Won't Accept You as My Sister-in-Law 1
Even Xiao Bao and Little Star were so eager to devour the meal on their plates and had immediately asked for another serving. The meat sauce for the Spaghetti Bolognese was incredibly delicious and mouthwatering. Paired with the garlic bread, Tang Moyu believed that it was one of the best versions of Spaghetti Bolognese she'd eaten in her lifetime.
"I'm surprised. How come the meat didn't end up dry? I've tried this dish before and Meili complained the meat used was too dry for her liking." She told Feng Tianyi.
Since Li Meili came from a family that ran several restaurant chains within the country, Tang Moyu trusted her when it came to choosing good restaurants whenever they were out.
"It's really simple, Moyu. There's nothing special about my recipe. I used ground beef in this dish and before cooking it, I made sure to add baking soda and water mixture into it. Adding baking soda to the ground beef maintains moisture by stopping the proteins from binding too fast, which would cause the meat to dry out."
"You know, if you decide to ditch your writing profession, I think you'll make a fortune by being a chef." The empress complimented the crippled handsome man seated across her.
A fiery glint crossed Feng Tianyi's eyes as he looked back at the empress, who was clearly preoccupied with the meal in front of her.
"Glad you like it, but I'd rather cook meals for the three of you than exhaust myself feeding other people."
In fact, the thought of cooking for others had never crossed his mind before. However, since meeting Tang Moyu and her cute little buns, seeing them fawning over the dishes he created brought immense satisfaction to the devil.
Tang Moyu then placed her fork down and wiped off the meat sauce on her son's chin as Xiao Bao pierced the chicken parmesan, which his mother had cut for him earlier, with eagerness.
"Where on earth did you learn to cook like this? Don't tell me you attended culinary school?"
Feng Tianyi shrugged.
"I got interested in cooking when I started to live alone. When there's no one around to look after you, you're bound to be forced to do things on your own." He explained.
Since his accident, he had refused everyone's company, including his own mother's. Feng Tianyi never felt shame and failure up to that point when he had lost the ability to walk. Perhaps, it was heaven's punishment for his arrogance. He wasn't the best person to be acquainted with and had always taken advantage of other people's weaknesses.
Tang Moyu hummed and dug into her own meal. That made sense, but why did he live alone when he was in this condition?
Since she couldn't change the fact that Feng Tianyi and Qin Jiran were the same person, Tang Moyu didn't want to dwell on the past and decided to face the future with optimism. She's comfortable with him, and to be honest, she couldn't even remember the last time she'd enjoyed someone's company.
"Five years. Although I can stand and move around with a cane, my legs had lost their strength and it's painful when I force myself to my limit." He paused as he poured himself a merlot, knowing that the little buns hadn't allowed their mother to touch any alcoholic drink since that fateful night. "I plan to get therapy soon. My mother is right. I cannot prolong this any longer."
Now that he had Tang Moyu and little buns to look after, he needed to assure their safety, and the first step to doing that is to get back on his feet. He didn't realize when it started, but at one point, he found himself caring more about her and the little buns than his own self.
The conversation flowed freely between them. Tang Moyu occasionally asked questions while he answered her with honesty. It felt natural. Feng Tianyi noticed that she was starting to lower her guard with him, but there were still traces of caution. He wondered what Tang Moyu thought of him, now that she knew his real identity.
Tang Moyu then learned from him that the reason he refused to get the treatments sooner was because during the accident, a mother and child had lost their lives because of it. Feng Tianyi partly blamed himself for their misfortune. He'd never imagined that he could cause the loss of two innocent lives due to his carelessness.
The twins were the first ones to finish their meal and they proceeded to the living area to watch some cartoons while the adults continued with their conversation. After their meal, Tang Moyu helped Feng Tianyi clean up.
"So after you graduated from university, you decided to join Feng Conglomerate? Didn't you consider joining the Tang Enterprise?" Feng Tianyi asked her while drying the utensils. He had told her to leave the dirty dishes in the sink since the housekeepers would eventually clean it for them, but the empress insisted on doing it herself.
"I did, but my mother insisted that the earlier I got involved with the Feng Conglomerate, the easier it would be for me to get used to being Feng Tianhua's wife."
At those words, Feng Tianyi's eyes darkened. The thought of Moyu almost becoming his brother's wife still annoyed him. As the Feng family's firstborn son, shouldn't he be the one who should be engaged to Moyu and not Tianhua?
"Somehow, I'm glad that you didn't end up being his wife." Feng Tianyi admitted as he finished his task.
Tang Moyu arched a brow at him.
"Why?" She asked with curiosity.
"Because I don't think I would be able to accept that you can only be my sister-in-law." His eyes stared at her with an intensity that flustered Tang Moyu.