Chapter 415: Let’s Talk Business
“Okay.”
Xia Ling decided to follow Jiang Hanhang’s lead and jumped up to head back to the room with her, eager to escape the crowded living room.
As luck would have it, Xia Hong spotted their little escape and, being the helpful old pal he was, decided to intervene: “Xiao Fang, why don’t you go play with the big sisters?”
Xia Ling: “…”
Jiang Hanhang: “…”
Xiao Fang was an eight-year-old girl, at that age where she’s supposed to be a bit more mature. Hearing Xia Hong’s words, she obediently shuffled over to Xia Ling and Jiang Hanhang, too shy to utter a word.
However, even with this, Jiang Hanhang was not a fan of her. To Jiang Hanhang, that room was her and Xia Ling’s secret hideout. Sure, she didn’t mind if her older sister and Xia Yu popped in, but she had no intention of letting outsiders into their cozy little space.
If they had to bring this little girl along, Jiang Hanhang would rather stay out.
So, Jiang Hanhang promptly dragged Xia Ling back into their original seats, while the little girl timidly plopped down on the other side, still too intimidated to speak up.
As for Uncle Li’s other kid, he was a boy roughly the same age as Xia Yu and Xia Ling, busy playing with his phone like it was the Holy Grail of gaming, a sight not too different from Xia Le and Lin Jie.
In the kitchen, Xia Yu was in a bad mood as she wrestled with the ingredients. If only she’d known in advance that guests were coming over, she wouldn’t be put in this situation—how irritating! So annoying!
Jiang Kekai was beside her, chuckling as she helped wash the veggies. Truth be told, she’d have preferred ordering takeout for everyone so her little cutie could get some rest. But… there was always that nagging fear of someone poisoning the food after the last incident when Xia Yu had been poisoned. The thought alone was enough to make her shudder. So, her little cutie had to bear with it for now.
“Little Ning, why don’t you go back to your room and do your own thing? I can handle it here all by myself.”
Xia Yu’s voice snapped Jiang Kekai back to reality, and a little hurt pride crept in: “What’s up, Xia Yu? Do you think your sister’s all thumbs in the kitchen?”
Uh… how could Xia Yu possibly put that into words? Little Ning was a whiz at making money, but when it came to cooking… all she could do was wash vegetables. Plus, she took up space!
Even without Xia Yu saying it, Jiang Kekai could read the not-so-subtle hints from her sister’s face. Awkwardly, she conceded, “Alright then, I’ll head back to my room, but you better not act up like you did at lunchtime, okay?”
“Do I look like I would?”
Xia Yu’s little face puffed up all cutely as she realized she couldn’t be headstrong now; there were too many people around to let her whims cause anyone to go hungry. Patting Xia Yu’s soft head, Jiang Kekai finally left the kitchen, letting Xia Yu work her magic.
With Little Ning gone, Xia Yu breathed a sigh of relief.
Sure, having Little Ning around felt nice, but it was situational. In the kitchen, she didn’t want her sister’s distraction; it was way too much.
Without Jiang Kekai’s ghostly presence hovering nearby, Xia Yu worked much faster and more efficiently. Stepping out of the kitchen and seeing the throng of guests, Jiang Kekai hardly glanced at them before retreating back to her room.
Jiang Kekai’s aura was no joke; Xia Hong didn’t dare to casually poke her bear. Once the door clicked shut behind her, he turned to his old classmate with a serious look: “That girl is Jiang Kekai, my second son’s girlfriend. Once they hit the right age, they’ll tie the knot—oh, and they’re already living together.”
“Wait, what? That fast?”
Xia Hong’s words hit Uncle Li like a brick, his jaw dropping. Who would’ve thought Xia Yu was actually a little boy with a girlfriend, no less, already discussing marriage?
He had wanted to brag about his son’s grades during dinner, but after hearing this, he decided against it—why embarrass himself? Compared to Xia Yu, his son’s accomplishments were nothing.
And besides, wasn’t Xia Yu cooking for them tonight? Who even knew how good his cooking would be.
An hour flew by in a flash, and soon enough, the aroma wafting from the kitchen couldn’t be contained by the glass door anymore. The tempting scents started to invade everyone’s nostrils. “Is that… RIBS?!”
Jiang Hanhang, with her nose like a bloodhound, recognized the smell of ribs among the myriad of deliciousness, and couldn’t help but hop up to sneak a taste.
Not only that, but she also dragged Xia Ling along, worried that Xia Yu might try to pull any stunts like she did earlier.
Jiang Hanhang’s instincts turned out to be spot on. Xia Yu was indeed plotting something—seeing Jiang Hanhang coming in to raid the food made Xia Yu want to throw hands, but… she had to keep her cool for Xia Ling’s sake.
So… Jiang Hanhang bringing Xia Ling was definitely the right move.
“What’s the matter? Can’t I be the first to taste the food? Just trying to make sure you’re not plotting another lunchtime disaster.”
Even after being caught and bombarded with Xia Yu’s annoyed glare, Jiang Hanhang remained unfazed, flashing a bold grin and provoking her further. Joosing Xia Yu’s irritation was like music to her ears! Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle—
Seeing another spat brewing, Xia Ling rushed in to play peacemaker: “Alright, alright, it’s almost time for dinner! Let’s take these dishes out first.” She nudged Jiang Hanhang with an elbow as a reminder, then hopped up to lift a platter and dashed outside, diverting Xia Yu’s ire.
Jiang Hanhang followed suit, scooping up her beloved ribs to join the dining extravaganza and not fighting with Xia Yu any longer. Besides, she was still riding the culinary coattails of Xia Yu here. This was new territory for Xia Yu—being bullied by a little girl? Who would’ve thought?
“Dinner’s ready, dinner’s ready, DINNER’S READY~!”
Jiang Hanhang didn’t bother returning to the kitchen; she went straight to the door and knocked to summon her sister for the feast.
Hearing Jiang Hanhang’s voice, Xia Le, Lin Jie, and the other boy all muted their phones quietly and moved to take their seats at the table.
Thanks to Xia Yu’s hard work, tonight’s meal was a grand display—fish, meat, soup, and all with a five-star restaurant flair.
Let’s not forget, Xia Yu was also one of the disciples in the kitchen—she had some skills after all.
Master Chen had once told Xia Yu to get a chef’s license if she had the time, but Xia Yu never took it to heart. Otherwise, she would’ve had her certification by now.
“Alright, anyone who finishes last has to wash the dishes!”
Xia Yu sighed and kicked off her apron, plopping down next to her little Ning. Though she said that, she knew that if everyone continued to chow down, the possibility of her being the last was pretty high.
Fortunately, Wang Wenjuan caught the exhaustion in Xia Yu’s eyes and stepped in to save the day: “Oh, right, let’s take it easy. You should get some good rest.”
At that moment, no one noticed Uncle Li watching Xia Ling for a long while before glancing at his son, seemingly making a decision: “Hey, Lao Xia, can I talk to you about something?”
