The kitchen was a narrow L-shape—two people couldn't stand side by side. Now he stood behind her, a head taller, almost enveloping her.
As he untied the apron, Xu Qinghe held her breath.
It wasn't that she particularly craved Western food.
It was just simpler to make.
And his fridge happened to be well-stocked with Western ingredients.
But she still nodded. "Mm."
Shi Wenli took off the apron and put it on himself, telling her to go to the living room. "It'll be ready soon."
Xu Qinghe didn't move. She stood by, watching him cook.
Shi Wenli mentioned that he was late because he ran into a middle school classmate at the clinic—someone who had sat in the row ahead.
"Your classmate came to see you? Is it serious?"
Usually, people who booked his appointments weren't mild cases.
"Nothing major. Mostly anxiety and stress. She had seen neurology and waited a few minutes when she found out I was in clinic today." Shi Wenli had noticed Tao Han looked terrible. "Something might be going on at home. We hadn't seen each other in over a decade, so I didn't pry."
Xu Qinghe popped a piece of raw carrot into her mouth. "As long as it's not organic pathology. Otherwise, with such a young child, she'd definitely be more anxious."
Shi Wenli took some mushrooms from the fridge, washed them, and added them to the potatoes and carrots for roasting.
That little episode about Tao Han passed.
"When did you learn to cook?" Xu Qinghe made small talk.
"High school."
Xu Qinghe recalled him saying that his grandparents had passed away by the time he was in middle school.
"Didn't Aunt Zhao hire a cook for you and Shi Miao?"
"We had a live-in helper for a few years. When I got older, I took care of Shi Miao myself, so my parents didn't hire anyone after that."
Shi Wenli explained why he learned to cook. "When Shi Miao was little, I could play games with her and watch cartoons. When she became a teenager, there were fewer things I could do with her, so I started learning to cook for her."
His parents each had their own families; he didn't want his sister to feel they had no home. As long as he was there, they had a home.
Xu Qinghe had been doted on by her parents since childhood and couldn't bear to hear about their childhood. She praised him, "You may not know this, but at the hospital, everyone wishes for a brother like you. I especially wish for one."
Shi Wenli smiled faintly. "You don't need one. From now on, if you crave anything specific for breakfast, let me know in advance, and I'll make it and bring it to you in the morning."
Xu Qinghe still longed for his crispy scallion pancakes. "I've heard your scallion pancakes are delicious. During the Spring Festival break, I want to try them."
Shi Wenli replied while blanching the vegetables. "No need to wait till Spring Festival. I'll make them for you on Monday."
He had treated his department colleagues to scallion pancakes several times but had never made them for her.
"No rush. Make them when you have time."
Xu Qinghe couldn't cook, and in her eyes, making scallion pancakes was quite troublesome.
Shi Wenli said, "I'm used to it. It's no trouble."
In less than half an hour, a simple Western meal was ready.
Xu Qinghe helped bring the dishes out and took the roasted potatoes and carrots from him.
As she took the plate, she couldn't help but steal a glance at his hands.
He had rolled up his sleeves a few times for convenience, revealing his well-proportioned and strong forearms.
Those hands weren't just fit for a scalpel; they were also skilled at cooking.
During the meal, Xu Qinghe's phone buzzed with a package notification.
She frowned, thinking back. She hadn't shopped recently.
She opened her orders to confirm—she definitely hadn't bought anything.
Shi Wenli noticed. "What's wrong? Something at work?"
"No."
Xu Qinghe said she'd received a delivery notice but didn't know who sent it.
It couldn't be her parents surprising her—there were no special occasions recently.
Shi Wenli picked up his phone right away and checked. "I bought something for you. It's arrived." He looked up. "I thought it wouldn't arrive until tomorrow."