I'm Pretending to Cultivate in Kindergarten

Chapter 161: Chapter 141: Establishment of Zhengshi Company

Inside the music studio’s private kitchen, Lin Zhengran couldn’t help but wonder if every big boss had such a unique quirk when he learned that Jiang Jingshi had one here as well.

Most people collected antiques or what have you, but Jiang Jingshi seemed to enjoy stashing... kitchens? in all sorts of places.

The luxuriously simple private kitchen was around twenty square meters. Jiang Jingshi stood at the cutting board, inspecting the tomatoes and eggs Lin Zhengran had bought the day before.

They were still quite fresh after just one night.

Holding a tomato, Jiang Jingshi turned and said, ”You seem a little surprised, Zhengran?”

Lin Zhengran glanced around. ”I am. I just didn’t expect you to have a private kitchen here, Jiang.”

”Aside from some temporary work locations, I have one in any place I frequent. I occasionally get the urge to cook something for myself. It doesn’t get used most of the time, but when the craving to cook hits, I’d be miserable if I didn’t have a place like this.”

Lin Zhengran replied, ”I can understand that.”

Jiang Jingshi skillfully blanched the tomatoes and peeled off the skin.

She cut the pulp into wedges, then cracked the eggs into a bowl, added salt, and whisked them.

Lin Zhengran admired Jiang Jingshi’s practiced motions; she was clearly very skilled at this.

As she heated oil in the pan, Jiang Jingshi glanced over at Lin Zhengran. ”It’ll be just a minute. This is a very simple dish.”

”Okay.”

Her movements were certainly practiced, but her mind wasn’t on her cooking. She kept drifting off. On one hand, she was curious about the incident at the warehouse that morning; on the other, she couldn’t shake the feeling that the atmosphere was always a little strange whenever she was alone with Lin Zhengran.

She couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

Finally, lost in thought, Jiang Jingshi’s hand accidentally brushed the edge of the hot pan. She let out a sharp cry of pain.

As she snatched her hand back, Lin Zhengran said, ”Did you burn it? Quick, run it under some cold water!”

Jiang Jingshi complied, immediately turning on the faucet to rinse her fingers. At the same time, Lin Zhengran switched off the induction cooktop.

As the cold water ran over her fingers, Jiang Jingshi felt a flush of embarrassment. ’I almost never make mistakes when I’m cooking. I wanted to show off for Zhengran, and then I go and make a rookie mistake like this.’

Lin Zhengran came to her side to check on her, their bodies almost touching.

Jiang Jingshi could faintly smell Lin Zhengran’s unique scent—a pleasant and comforting fragrance.

”Is that long enough?” she asked.

Lin Zhengran asked, ”Does your finger still sting?”

”A little...”

”Then don’t be in a rush. Just keep it under the water a bit longer.”

Jiang Jingshi nodded. She knew she didn’t need to hurry, but she had asked him anyway without thinking.

She said quietly, ”Sorry, Zhengran, you must think I’m a joke. I was just saying how often I cook, and then I go and make a silly mistake like burning my hand.”

”What kind of joke is that? Who hasn’t burned themselves while cooking? By the way, Jiang, do you have any burn cream in the kitchen?”

”I do...” She looked toward a cabinet in the distance. ”It should be in there.”

Lin Zhengran went to find it and opened the tube once he had it.

Jiang Jingshi decided that was enough and pulled her hand from under the faucet. Her finger was slightly red, but it wasn’t blistering.

It wasn’t serious.

She was relieved. ”Thank goodness, it’s nothing serious.”

She turned to show Lin Zhengran, who gently took her hand to examine it, seeing that it was indeed just a little red.

The cold water had been applied just in time.

Lin Zhengran, however, clearly wasn’t overthinking the gesture. ”It’s not serious. A little cream should do the trick.”

Jiang Jingshi’s gaze, however, wavered slightly as she watched him hold her hand.

Her heart began to race.

He squeezed out a bit of the cream and began to gently rub it onto her finger.

”Tell me if it hurts.”

Jiang Jingshi shook her head. ”It doesn’t hurt. Just go ahead.”

After she spoke, she bit her lip lightly, her gaze fixed on her finger—now feeling cool from the ointment—and on Lin Zhengran’s gentle, meticulous movements.

After he finished applying the cream, Lin Zhengran suggested, ”The dish is almost done anyway. Why don’t I finish it up?”

”You? You know how to cook?”

”It’s just tomatoes and eggs. Even if I can’t make it as delicious as you can, Jiang, we’re at the final step. All that’s left is to cook it through, right?”

As he let go of her hand, Jiang Jingshi nodded, her face slightly flushed. ”Alright, you can finish it. I’ll watch from here.”

”Okay.”

Lin Zhengran went back to the stove.

Jiang Jingshi stared at her finger for a moment. Seeing that Lin Zhengran was almost done stir-frying, she took a pinch of sugar and added it to the pan.

As she added it, she remarked, ”Well, look at you, Zhengran. You’re pretty good at this, aren’t you? Very skilled.”

Lin Zhengran just smiled. ’It’s mainly because a certain skill of mine is just too useful,’ he thought.

When the dish was ready, Lin Zhengran brought out a plate. But instead of dishing it out, Jiang Jingshi picked up a pair of chopsticks, grabbed a piece of egg, and brought it to Lin Zhengran’s mouth, cupping her other hand underneath to prevent it from dropping. ”Have a taste.”

After the incident with the steak last time, Lin Zhengran was already used to this.

He ate the egg from the chopsticks.

He tasted it and his face lit up with pleasure. ”This is great! Your cooking really is delicious, Jiang.”

”You can’t say I made it this time,” she said. ”We made it together.”

Jiang Jingshi smiled and picked up another mouthful of egg. There were other chopsticks right there, but whether she had forgotten or was doing it intentionally, who could say.

She used that same pair of chopsticks to take a bite for herself.

After tasting it, she pressed her lips together and nodded, her face flushing. ”It really is good.”

With that, she picked up a piece of tomato with the chopsticks and once again brought it to Lin Zhengran’s lips. ”Now, try the tomato.”

Lin Zhengran, of course, noticed that she was using the same pair of chopsticks.