"N-no... nothing..." Guan Xin stuck out her tongue, a little embarrassed. "Wei Zhao, do you want some instant noodles?"

"Me? I suppose so..." Wei Zhao was rather puzzled. Why was Guan Xin so insistent on making him eat instant noodles? Not wanting to embarrass her, he answered offhandedly.

"That's wonderful! I like them too. Shall I go make two bowls?" Guan Xin was pleased by his answer. "I'll go right now..."

"Guan Xin, you sit right there!" Guan Xuemin was furious. He didn't even call her "Xinxin" anymore, but used her full name.

"Oh..." Guan Xin felt rather wronged, but she could hardly tell the real reason, so she sat down in sullen silence. If only she hadn't made the food so terrible. Even if she had just cooked something ordinary without much care, it would still have been delicious...

"Ha... I haven't had instant noodles in ages. I actually miss that taste a little." Wei Zhao smiled. "Grandpa Guan, don't be angry. Guan Xin is just being too enthusiastic..."

Guan Xin shot Wei Zhao a grateful look. She was practically trying to poison him, and yet he still spoke up for her. What a good person he was! Yes, if he weren't a good person, he wouldn't have taken a bullet for her, and he certainly wouldn't have risked his life to save her today!

Girls in the bloom of youth are always fond of fantasies. To have a prince charming willing to stand guard by one's side is the wish of every girl that age. Though Wei Zhao was not nearly as wonderful as she imagined, Guan Xin took it upon herself to perfect him into a prince charming...

In truth, Wei Zhao's taking the bullet was simple enough. No matter who was behind him, he simply did not wish to see an innocent harmed. And when he went to save Guan Xin today, even if the hostage had not been Guan Xin, but anyone else he knew, he would have acted all the same... Besides, if Guan Xin knew that Wei Zhao had acted so swiftly in exchange for a kiss from Tang Yun, who knew what she would think?

Seeing the grateful look his granddaughter cast at Wei Zhao, Guan Xuemin grew even more bewildered... These two did not seem to be at odds at all. Then what exactly was their relationship? Why was Xinxin so strange today? And Wei Zhao was actually playing along?

"All right, enough talk. Since you two are acquainted, let's just eat! I'll go first!" Guan Xuemin picked up a piece of sweet-and-sour fish with his chopsticks. Guan Xin tried to stop him, but it was too late. She could only wait with a bitter face for her grandfather's scolding...

"Mm... this fish is very tender, not bad... pfft..." Guan Xuemin's eyes went wide. He spat the fish out in one mouthful, then sat there with his mouth open, gasping for breath. "What was put in this? Oh, my poor old life..."

The moment the fish entered his mouth, Guan Xuemin had thought it tender and tasty, but the next instant, a burning spiciness shot straight up his nose, and tears nearly burst from his eyes...

"Grandpa... I'm sorry." Guan Xin hurriedly grabbed a bottle of mineral water and handed it to Guan Xuemin. "Earlier, I accidentally knocked over the mustard..."

"Knocked over the mustard?" Guan Xuemin took a drink of water and finally caught his breath. "Then why did you still bring it to the table? Were you trying to kill your grandfather?"

"I said earlier that I wanted to take it back and cook it again... but you wouldn't let me, Grandpa..." Guan Xin said cautiously.

"Fine... forget it. It's just one sweet-and-sour fish, we won't eat it. Have Liu Ma take it away, and we'll eat something else!" Guan Xuemin waved his hand helplessly. "Xiaoyi, my apologies for letting you see this embarrassment! Come, let's eat something else! Xinxin isn't usually like this. She probably got flustered today hearing that a talented young man like you was coming. Her cooking is really quite good. Why don't you try some?"

Wei Zhao gave the sweet-and-sour fish, now being carried off by Liu Ma, a strange look. Knocked over the mustard?

Unable to refuse such hospitality, Wei Zhao picked up his chopsticks and selected a piece of bamboo shoots stir-fried with pork from the dish in front of him. Just as he was about to eat, Guan Xin said, "Wait!"

"?" Wei Zhao turned to look at Guan Xin.

"Uh... maybe we should just eat instant noodles..." Guan Xin said weakly.

"Ha..." By now Wei Zhao had more or less figured it out. He put the bamboo shoot on his chopsticks into his mouth. Mm, very salty... He tried a few more dishes within easy reach, tasting each one. If it wasn't too sweet, it was too spicy. In short, not a single dish was palatable.

"How is it? Not bad, right?" Guan Xuemin was waiting smugly for Wei Zhao's praise. So long as he could secure Wei Zhao's appetite, he needn't worry about Wei Zhao not coming by often to discuss medical matters with him.

"It's... passable, I suppose..." Wei Zhao said with a bitter smile.

"Hm?" Guan Xuemin was slightly taken aback. Wasn't Wei Zhao's standard a bit too high? This was only passable? Did he not know that every one of his old friends praised the dishes his granddaughter Xinxin cooked? Even their children and grandchildren shamelessly tried to come mooch meals...

His granddaughter was hailed in the family compound as the universe's supreme, invincible little kitchen goddess!

Still, since it was Wei Zhao who said it, Guan Xuemin had no way to argue with him. After all, Wei Zhao was effectively his teacher now!

"Heh heh, Xiaoyi, your tastes are quite refined. This old man already thinks it's good!" Guan Xuemin said, reaching for another dish.

Refined tastes? This was refined? Wei Zhao smiled bitterly. Calling it passable had already taken great resolve on his part. He had spoken against his own conscience.

"Pfft..." Guan Xuemin also took a bite of the bamboo shoots stir-fried with pork and spat it right out. He hastily took another drink of water before saying, "Xinxin, did you beat the salt seller to death?"

Guan Xin hung her head in embarrassment, not daring to look at her grandfather or Wei Zhao. Today was simply too humiliating.

Guan Xuemin quickly used his chopsticks to taste several other dishes. After spitting them out again, he finally understood. Wei Zhao's "passable" had already been a great compliment to today's meal!

Today's food could no longer be described as merely bad. It could be called unspeakably awful!

"Xinxin, how did this food..." Guan Xuemin's eyes went wide. "This isn't how it usually tastes when you cook!"

"Ha... Grandpa Guan, perhaps Xinxin got a fright today..." Wei Zhao wanted to put in a good word for Guan Xin, but she cut him off.

Guan Xin did not want her grandfather to know what had happened at the hospital today. It would only worry him. So she could only interrupt Wei Zhao and reveal her true purpose. "Grandpa, I'm sorry... Actually, I did it on purpose..."

"On purpose? You deliberately made it this terrible? What on earth is going on?" Guan Xuemin was stunned. He had not expected Guan Xin to say such a thing.

"I heard Grandpa say that some talented young man was coming today, and that you wanted me to get to know him and date him... I didn't want to, so I deliberately made the food a little worse..." Guan Xin said cautiously.

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