Under Tao Zhiyue's dedicated guidance, Huo Ran added too much vinegar and sprinkled a lot of sugar to neutralize it.
After adding all the seasonings, it still felt wrong, so he added a bunch of seasonings at random to try to save it.
Finally, Huo Ran in the video nervously raised the spoon and took a bite. His expression changed for a few seconds, and he gave a forced and confident evaluation.
"… tasty!"
Tao Zhiyue, who had been watching the whole process, held back his laughter, coughed, and pretended to comment seriously.
"The color is pretty, and I think it will taste good. This is your first time making a slightly complicated dish, and you did a great job."
Huo Ran sighed and stared at the obviously more pleasing-looking sour soup beef on the other side of the video.
He said insincerely: "This dish is very memorable, so I decided to pack some for my sister tomorrow. I don't want to be the only one to taste this delicious food, I want to share it with everyone."
Tao Zhiyue followed up with a bad idea: "Why not bring a portion for your dad as well?"
"… Good idea!" Huo Ran slammed the table and said excitedly, "It's decided. Fortunately, I bought three pounds of beef rolls, one pound for each person!"
Tao Zhiyue looked at his changing expression and couldn't help laughing.
"By the way, speaking of my dad." Huo Ran organized his words and observed his expression through the screen, "Can I tell my dad that we are in love?"
"He definitely didn't expect me to find a boyfriend before, so he might not be mentally prepared, but I've been very excited every day recently... I can't hide it, he'll find out sooner or later. Today he even said that I was so excited that my hair stood up, so I wanted to tell him directly."
"Don't worry, although my dad is sometimes careless, he has learned to respect others now. He won't do anything reckless like in those melodramatic TV dramas. Even if he wants to do something reckless, I will stop him!"
Huo Ran assured him sincerely.
Tao Zhiyue was stunned for a moment. He didn't expect Huo Ran to come out to his family so soon.
He was a little dazed and didn't know how to react.
Tao Zhiyue had hidden his sexual orientation for a long time, and it had almost become a fixed mindset. Now that he had finally found a partner, he had not had time to think about making the matter public.
But facing Huo Ran's expectant eyes, he couldn't just sit there in a daze like this.
He was in a daze and subconsciously said, "How many bloody TV dramas have you been dragged by your sister to watch..."
Huo Ran thought about it seriously, "About a dozen, not a lot. Now that she's grown up, she's much quieter. Do you like to watch it? I can watch it with you."
Tao Zhiyue shook his head cautiously: "You should watch a horror movie with me."
Needless to say, Huo Ran's family relationships were beyond his expectations. There was not even a hint of the intrigue among the wealthy families that had been rumored.
Moreover, with Huo Ran's unremitting efforts, the image of Huo Zhendong, a self-made and cold-blooded rich man, in his mind has become no different from that of an ordinary middle-aged man.
So Tao Zhiyue quietly made up his mind and reminded him: "Then don't tell your dad, I taught you how to make this beef in sour soup..."
Huo Ran reacted for a moment, his eyes lit up: "You agreed!"
"Great, I'll tell my dad tomorrow." Huo Ran said excitedly, "As for my mom, I'll go over there one day and tell her in person."
Hearing him say this, Tao Zhiyue realized that he had never heard him mention his mother before, and had never searched for her on the Internet before.
Seeing his puzzled expression, Huo Ran immediately explained, "I don't think I told you that they divorced a few years ago, and then my mother remarried. She said it was true love, and the other party was young and handsome. In short, she is much happier than before."
"She just had a baby last year, and she's been busy taking care of the baby every day, and she also has to take care of her health, so we haven't had much contact recently, and I don't want to disturb her new family too much."
Finally, he concluded: "In general, my parents broke up peacefully after their relationship broke down. There are no complicated entanglements and conflicts. They can still sit down and have a cup of tea together and talk about my life-long affairs. So you don't have to worry about this."
Seeing his unusually serious expression, Tao Zhiyue couldn't help laughing: "You look like you're on a blind date."
Huo Ran nodded in agreement: "Almost. I should give you a comprehensive understanding of my family situation. This is very important and is related to the happiness and harmony of our future life."
Tao Zhiyue casually agreed: "Then it's enough for you to understand me, there is no other situation."
Huo Ran paused for a moment after hearing this and tried to change the subject: "Ah, the food is getting cold!"
After the beef in sour soup was served, the two of them each fried a piece of water spinach.
While making the first dish, I had already washed the water spinach and crushed the fermented bean curd with a spoon.
Stir-frying vegetables directly is very fast and is ready in just a few minutes.
The job was done. Tao Zhiyue looked at the two steaming dishes in front of him, and then looked at the two identical dishes on Huo Ran's family's dining table in the video. He always had a wonderful feeling.
Huo Ran also stared at the phone screen and made a surprised sound, "Why are your water spinach stems white?"
Tao Zhiyue explained: "It's a unique variety here. I think it's softer and crispier than the green-stemmed ones. It tastes very good."
"I didn't expect that I would be defeated miserably today... I even lost the game."
Huo Ran said frustratedly: "I really want to come to Jinbei. I want to eat the food you cook. Cooking is so difficult."
Even though we've only been apart for a few days, it feels like we've been apart for a long time.
Tao Zhiyue also wanted to see him again.
"I just changed companies, and I like the new project very much, so I can't leave for the time being." Tao Zhiyue said apologetically, "I will try to come over on weekends or holidays."
Huo Ran seemed to be thinking, "It's okay, I will think of a way too."
Under the bright light of the living room, they began to have dinner together, thousands of miles apart.
Huo Ran tasted the special flavor of the beef in sour soup and frowned, saying, "Now let's discuss a very important issue."
"What?"
"How should we call each other in daily life? Generally, couples have unique names for each other."
He analyzed seriously: "I searched the Internet specifically to find some inspiration, but I found that many people have the same name, such as Bao..."
"Wait a minute!!"
Tao Zhiyue grabbed the chopsticks and quickly hung up the phone.
[Tao: This topic is too embarrassing, so I’ll just type it out.]
[Tao:_(:3∠)_]
[hr: Hahahahahaha! ]
[hr: You are shy!!]
[Tao: No, haha!]
[hr: OK.]
[hr: Then let’s start a serious discussion! ]
[hr: I think we should start with the name and give it a special name.]
[Tao: But your name only has two characters, it’s hard to pronounce.]
[Tao: Should we call her Ranran?]
[Tao: Hahahahahaha.]
[hr: No, Yueyue!]
[Tao: … … !!!]
[hr: Goosebumps!!!]
The night was spent in such strange and endless chat.
The air was always filled with the mouth-watering sour and spicy aroma, and I couldn't stop smiling on my face.
The next morning, when Tao Zhiyue went to work on time, even his single classmate Guan Yudong noticed his over-expressible happiness.
"Did you go on a date with your date after get off work yesterday?"
Guan Yudong poked his head out from behind the computer screen opposite and looked at him enviously, his eyes filled with a desire to eat dog food.
Tao Zhiyue felt that this was basically correct, and nodded in agreement: "Yes, I had dinner with him."
"Wow, it's great, but I can only play games at home..."
The word "game" reminded Guan Yudong, and he suddenly asked, "Oh, I forgot to ask you yesterday. The vampire game you mentioned last time sounded fun, but I searched the circle over the weekend and couldn't find anything similar. What's the name of that game? Can it still be played now?"
Tao Zhiyue's fingers, which were typing on the keyboard, froze.
"That...ah, maybe I can't play it anymore, it's a very old game." He hesitated, "I played it a long time ago, someone sent it to me, the name is garbled, so I don't even remember what it's called."
He doesn't like lying, but he has to tell this lie.
"So that's how it is." Guan Yudong drew his head back with regret. "Then I'll try to find a meal replacement! That setting is so interesting. If it doesn't work, we can only wait until we make this one ourselves."
Seeing that he didn't ask any more questions, Tao Zhiyue silently breathed a sigh of relief and calmed himself down.
Tao Zhiyue actually felt a little regretful. He was so immersed in the heady passion that day that he forgot that this was another slightly different world.
The vampire game he described does not exist in this world.
I hope that my colleagues who were present that day will not delve into this issue too deeply.
When the entire project team was discussing together yesterday, they tentatively named the love-oriented avg mobile game "New World". Before Tao Zhiyue came, Huang Chengji was responsible for writing the program framework. Now the underlying logic has changed, so the two of them started to make modifications together.
Since Huang Chengxu very decisively acknowledged himself as the dad on the day of the interview and refused to be called Brother Huang, after Tao Zhiyue's amusing persuasion, the two of them ended up calling each other Xiao Huang and Xiao Tao.
Throughout the morning, the two of them would occasionally get together to discuss technical issues in a low voice, causing Tao Zhiyue's mind to be filled with not only the code, but also the sound of Xiao Huang.
He still hadn't recovered until Huo Ran sent him a message at lunch time.
[hr: Here are two precious moments for you to enjoy!]
Huo Ran sent two photos.
[Tao: OK, Xiao Huo, let me take a look.]
He clicked on it casually, and saw a photo of Huo Zhendong wearing a suit and tie, sitting at his desk, with a bowl of beef in sour soup in front of him. There was obvious confusion on his expression.
The other photo showed a young girl with a bulging mouth, seemingly eating something, exactly like Huo Ran, who had an unpredictable expression yesterday.
Tao Zhiyue immediately guessed her identity.
Not only do the brother and sister look alike, but they also both have a sunny and cheerful temperament that makes people like them at first sight.
A smile appeared on Tao Zhiyue's face, and his tired brain gradually relaxed. When he came back to his senses, he realized what he had just replied.
Huo Ran has already expressed a lot of personal opinions on this.
[hr: ! ! ]
[hr: I like this name!]
[hr: This tone is also very special! It is unforgettable!]
[Tao: … ]
[Tao: Just now I just called my colleague a colleague, which is more casual...]
[hr: I don’t care, I will be Xiao Huo from now on! ]
[hr: I wanted to change my nickname, but I can’t let others call me that, so please change it to a note for me! ]
[hr: bear rolling.gif]
While Tao Zhiyue was thinking, he saw Huo Ran busy rolling all over the screen.
He had no choice but to agree with a smile.
[Tao: Change it! Change it!]
[Tao: All right.]
Guan Yudong, who was standing opposite, came back with lunch and happened to see him grinning at the phone screen.
"Damn it, I haven't eaten yet, why am I full already?"
Student Xiaoguan said angrily.
[Xiao Huo: To thank my colleagues for the inspiration they gave you!]
[Xiao Huo: I would like to invite your colleagues to have afternoon tea, is that okay?]
[Xiao Huo: Starry Eyes.jpg]
Tao Zhiyue's eyes moved back and forth between Guan Yudong's expression and Xiao Huo's speech. He couldn't help but said maliciously, "Eat slowly. We'll come back in the afternoon."
Guan Yudong immediately cried out loudly: "I don't want to gain weight!!!"
Jiang Ye, who was going downstairs to eat, passed by, glanced at the noisy little official, picked up the kettle and symbolically watered the weeping fig tree, then slowly walked towards the kitchen.
Guan Yudong began to feel numb: "I even forgot about the daily feeding process. This world is so cruel..."
Tao Zhiyue laughed even harder.
He did not refuse and sent the company's address to Huo Ran, and gave him some instructions.
[Tao: If it’s convenient, buy another bag of plant fertilizer.]
[Xiao Huo: Plant fertilizer? Are you growing flowers?]
[Tao: Not me.]
[Tao: This question is difficult to explain...]
[Tao: That seems too much trouble. Let’s just bring a bottle of mineral water.]
[Tao: Even if I can’t pour water or drink it, it’s still a token of my appreciation.]
[Tao: Little Bear Bows.gif]
[Xiao Huo: Okay!]
[Xiao Huo: Although I don’t understand it, it feels magical.]
[Tao: It doesn’t matter. I understand and I think it’s magical.]
It was a little after three in the afternoon and the sun was shining outside the window, which was the time when workers were most sleepy.
The doorbell rang and the afternoon tea that Huo Ran had carefully arranged was delivered.
Tao Zhiyue took the initiative to run to open the door. The moment he opened the door, even though he was mentally prepared, he was still frightened by the scene in front of him.
A row of uniformed food delivery staff, pushing several small food carts covered with transparent covers, smiled at him politely.
The dim sum cart is filled with a wide variety of desserts and snacks, including cupcakes decorated with cream flowers, colorful macarons, smooth and chewy puddings, lifelike potted mousse, sweet popcorn... and even sushi and sashimi that are easy to grab.
The beverage cart is fully equipped with all kinds of drinks, including tools for making hand-brewed coffee, freshly brewed milk tea, freshly squeezed juice, iced cola... and a row of high-end mineral water.
When the delivery staff pushed their carts in one after another, the colleagues in the room showed shocked expressions one after another.
Someone boldly woke up Jiang Ye who was dozing on the balcony: "Boss, have you secretly obtained the marriage certificate with Mr. Rong? Is this the wedding scene?! Your flash marriage was so sudden, should we give red envelopes or something else?!"
Jiang Ye, with sleepy eyes: ...
Guan Yudong was the first to react: "Ah, this afternoon! Was Taotao given to you by your girlfriend?!"
Tao Zhiyue mustered up the courage to say, "It's my boyfriend."
As soon as the voice fell, the programmer Xiao Huang rushed to the coffee pot decisively with the cup in hand, "It's great to have a boyfriend. I also want a boyfriend..."
Then the desired sounds were heard one after another in the room.
Such a unified reaction was beyond Tao Zhiyue's expectations.
He wanted to say something, and many words went around in his mind for a while, but finally disappeared into silence. He just smiled and told everyone not to be polite.
Huo Ran not only bought mineral water, but also plant fertilizer, which Tao Zhiyue then delivered to Mr. Rong.
Jiang Ye was a little surprised and said thank you to him.
When sharing happiness, both humans and plants are equal.
In front of tempting desserts, the real fragrance always comes quickly.
Guan Yudong completely forgot his vow not to gain weight and ate with great pleasure.
Other colleagues did the same, temporarily putting aside their complicated work and walking between the dazzling dining cars, chattering.
Tao Zhiyue took a photo and sent it to Huo Ran.
[Tao: Received it. Everyone enjoyed the meal and said thank you ^-^]
Xiao Huo was waiting online and replied almost instantly.
[Xiao Huo: !!!]
[Xiao Huo: I am very happy too!!]
[Xiao Huo: Little Bear Spins Around.gif]
The room was filled with joy. A warm breeze sneaked in through the window gaps, filling the room with sweetness.
Tao Zhiyue smiled and sent a cute little bear expression in return, then touched his hair that was blown by the wind.
The sun was lazy, and the weeping fig tree behind it was gently shaking its tender green leaves.