Chapter 25 — Signature Dishes to Secure the Home

Su Hongdou got home around dusk. After feeding Er Gouzi and cleaning the cat litter, she changed into a creamy white hoodie, slipped on some slippers, and plopped down onto her Morandi-colored fabric sofa with a soft “thud.” She turned on the TV in the living room… her hand flicking through channels, though her mind was still on The Tuner and the person who wrote it…

“Shen Baizhou.”

Just thinking of him made a trace of admiration appear in her eyes, and her lips couldn’t help curling into a smile. His fried rice was that good, his combat skills rivaled special forces, he was great at math, and even his scripts were so well-written! Su Hongdou cupped her face and thought, how can he be so amazing?

Speaking of The Tuner, Su Hongdou didn’t usually watch movies, but suspense happened to be the only genre she liked. Back in her junior year, for an elective course, she had watched almost all high-rated suspense films. She knew the common flaw of these movies—too often, logic is sacrificed for suspense, leading to plot holes…

But Shen Baizhou’s The Tuner had none of these problems. Its suspense was intense, yet the logic remained consistent. Every structure fit perfectly, showing a masterful touch. The entire film was short, without a single wasted scene; every detail was meticulously crafted—Shen Baizhou had cut out the branches and kept only the main trunk. This made the suspense incredibly dense, and the ending was ingeniously crafted into a huge unknown.

How should a short film be made? Su Hongdou had a vague feeling that Shen Baizhou had given a standard answer—a strong beginning and an epic ending! Start like a tiger, thrilling and roaring; the middle full of suspense, like scales on a snake; the ending like a dragon, showing its head but hiding the tail. In a film no longer than 20 minutes, Shen Baizhou could create twists and turns that made the audience restless…

All of this… he came up with in one night?

Su Hongdou’s eyes sparkled, her delicate face full of admiration. And he had been so calm, she thought, blinking her large, watery eyes as she recalled the moment everyone tried to force him off stage. At the time, she thought it was over for him, but how did Shen Baizhou respond?

“Please, give me five minutes. I only need five minutes!”

No complaints, no explanations, just absolute confidence in himself. At that moment, his gaze had been so striking! She hugged her knees, swaying slightly, her thoughts drifting…

She had to fake a marriage, and Shen Baizhou happened to be there; he was about to be fired, and she happened to witness it; she usually only liked suspense films, and he just happened to have written one! How could everything be so coincidental?

She pressed the remote and accidentally landed on a dating show. The female host said gently, “Fate is like this. Meeting the right person at the right time… that is love…”

“Ah…” Su Hongdou quickly switched the channel, her face flushing.

What am I thinking about…? she wondered. What’s wrong with me lately?

She switched again—a nature channel, the narrator’s magnetic voice saying, “Spring is the mating season for raccoon dogs…”

Su Hongdou: “…Can one even watch TV in peace?”

Fidgeting, she finally decided to turn off the TV and listen to music. She pressed random play, and it landed on a lazily smooth blues song. A female singer crooned softly, her voice buttery:

“Baby~ when will you return to me~ I’ve waited for you all day~”

The song was soft and sweet, making Su Hongdou feel like a cat was scratching at her heart. She kept glancing at the clock on the wall, feeling restless.

At 7 p.m., the doorbell rang.

Su Hongdou ran to the door screen, and there was Shen Baizhou’s face. She gently pressed the “unlock” button.

Finally, he’s back, she thought, a sweet curve forming on her lips, her eyes squinting in delight.

Shen Baizhou couldn’t help feeling a bit impressed. He had seen Su Hongdou many times, and every time, no matter what she wore, she amazed him…

Like now—her cream-colored hoodie was the simplest style, but paired with her long legs in yoga pants, she looked both pure and enticing, making his heart race.

“Hongdou, haven’t eaten yet, right?” he asked. “How about I make my two signature dishes?”

“Sure!” Su Hongdou’s plain face flushed slightly pink, full of anticipation. “Are you making Yangzhou fried rice again?”

“Can’t always take the easy way. This time, I’ll make two proper dishes.”

Shen Baizhou handed Er Gouzi, who had been clinging to him, to Su Hongdou. “Keep an eye on him. Don’t let him cause trouble…”

Then he stepped into the kitchen.

Su Hongdou was flustered and couldn’t watch Er Gouzi properly—the cat was shameless. It ate the food she provided but refused to be held.

“Meow!” Er Gouzi struggled out of her arms, darted into the cat carrier, and glared at her.

After a long stalemate, Su Hongdou finally slung the carrier over her chest and followed Shen Baizhou into the kitchen. One human, one cat, both staring wide-eyed as he cooked.

Her kitchen was mostly decorative. She never cooked—meals were always from a few select restaurants with low-fat, low-oil, low-calorie diet options. Even takeout was from the same places, for years. Fire and smoke had long been alien to her life.

Until Shen Baizhou appeared.

He grabbed a wok and spat hot oil as he stir-fried chili peppers, garlic stems, and fermented black beans. The sizzling aroma spread, seeping into her nose like a magical spell…

Ah~~~ Su Hongdou inhaled deeply, feeling her soul stirred…

“What’s that dish?” she asked in a daze, “It smells amazing!”

“Twice-cooked pork,” Shen Baizhou said. “You didn’t have pork in the fridge, but luckily a friend gave me some premium pork belly yesterday…”

Pork? Belly? Su Hongdou broke into a cold sweat—she hadn’t eaten this in years. Pork made it easy to gain weight… But seeing Shen Baizhou hum happily while cooking, she couldn’t bring herself to say, I don’t eat pork…

“What’s the second signature dish?” she hoped.

“Sweet and sour pork tenderloin,” Shen Baizhou replied.

Her goodness, even worse—high fat, high oil, high sugar! Su Hongdou felt her dieting plan shatter into pieces…

“Alright, twice-cooked pork is done!” Shen Baizhou plated the dish cheerfully and began the second. After a few flips and coating it in sugar, he tossed the tenderloin in the wok. The golden pieces leapt up as the sweet aroma filled the air.

Shen Baizhou’s parents had run a restaurant, and he had been skilled in the kitchen for years. Though after transmigrating, he had only cooked fried rice once. Making these two dishes today felt both familiar and comforting.

“Not bad, my cooking skills are still sharp,” he thought, feeling satisfied, completely unaware that Su Hongdou behind him was covering her mouth, eyes wide, stunned…

Isn’t this the ‘Lightning Cloud Stir-Fry’ of China’s young culinary prodigies? she thought, dumbfounded. He even knows this signature move?

Ten minutes later, at the dining table.

Su Hongdou trembled as she picked up a piece of golden, glossy pork belly. She mentally justified herself: Tasting pork cooked with ‘Lightning Cloud Stir-Fry’ was a wish I made at 14—I’m not abandoning my diet, I’m only eating a small piece, it’s principled…

Sniffing deeply, she trembled as she bit into it…

“Delicious?” Shen Baizhou asked expectantly.

She didn’t answer—she was too busy chewing! Once she swallowed, she almost cried tears of joy…

It’s so good! she said, voice trembling. Three years of low-fat, low-sugar meals had left her savoring this guilty pleasure.

“Eat more,” Shen Baizhou said, pointing to the sweet and sour pork tenderloin.

“Okay!” Su Hongdou replied, utterly out of control. Pork, despite its flaws, had one undeniable quality—it was delicious. Any rules or principles were gone; one bite and she had reconciled with herself.

“So good! Amazing!” She devoured half of the two dishes, then realized—Shen Baizhou hadn’t even eaten yet…

“Why aren’t you eating?” she asked, lips shiny with oil.

“Watching you enjoy it so much gives me a sense of achievement. I thought you rich people would look down on these home-cooked dishes,” Shen Baizhou laughed. “I was in a good mood already, now I feel like whistling…”

He recalled after the pitch meeting, so many colleagues had approached him, wanting to join The Tuner crew. He felt a rush of excitement—his dream of being a director was coming true!

“Oh?” Su Hongdou looked innocently unaware, lashes fluttering. “Baizhou, something good happened at work?”

“Yes.” Shen Baizhou smiled slightly. “I work at a film and media company. Things had been rough recently—I was about to be fired. But today, a sudden turn of luck: not only did I keep my job, I got a chance to direct.”

“Wow! Amazing!” Su Hongdou’s eyes sparkled. “It must be your skills that got recognized!”

“Not really skills, just luck,” Shen Baizhou reflected. “Our company had a script competition. I entered, and I thought I’d lost. But the boss liked my script, so I got a second chance. Basically, the boss saved me.”

He didn’t go into details—Su Hongdou was still a student. Shen Baizhou didn’t want to drag her into the messy work world.

Yet her heart stirred.

The boss saved me?

After such a dramatic turnaround, he summed it up in those words? Su Hongdou compared him to all the young men who had bragged about themselves in blind dates—this man was truly different.

“Baizhou…” She stole a glance at him, then looked down at the table, fidgeting nervously. “Have you ever met your company’s boss?”

“No!” Shen Baizhou answered plainly. “I’m just an ordinary junior employee. Where would I meet the boss? Besides, the boss is mysterious, rarely comes to the office. Except for a few senior managers, no one has seen him.”

“Oh.” Su Hongdou exhaled in relief.

“But rumors about him are everywhere!” Shen Baizhou laughed, teasing.

“Ah?” Su Hongdou tensed. “What kind of rumors? Only the polite ones, please!”