A Bad-Hearted Doctor is Unbearably Beautiful - Chapter 23

When Shen Zhao parked the car, he finally realized something was wrong.

This was clearly the Pujiang Pier!

“Lu Xiao, don’t tell me we’re going to cook dumplings in the middle of the river?”

Shen Zhao got out of the car, annoyed. Lu Xiao had so much energy to come all the way out here for dinner.

In short, he was just being bored!

Lu Xiao put on a look of injustice. “What are you talking about? Do you think I’d kidnap you and sell you on a boat?”

He then sidled up to Shen Zhao. “A cruise dinner, how about that? Surprised?”

Shen Zhao: “…Are you insane?”

Lu Xiao pushed Shen Zhao forward, grinning playfully. “Come on, it’s New Year! We have to spend some money. If you don’t spend and I don’t spend, how will we drive urban progress and social development?”

…

The night wind by the Pujiang River was a little cold, carrying the city’s rich scents. Following the directions of the staff in white suits by the riverbank, the two of them walked onto the deck.

Shen Zhao’s expression changed in an instant.

The deck was covered with a red carpet! And it was scattered with rose petals!

What kind of extravagant, aristocratic life is this?

Shen Zhao looked around and found the huge deck was completely empty. He then noticed the waiters standing in the distance, hidden in the corners.

Shen Zhao glanced at Lu Xiao out of the corner of his eye, feeling completely out of place.

Lu Xiao, however, was full of praise for the environment.

He thought to himself, For this much money, the service really is top-notch!

Shen Zhao walked on the red carpet, which was lit by numerous lights, his expression frozen in disbelief. He was questioning his life choices.

His gaze swept over the warm yellow light that illuminated the entire cruise cabin. In front of him was a dining table with a high-end silver jacquard tablecloth and silverware that shimmered with a subtle glow. Further inside was a semicircular white leather sofa with a black crystal coffee table in the middle. Standing beside it was a waiter in a crisp white uniform and a black bowtie.

The waiter wore white gloves and held a fancy-looking decanter.

When he saw the two of them come in, he just greeted them and then stood aside, his expression normal, professional, and respectful.

The night was enchanting. The river was gently swaying, and the crystal chandelier above shimmered with a hint of luxury.

Shen Zhao took a deep breath, slowly turned around, and looked at Lu Xiao.

“Are you police officers paid this well?”

Lu Xiao sat back comfortably on the white leather sofa.

“I happen to have a little money in my family. If I had to rely on my salary, I’d probably starve.”

“So, you chartered this whole cruise ship?”

Lu Xiao had a faint smile on his lips, but his tone was nonchalant. “You could say that.”

Shen Zhao finally decided to accept reality and stop struggling. He was ready to enjoy life.

“Fine. Thank you for letting me experience the corrupt life of a capitalist. But, where are the dumplings?”

Shen Zhao looked around. Besides a very expensive-looking bottle of red wine, he didn’t see anything else.

“Start serving,” Lu Xiao said, shaking the glass of red wine in his hand.

The waiter bowed slightly, and then several people entered, carrying trays.

When the cloches were lifted, revealing Boston lobster, black caviar, Alba white truffles, and Iberian ham neatly arranged on a bed of ice, Shen Zhao froze again.

“Are these dumplings?” Shen Zhao asked in a controlled tone, staring at the high-end ingredients on the table and looking at the calm-faced Lu Xiao.

Lu Xiao casually took off his jacket and threw it on the sofa. He stood up, rolled up his shirt sleeves, and put his hands on his hips. “We’re going to make them. They’re all raw, aren’t they?”

Shen Zhao: “…”

As if on cue, a waiter brought in a bowl of kneaded dough, a bag of flour, and a fancy electric hot pot.

“Lu Xiao.”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t you know that normal people don’t use these things to make dumplings?”

Lu Xiao stood tall and proud. “You don’t like pork or beef, do you? Besides, who says you can’t put Boston lobster in dumplings?”

Hearing this, Shen Zhao was silent for two seconds. For a moment, he also felt that there was nothing wrong with it.

He looked thoughtfully at the ingredients on the table, which all screamed “expensive.” “Okay, tell me, how do we make them?”

Lu Xiao acted thoughtful and profound, rubbing his chin. “Lobster and truffles for one filling. And we can use the ham and black caviar as a garnish for the plate.”

Shen Zhao was so speechless he didn’t even want to talk. He felt like he had broken into a Michelin-star restaurant’s kitchen to make cheap Chinese snacks.

“Oh, stop overthinking it! I’m starving~~”

Lu Xiao urged Shen Zhao to take off his jacket and wash his hands.

Shen Zhao said, “I’m warning you now. If the dumplings don’t taste good later, you have to eat all of them by yourself. No wasting food.”

“I know, I know~~”

The two of them stood on opposite sides of the table with aprons on, carefully putting the chopped lobster filling into the dumpling wrappers.

“Wow, Shen Zhao, the way you pinch the dumpling skin is so beautiful!”

Shen Zhao looked up and saw a crumpled lump in Lu Xiao’s hand.

“Lu Xiao! Have you ever made dumplings before?”

Lu Xiao blinked. “This is… my first time.”

“So you’re telling me you made me come all this way to make dumplings with you on an empty stomach, but you don’t even know how to make them?” Shen Zhao really wanted to grab a handful of flour and throw it in Lu Xiao’s face.

“Teacher Shen… you look even more handsome when you’re angry.”

Lu Xiao just saw Shen Zhao’s mouth move but couldn’t hear what he was saying. When Shen Zhao was angry, his pale face turned a little pink, like a peach blossom.

Shen Zhao’s words of frustration were completely blocked in his throat by Lu Xiao’s blunt comment.

“Fine. You provided such good ingredients. It’s nothing for me to help you make a few dumplings.”

Lu Xiao smiled and scooted over to Shen Zhao’s side, meticulously learning how to pinch the dumplings just like Shen Zhao.

He watched as Shen Zhao skillfully scooped a spoonful of filling onto the dumpling skin. He then lightly folded the edges with his thumb and middle finger.

With a gentle pinch, a beautiful dumpling pleat was formed. The shape was perfect.

“Are all doctors’ hands this clever?”

“Are all police officers’ hands this clumsy?”

Lu Xiao: “…”

The towering buildings on the shore lit up at the hour. The two of them stood side by side, and the soft light shone on the corners of their upturned mouths.

When the dumplings were served, the waiter poured each of them half a glass of wine. After being hungry for several hours, the delicious aroma filled the air. The lobster and white truffles gave off an extremely fresh and savory scent.

Shen Zhao hesitated to pick up his chopsticks.

Lu Xiao picked one up with his chopsticks, looked at Shen Zhao, and then put it on Shen Zhao’s plate.

“Try the one you made. See if it’s good.”

Shen Zhao picked it up hesitantly, took a small bite, and chewed it carefully. He nodded.

“It tastes good.”

Lu Xiao quickly picked one up for himself. In his haste, he put the whole thing in his mouth and was burned, hissing from the heat.

While exhaling white steam, he said, “What do you mean, ‘good’? This is a delicacy!”

The two of them laughed and clinked glasses.

Not far away on the shore, at the restaurant “Pujiang No. 8.”

In a private room overlooking the river, a tall, slender figure stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows.

The man’s fingers loosely held the rim of a hand-cut crystal glass. The whiskey swirled with the gentle shaking of his hand. His amber pupils and deep-set eyes were reflected in the glass.

He was wearing a full set of custom-made gray cashmere suit. His hair was slightly wavy, giving him a mixed-race look and an air of fatigue.

His knuckles gently tapped the glass, the rhythm a warning that his patience was wearing thin.

His gaze was fixed on the cruise ship on the river ahead, his expression indifferent, a hint of ominousness flashing in his eyes.