483 Chapter 483: Visi (2/2)

”Huh? What's that supposed to mean?”

”Um…Zhao Yan's cooking skills aren't…well…” Yue Jian was as pale as a ghost as she entertained what seemed like ghastly memories. I found myself less and less able to keep myself in denial. ”Uh…I don't know how to put it…it's just that sometimes the stuff that Zhao Yan prepares, it might be difficult to call them food…”

I felt cold dread seeping into my heart, completely replacing all sense of denial. As much as I was a fan of free food, it only applied to stuff that was actually edible. Still, I was somewhat relieved at the information. So the seemingly perfect Zhao Yan did have something that she couldn't do…

”What should we do?” I was unable to keep the unease out of my voice.

”Well…Mother is with Zhao Yan, so it should be okay…I think?”

You think? Oh, great. That was just brilliant. It was a good thing I had received the gift of poison immunity from the Holy Spring, otherwise I would be worrying about finding an antidote or charcoal pill for the inevitable poisoning.

”Well…anyway…if you don't mind me asking…” Yue Jian began fidgeting nervously when I settled down on the sofa. I sighed.

”Relax, lady. I'm not going to eat you.”

”E…eat me?!”

Jeez, girl. Don't take my words so literally.

”Ask whatever you want. Don't worry, I'm not the type to get angry easily.”

”O…oh. Sure. Yes.” Yue Jian nodded enthusiastically. Bumbling over the sofa in an attempt to get nearer, she blurted out innocently. ”Are you…Zhao Yan's boyfriend?”

”Nope. I'm afraid I don't have the qualifications to be her boyfriend, even if I wanted to.”

I didn't know how much Yue Jian knew about her sister in school, so I summed Zhao Yan up as this flawless, perfect superwoman who was good at everything, from studying for tests to athletics to combat and magic. Yue Jian listened intently, absorbing each and every word I said. Her face was full of wonder even before I finished the story.

”Huh…I never imagined Zhao Yan to be so good. At home, she's a little less…uptight.”

Glad to hear that. So there were cracks underneath that superhuman façade of hers.

”Still, you're the only boy that Zhao Yan has ever brought home, so I thought maybe…”

I chuckled and shook my head. ”Don't worry, this isn't a harem story.”

”Harem story?”

”Never mind…just take comfort in the fact that your sister isn't interested in romance at all.”

”That's true.” Yue Jian leaned back as she munched on the strawberry short cake. ”To be honest, you're the first and only person Zhao Yan has ever brought home. Father and Mother must be so happy.”

”Uh…okay.” Now that was a surprise. I had figured that Zhao Yan was immensely popular and had a lot of friends, but from what her mother and now even her sister said, it seemed that Zhao Yan distanced herself from her peers. ”I wonder what she will be cooking.”

”We can take a peek!”

Yue Jian jumped to her feet excitedly. The more we conversed, the less tense she became as she warmed up to me. I slowly understood why Zhao Yan wanted me to meet her sister. Most likely it was to put her at ease and open her up to people her age. Yue Jian behaved like this was the first time she had spoken to someone her age, who wasn't either of her sisters.

I followed Yue Jian to just outside the kitchen, and the quiet girl threw her hand up to stop me in my tracks before placing a finger on her lips. Understanding the need to refrain from making a sound, I stealthily tiptoed to just behind Yue Jian.

Her mother's voice was drifting out of the kitchen, her tone raised in agitation.

”No, don't touch that, Zhao Yan!”

”Don't worry, Mother. I've made curry before. You can leave this to me.”

”You call that sludge you made curry?! That resembled sewage more than anything edible. I will not have you wasting perfectly good and fresh ingredients again. Just peel the potatoes.”

…sludge? Did Zhao Yan's mother just say sludge?

”Zhao Yan tried making curry one time,” Yue Jian explained, trembling as she pressed her back against the wall, her eyes wide from some horrific memory. ”We ended up throwing up after she fed it to us. She called it curry…but the whole thing was purple.”

Good heavens, what on earth did Zhao Yan put inside the curry to turn it purple?!

”Ah, geez! You can't even peel the potatoes correctly! You're tearing off too much skin! And what's with the carrots? I didn't tell you to mince them! This is why I told you to go outside and entertain that young man! You're hindering me more than you're helping!”

I chortled as I listened to Zhao Yan's mother berating her for her antics in the kitchen. The irritatingly perfect Mary Sue image I had of Zhao Yan was melting away as she stubbornly insisted on helping out in the kitchen, much to her mother's chagrin.

”Zhao Yan always never backs down because of her pride,” Yue Jian said nostalgically I couldn't help but chortle.

”That suits her character, actually.” I shook my head. ”Next time you want curry, you should let me know. I know how to cook Singapore chicken curry. I'll bring a pot over next time.”

Honestly, I was cheating. The Singapore chicken curry that I cooked occasionally for myself and Dad was a ready-made one that I could buy online. Prima Taste brand was really convenient. All I needed to do was mix the curry paste with the appropriate amount of water, according to instructions, and boil it, and it worked. There was quite a bit of prep work to do, such as peeling the potatoes and cutting the carrots, etc. But on the whole it was a relatively easy affair. Even an amateur like me could cook it. I should introduce Prima Taste Singapore chicken curry to Zhao Yan sometime.

Even she couldn't mess that up…right?

”All right, let's go back to the living room…”

We were about to do that when a shadow appeared behind us, catching us in the act. Scowling, Nan Gong Jiao Shou placed his hands on his hips.

”What are the two of you doing?”

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