Chapter 49: Busy

Heat the oil in a wok, add dried chili peppers and garlic to stir-fry until fragrant, then add the beef brisket and stir-fry. After stir-frying, transfer the beef brisket to an electric pressure cooker. Add water to cover the beef, one star anise, one cardamom, one bay leaf, some ginger slices, and a spoonful of Korean chili sauce. Set the timer for one hour.

Next, Li Shenxing peeled the potatoes, cut them into chunks, and soaked them in water.

With the beef brisket and potatoes ready, he decided to make a cucumber salad. The menu for tonight was set.

To make the cucumber salad, prepare it early to let the flavors blend. Wash the cucumbers, smash them, and cut them into segments, placing them on a plate (if you cut them into segments first and then smash, the seeds and other parts might scatter). In a large bowl, mix minced garlic, finely chopped chili peppers, chopped green onions, a little salt, oyster sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, and a bit of sugar. Stir well. Heat some oil in a pan and pour it over the mixture in the bowl. Then add the smashed cucumbers and stir. It's ready to serve. [I love eating it this way in the summer, but I prefer to shred the cucumbers to let the flavors blend better.]

Start cooking the rice. Now, all he had to do was wait for Hyori to come back so they could eat.

He sent a text message to Hyori, telling her about the beef brisket and potatoes and asking when she would be back. After waiting for a while with no reply, he checked the time on the electric pressure cooker and set an alarm on his phone. He went upstairs and lay on the bed for a while.

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Time: 17:24.

The door opened with a "click," and Hyori walked in. She hadn't replied to the text because she was already on her way back, wanting to surprise him.

"Hmm? No sound?" Hyori slowly walked to the studio, listened at the door for a while, but heard nothing. She opened the door and didn't see Li Shenxing, so she went to the kitchen.

"Wow! It smells so good~" The aroma of the beef brisket was already wafting through the air. She reached out and picked up a piece of cucumber, putting it in her mouth. "Mmm~ Delicious, so refreshing." She picked up another piece.

She went upstairs and didn't see Li Shenxing in the study. "Hmm! Could he be sleeping?" She gently pushed open the bedroom door and, sure enough, Li Shenxing was lying on the bed, sleeping on his side. Hyori quietly walked to the bedside, slowly lay down next to him, and carefully turned to face him, watching him sleep.

She rarely had the chance to look at him so closely. Hyori used her fingers to trace his thick eyebrows, long eyelashes, straight nose, and finally, his plump, rosy lips, gently sliding her fingers over them.

"Ah!" Hyori suddenly screamed in fright.

Li Shenxing had suddenly opened his mouth and bit her finger, which was touching his lips.

"Ah, you scared me to death! Why did you pretend to be asleep and scare me?" She pulled her finger away and patted his chest.

Li Shenxing pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly. "Stay with me for a while longer. I was sleeping so well, and you woke me up."

"Hehehe..." Hyori giggled at her own prank, hugging his arm and closing her eyes to rest with him.

"Ding... ding... ding"

"Mmm..." Hyori opened her eyes, woken by the alarm. "Did I fall asleep? Ah~" She yawned, turned over, and didn't see Li Shenxing next to her. She got up, turned off the alarm on her phone, and went downstairs.

Li Shenxing was standing in front of the rice cooker, about to taste the beef brisket. A pair of slender hands wrapped around his waist, and a curvaceous figure pressed against his back.

"You're awake?" Li Shenxing asked.

"Your alarm woke me up," Hyori mumbled from behind him.

He picked up a piece of beef brisket, blew on it, and tested it with his lips. Feeling it wasn't too hot, he turned to Hyori. "Try it. Is it flavorful enough? Is it tender?"

"Ah~ Munch... Munch..." Chewing the beef brisket, Hyori said contentedly, "Delicious, the flavor is just right, not too soft, very tasty."

"Good, then add the potatoes and cook for another 8 minutes." Li Shenxing poured the potatoes into the pot, stirred with a spoon, closed the lid, and set the timer.

Turning around, Li Shenxing pulled Hyori into his arms.

"Oh, right, the new cat food we switched to made Go and Wang uncomfortable again. I made them some food today."

"Ah~ Poor Go and Wang, I'll go check on them." Hyori immediately pushed Li Shenxing away and ran to find the cats.

Li Shenxing shrugged, helpless with her.

He opened the rice cooker, fluffed the rice, and served two bowls. He placed the bowls, chopsticks, and cucumber salad on the table, then opened the electric pressure cooker. The rich aroma of beef filled the air.

"Wow~ It smells even better than before!" Hyori was already by Li Shenxing's side.

"Go wash your hands and eat." Li Shenxing took a deep bowl and served some beef brisket and potatoes, offering more if needed.

"Let's eat." Li Shenxing said, placing the dish on the table.

"Oppa, let's eat. I'm ready." She picked up her chopsticks and went for the beef brisket.

Li Shenxing also picked up a piece and put it in his mouth. Mmm~ The meat was fragrant, tender but not mushy, with a good chew. He picked up a piece of potato, which was soft and had absorbed the essence of the beef broth, making it very delicious. He gave a piece to Hyori. "The potatoes are even better than the beef brisket."

After another bite of beef brisket, Li Shenxing stood up, took out some rice wine from the fridge, and sat back at the table with two cups.

He poured one cup and placed it in front of Hyori, who was staring at him. "Here~ Don't drink too much, just two cups."

"Hehehe~ Thank you, Oppa." Hyori eagerly picked up the cup, took a sip, sighed, and then picked up another piece of beef brisket. "It's a perfect match~"

After dinner, they cleaned the table and washed the dishes together, and also served the cats their dinner.

Then they went out for a walk to digest their meal.

They held hands and walked slowly, sometimes greeting neighbors they passed.

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Today was a big day. Li Shenxing and Hyori were invited to attend Park Myung-soo's wedding, and Li Shenxing had agreed to sing a congratulatory song at the wedding.

At noon, at the Lotte Hotel in Seoul. The hotel entrance was already surrounded by reporters, as Korean comedian Park Myung-soo and doctor Han Su-min were to hold a grand wedding there.

The extensive guest list had many media reporters excited. Among those announced to attend were entertainers and singers like Kang Ho-dong, Park Kyung-lim, Lee Hyori, Lee Seung-gi, Chae Yeon, Kim Yong-man, Seungshi Kyung, and Myungwoon from the group Shinhwa.

Around 12:30 PM, Lee Hyori arrived at the Lotte Hotel with her husband Li Shenxing. Today, Li Shenxing was dressed in a black suit, with his hair neatly styled in a formal side part. After taking photos with Hyori, they entered the hotel. Guided by the usher, Li Shenxing and Hyori walked through the hotel lobby, gave interviews to the media in the interview area, and then entered the wedding hall.

On the way, Hyori continuously greeted familiar and unfamiliar artists. Following the usher's guidance, they found their seats.

"Phew~~~" After sitting down, Li Shenxing adjusted his tie and sighed in relief.

Hyori playfully patted him and helped him straighten his tie.

The table next to them was occupied by the members of "Infinite Challenge," so Li Shenxing wouldn't be bored for the rest of the time.

At 5 PM, Park Myung-soo and Han Su-min's wedding officially began. Park Myung-soo, dressed in a black suit, and Han Su-min, in a white wedding dress, appeared on the main stage.

As the wedding progressed, a server came to Li Shenxing, whispered something to him, and then Li Shenxing followed him to the front of the stage.

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