PDLP Chapter 178 Barbecue (1)
Chapter 178 Barbecue (1)
She gently pressed the answer button, her fingers trembling slightly over the screen, her voice tinged with subtle nervousness. "Hello, what's up?" Bai Fan's steady, yet slightly urgent, voice came from the other end of the line. "Are you home?" Ying Ni replied, "Yes, but shouldn't you be busy working during Spring Festival?" A hint of confusion lingered in her words. Bai Fan and Di Xin, a rising star and talented actor, and Di Xin, a talented singer and singer, would have been busy with various activities and countless announcements during Spring Festival. How could they have suddenly found time to come to her?
"Okay, I got it. Di Xin and I will be there in about half an hour," Bai Fan said with a hint of urgency in his voice. He quickly hung up, leaving Ying Ni holding the phone, bewildered. Staring at the "Call Ended" notification on the screen, Ying Ni took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. She understood that Bai Fan and Di Xin's arrival might herald an impending change in her peaceful life. She began to wonder what was so urgent that they needed to visit in person, rather than communicate through other means. Her heartbeat quickened, and an inexplicable tension began to spread in her chest.
Half an hour slipped by before Ying Ni's ears finally caught the low rumble of a distant car engine. Her heartbeat raced, and she hurriedly rose from the warm sofa and scurried down the stairs. The moment she opened the door, a fresh breeze of air washed over her, mingling with the fragrance of earth and the scent of leaves. Outside, Bai Fan and Di Xin gracefully emerged from a black sedan. Their movements were coordinated and swift, as they unloaded a jumble of miscellaneous items from the trunk.
Bai Fan raised his head, his gaze meeting Ying Ni, who was standing at the door. A hint of amusement flickered in his eyes, and with a slight smile on his lips, he said in a teasing tone, "Why are you still standing there? Shouldn't you come over and help?" Ying Ni leaned against the doorframe, her eyes gleaming with mischief as she softly replied, "Aren't you a man? I'm just a little woman."
Upon hearing Ying Ni's response, Bai Fan's expression immediately grew complex, his brow furrowed in a frown. He wondered, if someone like Ying Ni could be called a "little woman," how could other women be described? Her independence and resourcefulness transcended the traditional image of a weak woman. He shook his head, but the corners of his mouth involuntarily curled up, as if he felt both helpless and amused by Ying Ni's response.
Emperor Xin had just finished unloading the items from the cart when he witnessed Bai Fan and Ying Ni bickering like three or four-year-olds, neither willing to give in. Emperor Xin frowned and shouted, "Enough! Stop bickering like children, both of you! Bai Fan, hurry up and get these things loaded up!" His words seemed to pause the endless argument.
Ying Lai stood aside, her heart full of curiosity. She blinked her big eyes and asked in confusion: "Don't you two know magic? My property has not started pre-sale yet, and no one can see it?" As soon as Ying Lai said this, Bai Fan and Di Xin felt a little embarrassed and their expressions looked extremely awkward.
Bai Fan and Di Xin were stunned for a moment, their movements to move the items in their hands suddenly stopping. They looked at each other, their eyes filled with regret, as if silently saying, "Oh, how could we have forgotten this?" After all, they had been so immersed in mortal life in the past few months that they had almost forgotten that they still possessed magic.
Ying Ni observed the eye contact between the two and immediately understood the truth of the matter. She couldn't help but burst out laughing. Her laughter seemed particularly loud in this quiet environment.
Startled by Ying Ni's laughter, the two finally came to their senses. After a glance at each other, they quickly cast a spell. The ingredients and seasonings on the ground seemed to come alive, one by one, steadily flying into the small building. As for Ying Ni's laughter, they pretended not to hear it, feigning indifference, but the slightly reddened ears betrayed their shyness and embarrassment.
Ying Ni's eyes wandered over the plastic bags, large and small, her brow furrowed slightly, as if trying to decipher the secrets hidden behind these ingredients. The bags were filled with various meats and vegetables, along with several packets of colorful seasonings, all of which seemed a bit out of place. She flipped through the bags and asked in confusion, "What are you doing? A group coming to my house to cook?"
In the kitchen, Bai Fan busily washed vegetables, their water droplets shimmering under the light. He carefully shook the leaves dry and arranged them neatly on plates. Meanwhile, Di Xin focused on cutting the various meats, sorting them onto separate plates. He even found a large basin, added some seasoning, then picked up the plates of meat and began to meticulously marinate them.
After they finished, they wiped the water from their hands. Bai Fan sat down next to Ying Ni, took a bag of potato chips from her hand, and began to eat them. Di Xin also picked up the snacks on the table and explained, "What do you mean by cooking? Do we look like people who can cook?" He smiled and continued, "We don't like those kinds of occasions, so we postponed all the announcements. We don't have any other friends here except you, so Bai Fan suggested coming to see you, so I came with him."
Ying Ni immediately showed her resolve. She had chosen takeout precisely because she didn't want to cook. If anyone dared to suggest she take the helm, she would show them the power of her fist. She declared mercilessly, "I don't want to cook either. Don't count on me."
Ying Ni's tone was firm, her eyes flickering with resistance to cooking. She had originally planned to order takeout through a mobile app and enjoy a relaxing evening. However, the arrival of Bai Fan and Di Xin disrupted her plans, forcing her to face the prospect of cooking herself. She knew that if she didn't firmly refuse, the two would likely try to make her succumb to their culinary temptations.
Bai Fan and Di Xin exchanged a glance, seemingly anticipating Ying Ni's reaction. Bai Fan put down his potato chips and tried to lighten the mood with a relaxed tone, "Ying Ni, don't be nervous. We're not here for you to cook. We just want a place to relax. Besides, we brought enough ingredients for a hearty barbecue together."
Emperor Xin also added: "We just want to spend this Spring Festival with you, we have no other intentions. I remember you have a grill here. Although we can't cook, we can still barbecue. You can wait and enjoy the food."
Ying Ni's guard eased after hearing this. She realized she might have misunderstood their intentions, but she remained firm in her stance. "Since you say so, I believe you. However, I must emphasize that I can't cook, so you'd better not count on me."