Before long, the two returned to the Li Residence. Seeing Li Ying looking solemn, Granny Sun vaguely guessed that the two of them must have something extremely important to discuss. She quickly picked up Mianmian and quietly hid in the inner courtyard.
Li Ying pulled Lu Xunguang to sit at the small table under the tree. Then, looking at him seriously, she slowly said, "My dear Lu, I have something extremely important to tell you. You may find it shocking when you hear it, but please trust me. I have no intention of joking with you."
She tentatively gave him a heads - up first. Lu Xunguang remained silent, just looking at her with a calm expression.
Li Ying swallowed hard. For the first time in her life, she felt a bit nervous.
"My dear Lu, actually, those rascally servants were right about one thing today. I'm... indeed not an ordinary person."
Since she had made up her mind to be honest with Lu Xunguang about her origin and life experience, Li Ying simply stopped hiding. She told him in detail how she had time - traveled here.
She even told him about the space that she herself couldn't explain where it came from.
These things had always been known only to her. Keeping them in her heart made her feel oppressed. Now that she had told Lu Xunguang, she actually felt relieved.
She let out a long breath and stared steadily at Lu Xunguang.
"What those rascally servants said today was true. I was worried that they would break the fish sauce and ruin my business with Manager Wu. So, in a hurry, I simply hid the things back in the space."
Li Ying carefully observed the expression on Lu Xunguang's face. She thought that he might be extremely shocked, or perhaps just think she was talking nonsense, or even consider her a madwoman and immediately leave her.
But for all her speculations, she never expected that this man in front of her would be so calm, just slightly raising his eyebrows.
"Aren't you... don't you think I'm just spouting nonsense?"
Li Ying asked tentatively. Lu Xunguang just shook his head and said calmly, "An innocent man may be guilty if he possesses a valuable jade. Ying, you must never mention the space to anyone else."
Li Ying naturally knew the gravity of this. She nodded obediently and then asked, "My dear Lu, you don't seem surprised?"
Lu Xunguang smiled slightly, with a bit of helplessness and a bit of indulgence in his expression.
"Ying, I'm just a bit dull - witted, not blind."
Li Ying blushed and felt a bit shy.
So he had known all along!
On that stormy night, the pot she had secretly taken out to cook noodle dumplings and the fresh tomatoes she had hidden in the space like a magic trick...
She thought she had been extremely careful and secretive, but in fact, she had never managed to hide these small actions from his eyes.
She asked reluctantly, "My dear Lu, I'm a time - traveler. Maybe the real me is just a wandering soul who has taken over this body. Aren't you afraid?"
Lu Xunguang just waved his hand indifferently.
"Ying, I only know that if it weren't for you saving me, I would have become a wandering soul in that broken temple that day. My life was given to you long ago. How could I be afraid of you?"
"However..."
His tone changed. There was an indescribable look in his eyes when he looked at Li Ying.
Li Ying asked, "However what?"
Lu Xunguang shook his head, dispelling the faint confusion in his eyes. He then spoke in his usual tone, looking in the direction of Yunlai Restaurant, and said seriously, "It's nothing."
"Since those rascally servants already know about your space, although you managed to cover it up today because no one else saw, it's not a long - term solution."
"This Yunlai Restaurant can't be kept any longer."
He stood up. A look of planning flashed in his eyes. He leaned over and planted a gentle kiss on Li Ying's cheek.
"Ying, don't worry. Leave this matter to me to handle."
After walking a few steps, he stopped, turned around, and looked at Li Ying. His eyebrows relaxed, showing a barely perceptible smile.
"Ying, I'm very happy."
"You trust me so much. I will never let you down."
Lu Xunguang rushed out of the door. His long cloak stirred up a gust of wind. The coldness of the winter chill crept into Li Ying's sleeves.
She shivered involuntarily, but her heart felt much lighter. The boulder that had been weighing on her heart for so long finally fell to the ground.
"Dear Lu, come back early. I'll wait for you to have dinner together tonight!"
She chased after him for a few steps and called out to his back. When she returned to the room, she couldn't help blushing again.
Wasn't this exactly like a little wife waiting for her husband to come home?
However, if it meant cooking for Lu Xunguang, she would be more than willing.
There were some preserved meats that Granny Sun had brought back from the market in the kitchen. Li Ying chose a piece of well - marbled bacon and a few sausages with a sweet wine aroma. After washing them clean, she took out a clay pot to cook rice.
When the autumn wind blows, it's time to eat preserved meats. She had been in the capital for several days, and the weather was getting colder day by day. It was just the right time to cook a warm pot of clay - pot rice to fill the stomach.
The rice in the northern region was more fragrant than that in the fishing village. She soaked it in advance. While waiting, she sliced the sausages and bacon evenly.
She smeared a thin layer of clear oil in the clay pot, put in the rice, added a bit more water than usual, covered the pot, and brought it to a boil over high heat, then turned it to low heat to simmer.
When the rice was half - cooked and the water hadn't completely dried up, she added shredded ginger, neatly arranged the various preserved meats on the rice, and cracked an egg on top.
She covered the pot again and poured a circle of clear oil along the edge of the lid. This was the key to getting a crispy crust on the clay - pot rice, and she couldn't be careless.
The rice simmered over low heat absorbed the fat from the preserved meats. Each grain was crystal - clear, soft, and fragrant. The crust baked over high heat was golden and crispy. The meaty aroma and richness of the preserved meats, with a sweet wine flavor, made the taste extremely plump.
The sauce was made with soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and sesame oil. The fish sauce gave the clay - pot rice an indescribable complex flavor, dyeing the white rice into an attractive amber color. She blanched a couple of small green vegetables, sprinkled with scallions and sesame seeds. The aroma of the sausages lingered on the palate, the bacon was well - marbled and savory, and the rice was distinct and mellow without being greasy. It was truly a masterpiece.
White clams, which were common in the fishing village and not very valuable, had become a rarity in the capital. Granny Sun liked them, so Li Ying bought some. After letting them spit out the sand, she made a steamed egg with white clams.
The opened white clams dotted the smooth egg custard like blooming flowers. The taste was extremely light and delicious, and even Mianmian could enjoy it.
She also quickly stir - fried a plate of garlic - flavored small green vegetables, made a plate of beef balls, and cooked a warm soup with sweet white radish. Just as the dishes were served on the table, Lu Xunguang came back.