Peninsula's Life Begins in 2016

Chapter 79 Action-Oriented: Lim Yoona

It took Yoona quite a while to recover.

She pinched her nose and gave Jiang Yan a thumbs up, "Okay, Jiang Yan, you're awesome."

Jiang Yan smiled slightly, choosing to stop while he was ahead. He pulled a pack of tissues from his pocket and handed it over, as if he wasn't the one who had just turned the kitchen into a chili pepper battlefield.

"Noona, the fumes will only get worse later. Why don't you go to the living room and keep Taeyeon company? I can handle the rest by myself."

Yoona took the tissue and wiped away her tears. The smell of chili peppers in the kitchen was so strong it hurt her lungs. She couldn't be bothered to argue with him, so she snorted and turned to leave the kitchen.

Jiang Yan watched her figure disappear through the doorway, then composed himself and focused all his attention back on the stove.

A moment later, Lin Xiaolu drifted in, covering her nose and fanning her face with her little hands: "Oh, you're too cruel! My sense of smell is so bad, I feel choked up."

Jiang Yan wiped away the tears brought on by the fumes, suppressed the urge to sneeze, and slid the marinated beef slices one by one into the boiling water, thinking to himself, "This is called reciprocity. She tricked me once, so I tricked her once. It's fair."

Lin Xiaolu couldn't help but laugh when she saw his stubbornness.

This person is really... clearly he was also quite upset, but he still insisted on talking back.

But soon, her gaze was drawn to Jiang Yan's next move.

Jiang Yan pulled out two identical light blue insulated boxes from the bottom of the shopping bag.

"Huh? Why did you bring a thermal lunchbox?"

Jiang Yan didn't answer. He scooped out the nearly cooked beef, poured the broth over it, sprinkled on minced garlic and chopped green onions, and then drizzled a spoonful of boiling hot oil over it.

With a sizzle, the aroma instantly exploded in the kitchen.

Then he started making Mapo Tofu, with tender white tofu coated in a bright red sauce, and the Sichuan peppercorn powder releasing its numbing aroma as the steam rose.

Next came Korean stir-fried beef, and finally a pot of steaming soybean paste stew.

He set aside a portion of each dish and neatly arranged it into the two insulated containers. The broth was stored in a separate sealed container, and even the side dishes were divided into two portions.

After doing all that, Jiang Yan carefully put the two insulated containers into an insulated bag, placed it in the corner of the kitchen counter, and then wiped his hands.

Looking at his methodical back, Lin Xiaolu suddenly realized who the two insulated boxes were for.

One is Kim Minjung, and the other is Yoo Jimin, who always bows respectfully to him whenever they meet.

She watched Jiang Yan turn away to serve the dishes, then looked at the two neatly stacked insulated containers, and suddenly clicked her tongue softly.

Jiang Yan heard her, but ignored her and carried the boiled beef out of the kitchen.

In the living room, Kim Tae-yeon and Im Yoon-ah were sitting on the sofa talking quietly.

Hearing footsteps, Kim Tae-yeon subconsciously turned her head and saw Kang Yeon carrying a large bowl of bright red boiled beef. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"Daifa... will eating this really not cause a stomachache?"

Jiang Yan smiled and placed the bowl on the heat-resistant mat on the table. He turned around and said, "You can eat it, of course you can eat it. But if you don't eat spicy food often, just try it and don't eat too much."

He pointed to the bowl of boiled beef, then turned back and gestured with his chin toward the kitchen: "I also made non-spicy Korean stir-fried beef and soybean paste stew, they'll be served right away."

As he spoke, he turned around and went back into the kitchen, bringing out dishes one by one.

Upon hearing this, Kim Tae-yeon visibly breathed a sigh of relief, but her gaze still couldn't help but drift towards the bowl of glistening boiled beef, her curiosity clearly overcoming her fear of the spiciness.

Once the four dishes and three bowls of white rice were laid out, the table was packed full.

Kim Tae-yeon looked at the excessively lavish dinner on the table, then suddenly fell silent, staring at the dishes in a daze for a while.

She looked up, her gaze passing over the dining table and landing on the younger man who was untying his apron. Her lips moved, as if she wanted to say something, but she swallowed it back.

Lin Yoona, without any hesitation, sat down at the table first, picked up her chopsticks, and stuffed a slice of boiled beef into her mouth.

The spiciness and numbing sensation exploded on her tongue at the same time. She coughed lightly, covered her mouth, and mumbled, "Hmm... the taste is not bad, similar to what I used to eat in China."

After saying that, he immediately picked up his water glass and gulped down a large mouthful.

Watching her smooth and effortless movements, Kim Tae-yeon immediately changed direction with her chopsticks, picking up a piece of Korean stir-fried beef.

It wasn't that she didn't want to try it, but her stomach had been acting up lately, and she didn't want to worry the people around her just because of a momentary craving.

The meal took almost an hour and a half.

Kim Tae-yeon was noticeably more relaxed than she was at the barbecue restaurant last time. Holding her rice bowl, she chattered on and on about several embarrassing things that had happened to her recently in the recording studio, which made Yoona laugh at her mercilessly several times.

The night outside the window grew darker and darker. By the time the bowls and plates were empty, only leftovers remained on the table.

Lin Yoona put down her chopsticks, took a tissue to wipe her mouth, then glanced at Jiang Yan and gently touched his ankle under the table with her toe.

Jiang Yan's gaze sharpened slightly, and a question mark appeared above his head.

What does this mean? Didn't you say you were just coming over to have dinner with Kim Tae-yeon tonight? Is there something else going on?

His mind raced, and he remembered that Yoona had said she would find time to gather the members together to discuss contract renewals.

So this is another purpose for tonight? But why did she kick herself? Does she expect me to speak first? That's ridiculous.

He glared at Lim Yoona, but she pretended not to see him and slowly sipped her tea.

Jiang Yan didn't want to speak at first, but thinking of Cui Xueli's matter, he sighed helplessly in his heart, cleared his throat and was about to speak when Kim Tae-yeon put down her water glass first.

"Alright, we've finished our meal and tea. Now, let's talk about the real reason you two came to see me tonight."

Jiang Yan's fingers, which were resting on the table, paused slightly.

Im Yoona raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything.

Kim Tae-yeon's gaze swept between the two of them. "Yoona has been my teammate and sister for many years. I know her personality very well. She wouldn't bring someone to my house so casually. Even the previous one never received this kind of treatment."

"As for you, Xiao Yan..."

She turned her head and looked at Jiang Yan, her eyes gentle yet sharp. "Although I don't know you well, you have always been very polite and tactful. The fact that you agreed to let Yun'er come to my house shows that there is enough trust between you two."

"Although I'm quite curious about what happened between you two, I don't think you'll tell me."

She shrugged, picked up the barley tea in front of her, took a small sip, put down the cup, and smiled at the two of them.

"Alright, I've laid the groundwork for you. Now, just say what you need to say."