"But it wasn't tasty. He insisted I finish it, saying he wanted to practice his cooking skills so he could make it for Tong Tong," Xiao Jingshi huffed. "He's treating me like a guinea pig!"
Fu Yinxiu tapped Little Jingshi's head lightly with his fingers. "Stop talking so much!"
Ming Yutong smiled and headed to the dining room.
The breakfast Fu Yinxiu prepared was actually Eggs Benedict.
Since there were no muffins and there wasn't enough time to make them, he used toasted bread instead, with a few roasted cherry tomatoes on the side.
On the toast was a perfectly poached egg with a runny yolk. The poached egg was impeccably clean, with no stray bits of egg white.
Through the thin, translucent egg white on top of the yolk, the orange-yellow yolk was visible, indicating excellent control over the cooking.
The poached egg was topped with a layer of hollandaise sauce.
Ming Yutong didn't expect him to have made hollandaise sauce in such a short time.
Making poached eggs isn't difficult, but she was surprised Fu Yinxiu knew how to make them.
When boiling water, adding a few drops of vinegar helps prevent the egg white from dispersing too much and helps it coagulate.
Creating a whirlpool in the water before adding the egg causes the egg to form a droplet shape, distinguishing it from a fried egg.
Few people actually knew this.
Ming Yutong remembered this from her business dealings with a noble in Y Country, who was a gourmet and discussed various culinary techniques.
Ming Yutong was impressed. Regardless of the taste, the presentation was definitely restaurant-quality.
Only Little Jingshi, sitting beside her, showed a look of distaste.
He was so fed up with eating this every morning for so many days!
And at first, Dad's cooking was terrible.
It was especially awful!
The poached eggs were either undercooked with runny egg whites or overcooked and tough, and the hollandaise sauce was so peppery it was overwhelming. The bread was burnt around the edges!
Poor Little Jingshi had to eat it with tears in his eyes.
Fu Yinxiu had practiced for a week to get this dish somewhat decent.
So Little Jingshi had endured a week of dreadful breakfasts, with eggs either too raw or too tough.
The seasoning sauce was either too salty or too bland. The bread was either burnt to the point of being bitter or too soft and soggy.
When Little Jingshi finally got to eat a perfect Benedict egg, he was almost ready to puke.
Seeing this breakfast again this morning, he just wanted to cry and beg, "Dad, please spare me!"
Little Jingshi's suffering was unknown to Ming Yutong.
Fu Yinxiu attentively pulled out a chair for Ming Yutong, "Tong Tong, sit down. Try my cooking. I've practiced for a long time."
Ming Yutong was caught off guard. Looking at Fu Yinxiu's expectant smile and Little Jingshi's expression of utter despair, she seemed to understand something.
Ming Yutong patted Little Jingshi's cheek, "I'll ask Aunt Huo to give you some variety later."
Little Jingshi nodded with tearful eyes, still grateful that Tong Tong understood him!
Fu Yinxiu thought for a moment and said, "I'll start learning to make pasta tomorrow."
Little Jingshi: "..."
He might never want to eat pasta again in the coming years.
Fu Yinxiu looked at Ming Yutong with hopeful eyes, making her feel uncomfortable.
But Fu Yinxiu insisted on waiting for Ming Yutong to try it and give feedback.
"It's very good, delicious," Ming Yutong said.
Fu Yinxiu finally sighed in relief.
***
When leaving in the morning, Fu Yinxiu wanted to see Ming Yutong off.
But Ming Yutong really didn't want to be too close to Fu Yinxiu.
She needed to think things through clearly.
If she stayed too close to Fu Yinxiu, she couldn't think calmly.
However, Little Jingshi insisted on taking her car, so Alpha Guard 3 drove her car, and Alpha Guard 4 took the passenger seat.
Ming Yutong and Little Jingshi were in the back seat.
Fu Yinxiu drove his own car and followed behind them.
Ming Yutong dropped Little Jingshi off at Jixia Academy, and Alpha Guard 3 and Alpha Guard 4 followed Little Jingshi out of the car.
Ming Yutong drove back to the company but didn't expect Fu Yinxiu to follow her the whole way.
Fu Yinxiu parked his car in front of the "Mingri" company, watching Ming Yutong get out of the car and walk toward the company without even turning back to greet him.
So Fu Yinxiu took the initiative to roll down his car window.
If Ming Yutong wouldn't greet him, he would greet her first.
"Tong Tong!"
During the rush hour at the company, the entrance was bustling with employees arriving by car, subway, or bus, pouring into the building.
Fu Yinxiu had to choose this moment to yell.
Everyone was startled by the shout and turned to look.
Ming Yutong was also stunned, frozen by Fu Yinxiu's call of "Tong Tong."
She never expected that the man would yell out like this at the company entrance.
It wasn't just that he called. It was the tone he used, which was exactly like Little Jingshi's!
Little Jingshi, a 7-year-old child, used that soft, cutesy tone when calling her, making people feel especially touched.
It made her heart soften.
But when Fu Yinxiu, a grown man, used the same tone, it was incredibly off-putting.
Especially since Fu Yinxiu usually had a cold, distant demeanor. Hearing him suddenly use such a tone was truly bizarre.
Employees who were about to enter the company were left bewildered, unsure whether to focus on Ming Yutong or Fu Yinxiu.
Fu Yinxiu and their President...
This was truly surprising!
When did Ming Yutong manage to tame Fu Yinxiu?
And make him call her like this in front of everyone?
Ming Yutong felt the gaze of astonished and gossiping eyes from all directions and was about to pretend she hadn't heard and walk into the company.
"Yutong." Ming Jingshan suddenly called out.
Ming Yutong froze. She didn't know if Ming Jingshan had heard Fu Yinxiu calling her.
She didn't mind the gossip among the company employees; it was short-lived and would be replaced by new gossip when people got bored.
But Ming Jingshan was different.
"Mr. Fu is calling you. Didn't you hear?" Ming Jingshan walked over and said.
Ming Yutong thought to herself, as expected, her expression stiffened, and she had to brace herself and turn around, looking at Fu Yinxiu from afar, but she didn't approach.
Fu Yinxiu, sitting in the car, reached out of the window and waved at her, "I'll come pick you up again tonight."
Ming Yutong, bracing herself, walked back and stiffly replied to Fu Yinxiu, "No need."0
Fu Yinxiu, however, seemed to have not heard her. He reached out and took Ming Yutong's hand, "I'll bring Jingshi with me this afternoon."