EXTRA: SILENT NIGHT

157. 

In the blink of an eye, Christmas is approaching, and the weather is getting colder at this time of the year.

After the frenzy of Singles’ Day, Double Twelve, and Black Friday, businesses have started focusing on Christmas discounts, hoping to make some extra profit before the year ends.

After Christmas comes New Year’s Day, followed by the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year).

The start of a new year represents new hope.

For someone like Lu Junchi who has studied abroad, Christmas is an important holiday.

About ten days in advance, he asked Su Hui how they planned to spend Christmas.

He originally thought that this would be their first Christmas together, so he wanted to make it special – book a nicer restaurant, prepare well-thought-out gifts. 

But Su Hui thought for a moment, “Moonlight and his team helped a lot with the previous case. I’ve been meaning to invite them for a meal. New Year’s Day and Spring Festival are family reunion days, not suitable for treating guests. The Behavioral Analysis team members are mostly single, so why not have some fun with them on Christmas?”

Since his husband said so, Lu Junchi obediently complied.

“Sure, I’ll try to book a restaurant.”

Then he made several phone calls in succession, choosing upscale Western restaurants in the vicinity.

Unexpectedly, Christmas business has been quite good recently. Family gatherings, corporate events – the private rooms for Christmas night have all been booked.

Lu Junchi felt a bit apologetic and discussed with Su Hui, “What about a regular dining area? Or should we go somewhere farther?”

Su Hui looked slightly disappointed, “Regular dining might not work, and going too far would be troublesome. Let’s forget it.”

Hearing this, Lu Junchi became unwilling, “There aren’t many cases recently, and I have a few days off. How about we have a home-cooked meal? I’ll cook.”

Su Hui had been eating food cooked by Lu Junchi for almost a year, so he knew his cooking skills were absolutely fine. He nodded, “Sure, but I can’t help much. Can you handle everything alone?”

With a total of five people, they’d have to prepare quite a few dishes.

Lu Junchi suggested, “I can call Lu Haochu to help out, let him be an assistant.”

Su Hui asked, “Won’t that ruin his Christmas?”

Lu Junchi replied, “No, based on my observations, he hasn’t been dating anyone.”

With the plan in mind, they began to execute it.

For Western holidays, Western food was the main choice. Lu Junchi made a menu, listing the foods they intended to prepare – turkey, gingerbread men, Christmas pudding, red wine; these were all essential.

For Su Hui, he chose shrimp, which he liked, and added a dish of grilled salmon and a potato vegetable salad. With pumpkin soup, when he calculated everything, he felt like there was still one big dish missing.

Lu Junchi suggested, “Since we have time, how about I make Beef Wellington? I’ve been wanting to make it for you to try.”

Su Hui had only heard of it, never thought about cooking it at home. In his impression, it was a luxurious and difficult-to-make exotic dish. “Isn’t that a dish that only appears in legends? Can you do it?”

Lu Junchi was full of confidence, “Has your husband ever capsized a boat? When I was abroad, I worked in a restaurant, and the chef taught me how to make it. My skills are authentic. I’ve made it a few times myself. Apart from having too much to eat by myself, there’s nothing wrong with it.”

Su Hui hummed in agreement and went along with the idea.

With the menu set, Lu Junchi started preparing various ingredients, even ordering top-quality ones online, including a large piece of prime fillet that cost quite a bit.

On the night before the dinner, Lu Junchi stewed mushrooms in the kitchen. He chopped up several kinds of mushrooms and made a big pot of mushroom sauce. Then he prepared other ingredients one by one.

The next day, they both took a day off. Su Hui slept until the afternoon, and Lu Haochu had already arrived.

After waking up, Su Hui greeted them and had the meal Lu Junchi had prepared for him. Then he thought he should take a shower before meeting everyone.

When he came out of the bathroom, the house was incredibly quiet. As Su Hui approached the bedroom, he heard voices coming from inside.

He heard Lu Junchi’s voice, “…his ears are particularly sensitive. When they get slightly warm, they turn pink…”

Su Hui’s feet suddenly stopped. Lu Junchi liked to talk in his ears and would intentionally blow air, always making him itchy. Could it be…

He continued to listen, but his hearing was limited, so he could only catch fragments of their conversation.

Lu Haochu, “Turn pink? Just thinking about it seems really cute…”

“More than just cute, it’s…”

“…if he’s comfortable… his voice sounds really nice…”

“Occasionally… it makes you want to

 take a bite…”

“Mmm, especially… makes him shy…”

Listening to this, Su Hui’s face turned red, and his hand accidentally touched the door.

Since the door wasn’t closed properly, it swung open. He then saw Lu Haochu holding Hemingway while Lu Junchi had nail clippers, cutting its nails.

Aristotle was licking its paws, apparently having just had its nails trimmed.

Seeing the door open, both the two people and the two cats turned their heads and looked at Su Hui, freezing the atmosphere for a moment.

Su Hui realized that they were talking about the cat.

Lu Haochu greeted him, “Teacher Su.”

Su Hui cleared his throat, “Um, I was looking for the cat.”

Lu Junchi patted Aristotle’s bottom, and the kitten ran over.

Su Hui picked up the cat and gently rubbed under its chin. The cat closed its eyes comfortably.

Lu Junchi explained to Su Hui, “I thought since we’ll have many people later, I’ll trim the cat’s nails now to avoid scratches in the evening.”

He then looked at Su Hui and noticed his flushed face, “Why is your face so red?” He reached out his hand and touched Su Hui’s forehead with the back of his hand, “You’re not running a fever, are you?”

“I just took a hot shower, that’s why.” Su Hui explained quickly, changing the topic, “It’s a bit cold today. Let me make you guys some milk tea.”

There’s nothing like a cup of milk tea on a cold winter day to warm and comfort the heart.

Lu Haochu immediately responded, “Sure, which place?”

Su Hui suggested, “Let’s go with Heytea. They offer delivery.”

Su Hui and Lu Haochu ordered taro pearl milk tea. Lu Junchi ordered a cup of Christmas strawberry milk tea.

Soon, the delivery arrived. Lu Junchi had already washed his hands and was in the kitchen.

Seeing him with wet hands, Su Hui took his drink and had him drink a few sips. He held his own milk tea and sipped it slowly.

Taking advantage of Su Hui’s distraction, Lu Junchi sneakily gave him a peck on the cheek and whispered, “Taro flavor, it smells really good.”

Su Hui teased, “I remember you also like this flavor. Why didn’t you order it today?”

Lu Junchi explained, “I noticed they had a new Christmas flavor I wanted to try. If you order it, I can have both flavors.”

Su Hui took a few sips of his drink and then extended his hand to pat Lu Junchi’s head, “You’ve been working hard, Chef.”

Lu Haochu chimed in from the side, “Hey, I’m just saying, are you two planning a grand Christmas scheme and luring us single folks here to ambush us?”

Lu Junchi provided guidance, “Learn something useful, so you can bring someone next year instead of being the odd one out.”

As the youngest in the family, Lu Haochu, who usually only helped with the preparations, suddenly felt speechless.

Su Hui finished most of his milk tea, then took a small spoon and began scooping and eating the taro paste at the bottom of the cup. He watched Lu Junchi teaching Lu Haochu how to make Beef Wellington.

Beef Wellington is considered a New Year’s dish abroad, often served as the main course at celebratory banquets. Its grandeur showcases its status in Western cuisine.

Lu Junchi was patient, explaining the steps as he went along.

“The beef fillet needs to be seasoned with salt and black pepper, then seared in oil until the outer layer is browned.”

The premium beef sizzled in the pan, emitting a delightful sound, filling the entire kitchen with the aroma of beef.

“After searing the whole piece of beef and browning both ends, it’s brushed with yellow mustard, which isn’t spicy but enhances the flavor of the beef.”

“Next, the foie gras is pan-fried over low heat until it’s cooked, sprinkled with a pinch of salt and black pepper. You need to cook it slowly to make it tender and aromatic.”

“Then comes preparing the pastry. Ham, mushroom paste, and foie gras are spread over it, with a small amount of black truffle on top.”

Lu Junchi emphasized, “Black truffle mustn’t be too much. It enhances the flavor, but too much will overpower the dish.”

Just looking at these premium ingredients together made one’s mouth water.

Lu Haochu nodded, his mouth never idle. He watched and ate scraps from the side, secretly trying the mushroom paste and foie gras, even wanting to taste the ham. He leaned in and reached out, “Bro, can I help with something?”

Lu Junchi swatted his hand away, then handed him the extra pastry trimmings, “Don’t waste it. Eat it.”

Suppressing a laugh, Su Hui watched them, feeling like he was listening to a comedic duo. He reached the taro paste portion and took a spoonful to feed Lu Junchi.

Lu Haochu’s eyes were teary from Lu Junchi’s teasing. He took the pastry, “Big bro, you really care about me.” After taking a few bites, he was surprised, “Wow, it’s actually pretty good, like spring roll pastry. It would be even better with some Lao Gan Ma chili sauce.” He thought for a moment and summarized, “Bro, I think the biggest challenge of this dish is resisting the temptation to eat these ingredients while preparing it.”

Lu Junchi responded, “… The biggest challenge is the timing – it can’t be undercooked, or the steak will be raw, and it can’t be overcooked, or the steak will be overdone. Only the right temperature can blend these flavors together.”

Su Hui chuckled while watching Lu Haochu nibbling on the pastry, “Save some space in your stomach, don’t fill up for real.”

As they approached the final stage of the steak, Lu Junchi carefully wrapped the beef in plastic wrap and placed it in the refrigerator to set.

The whole process went smoothly and took less than half an hour.

After the beef had cooled slightly and set, Lu Junchi took it out, wrapped it in puff pastry, then added another layer of lattice puff pastry on top. He brushed it with the prepared egg wash, creating a large golden-brown pastry.

After a brief thought, Lu Junchi plucked two sprigs of rosemary from a potted plant nearby and inserted them on top, as if giving the dish a soul.

He looked at Lu Haochu and asked, “Did you learn? Actually, this dish is quite simple. As long as you have the right ingredients, master the cooking time, and follow the steps, it’s not too difficult to handle, and the chance of failure is low.”

Lu Haochu’s mouth hadn’t stopped moving the entire time. Now he nodded, “I got it, I got it.” He thought about the steps for a moment, “But my brain tells me I’ve learned it, while my hands tell me I haven’t.”

Lu Junchi replied, “Next time, I’ll watch you make it. This one just needs to go into the oven later. You go to the living room and set up the Christmas tree.”