Knows Her Way in the Kitchen

"Now tell me what to cook. I'm in no mood when I'm hungry."

"Uuuh…"

With Shu Xian already looking at the rice cooker, she noticed that there are still a lot of rice left, making her remember what Pan An said, wanting rice for tonight.

"We still have a lot of rice. Want fried rice for dinner?"

"Sure—"

"What do you want me to put inside? Egg? Ham?"

With Shu Xian speaking as if she was in a rush, already getting garlic at the side as she started to mince them, Pan An couldn't help but arch a brow at her, curious.

"Why are you in a rush? No one's chasing after you. We're at home. You can relax and just do what you wanna do."

Shu Xian continued to mince the garlic. She sighed as she did notice that she is in a rush, already turning her back to lean on the counter for a while as she put the knife down, looking at Pan An with a little worry in her eyes.

"I'm sorry. I didn't notice that I was rushing. It's just that I got used to old habits. Every time I go home from school or at work, I immediately cook so that I would have more time to study later or rest. With working and studying, I have to rush my homework most of the time."

Hearing this, Pan An grabbed a chair and sat on it. With him quiet for a while as he listened to Shu Xian, she sighed, crossing her arms in front of her chest as she gave Pan An a small sigh, now thanking him for giving her the scholarship.

"I guess now I would have to readjust my habits. With you helping me land on this scholarship, maybe I can have a little time for myself and my dog. Don't you think?"

"Yes," Pan An commented, propping a hand under his chin as he looked at Shu Xian straight in the eyes. "You… lived in an apartment alone and do this kind of habit every day?"

Shu Xian couldn't help but let out a chuckle, nodding to answer his question.

"Yes."

With that, Pan An stood up from his chair then got another knife, getting the ham from the chiller at the same time as he got four slices of it, asking if it is enough for their fried rice.

"Is this enough? We can put egg and ham in our fried rice. I think I can help you with that. Makes cooking and chatting all the more fun, no?"

Hearing this, Shu Xian couldn't help but playfully roll her eyes at him.

"Yes, but you don't need to help me. You have to check your papers. What you let me carry a while ago is already too much," she said, making Pan An laugh as he shook his head.

"What you said is making me feel guilty now. Sorry for asking you to carry this much," he replied, already slicing the ham into small pieces of squares. "I want to eat fried fish, too. Is it alright?"

"Sure," Shu Xian said, already heating up the pan to prepare the sautéing. "You sure it will help you with your hangover? Wow… it's with you for a long time now."

"Yeah, don't worry. After dinner, I'll rest then sleep. Papers can wait 'til this Friday to be checked, anyway. More sleep will help with the headache."

With that, Shu Xian already put the garlic on the pan, frying it to golden brown before she could put the fried rice inside. Pan An then gave her the sliced hams, Shu Xian already mixing it in the rice as she stirred.

"You should have put this while I was sautéing the garlic."

"Nah… it gets cooked, too, while you stir-fry the rice. I don't like toasted ham."

Shu Xian nodded, understanding his preference.

"Alright, then. I'll keep this in mind!"

With that, Shu Xian started to season the rice with some soy, making it brown as the smell of it invited Pan An to get a taste but he would have to wait until Shu Xian is finished preparing their dinner.

It is just simple fried rice and yet, Pan An loves to eat breakfast food anytime of the day! He always loved how breakfast food is so delicious and believes that people could eat it anytime of the day as long as they wanted to.

"I checked your fridge and saw two fishes. Can you clean it up for me before I cook it, please? Thank you."

And Pan An did as he was told. He got the fish from the fridge and started to remove the insides, making Shu Xian comment on his basic cooking skills.

"Hmm… as a person who grew up from a known family, I'm surprised you know how to do things in the kitchen and what to do with the food."

Pan An smiled, continuing to clean the fish as they engaged in a conversation.

"Living alone has helped me do this much. I actually like the idea of people knowing these stuffs as a must. I don't get why people who are rich have to disregard this basic knowledge when they can do it themselves."

Shu Xian laughed as she agreed, nodding to what he said as she commented on the statement as well.

"True. Maybe it's a way to flaunt riches? You guys usually hire known chefs to cook for you, do you not?"

"Well, yes," Pan An answered, already deboning the fish as well as Shu Xian is now putting the fried rice in a big bowl for her to put on the table. "But I love it when food is made by the family."

"Oh! Your mom knows how to cook?"

"Of course! When mom looks for a wife for me, she makes it a point that the woman knows her way in the kitchen. This is a big plus point for her regardless of the title and possession of the woman."

Shu Xian nodded, already serving the fried rice on the sink as she got a clean pan and put it on the stove for the fish.

"Ma'am Cai Li is indeed unique. I now understand why she is a loving mother to you."

Hearing this, Pan An couldn't help but frown, not saying a word. Seeing his expression, it made Shu Xian regret saying her comment, maybe something amiss as she didn't expect Pan An to be this way.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have—"

"It's alright," Pan An interrupted, faking a smile as he loosened his necktie in front of her. "While you're cooking, I'll take a shower. Thank you for cooking dinner."