Chapter 195: Late-night Snack Together

Gu Xixi covered her forehead and stepped back, afraid to disturb others, and didn't dare raise her voice, "Who is it?"

"Entering the kitchen in the middle of the night without turning on a light."

Whoever it is, they're so hard-bodied, bumping into her head hurts so much!

From inside the door came Mu Nan Zhao's voice, "In the middle of the night, how would I know someone just happened to be blocking the doorway?"

Gu Xixi: "......"

She looked up, "How is it you again?!"

How many times has this happened? She comes out at midnight and inevitably runs into him.

Mu Nan Zhao said, "Don't you need to sleep?"

Gu Xixi rolled her eyes, "Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

She pushed Mu Nan Zhao, "Either go in or hurry up and leave! Don't block the doorway, letting mosquitoes, flies, and rats get in; tomorrow if Zhang Shen asks, I'll say it was you who did it."

Moments later, light came on in the kitchen.

Mu Nan Zhao placed an oil lamp on the stove.

"What are you here for?" they said in unison, then glanced at each other.

Mu Nan Zhao: "Thirsty, drinking water."

Gu Xixi: "Hungry, looking for something to eat."

She said, standing on tiptoe to open the top shelf of the cabinet,

Tonight there were no leftovers; the only thing ready to eat was the four mixed-grain buns covered in the basket.

The top shelf was a bit high; Gu Xixi didn't want to bother with a stool, she strained her arms, slowly moving the basket of buns outward, afraid the last night snack would fall to the floor.

A hand reached out from behind and easily took the basket away in front of her.

Gu Xixi turned in surprise, her nose bumping into Mu Nan Zhao's chest again.

You......

Because Gu Xixi suddenly turned around, they were only a finger's width apart, almost standing face to face, pressed together.

The air seemed to suddenly solidify.

Mu Nan Zhao held the basket of buns high with one hand, his body stiff, his gaze level with the cabinet above Gu Xixi's head.

And Gu Xixi was directly facing Mu Nan Zhao's collarbone area.

In the silence, she unconsciously scanned him up and down; he was neatly dressed today, from the Adam's apple visible above the collar to the chest below the collarbone.

Gu Xixi thought, just now she had bumped into this chest.

The bump really hurt.

At that moment, Mu Nan Zhao suddenly said, "What are you spacing out about again?"

Gu Xixi was wondering why her head hurt so much from the bump, and blurted, "Could you be hiding a heart-protecting mirror or something in your clothes?"

Mu Nan Zhao: "......"

He lowered his gaze to meet hers, hooking a mischievous smile, "Wouldn't you know if you just looked yourself?"

Gu Xixi felt greatly embarrassed, also becoming alert, "You, you suddenly standing so close—what for? In the middle of the night you scared me to death, move aside quickly!"

Mu Nan Zhao decisively stepped back, placing the basket of buns on the small table nearby.

I also want to eat, grilled buns with vegetables.

Gu Xixi turned away, continuing to search the lower two shelves of the cabinet, mercilessly refusing, "No grilling, too much trouble."

Mu Nan Zhao lazily leaned against the cabinet edge, saying, "I recall someone just said at noon they would give me a thank-you gift."

You forgot that quickly?

Gu Xixi didn't even lift her head, "Not forgotten, I said I'd give you a hundred taels of silver, first an IOU, then pay later."

Mu Nan Zhao sighed softly, "A late-night snack of buns replaces a hundred taels of silver."

Even a three-year-old knows how to calculate the better deal.

Gu Xixi snapped her head around, "You want me to make you food as a thank-you gift?"

Mu Nan Zhao nodded, "Grilled buns."

Now Gu Xixi was in a dilemma; she glanced at the cabinet and said, "The buns can be grilled, but there's no vegetables to put inside."

These days the weather is getting hotter by the day; if we leave leftovers in the cabinet, eating them tomorrow might upset our stomachs.

So since the Beginning of Summer, Zhang Shen prepares food fresh and eats it right away.

Mu Nan Zhao pondered, then chose to relent, "No vegetables needed, but we still need to grill the buns."

Gu Xixi resigned, "Fine, grilled buns—I'll make them for you right now."

According to Gu Xixi's original plan, in the middle of the night she would just grab any bun and use it as a makeshift pad.

Who knew she'd encounter this living deity who insists on eating grilled buns!

Although Mu Nan Zhao isn't picky and his food isn't precious, it's still a hassle!!

Gu Xixi moved the small stove to the courtyard, added firewood and lit it, deeply regretting in her heart that she shouldn't have shown Mu Nan Zhao the only dish she knows how to cook……

Gu Xixi placed the mixed-grain buns at the edge of the stove opening, then turned and went back into the kitchen.

Not long after, she came out again holding a small clay pot, placing it on the fire.

Mu Nan Zhao had already moved a wooden chair for himself, sitting under the eaves shaking a wheat-stalk fan while waiting for the meal.

"What is this?"

Gu Xixi looked at his old-man demeanor and replied testily, "Fermented rice wine."

"The weather is so cool, why are you waving a fan?"

Mu Nan Zhao gave a "really stupid" look, "Naturally to drive away mosquitoes and insects."

Gu Xixi choked, then sat with her back to him, guarding the stove.

Zhang Shen made a small crock of glutinous rice wine two days ago.

Gu Xixi just saw it was ready to eat, so she scooped two big spoonfuls, mixed with well water, and cooked into wine lees soup.

When the soup boiled, the surface of the steamed bun was just lightly toasted to a slight yellow-brown.

Gu Xixi lifted the pot lid, cracked two eggs in, and quickly stirred a few rounds with the soup spoon.

The aroma of the rice wine blossomed with her wrist movements, drifting in the night.

Gu Xixi whispered, "It's done, come over, I'll teach you a completely new way to eat."

The wine lees egg drop soup poured into the bowl is fragrant and sweet enough without adding sugar.

Pick up the toasted bun, break off only the outermost crisp part, a small piece, and put it into the soup.

Then place the remaining bun on the side of the stove to keep toasting.

Mu Nan Zhao followed Gu Xixi's method, eating a piece of toasted bun soaked in the soup.

Because he ate it as soon as it was dipped, the bun hadn't fully softened, absorbing the wine lees' sweetness while retaining some crispness and chew.

After fishing out the bun pieces from the bowl, he took two sips of soup; the broth moistened the mouth, and the egg flowers were fragrant, soft, smooth, and tender.

At this point, the toasted bun on the stove could be broken off another layer.

Repeat this process until the bun and wine lees egg drop soup are finished.

Finally, Mu Nan Zhao set down the empty bowl and said, "The eating method is still quite interesting."

Gu Xixi said, "This is a way to best taste the original flavor of wheat flour."

"The important thing is simplicity; when there's no wine lees, you can just mix a bowl of sugar water as a substitute. Even someone like you who can't cook should be able to learn after eating it today."

"From now on, you won't end up starving yourself to the point of hypoglycemia and fainting."

Mu Nan Zhao gave a sideways glance, "You're touching the sore spot, right?"

"So you making this dish, you're also someone who can't cook, right?"

Gu Xixi felt as if she had been shot in the back with an arrow.

She changed the subject, "Are you sure after eating this meal you don't want the silver?"

Mu Nan Zhao originally wanted to say, "I never intended to take your three melons and two dates."

But he glanced at Gu Xixi, changed his mind temporarily, "Let's just owe it for now."

"Make sure you remember, adding to the previous, this is already the second time." He said meaningfully.

Gu Xixi also hadn't intended to brush it off with just a bun meal, she said generously:

"Alright, help me do something, and this time's hundred taels, you can cash in anytime later."

"But... you should be leaving soon, right?"