There was something different about her husband, but Lu Xinyi couldn’t point out what it was. She was sure she wasn’t imagining things when she caught a slight scent of chocolate from her husband.

“I cooked dinner,” Shen Yi proudly claimed. Lu Xinyi’s jaw dropped as she stared at her husband. Was he joking? Nope. With the way his eyes curved into an inverted crescent moon, she could tell that he was serious. He looked like a dog, waiting to be praised by his owner with a ‘good boy’ and patted on his head.

“Did you really cook, or did you bribe Shen Xue to order take-out for tonight?” she teased.

Shen Yi laughed. “I did cook. I promise.”

Oh, this was the first time Shen Yi cooked something for her. He only made her sandwiches and coffee before. Ever since they got married, she never once saw him cook. Lu Xinyi smiled in anticipation. Oh, how much she loved him.

Shen Yi offered an arm to his wife. “Shall we, milady?”

“Lead the way then, Mr. Chef in the house.” Lu Xinyi giggled and hooked an arm to his.

Shen Yi led his wife back at their garden where he set a table for two, the candle lights already flickering and giving them a peaceful and romantic ambiance. He pulled a chair for her to sit.

“Thank you.” Lu Xinyi smiled and watched as Shen Yi grabbed a bottle of wine from a bucket full of ice. Shen Yi smirked as poured her a glass.

“So what’s for dinner, my handsome chef?” She leaned forward and set her elbows on the table and cupped her face with both hands. Her eyes bored into him.

“Wait here. I’ll get our dinner.”

Shen Yi walked back to the kitchen to take out his masterpiece. He placed the pasta in two plates and brought it to his wife. He came back as Lu Xinyi set a napkin on her lap.

“What did you cook?” she asked as Shen Yi placed her plate on the table. Her eyes widened, not sure what kind of dish her husband cooked for her.

“Yuan Jin told me you like Garlic Chicken Pasta so I tried to make you one.” Shen Yi beamed and sat across her.

Lu Xinyi gulped, swallowing the invisible lump on her throat. The pasta Shen Yi served looked nothing like her favorite Garlic Chicken Pasta.

The noodles looked soggy and a little undercooked. There were some bits of black clumps sticking on the noodles. What the heck was that thing? His chicken seemed okay though. Maybe it didn’t taste bad as it looked. What were those green leaves on her pasta? Did Shen Yi use fresh basil instead of dried ones?

She lifted her gaze and saw Shen Yi waiting for her expectantly. Was he waiting for her to give it a try? Lu Xinyi didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry. Taking another look from her plate, Lu Xinyi forgot that she was hungry anymore. She really had a bad feeling about this.

Lu Xinyi forced a smile and picked up her fork. She twirled some pasta and pierced a piece of chicken at its end. Her nose crinkled a little as she took in the weird smell of the dish. It smelled burnt. She dearly hoped that it wasn’t that bad. Nevertheless, she placed it in her mouth and slowly chewed.

Tears started to brim on her eyes. Just like what she’d predicted, the noodles were undercooked. It might look cooked and soggy, but the middle part was still raw. It was also bland. Did Shen Yi read the procedure on how to cook it properly? She guessed not.

Fortunately, the chicken was cooked … overcooked and dry. At least, she was saved from salmonella. The burnt garlic had stuck its nauseating bitter taste to the pasta and chicken, and the green leaves that she first thought were basil ended up being spinach.

Oh, Shen Yi. Her husband was such a bad cook. Was he even aware of it? Well, husbands had their flaws, and unfortunately for her, Shen Yi really sucked at cooking. Of course, she wouldn’t ban him at their kitchen; everyone was bad for their first time. He should probably stop trying to cook alone and let her supervise and prepare their meals.

Was this a kind of punishment for her for being a naughty wife?

Seeing how his wife had a conflicting expression on her face, Shen Yi frowned. He could practically hear his heart beating in his chest.

“Say something. Don’t you like it?” he asked.

Lu Xinyi downed the pasta and swiftly took her wine glass and drunk the wine in one go, surprising Shen Yi.

“Hey!”

“Shen Yi, I thought you said you love me. Don’t you love me anymore?”

Shen Yi scoffed. “Of course, I do. What are you talking about?”

“Then why did you cook my Garlic Chicken Pasta this way?” Lu Xinyi sniffed. Oh, so much for waiting for dinner.

Shen Yi was baffled, not understanding what she meant by that. While he knew he did some revisions with the ingredients and procedure, his pasta couldn’t possibly taste that bad.

“Why would you do this?” she asked again.” I didn’t mean to use your toothbrush last week, I was sleepy. And I didn’t intend to sneak up and hide some chocolate bars in our bedroom.” She choked out.

Shen Yi raised a brow before hesitantly taking a bite of his masterpiece, only for him to spit it back on his plate, his nose scrunching up in disgust. Holy shit, did he really just cook a horrendous meal for his wife?! It tasted disgusting! No wonder Lu Xinyi wanted to cry and questioned his love for her.

Dish like that should be banned from mankind!