Cooking

After a heart-to-heart conversation with her mother, Lin Qing went upstairs and hung her new clothes on recently emptied side of her dressing room.

The system asked Lin Qing, "When do you plan to pursue Su Haoyu?"

Lin Qing remained unmoved and said to the system, "You don't understand these things. If I pester him too much and come onto him, wouldn't he get bored of me? I have to put a bit of distance first, then show myself again in front of him!"

The system responded her in a sarcastic tone, "The host really knows about romance and relationships. I Forgot host tell me why didn't your relationships last before?"

Lin Qing became angry, "Do you think it's my fault? My only fault is that I don't have discerning eyes. I give value to garbage men. Now the candidate is an okay person, things should work out fast. Maybe I would even get married next month!"

The system is overwhelmed by the host's confidence.

"Host, even if the target is already interested in you, there might be unknown problems. I think you should follow the usual route of pursuing!"

"What is the usual route?"

"Saving the hero while he is shot and nursing him? Wouldn't that melt the ice between you?"

Lin Qing rolled her eyes at the system. "Do you think this is a period drama?"

"Then what about the host was about to get kidnapped and the hero saves the damsel?"

"Should I find human traffickers just to create a scene with him? Never mind that it is illegal. What if something goes wrong, and I would really get kidnapped?"

The system was in deep thought, "Hosts, they say the way to a man's heart goes through their stomach. Maybe you should cook him a nice meal and bring him a bento. It's always romantic in shows."

"But I don't know how to cook!" Due to the system's endless pushing, Lin Qing ended up searching the internet for cooking videos till she fall asleep.

When she woke up it was almost afternoon and she was the only one at home.

Because of meetings her father had to go to another city while her brother was also busy managing the new IPs.

Lin Qing's mother, Wen Li, served as the chief editor at Today's Magazine, the largest publication under Blossom Media. It was an educational magazine that featured new authors, scientific discoveries, and important county events. Due to an important meeting, Wen Li also left early in the morning.

As the only one at home, along with the butler, chef, and maids, she had her breakfast alone , after she was done she informed the maids, "I will try cooking, don't disturb me!" The maids were confused and shocked, but no one dared to defy the little princess of the Lin family.

Upon entering the kitchen and struggling to find the necessary items, Lin Qing thought to herself, "How hard could it be?"

Lin Qing had never learned how to cook, brew tea, or coffee. She was a pampered young lady from a wealthy family, often treated as the little princess. How could she know anything about cooking? She had never even attempted to whip up an omelette, let alone create a lunchbox that would earn her romance points.

Determined to impress Su Haoyu with her skills, she decided to start by learning how to make dumplings.

As she opened cooking videos again, she thought it looked easy. The chefs made it seem effortless. However, the first dough she made was too mushy and watery, and she became frustrated because it stuck to her fingers and even got inside her beautifully manicured fingernails.

But she refused to give up. She was going to do this. The system felt like the kitchen had become a battlefield.

"Forget the dough; first, I should master the stuffing," she thought. So she took a deep breath and started chopping vegetables, trying to follow the instructions in the videos as closely as possible. However, things didn't go as planned. She ended up cutting her index finger, and her cry resonated throughout the house.

The head maid came to her rescue, looking at the mess in the kitchen and at Lin Qing.

"Young miss, are you alright?"

Lin Qing was tired and hurt, so she nodded her head. And one of the maids brought her a band-aid.

The head maid signaled the chef, and the chef asked, "Young miss, do you need help?"

Lin Qing who was tired of trying, finally accepted the help, so maids and chef finally relaxed.

Assistant chef brought a ready-made dough from the freezer, so the only thing she had to do was stuff and stir fry the dumplings.

Finally it was done, they looked like an ugly made of bunch of dumplings. After the first batch was done, she wanted to try her masterpiece, but the vegetables were too crunchy, and the meat was overcooked. She felt like giving up and throwing everything to the ground.

The system was aware of her actions. "Host, no one can master anything without trying. Those chefs have 10 or 20 years of hard work. You shouldn't compare yourself with them. With more trying, you can do it!"

After her failed attempts with the first batch and the chef's ready-made dough, Lin Qing gathered new ingredients, tied her hair into a bun, donned an apron, and placed the ingredients on the marble counter. Now surrounded by bowls of flour, eggs, and water, she remained resolute in her determination to learn how to make dumplings.

Her first attempt resulted in a dough that was too sticky, a filling that was too watery, and a wrapping that was too messy. The second batch of dumplings was overcooked, and the vegetable fillings were undercooked. With each failed batch, Lin Qing's frustration grew, but she refused to give up.

Taking a deep breath, she opened another cooking video where a chef was teaching in a step-by-step manner. She rolled out a new batch of dough and carefully followed the chef's technique, flouring her hands and shaping the dough into small circles.

This time, she paid closer attention as she carefully pressed the edges of the dough together and ensured there were no air pockets. She filled each dumpling with a mixture of ground pork, grated cabbage, ginger, and chopped green onions, making sure the filling was neither too wet nor too dry. As she wrapped each dumpling in the dough and twisted the edges together to create a tight seal, she felt a sense of satisfaction.

Lin Qing placed the dumplings on a floured surface to rest for a few minutes before cooking. As the oil in her pan heated up, she added a few dumplings at a time, watching them intently as they sizzled. When she finally tasted one, she closed her eyes in delight. The dough was perfectly crispy, and the filling burst with flavor. Lin Qing couldn't believe it - after all her struggles, she had finally managed to cook stir-fried dumplings!

After her cooking adventure came to an end, Lin Qing emerged from the kitchen to meet Lin Quang's suspicious gaze. He had come home to retrieve an important flash drive but was surprised by the scene he encountered. He looked at his sister, who was covered in flour and had messy and dirty clothes. He cautiously asked what she had been doing in the kitchen.

"I wanted to learn cooking," Lin Qing replied eagerly. "Do you want to try?"

With that, Lin Qing hurriedly went back to the kitchen to retrieve a plate of dumplings. While looking at the plate, her brother looked as if he was looking at poison. He glanced at the plate and then at Lin Qing's face. He didn't want to see his little sister disappointed, so he reluctantly bit the bullet (ehem, the dumpling).

"Ah, it's okay!" Lin Quang exclaimed.

Lin Qing couldn't help but feel proud. "Of course," she said confidently. "Today was my first attempt, but it will get much better later."

Lin Quang's gaze shifted between his little sister's expectant expression and the plate of dumplings. He hesitated, "While it's admirable that you want to learn, isn't it too taxing for you?"

He wanted to say you're not exactly cut out for the kitchen with the way you look after just cooking a plate of dumplings but he hold his tongue. He was worried that she might ended up burning the entire house if she didn't have supervision.