“Step 1. Heat oil and butter in a large pan over medium heat. Sauté garlic until fragrant. Add chicken. Season with salt and pepper, then cook for 3 to 5 minutes.”

Shen Yi flicked the other stove on and added a tablespoon of canola oil, but he paused when he read that he needed four tablespoons of butter. How the heck could he measure it? Pinching the bridge of his nose, he took another clean knife to cut the frozen butter and threw it on the pan.

As soon as the butter hit the pan, it sizzled and produced smoke. He was startled a little but didn’t panic as he saw the butter melted and blended with the oil. He shrugged his shoulders and added the garlic.

Shen Yi saw that the pasta water started to boil so he turned around to take the noodles from the counter and poured the whole pack into the boiling water. Returning back to his pan, his nose crinkled as he took in the scent of the almost burnt garlic. He supposed it was still okay since it wasn’t really burnt.

He added the chicken and cursed when it began to sizzle, splattering the oil towards his face much to his horror. No, no. He changed his mind. Cooking was so dangerous! How could his wife protect her beautiful face? Oil splatter could hurt her!

He was so distracted with his chicken when the pasta began to boil over, its water spilling on the edges of the pot. Shen Yi cursed once more, regretting his decision now for not following the steps correctly. He could only hope that the taste would be okay.

He quickly turned down the heat of both stoves and read the next steps.

“Add lemon juice and basil; mix well. Add the chicken stock and allow to reduce to half.”

Shen Yi took a small lemon and cut it in half. He then proceeded to squeeze the juice directly onto the pan. A line etched between his brows when he realized his mistake. He only needed the juice, but the lemon seeds also fell right in the hot pan. Surely, it didn’t matter, right? Those seeds wouldn’t ruin the taste of the chicken.

He shrugged, adding the chicken stock but not bothering to measure it. He supposed that it was okay since he only needed enough liquid to make sure the chicken was fully cooked.

“Add cooked pasta and toss. If pasta is too dry, add reserved pasta water, ¼ cup at a time, until desired consistency is achieved. Serve with lemon wedges on the side.”

He eyed the cooking noodles. It should be cooked by now. He turned off the heat and drained the pasta before tossing it onto the pan with the chicken. He gave it a quick stir before it dawned to him that he forgot to save a cup of pasta water.

Shen Yi frowned. Forget about it—water should do. He added a cup of water and let it simmer again before turning it off.

Now, for the chocolate ganache of Lu Xinyi’s cheesecake. He didn’t quite understand why he should make it; but since Yuan Jin specifically told him to add a chocolate ganache on Lu Xinyi’s favorite cheesecake, he had no choice but to do it.

“Break the chocolate bars into smaller pieces and melt it with butter over the hot water.”

Ah, this was harder than he thought. Shen Yi had no idea how was he supposed to melt it over hot water. Instead, he broke the chocolate, added a small stick of butter, and dumped it in the microwave, setting the appliance on high heat for 3 minutes. That should be enough to melt both the chocolate and the butter.

He mentally gave himself a pat for a job well done. So easy but a little dangerous if you asked him. Cooking was fun! He couldn’t wait for Lu Xinyi to come home and give a taste of his cooking. He hoped his wife would repay his kindness for cooking their dinner for tonight.

Smiling to himself, he wore a mitt on his hand and took the melted chocolate and butter. He then added cream into the mixture. See? It was so easy to make.

Shen Yi looked at the time. He had enough time to set up the plates and change his clothes again. He gave a last look at his creation and beamed with pride. Perhaps, he should help his wife to cook sometime to make sure she wouldn’t hurt herself.

He took a quick shower and changed into a crisp and clean dress shirt that Lu Xinyi liked on him and a pair of black trousers. Speaking of his wife, she should be arriving at any minute by now.

When he heard their doorbell rang, he quickly ran downstairs to greet his wife. He opened the door with a smug look on his face, deeply pleased that he had outdone himself this time, not aware of the mess and disaster he left in his wife’s kitchen. He opened the door to reveal Lu Xinyi with a wide smile on her lips.

“Hello, beautiful. You made it on time,” Shen Yi teased.

“I passed the exam!” she yelled and threw her arms around his neck.

“You did well. Now, don’t you think we should celebrate?” he grinned while Lu Xinyi laughed before slapping his shoulder.

“Yes, yes. We should, but I’m starving. Yuan Jin didn’t let me eat while we were in his studio.” She pouted, “So, what’s for dinner?”