Ian Song jogged over to the market near the school and bought a rack of pork ribs, two potatoes, a head of cabbage, half a pound of lean pork, and half a pound of green peppers.
He planned to make three dishes: Braised Potatoes with Ribs, Blanched Cabbage, and Stir-Fried Shredded Pork with Green Peppers. They were all simple home-style fare, but the simpler the dish, the more it showed a cook’s true skill.
With his groceries in hand, Ian headed straight for Hannah Han’s one-bedroom apartment.
Knock, knock.
He knocked on the door, and soon footsteps sounded from inside.
"Wow, you actually went and bought groceries," Hannah teased, eyeing the bags in Ian’s hands.
"A gentleman keeps his word, and besides, how could I ever lie to the lovely Miss Han?" Ian joked as he walked in, not hesitating to grab a pair of slippers off the rack and slip them on.
"You’re getting cheekier by the day," Hannah laughed, scolding him playfully.
Ian just grinned and headed straight for the kitchen, groceries in tow.
Curious, Hannah followed him to the kitchen doorway. Under her watchful gaze, Ian started rinsing rice, washing vegetables, and prepping ingredients. She had to admit, he looked pretty legit.
Ian glanced at Hannah, who was standing in the doorway, and decided to show off a little. He tossed the chopped cabbage into a bowl, then scrubbed the two potatoes clean.
Suddenly, he tossed a potato into the air and his right hand flashed with the knife, moving faster and faster until all you could see was a blur of silver.
In less than a second, the potato was perfectly peeled. Ian spun the knife in the air, almost like it was magnetic, and all the potato skins gathered onto the blade. Then he grabbed the peeled potato out of the air with his left hand.
Thud!
With a flick of the knife, all the potato skins dropped into the trash. Ian repeated the trick and peeled the second potato just as quickly.
The whole process was as smooth as flowing water and took less than five seconds, leaving Hannah standing in the doorway, absolutely stunned.
Ian didn’t seem to notice Hannah’s shock. He picked up the knife again and, accompanied by a rapid, rhythmic chopping sound—thwack thwack thwack—he diced both potatoes into perfect little cubes. With a flick of his wrist, the diced potatoes flew from the cutting board straight into a bowl.
Next up: ribs, pork, and green peppers—each chopped with the same dazzling speed.
His hands moved so fast it was almost unreal. In less than two minutes, all the prep work was done. Ian fired up the stove and started cooking.
Braised Potatoes with Ribs, Stir-Fried Shredded Pork with Green Peppers, and Blanched Cabbage—all three dishes came together in Ian’s hands like magic, filling the kitchen with mouthwatering aromas.
Throughout the whole process, Hannah Han stood at the kitchen doorway, eyes wide, watching Ian cook without blinking. To her, the scene was simply unbelievable—even a master chef couldn’t pull off what Ian just did.
“Miss Han, come try my cooking!”
Ian set all three dishes on the table and invited the still-stunned Hannah Han to have a taste.
“Don’t think a few flashy moves mean your food’s actually good.” Hannah Han said stubbornly, trying to sound unimpressed.
“Just taste it and you’ll know.” Ian replied confidently. With his super chef skill and true energy controlling the heat, these dishes were cooked to absolute perfection. If these weren’t delicious, nothing in the world could be called good food.
Hannah Han took the chopsticks Ian handed her, picked up a piece of diced potato, and put it in her mouth. At first, she looked unconvinced, but as soon as she tasted it, her expression changed—surprise, delight, and disbelief all at once.
She barely chewed twice before swallowing, then quickly grabbed a rib.
“Mmm... this is incredible. I can’t even describe it.” Just one bite and the juicy, savory flavor from the rib filled her mouth, making her want to swallow it whole, bone and all.
There’s a saying: you just can’t stop.
That’s exactly how Hannah Han felt. After tasting the potatoes and ribs, she sampled the stir-fried shredded pork with green peppers and the blanched cabbage—every dish was unbelievably delicious.
Then she started devouring the food, barely stopping for breath. By the time she realized what she was doing, there were only a few pieces of potato left, the cabbage was down to clear broth, and not even a single strip of pork or green pepper remained.
Seeing Ian smiling silently, Hannah Han blushed and complained, "Hey, why didn’t you stop me? I ate almost all the food!"
"Wipe your mouth."
Ian handed Hannah Han a napkin.
Hannah Han’s face turned red as she took the napkin and wiped the oil from her lips. She huffed, "Fine, you pass this time. I’ll approve your leave—but only on one condition. Otherwise, after tomorrow, don’t even think about getting time off from me again."
"What condition?" Ian asked, suddenly wary.
"From now on, you have to come cook for me once every three days." Hannah Han said, a little nervously. Ian’s cooking was just too good—her stomach was already hooked. The thought of missing out on this kind of delicious food made her anxious.
Hearing her condition, Ian was thrilled—this was a perfect excuse to spend more time with Hannah Han. But he couldn’t let it show, so he deliberately hesitated. "Well... I don’t know about that..."
Seeing Ian hesitate, Hannah Han’s heart tightened and she threatened, "If you refuse, I’ll cancel your leave for tomorrow too!"
"No, please, Miss Han! I’ll do it, I promise!" Ian wailed dramatically.
When Ian agreed, Hannah Han couldn’t help but look smug. "That’s more like it."
She didn’t notice the flash of happiness in Ian’s eyes.
The next morning, Ian arrived at the Zhao Family Boxing Gym half an hour early, and met Frank Zhao and Zoe Zhao in the office.
"Hey Frank, good morning. Zoe, you’re looking prettier every day." Ian greeted them with a grin.
"You asking for trouble?" Zoe Zhao glared at him, her eyes sharp.
"Alright then, you’re getting uglier!" Ian quickly changed his tune.
"Ian, I’m going to kill you!" Zoe shouted.
Zoe Zhao leapt at him, throwing a punch at Ian’s chest, but he sidestepped easily, dodging her attack.
But Zoe refused to give up. She twisted and attacked again, but the gap in their skill was too big—after a dozen moves, she couldn’t even touch Ian’s shirt.
"Alright, Zoe, enough. You’re no match for Ian," Frank Zhao said, stepping in to stop her.
Zoe knew her brother was right, so she had to stop, though she shot Ian a look that promised, 'One day, I’ll get you back.'
Ian just shrugged, which made Zoe even more annoyed.
Frank Zhao couldn’t help but laugh, "You two really are a pair of happy enemies. Ian, don’t tease Zoe anymore."
"Got it, Frank." Ian immediately straightened up and put on a serious face, ready to listen.
Frank Zhao pointed to the couch, "Take a seat, Ian. I’ve got something to discuss with you."
Ian nodded and sat down, then Frank said, "Zoe, get Ian a glass of water."
"He’s got hands and feet, let him pour it himself." Zoe said, rolling her eyes.
"It’s fine, I’m not thirsty." Ian winked at Zoe.
Zoe was so annoyed she could barely get the words out.