The Rice Pot Next Door

Untitled Part 40

Yey! We are at Chapter 60, the three-quarter mark of this book! **wipe tear of joy** We have seen Lan Shan and Qiao Feng progressing from strangers, to neighbours, to besties, to fake couple, and now to-be-real couple, and I like to thank you for still on board this rather long-winded train. If you have found the earlier chapters funny, I think you will also like this chapter where Qiao Feng will make you laugh and want to bash his head at the same time. : ) Have a great weekend!

Chapters 59: Pack Lunch (...continued)

The next morning, Qiao Feng wakes up Lan Shan per their new routine. In the past, Lan Shan will wake up when her alarm rings and do a quick wash before dashing off to work. Breakfast will be something she grabs along the way. When Qiao Feng noticed this dumb and unhealthy lifestyle of hers, he has decided to help her correct her bad habit.

Which is why Qiao Feng will knock at her door punctually every morning way before her usual wake-up time. She has tried to turn down his morning-call initially but he has ignored her protests and dangles his bait – he can share his breakfast with her.

Which is why Lan Shan has tolerated his nuisance and has slowly adjusted to the new routine so that she can pop over next door for a proper breakfast before going to work.

Today's breakfast consists of Xiao Long Bao, hard-boil eggs cooked in tea & herbs, and soya milk. The bun and eggs are bought from the food stall downstairs while the soya milk is made by Qiao Feng who grounds his own beans and cooks them with a dash of sugar. It is very thick, very fragrant, and blends perfectly with the other food. While she is eating, she notes that Qiao Feng seems to be busy with something in the kitchen but since she is still sleepy, she did not try to check on what he is doing.

After a while, Qiao Feng emerges with a plastic lunch box. From the transparent cover, Lan Shan can see that there are some sauté French beans and tomatoes on top a layer of rice. This sparks her curiosity. "Are you going out today? Where are you going that does not sell food and that you have to make your own lunch?"

"This is for you, not for me." He places the lunch box in front of her. "Go on, take it and eat it for lunch. I have already sterilized it so that you can consume it without worrying for contamination."

Lan Shan takes the warm container and is touched. The lunch box is still warm and the vapour droplets under the lid proves that the food is only prepared just this morning. Did he make it especially for her? "Why are you being so good to me?"

He choose to answer with another question. "Is there a reason why I cannot be nice to you?"

"None whatsoever. Just make sure you don't stop."

Lan Shan tucks her lunch box away carefully and goes off happily to work. During lunchtime, she follows her colleagues to the staff canteen and heats up her lunch box with the microwave oven there. After the food is warmed up, she mixes the vegetables with the rice – and discovers a piece of luncheon meat sandwiched between the rice.

A small, heart-shaped luncheon meat about the size of a cherry.

While she is trying to digest the sight, her colleagues have spotted the heart too and crowds around her as they start oohing and arhhing.

"Yo Lan Jie (Sister Lan), who cooked this loving lunch? Look, such a cute little heart, can you see it beating?"

"Lan Jie, you are really too low secretive. How can you keep us in the dark when you have a boyfriend? You should have said something so that those guys who have waited so long for you can finally squash their hopes."

"Lan Jie, I think you should just marry this guy."

"Lan Jie, Lan Jie, is the guy who made this lunch better looking than our boss?"