Chapter Thirty-Four: The Awkward Kiss

"Watch out for the snake!" Jiang Hao'en said slowly.

"A snake?" Shi Zhaodi, unable to react immediately, repeated blankly, staring at Jiang Hao'en.

Jiang Hao'en nodded.

"Ah—ah—" Shi Zhaodi shrieked, scrambling up from the riverbank in a flurry and throwing herself into Jiang Hao'en’s arms.

Jiang Hao'en, not expecting such an intense reaction, was knocked over by her momentum and felt momentarily dazed. Shi Zhaodi clung to him, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck, refusing to let go.

"Brother, there's a snake—there's a snake!" she cried, her face pale with terror.

Jiang Hao'en gently patted her back, waiting for her to calm down, and felt a twinge of regret for having mentioned it. After crying for what felt like an eternity, Shi Zhaodi finally quieted. When she looked up and realized she was still sprawled across his body, she felt a wave of embarrassment and scrambled to get up.

"I'm sorry, Brother," she apologized awkwardly.

Jiang Hao'en sat up, pulled out a handkerchief to wipe away her tears and snot, and shook his head. Shi Zhaodi watched him in a trance, mesmerized by the gentleness with which he cleaned her face.

As Jiang Hao'en tucked the handkerchief away, Shi Zhaodi remained motionless, still gazing at him. He met her gaze with a sense of bewilderment, his eyes eventually settling on her lips. It was unclear who made the first move, but perhaps it was merely an exchange of glances that drew their young hearts together.

Jiang Hao'en cupped her face and kissed her softly. It was a moment stirred by emotion, hesitant yet exploratory, fueled by an irrepressible passion. Shi Zhaodi slowly closed her eyes, her face flushed as she shyly responded.

This was the umpteenth time Shi Zhaodi had drifted off into a daze in the kitchen. She had been holding a knife to the vegetables for nearly ten minutes, yet she stood there with a silly smile on her face, the image of Jiang Hao'en kissing her by the river playing on a loop in her mind.

It wasn't until someone took the knife from her hand to continue the chopping that she snapped out of it. Embarrassed, she said, "Brother, let me do it!"

"Is hot pot okay with you?" Jiang Hao'en asked, turning to look at her.

"Sure, I'll eat whatever you want to eat," Shi Zhaodi nodded in agreement.

"I only know how to make hot pot," Jiang Hao'en said as he plated the vegetables he had just finished cutting.

Shi Zhaodi caught a glimpse of shyness on his face, which made her heart soar with delight. So, Brother was feeling embarrassed too!

The two of them took various hot pot ingredients from the refrigerator. They washed fresh pork ribs, placed them into a pressure cooker with some goji berries and angelica root for flavor, and set them to stew as the base for their meal.

They busied themselves in the small kitchen, thoroughly enjoying the moment together.