A Culinary Dream’s Unsettling End

While Tang Xingwan was flustered and distracted, Bai Muxue was still dreaming, hazy and confused.

Despite her blurred consciousness, she could feel certain moist and warm touches occasionally gracing her skin.

The uncomfortable feverish sensation that had enveloped her body gradually receded.

This allowed her, a person who usually had very light sleep, to uncharacteristically drift into a profound slumber.

When Bai Muxue hazily opened her eyes, she found herself standing in a kitchen.

It was not the grand, spacious, and luxuriously adorned kitchen of the Bai family’s villa where she currently resided, a place she would never deign to enter.

Instead, it was the small kitchen from the modest apartment where she had lived for twenty years.

Before her lay a cleaver, casually set aside.

On the wall hung a grease-stained apron.

The pots and pans, scorched black and gleaming from countless fires, were also present.

The faucet handle was worn smooth and shiny.

Inside the sink, the scratches left by years of use were starkly visible.

The gentle patter of running water reached her ears, abruptly breaking Bai Muxue’s wandering thoughts.

‘What was I just about to do?’

“I think I made plans with someone… no, wait, I should be cooking, shouldn’t I?”

She murmured to herself with a hint of uncertainty, then nodded decisively.

“Yes, that’s right! I’m cooking!”

That little girl, Xingwan, has been studying all afternoon; as her dad, I absolutely must make something delicious!

As a corporate s*ave constantly rushing around at the Disaster Prevention Bureau, I see my colleagues all the time, but my friends from high school and university lost touch long ago.

‘What’s the point of staying in touch anyway?’

“Heishoo… time to cook, time to cook!”

The young woman shook her head, then patted her flat chest.

She opened the old refrigerator, its surface yellowed and adorned with several faded discount coupons.

Retrieving some vegetables and frozen meat from within, Bai Muxue, having skillfully tied the apron around herself, was about to begin chopping.

Suddenly, she frowned.

“Strange… has the stovetop gotten taller? Is it just my imagination?”

“It must be an illusion, right?”

Bai Muxue tilted her head, then expertly sliced the meat into thin pieces.

She added a suitable amount of cooking oil to the pan.

Once the oil was hot, she swiftly added the meat slices and began stir-frying them rapidly with a spatula.

She had repeated these same steps countless times in this small kitchen.

The meat slices quickly changed color under the high heat, emitting an enticing aroma.

“Hmm… this should be just about right!”

The young woman busied herself in the kitchen for a while.

Then, wiping the fine beads of sweat from her forehead, she nodded with satisfaction.

“Xingwan! Dinner’s ready!”

Carrying the prepared dishes, the young woman called out as she stepped through the kitchen door.

Meanwhile, Tang Xingwan was already seated at the dining table.

Although she appeared to be diligently focused on her homework, the pair of tender, white feet dangling and swaying beneath the bench betrayed her true mood.

After Bai Muxue had placed all the cooked dishes on the table, she untied her apron and sat opposite Tang Xingwan.

“Oh, are you just going to sit there and wait for me to feed you?”

She glanced at Tang Xingwan, who was still working on her papers, and couldn’t help but tease with a smile.

“Stop doing homework already! You need to balance work and rest, too. Eat, eat!”

“Oh, I’m sorry…”

Hearing this, Tang Xingwan looked up, a gentle smile gracing her lips.

“Father is right, but I am not very skilled at cooking.

I’m afraid I would only cause you trouble if I tried to help, so it’s probably better if I just sit here quietly.”

“However, I am very much looking forward to your cooking, Father.”

“Haha, what a smooth talker, little girl.

Your old dad is very pleased.”

Bai Muxue let out a chuckle, then nudged the plate of stir-fried meat and a steaming bowl of egg noodles closer to Tang Xingwan.

“Alright, let’s eat.

You’ve worked hard all day; homework can wait until later tonight.”

“I understand.”

Tang Xingwan neatly folded her papers and placed them aside.

She then nodded towards Bai Muxue, elegantly picked up a piece of meat, and with a slight parting of her small lips, carefully put it into her mouth, chewing slowly.

Bai Muxue watched her, her eyes twinkling with a smile, and softly asked, “How is it? Is it delicious?”

Tang Xingwan swallowed the meat slice.

As if the lingering aroma still filled her small mouth, she involuntarily licked the sauce from her lips, then nodded.

“Mm, it’s very delicious.”

After picking up another slice of meat and chewing it thoroughly, Tang Xingwan looked at Bai Muxue with eyes full of affirmation.

“Perhaps the taste is a little sweet, but the sweetness perfectly balances the richness of the meat… I really like it.”

“Hey, hey! I told you to watch fewer food review videos! Now you’re even critiquing like a food blogger?”

Faced with the young woman’s earnest evaluation, Bai Muxue playfully tapped her head.

She then picked up her chopsticks, put some noodles into a soup bowl, and handed it to Tang Xingwan.

“Eat your noodles, eat your noodles! They’re going to get soggy!”

Tang Xingwan leaned forward slightly, carefully examining the carrots and egg floating on the noodles.

She gently blew on them in small puffs, then cautiously took a sip of the soup.

Tang Xingwan blinked her eyes.

“It’s quite good; the soup itself has a blend of flavors… Ah!”

“Oh, I’m doing it again, I’m sorry…”

A hint of shyness bloomed on her face.

Saying no more, she lowered her head and obediently ate her noodles.

The young woman picked up a slice of meat, then a piece of carrot, and, along with some egg and a few noodles, put them all into her mouth.

“The noodles are also very delicious…”

Watching Tang Xingwan’s cheeks puff out slightly, Bai Muxue smiled contentedly.

She then added more noodles and carrots to Tang Xingwan’s bowl.

“Joking aside, this was made by your old dad himself; how could it be anything but excellent?”

“Oh, sometimes I really think that if I weren’t tied down by the Disaster Prevention Bureau, I could genuinely go and be a chef at a five-star hotel…”

She subtly raised an eyebrow, a hint of smugness playing on her pretty face.

Yet, in response to these clearly jocular words, Tang Xingwan stared intently at Bai Muxue, her eyes gleaming with seriousness.

“While your cooking skills are indeed excellent, Father, there’s still a slight gap if you were to become a professional chef…”

“However, with diligent practice, you will certainly achieve great things in time!”

“Oh, you’re at it again, little girl… Didn’t I tell you not to tease your old dad with such remarks?”

Watching the young woman before her begin to answer with such earnestness once more, Bai Muxue couldn’t help but laugh wryly.

“No!”

Yet, confronted by Bai Muxue’s denial, Tang Xingwan seemed to grow anxious.

“I’m not joking, I’m telling you very seriously!”

“Oh? Really?”

Bai Muxue spoke with a hint of disbelief.

“Mm! Absolutely true!”

Tang Xingwan nodded without hesitation.

“Ah… is that so?”

Steam rose from the hot soup, a hazy veil obscuring Bai Muxue’s expression.

For some reason, after hearing those words, she remained silent.

A peculiar silence settled over the dining table.

Bai Muxue, meeting Tang Xingwan’s slightly puzzled gaze, let out a soft sigh.

“As I thought…”

“As you thought what?”

Seeing Bai Muxue finally speak, Tang Xingwan quickly pressed for an answer.

Bai Muxue set down her chopsticks and looked out at the bright sunshine beyond the window, her voice tinged with emotion.

“You are indeed not my Xingwan…”

“I must still be dreaming, mustn’t I? Who are you? And why are you impersonating that little girl?”