Chapter 40: Conquered a Family with Hot Pot

The room was thick with misty smoke, creating an atmosphere that, at first glance, might make someone think there had been some intense battle inside. However, the truth was much simpler—Jiang Chen and the Scarlet Witch were enjoying a hot pot meal together.

Jiang Chen wasn't much of a cook, but hot pot was simple enough. With a pot, some vegetables, and a few ingredients, he had prepared something delicious, quick, and easy.

"I've seen this before... but I've never had it. I didn't expect it to be so good!" Wanda exclaimed, nibbling on a piece of potato.

Jiang Chen noticed that Wanda's lips were swollen from the heat of the chili oil he had generously added. It gave her lips a fuller, redder look, as if she were wearing lipstick, making her look even more attractive.

"It's just... really spicy," she added, fanning her mouth with her hand. Despite the spiciness, she continued eating, clearly unable to resist the taste.

Jiang Chen chuckled, "A non-spicy hot pot has no soul."

Wanda looked at him curiously. "What's this dish called?"

At that moment, her fair face was flushed from the heat of the food. She grabbed a wet wipe from the table and dabbed at the sweat on her forehead. Jiang Chen, amused, picked up a piece of meat and asked, "Do you know any Chinese?"

Wanda shook her head, so Jiang Chen slowly pronounced, "This is called huo guo—hot pot."

Wanda carefully watched his lips, repeating after him, "Gege?"

Jiang Chen raised an eyebrow. How in the world did she turn "hot pot" into "brother"? He shook his head, repeating slowly, "Huo guo."

"Huo guo?" Wanda repeated, this time getting it right, though it sounded a bit awkward. Still, for a foreigner, her language skills were impressive.

Jiang Chen nodded approvingly. "Yes, that's it."

A small smile of pride crept onto Wanda's face as she muttered to herself, "Hot pot… hot pot…" She picked up another piece of meat and popped it into her mouth, clearly satisfied with herself.

But as the spice hit her again, she quickly grabbed her cup and took several gulps of water. She really couldn't handle the heat, Jiang Chen thought with amusement.

Seeing her struggle, he teased, "There's actually a way to make it less spicy."

Wanda's eyes lit up with hope. "What is it?"

Jiang Chen leaned in closer, smiling mysteriously. "Come here."

Without hesitation, Wanda leaned in, and Jiang Chen kissed her lips softly. She froze, surprised, but the warmth of the kiss seemed to soothe her.

After the kiss, she whispered, "It's really… not spicy anymore."

Wasting no time, Wanda scooped up a few more pieces of meat, eagerly stuffing them into her mouth. But the spice hit her again almost immediately, and she looked at Jiang Chen with wide eyes, pointing to her mouth and whining, "Hot…"

Jiang Chen raised his eyebrow, impressed. She's a fast learner.

Just then, he felt a flash of movement. When he looked up, a foreign man stood on the other side of the table. It was Wanda's brother, Quicksilver.

Quicksilver frowned, glancing from Jiang Chen to Wanda. "So this is why you're here?" he asked, his tone suspicious.

Wanda got up, flustered, and quickly introduced them. "This is Jiang Chen. You've seen him before."

Quicksilver stared at Jiang Chen, his frown deepening. He had, in fact, seen him before—fighting Iron Man, engulfed in flames during the battle. He wasn't a mutant, though, so what was his story?

As Quicksilver stood there, confused, the smell of the hot pot wafted over to him, catching his attention. He looked down at the table and asked, "What is this?"

In broken Chinese, Wanda proudly announced, "It's hot pot!"

Quicksilver blinked, then frowned harder. "Gege?"

Jiang Chen nearly choked. Seriously? The whole family?

He cleared his throat and corrected them both. "It's called hot pot."

Wanda nodded, then tugged on Quicksilver's arm. "Why don't you sit down and eat with us?"

Quicksilver hesitated. The dish looked suspiciously like some kind of experimental concoction. How could he eat something like that?

But before he could refuse, Wanda shoved a piece of meat into his mouth. "Try it! It's delicious!"

Quicksilver reluctantly chewed the bite. His initial frown began to fade as the taste took over. Not bad. In fact, it was… really good.

Without another word, Quicksilver grabbed a stool and sat down, helping himself to the hot pot. As they ate together, Wanda smiled and introduced her brother properly. "This is my brother, Pietro—Quicksilver."

Jiang Chen nodded, acknowledging him. Quicksilver, still chewing, looked at Jiang Chen suspiciously and asked, "Did you make this?"

Jiang Chen hummed in response. Though, to be honest, it was hardly cooking—more like the same effort as making instant noodles.

Quicksilver narrowed his eyes. "Where did you learn to make this?"

"I'm Chinese," Jiang Chen replied simply.

Quicksilver stared at him for a moment, then shook his head in disbelief. Everything the Chinese make… is just this good?