CHAPTER 17: BE GOOD

After resting on Nie Zihang’s shoulder for a while, Yu Jingxuan got up on his own.

Due to the soothing effect of the pheromones, the Alpha’s face had regained its colour and was no longer as pale and sickly as before.

The pheromones from the back of the neck were also under control, and now there was no trace of the orchid scent.

Nie Zihang knew that the young police officer was sensitive, so this time he did not tease him anymore. Instead, he patted his back and said, “Take a rest for now; I will go cook. I will call you when the food is ready.”

Yu Jingxuan kept his head lowered throughout, and upon hearing that, his eyelashes trembled like raven feathers. He apologised softly, “I am sorry, Mr. Nie, for troubling you like this during your pre-heat period…”

Even using his toes, Nie Zihang could figure out what he was thinking in his heart.

“It is just a pre-heat, not a full heat. It is not that big of a deal. Besides, last time I went to your place, you were the chef, right? At most, this is just a tit-for-tat. Why apologize? Everyone has their ups and downs.”

After saying that, he could not resist and rubbed the Alpha’s head that was raised.

“Alright, you rest. I will go out.”

　　┈

Nie Zihang returned to the kitchen and felt a bit troubled when faced with a large bowl of shrimp.

In fact, he occasionally cooked simple dishes like stir-fried vegetables. But when it came to handling complex dishes like shrimp, it posed a bit of a challenge for him.

Fortunately, Yu Jingxuan only rested for a short while before returning to the kitchen.

The Alpha, who was initially feeling a bit embarrassed about what happened earlier, could not help but burst into laughter when he saw the usually composed man feeling at a loss in front of a bowl of shrimp.

“I will take care of it, Mr. Nie.”

As he spoke, he walked to Nie Zihang’s side and took the bowl of shrimp back into his hands.

With a quick move, Nie Zihang dodged, not allowing him to even touch the edge of the bowl.

Then, he tilted his chin towards the little pony in the corner: “What are you doing here? Go sit over there and tell me what needs to be done. I will take care of it.”

Yu Jingxuan paused for a moment, knowing that Nie Zihang was concerned about him. He obediently sat on the small stool, showing his respect and compliance.

“You wash the shrimp again first.”

“I already washed them just now; I am not stupid.”

Yu Jingxuan raised his eyebrows and said, “Alright, then, Mr. Nie, use oil to rub the shrimp.”

“Like this?”

“Mmm, that is right.”

“And then? Do we need to chop the onions, ginger, and garlic?”

“Mmm, let us start by chopping the ginger. Oh, no need to slice it, Mr. Nie! Hmm, let us set it aside for now; we will use it for stir-frying later. Cut it into large pieces and put it in the pan.”

┈

With one person giving verbal instructions and the other following them, there was a bit of chaos and confusion, but they managed to cook the dish in the end.

Afterwards, Nie Zihang stir-fried a dish of baby bok choy¹Baby bok choy, also known as Shanghai bok choy or pak choi, is a leafy green vegetable that belongs to the cabbage family. It has tender, crisp stalks and dark green leaves. Baby bok choy is commonly used in Asian cuisine and is known for its mild and slightly sweet flavor. It can be stir-fried, steamed, or used in soups and salads.. In the meantime, he also went to Yu Jingxuan’s house and brought back lotus seed porridge.

By 8 o’clock in the evening, they had finally placed both home-cooked dishes on the dining table.

One meat dish, one vegetable dish, along with the fragrant porridge—the aroma alone made one’s mouth water.

Nie Zihang peeled the shrimp, dipped it in the oil and vinegar sauce, and placed it on Yu Jingxuan’s plate. “Thanks for teaching me, Chef Yu. Try the shrimp I cooked and let me know how it tastes.”

Yu Jingxuan picked up a whole shrimp, chewed it with his cheeks puffed, and nodded earnestly. “Delicious. Mr. Nie, you are a great cook.”

In fact, it was just boiling shrimp in plain water. The only thing you needed to do was cook the shrimp until it was done. Even so, there were still several times when he made mistakes in the process.

The oil and vinegar used for seasoning were personally prepared by Yu Jingxuan.

Even this could be praised…?

Nie Zihang: “Yu Xiaoxuan, I suspect you are mocking me.”

Yu Jingxuan quickly shook: “No, Mr. Nie, you did a great job, really! There was one time when I was not feeling well and asked He Cheng to help with the cooking, but he almost blew up the kitchen. In the end, I had to cook the meal myself. Since then, I never let him near the kitchen. Although it may sound a bit offensive, I think people like you… well, generally are not good at cooking…”

Nie Zihang paused with the chopsticks that were about to pick up the food.

He tapped the table in dissatisfaction: “Yu Xiaoxuan, how dare you compare me to someone like He Cheng? I am angry now. I have been in my pre-estrus period recently, and Chen Xin says I have a short temper.”

Yu Jingxuan was so scared that he put down his bowl and hurriedly explained, “No, Mr. Nie, that is not what I meant. Please do not misunderstand. I just wanted to say that I genuinely meant the praise for you…”

Seeing that Alpha was so scared that he could not even eat, Nie Zihang chuckled.

Then, rolling up his sleeves, he peeled several more shrimp and put them in the Alpha’s bowl.

“Silly, how could I really be angry with you? Come, eat the shrimp that I peeled for you. Why are you so timid like a rabbit? Do not let yourself get indigestion from being scared. I heard that rabbits can get indigestion when they are frightened and even jump…”

Yu Jingxuan’s mouth, chewing on the shrimp meat, suddenly froze…

“Mr. Nie!”

“We are still eating!”

He had just eaten halfway, and there was a little bit of oil and vinegar residue on his beautiful lips.

Nie Zihang could not help but hold back his laughter: “Alright, I will not say anything anymore. You eat, you eat.”

After finishing the meal, Nie Zihang directly threw everything into the dishwasher.

Yu Jingxuan put on his clothes and shoes, stood at the door, and bid farewell to him: “Thank you, Mr. Nie, for your hospitality. Next time you come to my house, I will cook fish stew for you.”

Nie Zihang’s lips curled into a smile: “Sure. How about next week? I think my estrus period will be over in another week.”

Yu Jingxuan turned around and went to open the door.

Nie Zihang lazily followed behind him the whole time.

When they were about to leave the yard, Yu Jingxuan turned around and waved at him: “Mr. Nie, you should go back. It is getting cooler outside.”

Nie Zihang looked at him for a moment and suddenly called out, “Yu Jingxuan.”

The Alpha looked puzzled.

Nie Zihang stepped forward and straightened his neat collar: “Yu Xiaoxuan, no one is born to be suitable for anything. It is only a matter of whether they are willing to do it or not. In this society, there are many research and positions in the fields of electronics and chemistry that Alphas are doing. Those who excel academically and can handle such meticulous tasks can certainly handle kitchen work as well. It is just a matter of whether they want to or not, understand?”

As Yu Jingxuan listened, a slight sourness welled up in his nose.

“A partner should support and understand each other. If I am not feeling well, you should come and take care of me. If you are sick, I will take care of you. How can a partner who is sick be expected to continue cooking? Even if I cannot cook, I can at least go out and get some takeout, right? Why would I want to bother a sick person?”

“Yu Xiaoxuan, take care of yourself, okay? If someone does not treat you well, just let them go. You are smart enough to know who treats you well and who does not.”

Nie Zihang continued speaking, lost in his own thoughts. The Alpha in front of him seemed frozen in place, keeping their gaze lowered, quietly staring at their own feet.

“Sorry, I did say too much.”

The Alpha shook his head.

Suddenly, they took a step forward and hugged him around the waist.

“Mr. Nie, thank you so much today. Thank you for helping me handle those Alphas. The meal today was also delicious.”

“And also, your pheromones smell really nice… I do not mean it in that way, but literally, it smells really nice…”

Nie Zihang hesitated for a moment, but eventually responded to this sudden embrace.

He gently placed his hand on the Alpha’s head and gave it a gentle rub.

“Be good, I know. Your pheromones made it clear back then.”

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  Baby bok choy, also known as Shanghai bok choy or pak choi, is a leafy green vegetable that belongs to the cabbage family. It has tender, crisp stalks and dark green leaves. Baby bok choy is commonly used in Asian cuisine and is known for its mild and slightly sweet flavor. It can be stir-fried, steamed, or used in soups and salads.