Chapter 382. Frivolous Foes 17/30
The takeout had arrived, consisting of two stir-fried dishes and two bowls of rice.
Four containers were laid out on the coffee table, but Ning Chu didn’t dare to eat much.
“What if I get too full now and throw up at my sister’s place later?” She looked up at Ning Yuan, who was about to pick up his chopsticks.
“Um…”
“Isn’t that a bit excessive?”
“I might actually get beaten to death, right?” Ning Yuan honestly put down his chopsticks and sighed gloomily.
Ning Chu seemed to have encountered a pair of playful rivals, her dark eyes sparkling as she looked at her brother, “Do you two always bicker like this?”
“No, it’s just me getting beat up. I can’t hit back, can I?”
“That’s true…”
Just then, there was a knock at the door, and Xiao Xi’s strong voice rang out.
“Lunch will be ready soon!”
Ning Yuan jolted up and immediately dashed to open the door.
“Just one more dish is left, come on in and sit! I’ve already prepared the cola!” Xiao Xi beamed at the siblings peeking from inside. She noticed Ning Chu shrinking behind Ning Yuan and frowned slightly, punching Ning Yuan’s arm, “Did you say something bad about me to your sister?!”
“Absolutely not!”
He was practically like a mouse before a cat…
Clearly, that punch didn’t even have much strength, right?
Ning Chu stole a glance at her brother’s expression. He looked so tense, it was almost comical.
Was it really that scary?
Good thing she didn’t introduce Yan Xinya to him, otherwise that little frame couldn’t withstand a few punches from the wolf sister.
Xiao Xi flipped her ponytail and headed next door, while Ning Yuan trudged out, throwing a glare back at Ning Chu.
The layout of Xiao Xi’s apartment was quite similar to Ning Yuan’s. As soon as they entered, Ning Chu caught a whiff of a faint burnt smell.
Following the scent, she found a plate of blackened cola chicken wings.
Um… Isn’t that a carcinogen?
Noticing her gaze, Xiao Xi chuckled apologetically, “I followed the tutorial, but maybe I turned the heat up too high…”
Ning Chu nodded kindly, “It’s fine, just peel off the skin, the meat should still be edible.”
Encouraged, Xiao Xi beamed and tried to show off her second dish, “I’ve still got braised pork simmering in the pot, let me show you.”
But when the pot was opened, all Ning Chu saw were clumps of blackened meat.
“Did you put too much soy sauce? That shouldn’t be right…” Xiao Xi mumbled, furrowing her brow.
No wonder her brother thought the lunch invitation was making him a lab rat.
She clearly couldn’t cook! Even for a first attempt, it shouldn’t look like that!
Ning Chu turned to the dining table and finally spotted a dish that looked appetizing!
“That one! Did you make that? Black pepper beef?”
“That’s from a cooking kit I bought…”
“Oh.”
At least the rice wasn’t undercooked.
Though it seemed a bit too watery, causing the rice to clump together.
Indeed, it was more suitable to have Lily as a sister-in-law; at least her cooking was delicious~ The only concern would be about her brother’s fragile constitution—he probably couldn’t withstand the succubus’s onslaught.
The three of them sat at the dining table, Xiao Xi smiling blissfully, Ning Yuan with a serious face, and Ning Chu bouncing with curiosity, glancing around.
She took a bite of the braised pork. Although it looked unappetizing and the texture was rough enough to get stuck in her teeth, the taste was actually okay, albeit a bit too sweet.
So she had to take multiple bites of rice to suppress that greasy feeling.
“Are you a local?” Xiao Xi asked.
“Me? I’m from Sichuan and Chongqing, here for university.”
A spicy girl!
“Then why don’t you go back to work?”
As Xiao Xi peeled off the burnt skin from the cola chicken wings, she said, “I’ve gotten used to being here, I guess?”
She furtively glanced at Ning Yuan, but he was too busy devouring the black pepper beef, treating the other two dishes like poison.
“Ning Yuan!”
“Yeah?” Ning Yuan straightened immediately, “What’s up?”
“Try the braised pork.”
“……”
Ning Yuan reluctantly nodded. He took the smallest piece of braised pork and popped it into his mouth, instantly making a bitter melon face, but still had to feign surprise and give a thumbs up, “There’s been improvement! At least I can eat it!”
“What do you mean by that?!” Xiao Xi, sitting across from him, immediately leaned in, wrapping her arm around Ning Yuan’s neck and locking him in a chokehold, glaring, “What do you mean by ‘at least it’s edible?!’”
“It’s delicious! Really, there’s been improvement!”
Ning Chu snuck a look, noticing Xiao Xi’s relatively ample chest pressing against her brother’s back—she couldn’t tell if it was intentional or accidental.
But her brother seemed completely oblivious…
Hmm, I can pretty much confirm this girl is really interested in him!
Just a bit fierce though~
“No! My sister is still here! Have some decorum!”
“Pfft~”
Finally, Xiao Xi released Ning Yuan, returned to her seat, tucked her hair behind her ear, and propped her chin in her hands, displaying a charming smile. But Ning Yuan had his head down, continuing to eat, trying to suppress the grease from that piece of braised pork.
Her expression stiffened, and she coldly huffed, “There’s also braised ribs cooking; I only added a bit of salt, it should be done.”
“If you can’t cook, then don’t ruin good ingredients…”
Can you please just shut your mouth if you can’t speak properly!
Ning Chu shot her brother a glare.
“Maybe I should just cook next time.”
Ning Yuan muttered, but Xiao Xi excitedly nodded, “Sure! You come over next time to cook!”
“？？？”
He looked like a deer caught in headlights, “But I don’t have a pot, not even chopsticks over there.”
“Come cook at my place! I have everything!”
“Is that okay?”
The thought of having to cook every single day made his scalp tingle.
Not that his cooking skills were terrible; he was just lazy.
And looking at this woman who loved to bully him, if she made something bad, he’d probably be in trouble too.
“Why not just order takeout…”
“I’ll handle the groceries and washing dishes; you just need to cook!” Xiao Xi cheerfully ran off to grab the ribs, “I’ve simmered the ribs for two hours; it should be delicious. I didn’t add much seasoning; if it’s bland, just add some salt yourself.”
“Ah~”
Ning Yuan rubbed his temples, looking troubled.
“Big brother~ I feel like she really likes you!” Ning Chu leaned closer, whispering, “It looks like it to me!”
“Really? I can’t handle her personality; it’d be like getting beaten every day.”
“I still prefer sweet and gentle types; she’s too fierce…”
She ignored her brother’s words, “What if you just cancel the meeting with Lily?”
“Let’s see? I’m not so willing to give up on that super spicy succubus I found online,” Ning Yuan replied, “We can meet first and see.”
“If she finds out, I’m worried you’ll get killed~”
Ning Yuan froze for a moment before realizing: “No way, right?”
He instinctively glanced up, only to spot Xiao Xi standing not far away with the rib soup, her expression blank.
A chill suddenly crept up his spine.
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