My Girlfriend is a Cold and Aloof Sickly Beauty 193

Chapter 193: Only Visible to Myself

Having experienced finals week once, Jiang Xue was no longer as tense as she had been last semester.

After finals week ended, she temporarily put aside her textbooks and started researching recipes for home-cooked dishes.

Jiang Xue didn’t consider herself a “kitchen disaster,” having learned basic cooking skills from Sister Cheng back in middle school. The dishes she made just looked bad, but they were still edible.

But since she and Xiao Luo would be responsible for their own meals from now on, she had to improve her cooking skills. Even if Xiao Luo didn’t mind, she couldn’t bear to serve her unsightly dishes.

Compared to textbooks, recipes were much easier to memorize, and she could search for videos or ask Cheng Shizhu for unclear instructions. After browsing through several “#Weekly Home-cooked Meals” tutorials, Jiang Xue quickly finalized tomorrow’s menu.

Early the next morning, she quietly slipped out of bed, careful not to wake the still-sleeping Xiao Luohan, quickly washed up, and then left the house with the dog.

Following her notes, she went to the various stalls Cheng Shizhu had recommended and bought the groceries, carefully examining the pictures before choosing the pork ribs she wanted, asking the vendor to chop them into small pieces.

She also bought a pound of plump shrimp, and passing by the supermarket, she gave the shopping bag to Xia Yun and went inside to buy a can of luncheon meat and a bag of mung bean noodles, planning to make a three-delicacy hot pot.

After getting all the ingredients, she bought glutinous rice balls and soy milk on her way back, adding toppings according to their preferences. When she arrived home, Xiao Luohan was washing up.

“If you’re walking there alone, you can buy a small cart,” Xiao Luohan suggested after checking the amount of groceries. “I saw one online that looks like a suitcase, foldable, with a lid, and it has a large capacity, but it’s lightweight itself.”

“Send me the link, I’ll take a look!” Jiang Xue said, eating a glutinous rice ball. “Actually, taking the bus is also an option, but sometimes the timing is bad, or the driver is on a break, and you might end up walking there while waiting for the bus. I thought I could use the daily grocery shopping as exercise.”

Xiao Luohan opened the shopping app, found the product, and sent her the link, reminding her softly, “Remember to take me with you next time, I also want to practice my grocery shopping skills.”

Jiang Xue thought for a moment, then, instead of readily agreeing, replied with a smile, half-joking, half-serious, “It depends. Sometimes, when I wake up and see your sleeping face, I can’t bear to wake you.”

This was true. Seeing Xiao Luo sleeping peacefully also made her feel at ease, and she felt there was no need to disturb her tranquility.

“By the way, try to ‘schedule’ your grocery shopping after school starts,” Cheng Shizhu reminded them. “For example, if Second Miss has a full day of classes, then Xiao Luo can do the grocery shopping, and then switch the next day when Second Miss is free.”

“Of course, ordering online and having the groceries delivered is also very convenient. But the quality might not be as good as choosing them yourself, it’s a bit like a lucky dip. Anyway, just do what you’re comfortable with.”

The two hurriedly noted down the new points. After breakfast, they went to the kitchen to prepare the ingredients for lunch and dinner, while Cheng Shizhu continued giving them tips.

“You can wash the leafy vegetables in advance and store them in a draining basket, then chop them when needed.”

“I suggest keeping the ginger, garlic, and chili peppers in a separate basket. Peel the garlic before using it, and for ginger, remember to cut off the exposed end and discard it if it sprouts, as the nutrients will be absorbed by the sprout.”

“For frozen meat, if you’re not in a hurry, take it out and thaw it in the refrigerator two hours in advance. If you’re in a hurry, just use the microwave, placing it on a thawing plate, don’t cover it with plastic wrap. And never thaw it in water!”

Jiang Xue and Xiao Luohan worked together, following Cheng Shizhu’s instructions and preparing all the necessary ingredients.

Then it was time for knife skills practice. The goal wasn’t fancy knife work, just being able to cut vegetables into sections, carrots and potatoes into chunks or slices, without injuring themselves, was considered passing. This was enough for preparing simple meals for two.

Jiang Xue was confident in this aspect. She was very skilled with a scalpel, so a simple kitchen knife and motionless vegetables and meat shouldn’t be a problem.

…Then she cut her finger.

Cheng Shizhu, who had gone to the balcony to pick some green onions, wasn’t surprised at all when she returned and saw one girl tending to the wound while the other held the first-aid kit.

“My mom and I often cut ourselves while chopping vegetables. You never know when they’ll suddenly slip,” she said calmly, watching as the young couple treated the wound and wiping the bloodstains from the cutting board and ingredients. “Second Miss, you can’t eat anything that might trigger inflammation until the wound heals.”

Jiang Xue, who had wanted to improve her cooking skills, was undeniably frustrated by this failure on her first try.

But because of this, she had a good excuse to stay by Xiao Luo’s side, watching as she chopped vegetables and cooked.

During this time, Cheng Shizhu tactfully took the dog and left.

She believed that with this “injury incident,” Xiao Luo wouldn’t make the same mistake.

Feeling Jiang Xue’s cautious gaze, Xiao Luohan couldn’t help but smile wryly. “Don’t worry, I’ll be careful and won’t hurt myself.”

Playing the guqin and drawing both required dexterity, so she would be extra cautious. For the parts she couldn’t cut with one hand, she simply used both hands to press the knife down on the cutting board. Although it wasn’t elegant or efficient, it worked.

Because of Jiang Xue’s injured finger, Xiao Luohan was in charge of washing, chopping, and cooking during this time, leaving the more difficult tasks to the professional Cheng Shizhu, or simply ordering takeout.

This wasn’t a big deal, the main problem was that Jiang Xue couldn’t touch water with her injured finger, so even everyday tasks like washing up and doing laundry had to be done by Xiao Luohan.

They always hand-washed their underwear, especially in the summer.

At first, Jiang Xue stubbornly ordered a large basin with a washboard from the nearby supermarket and tried to wash her clothes with one hand, but after being stared at by Xiao Luohan a few times, she gave up and obediently let her girlfriend take care of it.

So Xiao Luohan’s fingertips were often covered in soap suds, repeatedly scrubbing the most soiled areas.

Meeting Jiang Xue’s shy gaze, Xiao Luohan explained seriously, “I always scrub the dirtiest parts repeatedly.”

Jiang Xue, however, thought of how Xiao Luo also liked to repeatedly caress the corresponding areas on her body when they weren’t doing laundry.

She simply treated it as Xiao Luo’s peculiar interest and, after repeatedly convincing herself, could calmly watch the entire process by the time the wound was almost healed.

As soon as new skin grew over the cut, Jiang Xue immediately started her “rehabilitation.”

The three-delicacy hot pot she had wanted to make a week ago was finally prepared and served on the dining table.

Large, fresh shrimp, peeled and tender quail eggs, rehydrated pork skin, and neatly arranged luncheon meat slices. The bok choy, a favorite of everyone, was soaking in the flavorful broth with a layer of chicken oil, delicious both on its own and with rice.

Jiang Xue rewarded herself with an extra half bowl of rice, then added “making chili sauce” to her to-do list.

It was easy to lose your appetite in the summer, and constantly eating bland food would become tasteless, so she needed to make some chili sauce to ensure she could enjoy her meals.

“The basic operations are no problem. I’ve been observing you two using the kitchen utensils these past few days, and I don’t think there’s anything else I can teach you,” Cheng Shizhu concluded after dinner. “No need to rush, the clumsy movements are just due to lack of experience. You’ll naturally improve with practice.”

Xia Yun, gnawing on a chew toy at her feet, barked twice in agreement.

“By the way, I’ve recorded a lot of footage during this time, a bit of everything. I’ll transfer it to your computer later, as a memento,” Cheng Shizhu continued, petting the dog. “Feel free to use it however you want. It’s just your daily life, I’m looking forward to seeing it turned into a sweet vlog.”

This was a clear hint, so Jiang Xue and Xiao Luohan immediately went to the study, imported the videos, and started discussing the footage.

Jiang Xue had been focused on learning cooking theory and only knew that Cheng Shizhu was filming, but she hadn’t expected her to have recorded so much. Seeing the nearly 100GB of video, she felt a mixture of gratitude, excitement, and guilt.

She remembered that many popular vloggers had paid teams behind them, and even though Shizhu Jiejie was practically family, she still deserved to be compensated.

But whether it was directly giving her money or persuading her to accept it, it would definitely be met with Cheng Shizhu’s refusal, and she would even be scolded for it, so Jiang Xue just made a mental note and, looking at the camera, decided to buy Cheng Shizhu a new one when she graduated.

Even a “inherited” good camera needed to be replaced after years of use. As a birthday gift, it would definitely be considered too expensive, earning her double the gratitude from Cheng Shizhu, so she would just treat it as a graduation gift, and if asked, she could also explain it as her first investment in Cheng Shizhu.

The new vlog soon appeared on the “Traces of Xue Luo” channel, and the CP fans, receiving the notification, clicked on it, watching the two girls helping each other in the kitchen.

Worried that Xiao Luo, who had been ordered by her guqin teachers not to “chop vegetables,” Jiang Xue deliberately didn’t include the footage of her injured finger.

But even so, some musicians still commented that Xiao Luo shouldn’t be cooking, as any injury to her hands would be a great loss.

There were even some trolls who twisted the video into “the uploader is trying to torture musicians who don’t cook,” and within two or three days, related videos and criticisms were everywhere.

The two hadn’t expected their cozy daily life to be misinterpreted like this.

After discussing it with Ms. Silin’s studio, they decided to set the video to “private,” effectively ending the online arguments. If there were any further attempts to damage the account’s reputation, the studio would handle it.

Shen Xianyue immediately sent a message to comfort them: 【This is what happens when you become popular. No matter what you do or say, there will be people overanalyzing and misinterpreting it, and some small-time uploaders even rely on this kind of malicious gossip and slander to gain fame and fortune. Just ignore them! If you like cooking, then cook. Are you going to keep that wound open forever?!】

Before Xiao Luohan could reply, she added, 【If you need it, I can take down those trolls. All they do is spread negativity and harass people online, they have nothing better to do!】