Shadow of Chinese Entertainment

Chapter 282 Cooking Together

By the time the two returned to their hotel suite, it was nearly 5 p.m., and it was time to prepare dinner.

A few days ago, Hu Xiaobei was eating alone in the cafeteria and hotels.

However, considering that An Xiaoqian and her daughter would also be joining the production team soon, they prepared some commonly used seasonings, tableware, and kitchen utensils in advance, but they have not yet been officially used.

An Xiaoqian is here today, which is perfect timing as she comes in handy.

Everything was readily available, and the dishes were freshly delivered from the hotel.

"Xiao Bei, Mom's not here today, so let me help you cook!" An Xiaoqian rolled up her sleeves, eager to show off her skills.

Hu Xiaobei was slightly surprised and quickly assigned her tasks: "Alright, you go to the living room to wash the rice and cook, and I'll do some preparations here to await Princess Sissi's arrival in the kitchen."

Oh, and wash the rice cooker again. The rice container is in the cabinet under the rice cooker; three and a half cups of rice are enough.

An Xiaoqian didn't notice anything amiss. She habitually flashed a peace sign and replied confidently, "Don't worry, it's not like I'm a first-time cook. I guarantee I'll make a good meal."

After saying that, he confidently went to the living room, picked up the inner pot of the rice cooker, and skillfully began to rinse it.

Taking advantage of An Xiaoqian's absence from the kitchen, and in order to speed things up, Hu Xiaobei activated his spiritual perception ability, and his shadow materialized to provide assistance.

The shadows snaked upwards from the ground, transforming into eight slender, agile shadow tentacles in mid-air above the kitchen.

These shadowy tentacles deftly swept across the rack, rolling the wok, soup pot, and cutting board into the sink. The ends of the tentacles developed fine lines, wrapping the utensils like natural sponges, creating fine foam as they were washed by the water.

The stainless steel surface spun rapidly amidst the illusory shadows, having already been washed once amidst the splashing water droplets.

Immediately afterwards, the shadow tentacles reached into the vegetable basket, first lifting the whole bundle of greens and immersing it in the sink. The fine, ethereal shadows gently turned the leaves like countless tiny hands, washing away the impurities hidden in the folds.

Grab the carrots and potatoes and scrub them vigorously with a scouring pad with small granules. All the dirt hidden in the uneven areas is scrubbed away clean.

After rinsing with clean water, the surface of the ingredients is free of dust, and they have a fresh and moist sheen. They look fresh and juicy!
Hu Xiaobei remembered a mobile game he had played before and became interested. With a thought, he made a move.

The greens on the cutting board were grabbed by the shadow tentacles, the leaves unfurling into a fan shape in the air. The shadow tentacles, like invisible blades, precisely cut along the veins of the leaves, breaking them into even, thin diamond-shaped slices.

Carrots and potatoes floated in mid-air, spiraling upwards while entwined by illusory images, and in the blink of an eye, they transformed into crystal-clear filaments, falling neatly into the bamboo sieve.

When An Xiaoqian finished cooking the rice and returned humming a nursery rhyme, the neatly chopped ingredients were already arranged on the kitchen counter, the soup pot was slightly warm, and the oil in the wok was bubbling with tiny, lively oil droplets.

With a thought, Hu Xiaobei caused all the shadow tentacles to vanish instantly, leaving only faint shadows under his feet.

He turned his head slightly to look at An Xiaoqian, who had just entered the kitchen, and said in a drawn-out tone, "Welcome, Princess Xiaoqian, to the kitchen!"

After being teased twice in a row, An Xiaoqian could easily understand what he meant.

So he raised his chin proudly, waved his right hand gently as if holding a fan and slowly fanning himself, glanced at the crowd out of the corner of his eye, and said with a hint of dissatisfaction, "This time the festivities were a bit small, there weren't even any flower confetti, remember to add some next time."

Hu Xiaobei didn't kneel to pay his respects. He pointed to the chopped scallions that had been prepared in advance and said, "The scallions are ready. In a moment, I would like to invite Princess Sissi to demonstrate her culinary skills and prepare a dish of scrambled eggs with tomatoes that is considered a culinary disaster!"

An Xiaoqian looked over and saw that various meat dishes, vegetables, and seasonings had been prepared in advance on the kitchen table, but something was missing.

She pouted, raised an eyebrow at Hu Xiaobei, and struck a pose: "Why didn't you prepare the ingredients for scrambled eggs with tomatoes? Are you trying to disrespect this princess?!"

Hu Xiaobei chuckled and continued, "It's not that I didn't want to prepare food for the princess, but this dish needs to be cooked last. Tomatoes and eggs need to be freshly chopped and beaten. Doesn't Princess Sissi know that?" An Xiaoxi blinked her beautiful eyes guiltily, trying to explain, "I...of course I know, I meant..."

Um... I'm the head chef~
You need to help me prepare the side dishes, and also add the oil and salt.

"..." Hu Xiaobei opened his mouth, and after a long while, he finally managed to say, "And then, you were put in charge of cooking?"

An Xiaoqian frowned slightly, looking puzzled: "Yeah~ what else?"

Hu Xiaobei opened his mouth again, about to reluctantly agree to this unreasonable division of labor.

An Xiaoqian suddenly burst out laughing, her hair swaying gently with her trembling shoulders.

She raised her beaming smile and poked Hu Xiaobei's slightly stunned cheek with her fingertip: "Wasn't my acting good? I fooled you right away!"

"Get out of here! I've cooked a few dishes before, how could I only give orders with my mouth?"

Speaking of this, An Xiaoqian suddenly remembered a few years ago when she suddenly had the urge to cook dinner for her mother. As a result, she either put too much salt in the scrambled eggs with tomatoes or burned the eggs.

That time she almost messed up her cooking, but it taught her how to make scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and gave her a kind of "sweet confidence" in cooking.

Hmm... This time I must avenge myself in front of Hu Xiaobei.

Looking at the girl's cunning yet determined eyes, Hu Xiaobei couldn't help but feel a little amused and exasperated.

He reached out and pinched An Xiaoqian's delicate cheek, issuing a threatening warning: "If you don't reach this level of performance when filming, you'll be sorry."

An Xiaoqian looked completely unconcerned and leaned closer, replying, "I'm already very pretty, why don't you come closer and take a look~"

Hu Xiaobei's momentum faltered, and he dared not fight back. He turned around to look at the braised pork in the casserole that was gradually bubbling.

The amber-colored broth coated chunks of fatty and lean meat, and its aroma filled the kitchen.

"These meat dishes need to simmer for a while longer. The smell of oil is too strong here. Why don't you go out and rest first, and I'll call you to cook the dishes later?"

"I don't want to!" An Xiaoqian was unwilling to comply, thinking about returning to Beijing tomorrow.

She tiptoed slightly, hugged Hu Xiaobei's arm from behind, and gently rubbed her chin against his shoulder: "I can be your personal assistant, helping you get the food and handing you the seasonings!"

She tilted her head back, her eyes sparkling and blinking like a spoiled kitten.

Hu Xiaobei's ears turned slightly red from being rubbed, and he reluctantly pulled his arm away, stuffing the washed tomato into her hand: "Then put the tomato on the plate, and go to the refrigerator and get a few eggs."

Having been assigned the task, An Xiaoqian enthusiastically cooperated and got busy.

While Hu Xiaobei was cooking, An Xiaoqian handed him the prepared mushrooms, and when she handed him the plate, she deliberately scratched his palm twice, looking very pleased with herself.

When the scalding oil splashed onto the side of the pan, she screamed in fright and hid behind Hu Xiaobei, but her fingers still secretly peeked out to sprinkle chopped green onions into the pan.

This cowardly yet courageous little face amused Hu Xiaobei, who couldn't help but chuckle: "Your little assistant, how come your courage is so unpredictable!"

(End of this chapter)