Breakup Kitchen - Chapter 4

Recently, Gao Huimei had been troubled by something.

"You said you damaged someone else's property? If I were the owner..." a regular client, lying face down on the massage bed, mumbled, "Of course, I'd hope the other party would take the initiative to contact me to discuss the repair costs and arrangements. That would show sincerity."

Gao Huimei pondered this as she used a gua sha tool on the client's back, which was slick with massage oil.

She repeated, "Sincerity, huh?"

"Yeah," the client, a woman, seemed to have thought of something and added slyly, "Maybe the other party would be more willing to negotiate if you show a sincere attitude, like not demanding full compensation..."

Gao Huimei paused her hand and said, "Then I'll suggest to my friend that he should be more proactive in contacting the other party."

The woman teased, "Oh, so you're not talking about yourself?"

Gao Huimei: "...You're mistaken. It really is my friend."

§

The "friend" who had metaphorically slapped herself in the face was now staring at a unfamiliar name on her Line contact list: Jiang Bomei.

Gao Huimei clicked on the profile picture, which showed a Pomeranian dog sticking out its tongue, its watery eyes gazing at the camera.

She glanced at the clock in the hallway: 9:10 PM.

Not long after sending the message, the other party read it and quickly replied, "Are you free to talk now?"

Gao Huimei's finger hovered over the screen for a moment before pressing the call button. As soon as the other party answered, she spoke quickly to avoid an awkward silence: "Hello, Mr. Jiang. I'm really sorry for the trouble last time. I'm calling to ask about the repair situation at the cooking studio..."

There was a brief silence on the other end before Jiang Taihao responded, "I've had someone take a look. There's no major issue, just some labor costs for the technician to come by."

"Did you call just for this?"

Gao Huimei nodded at a colleague who walked past carrying a work bag. She resisted the urge to bite her fingernails and said softly, "...Is your offer to teach me cooking still valid?"

"Of course," Jiang Taihao replied. "Are you free to come to the cooking studio at 8:30 PM the day after tomorrow?"

"Ah, I actually wanted to discuss that," Gao Huimei hesitated. "Because of my work schedule, that time might not be convenient. Would it be possible to meet in the afternoon instead?"

"Do you work the night shift?"

Gao Huimei confirmed, and Jiang Taihao thought for a moment before saying, "That's my oversight. I apologize. How about we meet at 4 PM? We'll finish by 5:30, and I'll have more time to prepare."

After finalizing the time, Jiang Taihao stopped her before she could hang up. "Before you come to the studio, bring an apron, indoor slippers, a food container, and make sure to tie your hair up." He then said goodbye, and the call ended with a beep.

The call lasted less than three minutes. Gao Huimei stared at her phone suspiciously.

"Shen Xin, are you done with your call? You're up next," a woman with pink hair and bangs poked her head out of the break room and called out to Gao Huimei at the end of the hallway.

"Me? I just checked the schedule, and there were several people ahead of me!" Gao Huimei widened her eyes, clutching her phone as she walked back to the break room.

"Weren't you behind me?" She remembered that Aiai had arrived earlier and was ahead of her on the schedule.

"The client just contacted me. I'm waiting for my appointment now," Aiai said with a grin.

Hearing this, Gao Huimei's shoulders slumped. "Alright." She kicked off her indoor slippers, opened her locker, and glanced at the mirror before picking up her lip gloss to touch up her makeup.

She looked up and, through the mirror, saw Aiai sitting on the sofa behind her. "Your makeup looks really nice lately. I like the color of your blush."

Aiai cupped her face,陶醉地说："Right? My boyfriend said this makeup looks great too."

Gao Huimei was about to tease her when the break room phone rang, and You Sheng's voice came through: "Shen Xin, please come to the front desk."

She shrugged, picked up her work bag—which contained baby oil, a gua sha tool, and hand cream—and walked downstairs in her slightly elevated indoor shoes.

§

On the day of the appointment, Gao Huimei tied her hair into a high ponytail, wore a plaid shirt and cropped jeans, carried a small side bag, and held the items Jiang Taihao had requested.

"Indoor slippers are required in the cooking studio. You can leave your shoes here," Jiang Taihao stood at the entrance, pointing to a wooden shoe cabinet by the wall. Noticing Gao Huimei's gaze, he followed her line of sight and explained, "That area behind is the restroom, and there's a sink next to it where you can wash your hands after changing shoes."

Gao Huimei walked to the sink on the right side of the entrance to wash her hands.

Jiang Taihao asked, "Have you taken cooking classes before?"

"Uh, no," Gao Huimei was taken aback, then added, "I only took home economics in high school."

Walking out of the entrance, the left side had a row of cabinets, and ahead were several cooking stations.

"Alright, I see," Jiang Taihao pointed to the cabinets on the left. "You can put your personal items there, any compartment is fine. Then put on your apron and head to the cooking station up front."

Gao Huimei nodded and placed her things in the locker. As she tied her apron behind her back, she took in the studio.

During the previous visit for the show, the place had been crowded with camera equipment and crew, so she hadn't paid much attention to the decor. The studio had a clean, minimalist aesthetic with gray and white tones, accented by wooden elements. At the back of the studio, where she was standing, there were three sets of tables and chairs. On either side were microwaves and ovens. At the front was a projection screen, and each cooking station had a small tablet and a sink. Above the stations were automatic ventilation systems, and below were dishwashers.

The space was filled with plants, some hanging from the ceiling, others in pots on the floor. She curiously touched a leaf on a branch and was surprised to find it real.

"Those are real. I move them outside to sunbathe every week," Jiang Taihao's voice suddenly appeared beside her, making Gao Huimei jump. She let out an awkward laugh. He glanced at her and said, "Come on, I'll go over the recipe with you."

They walked to the front, and Jiang Taihao stopped at the first cooking station. He picked up the tablet, which displayed two images: pan-fried zucchini with egg and hot and sour soup. He tapped the screen and said, "I've set your cooking level to 'kitchen destroyer.' The two dishes we're making today should be more than enough for an hour and a half, from prep to finish."

Gao Huimei's temple twitched. "Shouldn't a teacher encourage their student instead of belittling them?"

Jiang Taihao stared at her for a moment before asking, "Did you sign up for a class here?"

"...No."

"Did you pay for a class?"

Gao Huimei lowered her head. "...No."

"Then I'm sorry, but free lessons don't come with extra services."

Gao Huimei resisted the urge to flip him off and instead gestured politely. "Please continue."

§

Jiang Taihao first introduced the ingredients, then put on transparent gloves and demonstrated how to handle them. Gao Huimei followed along, and Jiang Taihao adjusted her knife grip and chopping posture.

While slicing tofu, Gao Huimei noticed Jiang Taihao tossing ginger slices, garlic, and a few bones into a pot of boiling water. Noticing her gaze, Jiang Taihao stirred the pot and explained, "I'm preparing the broth for the hot and sour soup. You boil pork bones with aromatics, then steam them in a rice cooker for 20 minutes. After that, you skim off the meat scraps, and it's done. If you're lazy, you can just use bouillon cubes."

He spread his hands and grinned, "Actually, I was going to use X-brand chicken bouillon, but I decided against it."

Gao Huimei: "...You're really bold." Wasn't he afraid she'd badmouth the studio for cutting corners?

After prepping the ingredients, it was time to cook.

"Brush some oil on the pan, coat the zucchini with flour, then dip it in egg wash, and fry it until both sides are golden... Remember, keep the heat at medium-low and fry slowly," Jiang Taihao demonstrated the process smoothly, flipping the zucchini with large wooden chopsticks.

Gao Huimei nodded, but when it was her turn to turn on the heat, brush the oil, and place the zucchini in the pan, Jiang Taihao, standing beside her, said, "The heat's too high. This is medium-low heat. Any higher, and it's low heat."

He turned to Gao Huimei and said, "People who aren't used to cooking often make this mistake. The gas knob is sensitive, and once the flame is lit, it's easy to turn it all the way. Another issue is mindset—thinking that higher heat will bring out the aroma and cook the food faster, but if you're not careful, it can easily lead to smoke."

Gao Huimei wanted to cover her face, but her hands were gloved, so she just muttered, "Is that why the food burned last time?"

Jiang Taihao confirmed, "The heat was too high, there was no water, and it was a cast-iron pan, so it dried out and burned easily." Seeing Gao Huimei's gloomy expression, he tried to comfort her, "Cooking is like this. Practice makes perfect. You'll get the hang of it soon."

To be honest, Gao Huimei had never imagined she'd be the type to set off the fire alarm. That day, her face had been burning with embarrassment all the way home, and she didn't want to recall the filming experience.

She wiped her face with her sleeve and smiled awkwardly, "I rarely get the chance to cook. When I was young, my family wanted me to focus on studying and being a good student, so they didn't let me into the kitchen much, except to wash dishes. As for after I started working..." Her eyelashes lowered, and her gaze fell on the frying pan. "My ex-husband took care of that part. Most of the time, I'd come home to a ready-made meal."

She had known Li Shanbai since high school. Back then, her relationship with her parents was tense, and it was Li Shanbai who accompanied her through what she thought were the pains of her youth, bringing her homemade meals.

Li Shanbai's parents were rarely home, so he often had to cook for himself. The result of this independence was that he became a skilled cook, often feeding his neighbor, Gao Huimei.

The golden crust of the zucchini sizzled in the oil, the chaotic rhythm of the sound gradually turning into a golden hue.

She still remembered the first day she and Li Shanbai moved in together.

They had been so busy with the move that they collapsed on the floor. Li Shanbai had fallen asleep after carrying heavy boxes, and she volunteered to handle dinner, thinking that frying tofu and cooking rice wouldn't be a problem. When she tossed the washed garlic and ginger into the hot oil, she regretted it immediately. The oil splattered everywhere, and she didn't know what to do, dodging left and right, waiting for the noise to die down. When she threw the tofu into the pan, it quickly turned into mush, and a huge cloud of smoke rose up, making her scream.

Hearing her scream, Li Shanbai rushed to the kitchen and found a smoking pan and a teary-eyed Gao Huimei. After turning off the heat, he saw her still crying and couldn't help but laugh, pulling her into a hug and comforting her, asking gently, "Why are you crying over cooking?" His gentle face and protective embrace reminded her of their high school days, when Li Shanbai had been just as warm.

Li Shanbai lifted the lid of the rice cooker and stared at the contents, stunned. "Were you trying to make porridge?"

Gao Huimei was also stunned. "No, I was trying to make rice." She leaned over and saw that the rice cooker contained porridge.

Li Shanbai couldn't help but laugh. At first, Gao Huimei told him to stop laughing, but eventually, she joined in.

Li Shanbai stood by the stove and said, "The tofu in the pan isn't burnt. You just panicked when you put it in, so the smoke scared you. I'll fix it, and we can eat soon."

That day, they ended up eating porridge, mapo tofu, and blanched vegetables.

§

Gao Huimei poured the cornstarch mixture into the pot in a clockwise motion, the clear liquid blending into the soup and slowly thickening into a gelatinous consistency.

Jiang Taihao instructed, "Once the soup boils, pour in the egg mixture, also in a clockwise motion from the inside out."

Gao Huimei followed the instructions, and the bubbling soup turned the egg into golden strands. She stirred with a ladle, and once the soup boiled again, she turned off the heat, added vinegar, and sprinkled white pepper.

Jiang Taihao pushed the prepared ingredients over. "Here are some chopped green onions and sesame oil."

After sprinkling the green onions and drizzling a few drops of sesame oil, the hot and sour soup was done!

"Leave the pots for now. Let's taste the results while they're hot," Jiang Taihao placed the soup and zucchini on the table at the back of the studio and called Gao Huimei over to eat.

"So hot!" Gao Huimei popped a piece of zucchini sprinkled with pepper salt into her mouth. "It's delicious!"

"I can't believe I actually made two decent dishes," she smiled and scooped a spoonful of hot and sour soup into her mouth.

"Ahem, not bad," Jiang Taihao also tasted the dishes and pretended to be serious. "Just to be clear, I only take responsibility for the dishes I taught you. Don't blame me for anything else."

"Sure, sure—" Gao Huimei reluctantly agreed. "I won't say you taught me the other dishes. I won't ruin your reputation."

Seeing that it was almost 5:30, Gao Huimei packed the remaining food into the container, planning to have it for dinner at work later.

She rinsed the used utensils with hot water and placed them in the dishwasher. Jiang Taihao stood nearby, arms crossed, chatting with her while supervising.

Jiang Taihao noticed Gao Huimei's hands as she rinsed the pots and said, "I thought you had your nails done. Many of the girls I know or my female students have nail art or polish." This was also why he provided disposable gloves.

"Ah, this," Gao Huimei curled her fingers and looked at her nails, which were clean and neatly trimmed. "My job doesn't allow me to have long nails."

Seeing Jiang Taihao's curious expression, she continued, "I'm a masseuse. If I had nail art, it would chip off quickly, and it would be hard to apply pressure on clients. I might even hurt them."

She glanced at his nails and teased, "Many of my clients keep their pinky nails long. Your nails are so neatly trimmed. As expected of a cooking teacher." Leading by example.

Jiang Taihao scratched his cheek, embarrassed. "No, it's just a habit."

This cooking lesson ended smoothly, and both parties got along well, agreeing to regular sessions to improve Gao Huimei's cooking skills.

As the cooking lessons continued, Gao Huimei learned more dishes, and Jiang Taihao adjusted the difficulty of the recipes, moving from simple dishes like scrambled eggs with green onions and steamed eggs to more complex ones like fried pork chops, chicken cutlets, and braised fish. Sometimes, the prep time was longer, so the lessons occasionally extended to two hours.

As they tasted the dishes they made, they drank the beverages Gao Huimei brought or the drinks Jiang Taihao prepared. Sometimes, they chatted until almost 6 PM, and students arriving early for the next class would run into Gao Huimei.

The students, already curious about their young and capable teacher, were even more intrigued by the one-on-one sessions with another young woman. Naturally, their gossipy instincts were aroused. During the first few lessons, the students would occasionally ask about the woman they saw before 6 PM during the Q&A sessions, but Jiang Taihao remained tight-lipped. No matter how much they teased or joked, he refused to reveal any information, so they eventually gave up.

§

Before her cooking lesson today, Gao Huimei received a call from a client who wanted to schedule a session at 7:30 PM, an hour and a half earlier than her usual work time. She hesitated but, considering the client wanted a two-and-a-half-hour session, agreed.

Today's dishes were winter melon pork rib soup and dumplings. As usual, Gao Huimei and Jiang Taihao sat at the table chatting, and when it was time, they cleaned up the pots and pans.

"I'll use the restroom," Gao Huimei said, taking her makeup bag to the bathroom.

At 5:55 PM, students began arriving, placing their belongings in the lockers and putting on their aprons. Jiang Taihao wondered why Gao Huimei was taking so long in the restroom.

Was she constipated?

"Uh..." Jiang Taihao stood outside the restroom, thinking of how to phrase his question. "Gao Huimei, are you okay? Do you need more toilet paper?"

"..." The only response was the sound of flushing.

Jiang Taihao was about to knock when the door opened. "Ah, I was just wondering if you—" His words trailed off as he saw Gao Huimei, his expression one of astonishment.

Gao Huimei's appearance wasn't particularly striking, but she was pleasant to look at: double eyelids with cat-like eyes, a small oval face, and full lips. Her reddish-brown hair naturally curled at the ends, and her middle-parted hairstyle revealed a full forehead. Her usual simple and neat style made her look younger than her actual age.

Hence Jiang Taihao's reaction.

"What's wrong? I was just doing my makeup in the restroom," Gao Huimei said, annoyed. "There's plenty of toilet paper in there."

Jiang Taihao was momentarily speechless, captivated by Gao Huimei's makeup—mascara, eyeshadow, blush, and lipstick accentuating her features. When Gao Huimei looked at him in confusion, he finally found his voice. "You... you're going to work?"

"Yeah, I have to start early today. My shift starts at 7:30," Gao Huimei glanced at her watch.

"I thought you were a masseuse?"

Gao Huimei looked at him. "I am."

"Do you all have to wear such heavy makeup to work?" Jiang Taihao's expression was complicated as he scrutinized her face, from her eyebrows, cheekbones, nose, to her lips.

"If our makeup is too light, our manager will ask us to touch up," Gao Huimei met his gaze, then understanding dawned on her. "I know what you're thinking."

"I..." Jiang Taihao was about to say something to ease the tension, but Gao Huimei raised her hand to stop him.

"Here's our company's business card," she handed him a card. "You can look it up online. It's not what you think."

Gao Huimei mocked herself: Was what he thought the same as what she thought?

"I'm running late, so I'll head out now. Let's keep in touch," she walked past Jiang Taihao toward the door.

Jiang Taihao stood still. As Gao Huimei passed by, he caught the scent of her makeup and saw her lowered face.

—His attitude had hurt her.

§

After the evening shift receptionist ordered dinner for the masseuses, she looked at the whiteboard behind the counter, noting the available rooms and the numbers of the masseuses on duty.

The automatic door opened, and the receptionist instinctively said, "Welcome—" Seeing it was Shen Xin, she changed her tone. "Shen Xin, are you here early for your appointment?" She had learned about it from the handover notes left by the morning shift.

Shen Xin nodded. "The client will be here at 7:30." She glanced at the clock—five minutes to go. She walked to the time clock to punch in, then went upstairs to the break room to change.

§

As she walked up the stairs, Gao Huimei bit her lip, a mix of embarrassment and discomfort swirling inside her. She had never felt ashamed of her job. The pay was good, and while it wasn't as prestigious as being a doctor or a teacher, it was honest work that she could be proud of.

She had heard about the misconceptions people had about her profession, both from colleagues and clients. That's why, when her job was mentioned on the show, she had been careful not to invite too much speculation, keeping her introduction low-key.

She didn't care what clients thought. She provided a service, they paid, and as long as they treated each other with respect, that was enough.

But what if—

What if it was someone she knew?