Looking at Lu Chuanbai's serious expression, Xu Qingqing felt a warm current in her heart. She smiled, and her beautiful peach blossom eyes curved like a pair of crescent moons, shining brightly.
"Thank you for speaking up for me."
"I'm just stating the facts," Lu Chuanbai said awkwardly.
After Lu Chuanbai and Xu Qingqing went inside, Father Lu glared at his step - wife and said angrily, "Can you stop causing trouble? It's not easy for us to have a meal together. Just be quiet for a while!"
"I didn't cause any trouble!" the step - wife retorted, looking aggrieved. "Your good son asked me to do all the work. Instead of standing up for me, you scold me!"
"Who told you to pick a fight first!" Father Lu said impatiently. "If you say something wrong again, you can just go back!"
The hourly worker who came to help prepare the meal soon arrived. The red - boiling hot pot was placed on the table, emitting an alluring aroma.
All kinds of dishes were laid out on the table, looking extremely appealing.
The hourly worker started cooking home - style dishes in the kitchen. Xu Qingqing wanted to go in and help, but Lu Chuanbai grabbed her and told her to go play with the two kids.
"If you go to the kitchen, who will play with the kids?"
Xu Qingqing felt sorry for the hourly worker bustling around in the kitchen alone. She thought that if the worker couldn't find something, she could help. "The kids are with your father. They don't need me."
"Why are you so silly?" Lu Chuanbai pulled Xu Qingqing and gently scraped the tip of her nose with his finger. "The person who should be doing the work hasn't even moved yet. Why are you in such a hurry?"
Lu Chuanbai's dark eyes were full of partiality.
The person Lu Chuanbai referred to as the one who should be doing the work was the step - wife, who was sitting on the sofa, looking completely unconcerned, scrolling through her phone and snickering from time to time.
The step - wife had completely forgotten what Father Lu had told her about learning to cook.
"Come on, it's okay. I can go," Xu Qingqing said coquettishly with a smile. Her peach - petal - like eyes were brimming with laughter.
She knew Lu Chuanbai was trying to protect her, but after all, the step - wife was a guest.
She didn't want Lu Chuanbai to quarrel with his step - wife because of her.
Xu Qingqing didn't know much about the step - wife, but Lu Chuanbai knew exactly what kind of person she was.
The step - wife was a typical evil mother - in - law. If Xu Qingqing offered to help in the kitchen this time, even if she couldn't help in the future due to some reason, she would still be scolded by the step - wife.
Xu Qingqing was the apple of Lu Fenglin's eye, not a maid.
Lu Chuanbai patted Xu Qingqing's hand and told her to stay still. Then he looked at the oblivious step - wife.
"Auntie, didn't my dad just say that you should learn how to cook? The chef I invited is really good at cooking. Hurry up and go in to learn."
The step - wife, who was pretending to look at her phone but actually sneaking glances at Lu Chuanbai, stiffened. A fake smile appeared on her face. "Oh, I'm so clumsy. I'd better not bother the chef."
What an ill - mannered brat!
She was his step - mother after all, yet he dared to order her around!
"It's okay. I knew you were clumsy, so I gave the chef a big red envelope in advance," Lu Chuanbai said casually, but his tone was full of pressure.
"Chuanbai means well. Go quickly," Father Lu, who was playing with the two kids in the living room, poked his head out and said.
"Okay, I'll go right away," the step - wife said through gritted teeth. Her fake smile faltered for a moment. If she bit any harder, she might break all her teeth.
Damn old fool! He's always so biased!
Since Father Lu had spoken, even though the step - wife was extremely reluctant to help in the kitchen, she had to drag herself there.
The step - wife cursed in her heart. Once she and Lu Fenglin took over the Lu family, she would make Lu Chuanbai suffer so much that he would wish for death!
She would make all of them pay!
The chef, who was stir - frying, smiled gratefully at the step - wife. "I'm really sorry to trouble you to help."
"It's okay," the step - wife said with a fake and polite smile. She wrinkled her nose, smelled the fumes in the kitchen, and disgustedly patted her clothes.
Damn it!
This dress was a limited - edition new style. She had put it on specially for this gathering, but now it would be stained by the fumes and become dirty!
"Could you please get me a plate?" the chef, who was stir - frying, was worried that the dish would burn if he left. He turned around and asked the step - wife for help.
"Sure," the step - wife said. She looked at the beautiful and antique plates stacked in the cupboard. A glint of light flashed in her eyes.
She didn't want to do the work of a servant!
As long as she made mistakes frequently, those people couldn't force her to work all the time, right?
The step - wife opened the cupboard and randomly pulled out the plate in the middle. The plates on top lost their support and slid out of the cupboard. The step - wife instinctively dodged, and with a crash, all the plates shattered on the ground.
"Oops, it's bad!" the step - wife screamed. The chef standing behind her had to turn off the fire and come over to check if she was hurt.
Hearing the noise, Xu Qingqing and Lu Chuanbai glanced at each other, then got up and walked into the kitchen.
The step - wife looked at them with a guilty expression and said nervously, "I'm sorry. The chef asked me to get a plate, but I accidentally knocked them over..."
"Xu Qingqing, you won't blame me, right?"
"Of course not," Xu Qingqing sighed softly and said with a smile. "As long as you're not hurt."
After saying that, Xu Qingqing picked up the broom leaning against the door and started to sweep up the broken pieces of the bowls.
"Sweep it clean," the step - wife said with a smile and walked to the side to make room for Xu Qingqing to sweep.
Lu Chuanbai's dark eyes swept over the step - wife. He saw through her little scheme at a glance. His thin lips parted slightly. "It's okay, auntie. Keep helping. There are plenty of plates in the cupboard. You can't possibly break them all."
"Ah?" the step - wife looked up in surprise. Meeting Lu Chuanbai's half - smiling eyes, she quickly lowered her head.
Lu Chuanbai helped Xu Qingqing sweep up the broken porcelain pieces on the ground, then pulled her out of the kitchen.
"Here comes the little plane..." Father Lu, who was entertaining the two kids, poked his head out from behind the wind - screen in the living room and looked at Lu Chuanbai. "What happened in the kitchen?"
"Nothing. Just a plate broke," Lu Chuanbai said casually.
But Father Lu's eyes fell on the garbage bag in Xu Qingqing's hand. The number of broken pieces was not just one or two plates. There were at least five!
After that, even though the step - wife caused a lot of chaos in the kitchen and made the chef, who had originally been smiling, turn livid, Lu Chuanbai turned a deaf ear and didn't let her out.
When the dishes were finally cooked, Lu Chuanbai specially prepared a thick red envelope and gave it to the exhausted chef. The money in it was twice the chef's salary for this job.
"Chef, thank you for your trouble. It must have been hard teaching my aunt to cook."
The chef, who had some complaints at first, felt the thick red envelope and beamed with joy. He said simply and honestly,
"It's okay! But I still suggest that your aunt should stop cooking. Her hand - foot coordination doesn't seem very good. It could be dangerous."
Hearing this, the step - wife's face darkened.