Chapter 4

The girl's name is Xia Xiaozhi, the daughter of the neighbors downstairs.

She is now sixteen years old, in the second semester of her first year of high school.

Three months ago, when Jiang Fei lost his job, he became her tutor for physics, mathematics, and chemistry by chance, and has been doing it ever since. So they have known each other for three months and are quite familiar with each other.

However, this girl is in her rebellious teenage years, with some aversion to studying. She has a poor opinion of Jiang Fei, her tutor, and always likes to go against him.

For example, in terms of addressing him, Jiang Fei doesn't like her calling him "Uncle," but she insists on it.

Jiang Fei's lips twitched. After entering the door without closing it, he said while changing his shoes, "Come in!"

Xia Xiaozhi doesn't have the ponytail that girls her age usually love; she thinks it's too old-fashioned and too obedient...

Her hair is a cute mushroom cut.

Her jet-black hair is styled into straight short hair, with the bangs just covering her eyebrows without obstructing her big eyes. The ends of her hair on both sides have a slight inward curve, just enough to show her earlobes.

This hairstyle, combined with Xia Xiaozhi's school uniform, should make her look like a very pretty little girl.

Unfortunately, this little girl's demeanor and aura are not quite right. Although she holds books in her arms, she walks with a jerky gait, like a little thug.

Her originally beautiful big eyes are always filled with defiance. Her dressing is not unconventional, but she has a bit of a delinquent look.

"Uncle, why did you buy so many vegetables today? Are you planning to cook? If you're feeling down, don't poison yourself! Although I'm a bit annoyed with you, I don't want you to die... because if you die, my mom will definitely find another tutor for me, and it will probably be even more painful!" Xia Xiaozhi also changed her shoes, walked to Jiang Fei, who was putting things in the fridge, and glanced at him sideways, "kindly" advising him.

After three months of getting along with Jiang Fei, Xia Xiaozhi knows his cooking skills and that his fridge usually only contains beer and drinks, never vegetables.

"Do your homework! Did you finish the problems I assigned you yesterday?" Jiang Fei said irritably.

These women, they are all the same!

His current mood can only be described by one sentence: Now you ignore me, but soon you'll find me unattainable!

"Of course not!" Xia Xiaozhi answered confidently.

She casually threw the books onto the sofa and was about to grab a can of beer from the fridge, but Jiang Fei slapped her hand and said, "You're just a kid, don't pretend to be a drinker, what beer!"

"Who said I can't drink!" Her arm hurt from the slap, and she slapped Jiang Fei back, pouting as she took the green tea Jiang Fei handed her and sat on the sofa.

"Do your homework now. I'm going to cook. If I find out you haven't done it before I finish, don't blame me for telling your mom. You know, I don't want to do that either." Jiang Fei casually threw out a threat and then ignored the girl, walking into the kitchen to start cooking.

Although Xia Xiaozhi is in her rebellious teenage years, she is still afraid of her mom. Otherwise, she wouldn't obediently come to Jiang Fei for tutoring every evening after dinner.

Every time Jiang Fei threatens her with her mom, she has no choice but to comply.

Jiang Fei, who receives 800 yuan a month from her mom for tutoring, although it's a friendship price, still takes his responsibility as a teacher seriously.

Just like when he is a doctor, he doesn't deliberately exaggerate the condition or prescribe expensive medicine when cheaper options are available.

Jiang Fei has principles in certain aspects. In this murky world, it's hard to avoid being tainted, but most of the time, he only earns what he should.

Entering the kitchen.

Jiang Fei's cooking skills used to be poor, but now, as a grandmaster, they are completely different. Whether it's chopping vegetables or using pots and pans, he is incredibly skilled, like a chef with decades of experience.

He slices the potato into almost hair-thin strips, and the fish that used to take him half a day to clean is now done in a minute.

Sweet and sour ribs, Kung Pao chicken, West Lake fish, Mapo tofu, braised pork, potato strips...

One by one, dishes of varying difficulty and from different cuisines are skillfully prepared by Jiang Fei. The color, aroma, and taste are all perfect, and the entire kitchen, along with the living room, is filled with a mouth-watering fragrance.

So much so that Xia Xiaozhi, who had previously dismissed Jiang Fei, couldn't resist the smell and walked into the kitchen like a hungry worm, her eyes shining at the delicious dishes.

Slap!

While cooking, Jiang Fei suddenly reached out and slapped the side, hitting Xia Xiaozhi, who couldn't resist the temptation to sneak a bite.

"Did you finish your homework? Did you wash your hands? Didn't someone just say to be careful of being poisoned?" Jiang Fei said with a smile while cooking.

Xia Xiaozhi stomped her foot in anger, struggling to move her gaze from the dishes, but stubbornly said, "I finished my homework! What's so great about it, the dishes just look good, maybe they don't taste that great."

Jiang Fei, unperturbed by her taunt, chuckled, "They don't taste that great. So just watch me eat, no need for you to taste it, Miss."

Finally, all the dishes were ready.

Jiang Fei brought them to the dining table, and Xia Xiaozhi, like a little shadow, followed him back and forth, staring at the dishes with wide eyes, her mouth watering.

It's not that Xia Xiaozhi is too weak-willed; it's that the dishes Jiang Fei made are truly exquisite in both taste and appearance, even better than what so-called famous chefs can do.

They make you feel extremely hungry, as if you haven't eaten for ten days.

"Uncle... I didn't eat much for dinner today, I'm hungry, can I have some?" Seeing that being tough didn't work, she resorted to being soft. Xia Xiaozhi, lacking backbone, hugged Jiang Fei's arm and started to plead.

Jiang Fei smiled but remained unmoved.

When Jiang Fei only served himself a bowl of rice and really didn't plan to give Xia Xiaozhi any, she finally couldn't hold back. Ignoring her pride, she took a bowl and chopsticks, sat next to Jiang Fei, and eagerly started eating.

"Ouch~~~ It's hot!" Xia Xiaozhi opened her mouth, blowing on the hot food.

"Wow~~~ So delicious! This Kung Pao chicken is dozens of times better than what my mom makes!" Xia Xiaozhi praised, completely forgetting her earlier taunts, her face radiant, her eyes shining.

At this moment, there was no trace of her usual 'dignity' as a leader; she showed the cute side of a girl in her prime.

While eating, the little girl didn't hesitate to lean on Jiang Fei, sometimes leaning to the side, raising her thumb to praise, "Uncle, you're amazing! This level is like a god of cooking! Delicious... so delicious!"

Feeling Xia Xiaozhi's not-so-shallow cleavage and the occasional glimpse of her chest during tutoring, the sixteen- or seventeen-year-old girl seemed not just cute...

"Too evil! If her mom knew my thoughts, she'd kill me..." Jiang Fei quickly shook his head to dispel the thought.

"Now you know it's delicious? What did you say at the beginning?" Jiang Fei teased. This girl is quite interesting, sixteen years old, carefree.

Xia Xiaozhi's eyes darted around, her mouth moving non-stop, mumbling, "What did I say? I don't remember."

"You said my dishes were poisonous and couldn't be eaten, and you even advised me not to eat them. What are you doing now?" Jiang Fei said with a smile.

"I told you not to eat, but I didn't say I wouldn't eat. I'm afraid of the poison, so I'm testing the food for you, Uncle!" Xia Xiaozhi said unreasonably.

Jiang Fei couldn't help but laugh, gently tapping her mushroom head, "At such a young age, where did you learn to be so unreasonable?"

"From my mom..." Xia Xiaozhi said with a grin, not ashamed at all. Her mom is indeed more unreasonable in some aspects, which is why she lets Jiang Fei tutor Xia Xiaozhi for a few hundred yuan a month.

Tutors these days are very expensive; it's hard to find such a cheap one.

In no time, several dishes on the table were almost finished. Although Xia Xiaozhi was loud at the beginning, her appetite was limited, and she quickly became full. Most of the food ended up in Jiang Fei's stomach.

After eating, Xia Xiaozhi leaned back in her chair, her eyes filled with satisfaction, and said, "So delicious, so satisfying! I've never eaten such delicious food!" She looked at Jiang Fei, put her hands on his shoulders, and pleaded, "Uncle, can I come here for dinner every night from now on?"

"Why should I let you?" Jiang Fei glanced at her, unmoved. But he thought to himself that these life skills are indeed very useful.

In the past three months of getting along with Xia Xiaozhi, she rarely showed any kindness to him. Now, after just one meal, she was completely tamed.

"Because your cooking is so delicious!" Xia Xiaozhi said carelessly.

Jiang Fei was speechless.

However, having someone to eat and chat with is actually quite nice, much better than eating alone. And Xia Xiaozhi, being a young girl, wouldn't eat much even if he kept her.

But Jiang Fei didn't immediately agree. He smiled and said, "If I cook at home, you can come and eat. But... I have a condition!"

"Condition?" Xia Xiaozhi crossed her arms, her big eyes under the mushroom cut looking pitifully at Jiang Fei, and said softly, "Uncle... you wouldn't... I'm still a child! Although Uncle you are quite handsome and meet my height standards, I'm not an adult yet. If you do anything to me, it's illegal..."

Bang!

Jiang Fei slapped her head hard and said angrily, "What are you thinking, little girl! My condition is that you don't call me Uncle anymore, and you listen to me during tutoring!"

Xia Xiaozhi rubbed her head with one hand and patted her chest with the other, saying, "Oh, I see. Uncle, you scared me!"

"You scared me too!" Jiang Fei said irritably.

He didn't notice that Xia Xiaozhi continued to call him Uncle.

Habits become second nature.

The title "Uncle" probably won't change anytime soon.