Chapter 280: Hidden Talents
Ye Ming knew she was laughing, and the corners of his mouth curved up as well. He must have been in a particularly good mood, as his smile was wider than usual, his dimples faintly visible.
Afraid she might laugh herself out of breath, he couldn’t help but gently pat her back.
After a good while, Shi Lan had finally laughed her fill. She composed herself and said, "Well, as long as you like the pink."
After she finished laughing, Ye Ming helped her put on her shoes and led her downstairs by the hand.
"Have you washed up?"
He asked softly. Shi Lan nodded.
"Good, then we can eat."
"Are you hungry?"
Shi Lan rubbed her stomach and shook her head. "Not really, but it is time to eat."
It was probably the glass of milk she drank last night. She rarely drank anything before bed, and that milk had provided a good bit of energy.
"Mm."
Hearing her mention milk, Ye Ming couldn’t help but think of their intimate entanglement from the night before.
The tips of his ears turned red, but he did his best to maintain a calm expression. He led Shi Lan to the dining table, asked her to wait a moment, and then went to the kitchen to bring out the food.
When the first dish was served, Shi Lan’s eyes widened. ’What a beautiful dish.’
The first plate held a translucent, white, unknown meat, stacked in the shape of a rose. The meat looked a bit like shrimp, and several dipping sauces were placed to the side. The presentation was very elegant.
The second dish was just as impressive. Carrots had been carved into two lanterns, looking very festive. They were drizzled with a clear sauce that made them look even more appetizing.
Then came the third dish...
There were six dishes in total, and every single one, from its shape to its plating and color scheme, was comparable to the work of a master chef.
Shi Lan was certain this was definitely not the work of a robot. A housekeeping bot could never put so much thought and effort into creating each exquisite dish.
She looked at Ye Ming in disbelief. "Ye Ming, did you make all of this?"
Ye Ming nodded, his eyes showing a hint of nervousness. "Lanlan, try some. See if you like the taste."
Shi Lan didn’t rush to taste it, instead showering him with unstoppable praise. "Oh my god, Ye Ming, you’re amazing."
"This level of skill is on par with a top chef! And your knife work is incredible. That meat from the first dish looked so thinly sliced, and those hollowed-out carrot lanterns must be really difficult to make..."
Listening to her endless compliments, Ye Ming gave a reserved and modest smile. "It’s nothing special. I learned it in university."
"They teach this at your university?"
"Oh, right, you went to Imperial Capital University too, didn’t you?"
Ye Ming explained, "Mhm, the university offers a lot of electives like this for males. I had some free time while I was studying, so I took them all."
"So you learned to sew clothes there too?"
Shi Lan’s mouth hung open in a daze. Ye Ming nodded.
She couldn’t help but give him a thumbs-up. ’The Eldest Prince really is in a league of his own. He’s a male with 3S Spiritual Power—his spiritual power is already outstanding, and on top of that, he can cook and sew. Plus, he said last night that his father made him read a lot, so he’s obviously a top student. Of course, last night I also experienced firsthand just how strong his practical and learning abilities are... he was always able to find the best, most comfortable position for me through trial and error.’
Realizing her thoughts had taken a dirty turn again, Shi Lan blushed and quickly reined in her runaway imagination.
She was at a loss for words. Ye Ming, however, didn’t seem to think any of this was worth showing off. His expression remained as gentle as ever, his soft green eyes gazing at her. "Lanlan, let’s eat first. It’ll taste better while it’s hot."
"Okay."
Shi Lan blinked, curiously pointing to the plate of translucent meat arranged like a flower. "What kind of meat is this?"
It didn’t look like the "gugu meat" she usually ate.
Ye Ming’s lips parted as he explained, "It’s deep-sea shrimp from the Abyssal Star. The yield is very low, though. You can typically only get it for about two months, around February and March."
"And not all deep-sea shrimp are edible. Only the mature ones that have turned red can be eaten, otherwise they’re poisonous."
In this world, many plants and animals had mutated to some degree with the changes on the planets. Normal species were rare. Even the foraging cat Shi Lan had stumbled upon at the manor the other day was several times faster than an ordinary cat from reality.
Shi Lan nodded in understanding. Realizing it had been a long time since she’d had shrimp, she couldn’t help but swallow, and was the first to pick up her chopsticks.
"I’ll dig in, then."
"Mhm, go ahead."
Ye Ming’s eyes curved into a smile as he introduced the three small dipping saucers. "This deep-sea shrimp can actually be eaten plain. It has a light, sweet flavor, but some people find it too mild."
"These three dips are a sweet plum honey sauce, a spicy chili sauce, and wasabi soy sauce. Lanlan, you should try them all. Each one has a different texture and flavor."
Shi Lan was already getting impatient just listening to his description. She first tried eating a piece plain.
The meat looked like sashimi, but it was slightly warm when she put it in her mouth, so it must have been steamed. As for the taste, it was just as Ye Ming had described: no fishy smell at all, just a light sweetness and a slight chewiness. It was more savory and fresh than any shrimp she had ever eaten before.
Shi Lan’s eyes sparkled. "It’s delicious."
With that, she tried the sweet plum honey sauce. She rarely tried this kind of dip, but after tasting it, she found it was a bit like the plum sauce served with roast duck to cut the grease. It was an even better match for the shrimp, however, amplifying its natural savory sweetness while adding the tartness of preserved plums. The flavor was unique and very appetizing.
Next was the spicy chili sauce. As someone who used to love spicy food, this was her favorite. It was a medium heat that exploded on her tongue but wasn’t harsh on her stomach.
As for the final wasabi soy sauce, it was relatively conventional compared to the other options.
In the end, Shi Lan ate most of the shrimp with the spicy chili sauce and the sweet plum honey sauce.
The second dish, the carrots, was drizzled with mint honey water. The coolness of the mint made each slice of carrot refreshingly crisp and tender.
The other dishes included both meat and vegetables. Ye Ming knew she liked vegetarian dishes, and everything on the table was both unique and delicious.
Shi Lan ate to her heart’s content.
She enjoyed the food that both he and He Hanshi made, though they offered different culinary experiences.
Ye Ming loved meat. For many males, deep-sea shrimp from the Abyssal Star were too tender and lacked a satisfying bite, but females loved them.
He didn’t touch the plate, watching with satisfaction as Shi Lan finished it all.
Shi Lan had offered him some, but he preferred the "gugu meat" next to it.
She could see he genuinely wasn’t interested, so she didn’t insist.
After she had eaten until her belly was full and round, Ye Ming gave her a digestive tablet and held her, gently massaging her stomach.
Seeing she was still in her pajamas and remembering a dress he had made but never given her, he couldn’t help but ask, "Lanlan, I actually made another dress for you. Do you want to wear it?"
Shi Lan nodded. "Yes, yes!"
Ye Ming led her back to the bedroom and opened his wardrobe. The dress was placed by itself in one of the compartments, easy to spot at a glance.
The dress had been folded beforehand, so Ye Ming grabbed it without taking a closer look.