eyes swept over Qin Yao’s face in admiration, finally staring blankly at the three men in the kitchen.

"...Captain Gu, you’re here too?"

Seeing Dr. He, Aunt Pang wasn’t surprised. She didn’t know Zhao Mingjin, but Captain Gu was a famous figure. Even if she hadn’t met him, she had heard of his reputation, let alone that he was a celebrity.

Gu Cheng, holding a kitchen knife with a cold face, had Aunt Pang circling him in astonishment.

Gao Jianguo wore a white apron. He had borrowed two from Aunt Pang’s house, but there weren’t enough for the kitchen. "This new one is for Little Qin to wear. Don’t compete with the female comrades."

"And this one, which of you will wear it?" Gao Jianguo’s eyes swept over Dr. He and Zhao Mingjin, not considering Gu Cheng as an option at all.

Dr. He glanced at the slightly stained pink polka-dot apron and said modestly, "It’s okay. My clothes aren’t important. I don’t mind splashes."

"Dr. He, you wear it. I’m just washing vegetables. A little splash doesn’t matter," Zhao Mingjin hurriedly offered.

The two men modestly yielded to each other for about seven or eight rounds, leaving Gao Jianguo in awe. He was glad he was married and didn’t have to participate in this battle of men.

He and Aunt Pang watched the amusement with raised eyebrows, curious about the outcome of the men’s yielding.

By now, Aunt Pang had figured out the situation. This young Zhao was a competitor of Dr. He! Captain Gu was here specifically to support young Zhao. What a good leader.

Wearing a clean new apron, Qin Yao suggested, "Stop arguing. Let Captain Gu wear it. His military uniform is so white and bright. We don’t want it splashed while chopping vegetables."

As soon as she finished speaking, the air in the kitchen stilled. Silence fell, so quiet it was scary.

Gu Cheng, who had been silently mocking the two competitors for yielding, looked in disbelief at the red polka-dot apron. Could this fire really reach him?

Aunt Pang and Gao Jianguo had strange expressions on their faces, thinking that Little Qin was quite a bold girl.

Gu Cheng, with a straight face and no emotion showing on his stern face, walked up and listlessly picked up the red polka-dot apron, put it over his head, and tied the strings.

His series of actions left the people around him stunned.

Aunt Pang’s lips almost twitched. This red polka-dot apron had been hers! In most homes, people wore white aprons, but she had made this one to her size, and now it was on the high and mighty Captain Gu!

Pfft, she wanted to laugh.

Aunt Pang’s face was almost red from holding back. Gao Jianguo and Dr. He were silent. Zhao Mingjin, on the other hand, looked at Captain Gu with gratitude in his eyes.

Captain Gu was a very responsible man. He had sacrificed himself to support the scene.

Wearing the red polka-dot apron, Gu Cheng sharpened his knife with even more force. The clanging sound made Aunt Pang dare not speak further or watch the amusement anymore. She ran off.

The men worked without much conversation. A few large men didn’t have much to talk about. The sounds of pots and pans colliding filled the kitchen.

Gu Cheng chopped the vegetables, venting his frustration. Chop, chop, chop.

"Your collar is crooked." Qin Yao walked over to him, reaching out to adjust his collar.

Gu Cheng stood in front of the chopping board. The kitchen counter was low, and even with the added height of the board, he had to bend over, his back arched, his arms bent.

Only when she got closer did Qin Yao truly realize how long his arms and legs were, his ten fingers slender, each knuckle distinct.

Gu Cheng was clearly upset, his eyes lowered as he chopped the vegetables, not looking at her.

Qin Yao stifled her laughter, looking up at his profile. At that moment, even in his military uniform, Gu Cheng looked exactly like he did when they first met. His brows and eyes were lowered, his dark eyelashes fine and dense, like two small fans.

It was the appearance that made her heart flutter the most.

Just then, she suddenly realized that Gu Cheng was different from her father. Although both had been soldiers, both cared about face, her father liked to put on airs, while Gu Cheng did not. Her father would never listen to a woman, nor would he allow a woman to boss him around.

She was different from her mother too. To outsiders, her mother seemed like a capable and opinionated woman, but in front of her father, she was meek, never daring to make unreasonable demands. Whatever her father asked her to do, she did.

In front of her natal family, her mother would put on airs again, saying that she was the one in charge at home. Only Qin Yao, her daughter, knew that her mother's words held no weight, that her father ran the house like a dictator, and her mother's "being in charge" meant obediently following her father, making the man more comfortable.

Her brother had been like their father since he was young, not regarding the two women in the family, not even his own mother and sister.

But Qin Yao would never indulge these arrogant men.

If Gu Cheng had thrown in the towel just now, no matter how much his appearance pleased her, Qin Yao would not have given him any chance.

But now... since he made a choice that satisfied her, she would give him a reward.

Qin Yao tugged at Gu Cheng's collar, and he glared at her before helplessly lowering his head, leaning towards her.

With their backs to the rest of the kitchen, Qin Yao seized the opportunity, stood on her tiptoes, and quickly kissed him on the chin, a fleeting kiss like a spring dream leaving no trace.

The cleaver fell on the chopping board with a loud "bang."

By the time Gu Cheng came to his senses, Qin Yao was already far away. "Dr. He, how long has this meat been marinated?"

...

Gu Cheng shrugged slightly, wishing he could bury himself in his collar, afraid that the other three men in the kitchen would find out.

His chin, kissed by a woman, felt as if it had been stung by a bee. It was sweet, starting as a tiny point like the tip of a needle, but the redness had spread all the way to his earlobe.

He had been on blind dates with women and had heard plenty of dirty jokes in the army. Even though he, Gu Cheng, remained unmoved like a mountain, he knew how pigs ran without having eaten pork. A small intimate gesture from a woman had stirred him up like this.

This wasn't a bee sting; it was a wasp sting... with venom.

After speaking, Qin Yao looked back at the man, seeing him turn his head as if to hide, his ears turning red again. She thought, this guy is really pure-hearted.

As a post-2000s girl, Qin Yao had seen plenty of young couples kissing in public, and even kissing scenes in idol dramas had become boring to her. At this level of intimacy, she didn't even feel shy.

Before, Qin Yao had been uncomfortable because Gu Cheng wasn't openly pursuing her, but now she found it quite fun to have him so close yet hidden.

It wasn't her who was afraid of being found out and couldn't get close.

Some people had hard mouths, but their little spongy tissues were very honest.

If she and Gu Cheng didn't end up together, having a few months of fling without anyone knowing about their relationship might be a good thing.

The three of them worked hard for a long time, cooking a table full of dishes. Although they said there was no seafood, they still cooked a plate of boiled shrimp, along with chicken, duck, fish, and pork. The most mouth-watering dishes were the ribs and pork belly.

Gu Cheng took off his apron and brought the dishes out. Someone came in, speaking urgently: "Dr. He, there's something urgent!"

He Guangzhi hurriedly followed, too busy to eat.

Gu Cheng placed the dishes on the table, a corner of his mouth lifting.

"Dr. He had something urgent? How unfortunate. Shall we start without him? " Zhao Mingjin grabbed a handful of chopsticks.

Gu Cheng thought: Don't worry, it'll be your turn soon.

Sure enough, just as Zhao Mingjin had taken a bite of twice-cooked pork, someone shouted from the yard outside: "Old Zhao, Zhao Mingjin, are you here?"

"Stop eating for now. Director Yin is looking for you."

...

Zhao Mingjin quickly finished a few mouthfuls of food, put on his hat, and left with the others.

In the end, only four people were left at the table. Gao Jianguo muttered, "What a coincidence today."

Qin Yao looked at Gu Cheng. Was it you who did this?

"Leave a portion for them. I'll take some to Little Zhao." Gu Cheng shed crocodile tears in front of everyone, enjoying a mouthful of peanuts fried by his romantic rival. It was truly satisfying.

Gao Jianguo nodded. "I'll take some to Dr. He."

The remaining four continued eating. Chen Baozhen raised her voice to speak with her best friend. She was extremely curious about the past between Zhao Mingjin and Qin Yao. Now that he was gone, she brought up the topic: "I used to think Dr. He was quite good, but now I find Comrade Zhao very excellent too. He's good-looking and sturdy. You two were out at sea together for so many days. Didn't anything romantic happen?"

Qin Yao: "No, we did go fishing together on the island."

"How did you meet?"

"He was delivering canned food for a friend's sister."

...

Chen Baozhen, a fan of good looks, found Zhao Mingjin to her liking. Now her heart tilted towards Zhao Mingjin. If her best friend could be with Officer Zhao, that would be wonderful!

When his wife praised another man, Gao Jianguo could barely eat. He raised his voice: "Dr. He is such a down-to-earth man. If Xiao Qin is to choose a partner, she should choose someone like Dr. He."

Chen Baozhen: "Officer Zhao is good-looking and talkative. His words are interesting. That's his advantage. Choosing someone like that to date makes life more flavorful."

The couple began to argue like machine guns, one siding with Dr. He and the other with Zhao Mingjin, their argument almost escalating into a full-blown quarrel.

Chen Baozhen put down her chopsticks. "Yaoyao, tell me, who do you like more, Little Zhao or Dr. He?"

Gao Jianguo snorted. "Do you think Xiao Qin is like you? Not choosing Dr. He just shows a lack of taste as a woman."

Qin Yao: “……”

Chen Baozhen let out a few cold laughs. "Fine, Yaoyao, tell him, who do you like more, who do you choose?"

Gao Jianguo also let out a few cold laughs, and the couple both turned their eyes to Qin Yao, waiting for the answer from her lips.

At that moment, a voice rose quietly from within the room:

"Choose me."