Chapter 130: Time Spent Cooking Together

"Well... it’s because... right, I want to learn to cook Chinese food because I want to make it for Victoria. She’s been so busy lately, and she hasn't had any authentic Chinese food for a long time, so I want to cook it for her. Yes, that’s exactly it."

After hearing Chen Zhe’s question, Krystal Jung first glanced at his face a few times, then quickly averted her gaze with a slight blush, turning her head away to avoid looking at him.

After stammering for a while, she seemed to have come up with a reason that would satisfy him, and she hurriedly blurted out the excuse she had just made up.

As if her thoughts had suddenly cleared, her explanation became fluid. She finished her sentence quickly, hoping to mask the real reason she wanted to learn Chinese cooking.

"I didn't say anything, I just asked why you wanted to learn to cook. Why are you so nervous? You’re even sweating a little on your forehead."

Noticing the beads of sweat forming on Krystal’s brow and not understanding why she was so tense, Chen Zhe sighed helplessly. He reached out, took a tissue, and gently wiped the perspiration from her forehead.

"Alright, don't just stare at me blankly. Didn't you say you were going to teach me how to cook? Let's get started."

After wiping her forehead, Chen Zhe pulled the tissue away. It was only then that he noticed her cheeks had turned a deep, vibrant crimson, much like a ripened apple.

Seeing Krystal with such flushed cheeks, Chen Zhe froze, staring at her in a daze, unsure of what to do. It wasn't until she gave him a playful, annoyed look that he was snapped back to reality.

"Yes, alright. Let's make this Mapo Tofu together. Give me a moment while I take out the ingredients."

Hearing her playful protest, Chen Zhe regained his composure. He offered a sheepish smile, acknowledged her, and quickly went back to the refrigerator to retrieve the green onions, beef, garlic sprouts, garlic, and ginger.

"Wait, is this M3-grade Angus beef? Are you using this for the minced beef in the Mapo Tofu, Zhe?"

Looking at the ingredients Chen Zhe had retrieved, a vacuum-sealed package of beef immediately caught Krystal’s attention. She curiously took it from his hands and examined it closely.

"Bingo. It is indeed M3 Angus beef. I’m only using a portion for the minced beef; the rest will be used for other dishes later."

Glancing at Krystal as she inspected the steak, Chen Zhe nodded with a smile. He didn't take the beef back from her to thaw, choosing instead to start preparing the other ingredients.

"What are you going to do next, Zhe? Is there anything I can help with?"

Seeing Chen Zhe wash and set aside the green onions, garlic sprouts, garlic, and ginger, Krystal lost interest in the steak. She leaned in close to him again, watching his movements with curiosity.

"Next, I need to cut the tofu into cubes, and then mince the garlic sprouts, green onions, ginger, and garlic. This requires some patience and knife skills. Are you sure you want to help?"

He noticed Krystal had squeezed in right beside him, pressing against him, her little nose twitching as she caught the scent of the ingredients. Seeing her looking so adorably clumsy, Chen Zhe couldn't resist reaching out to tap her nose lightly with his finger.

"Of course! I told you I’d cook with you. I might not be great at the actual cooking, but I can definitely handle the prep work."

Hearing the hint of doubt in his tone, Krystal immediately wrinkled her brow in dissatisfaction. She put her hands on her hips and glared straight at him.

"Alright, alright. I'll leave it to you, Miss Krystal. I’ll go thaw the steak; we wouldn't want the other ingredients finished before the beef is ready."

Seeing him surrender and turn to deal with the beef, Krystal finally looked satisfied. She took his spot and stared down at the ingredients.

"I remember the tofu needs to be cubed, and the rest is supposed to be minced... but how exactly do you mince things?"

Pressing one hand against the cutting board and holding the knife Chen Zhe had just set down, she subconsciously nibbled on her lower lip. She knew how to cube tofu, but she truly had no idea how to go about mincing the aromatics.

However, she didn't hesitate for long. She noticed Chen Zhe was already running the vacuum-sealed beef under cold water to thaw it quickly. If she didn't start working, it would be embarrassing if he finished thawing the beef before she had even prepared the vegetables. With that thought, she decided to start with the tofu and figure out the mincing as she went.

Although Chen Zhe was focused on thawing the beef, his attention remained on Krystal. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her take a deep breath and begin to cut the tofu, albeit a bit clumsily.

To be honest, he had been worried she wouldn't be able to handle it, but seeing her now, it seemed she could manage the cubing well enough.

"Are these the tofu cubes, and are these the minced ingredients?"

After running the water for a while, Chen Zhe filled a bowl in the sink, dropped the vacuum-sealed beef in, and walked over to Krystal, looking curiously at her progress.

What met his eyes were irregularly shaped tofu cubes and garlic sprouts, onions, and ginger cut into uneven pieces. He stared at the ingredients, then at Krystal, who was looking at him with a gaze that clearly begged for praise. He couldn't help but ask.

"Yes, these are the tofu cubes. But I really didn't know how to mince the rest, so it turned out like this. Can you teach me, Zhe?"

Hearing his question and glancing back at her work, Krystal lowered her head, feeling embarrassed. Even to her, the ingredients looked a bit messy.

"No problem. I'll guide your hands this time. I guarantee you'll be able to learn it."

Chen Zhe didn't refuse; to him, this was all part of the "cooking together" they had agreed upon.