1607 I'll Shell It for You

As if he was interested and liked listening to whatever Shi Xiaoya had to say.

"Okay." Han Zhuoling pinched the crayfish with two fingers, looking like an attentive student.

"Like this. First you remove the head. You see the three segments at the tail? Remove the one in the middle." Shi Xiaoya's fingers moved as she spoke, showing Han Zhuoling after she took off the shell. "See, the vein can be removed at the same time."

Han Zhuoling followed her directions, and the black vein was indeed removed along with the tail.

"Then peel the shell on top, which reveals a portion of the meat," Shi Xiaoya instructed as she held the crayfish between her fingers. "Pinch the remaining two shell segments near the tail like this, and voila! A whole crayfish ready to eat."

The three steps were far easier than if one slowly shelled it.

The crayfish had a hard shell, and if he did as per usual, it would have been a long process.

Shi Xiaoya grabbed the crayfish by the tail and dipped it in the crayfish soup, grinning. "You must dip it in the soup so that it'll be delicious."

Han Zhuoling repeated her actions but did not send it into his mouth. Instead, he placed it on Shi Xiaoya's plate.

Shi Xiaoya froze while holding on to her newly-shelled crayfish, not knowing what to do next.

Since Han Zhuoling gave her his first shelled crayfish, should she return the courtesy?

Han Zhuoling was so caring; she was embarrassed to eat her own shelled crayfish.

Hesitating, she put her crayfish on Han Zhuoling's plate.

Han Zhuoling looked at her in surprise, and she smiled in return. "You gave me your shelled crayfish, so I'm giving you mine."

She raised her gloved hands. "The gloves are brand new, and I gave you the first shelled one, so it's clean."

Han Zhuoling's gaze wavered, thinking that he wouldn't mind even if she shelled one for him after eating.

"I wouldn't have minded," Han Zhuoling answered as he popped the crayfish into his mouth.

Spicy, with a tinge of numbness and sweetness. Not bad.

As for texture, it was just that. It could never beat the sweetness and chewiness of Australian lobsters no matter how good it was.

Just as Shi Xiaoya said, this was so he could taste the thick and savory soup.

"Don't mind me," Han Zhuoling said as his fingers moved without pausing, shelling a few crayfish for her.

The more he peeled, the faster he got, and Shi Xiaoya's plate was filled soon after.

Shi Xiaoya hurriedly said, "Stop shelling them for me, you eat them too!"

Seeing that he had peeled plenty for her already, he then started eating.

He thought of the time before, when he didn't know she wished to eat crayfish on the day she helped Jiang Yuhan makeup. He would've willingly helped her shell them if he knew.

Just then, Han Zhuoling blurted out, "If you fear any lingering smell on your hands before you start work next time, I'll shell them for you."

Shi Xiaoya shook. How could Han Zhuoling just say such things out of nowhere? It's so easy to misunderstand!

If it wasn't for his serious face when he spoke, without a hint of underlying meanings, she would've misconstrued his meanings.

Even so, Shi Xiaoya's heart skipped a beat.

She gave an awkward laugh. "I'm working outside, and Young Master Ling, you're busy as well. Where can we find the chance again?"