Peninsula: It all started with the breakup

Chapter 33 The Key

"Why are you spacing out? What kind of work are you doing?" Park Ji-yeon patted Xie Mingmu on the shoulder when she saw that he hadn't responded for a while.

Xie Mingmu admitted that he was a little tempted and his mind wandered a bit: "I recently got a promotion and a raise, and I've been assigned to film a personal variety show."

"Really? That's amazing! Remember to treat me to a meal when you get your salary!"

"Yes, yes, go eat your meal." Usually, Xie Mingmu would bicker with Park Jiyeon, but when Xie Mingmu was in work mode, he would focus on efficiency and just wanted to get rid of Park Jiyeon so as not to interfere with his creative thoughts.

Park Jiyeon returned to the sofa and turned the TV volume down.

After more than three hours, Xie Mingmu finally finished setting up the basic framework. This framework was largely thanks to his beer belly. Xie Mingmu's task for the day was complete. He could fill in the remaining details tomorrow.

Xie Mingmu got up, stretched, prepared to get a glass of water, and then got ready to take a shower and go to bed. He was so engrossed in his work that he didn't hear any noise from the living room for a long time and assumed that Park Jiyeon had already gone home.

To my surprise, when I came out, the TV was still on and a variety show was playing, but there was no sound. There was also stir-fried rice cake on the table.

At this moment, Park Jiyeon was still wearing an apron, carefully drinking the soup from the freshly cooked stir-fried rice cakes.

For a moment, Xie Mingmu had a strange feeling, a sense of happiness welling up in his heart.

"What are you doing? Why aren't you going back yet?" Xie Mingmu forcibly shook this strange feeling out of his mind.

"Hello, come and try my spicy stir-fried rice cakes!"

Park Ji-yeon's eyes lit up. Ever since she ate the beef noodles Xie Mingmu made, Park Ji-yeon had been craving them. However, Xie Mingmu hadn't made her a lot of noodles, so Park Ji-yeon went to the refrigerator and found rice cakes and fish cakes. She could make a spicy stir-fried rice cake.

Just then, Xie Mingmu, who had been busy for a long time, really needed some carbs. "Are you any good at cooking?"

Xie Mingmu was very skeptical of Park Ji-yeon's cooking skills. Although he wasn't picky about taste, he couldn't stand food that was too salty or too sweet.

"That's alright, it's just stir-fried rice cakes, isn't it?"

Park Jiyeon knows her own skill level. Although she can't cook complicated dishes, she can still make stir-fried rice cakes. She even made stir-fried rice cakes before and ate them with IU!

IU even praised herself after finishing her meal; Park Jiyeon is very confident in her spicy rice cake skills.

Xie Mingmu picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of fish cake and put it in his mouth. The taste of this kind of cooked food is not bad. The taste mainly depends on the seasoning.

Seeing Xie Mingmu take a bite, Park Jiyeon asked expectantly, "How is it? Is it delicious?"

"It's so-so, but edible."

As expected, Park Ji-yeon's cooking skills weren't great. Luckily, he had stocked up on the refrigerator beforehand, including seasoning for spicy rice cakes, so it wouldn't taste too bad. Xie Mingmu hoped that, apart from the fish cakes, the other ingredients would also be kept warm.

Park Jiyeon felt a little wronged. She had put a lot of effort into the cooking, even following an online tutorial, but Xie Mingmu's evaluation wasn't very good. She said with a hint of grievance, "I rarely cook for others."

"Then make more of them in the future. The more you make, the more skilled you'll become. Cooking skills are developed gradually."

Hearing Park Jiyeon's muttering, Xie Mingmu could only offer some words of comfort. He couldn't possibly go against his conscience and force himself to praise the taste.

"But Hyomin unnie won't let me into the kitchen." After saying this, Park Jiyeon's eyes suddenly lit up: "Then I'll come here to practice my cooking skills from now on!"

Xie Mingmu suddenly choked. Park Jiyeon was trying to use him as a little mouse.

Although Xie Mingmu wasn't very picky about food, Park Jiyeon's cooking was barely edible.

But if he could eat something better, why would Xie Mingmu choose to eat Park Ji-yeon's experimental subject?

"Yes, I refuse!" Xie Mingmu quickly refused. "Ms. Park Jiyeon, please let me go."

"No way! You're complaining now that such a beautiful woman is cooking for you?"

Xie Mingmu rolled his eyes. Forget it, even if a beautiful woman makes something, it won't make a difference. If it doesn't taste good, it just doesn't taste good! At least that's what Xie Mingmu thought.

"If you don't say anything, I'll take that as a yes," Park Jiyeon said playfully, blinking her eyes.

Surprisingly, Xie Mingmu wasn't too bothered by this. He figured he might as well just consider it hiring a cook. That way, he wouldn't have to cook for himself anymore, saving him time, and he wouldn't have to eat takeout, since Xie Mingmu always felt that eating takeout was a bit unhealthy.

Cooking is quite troublesome, as you have to prepare the ingredients yourself and clean up the dishes afterward. However, the process of cooking is very therapeutic. When Xie Mingmu is feeling a bit upset, cooking is a way for him to regulate his emotions.

After thinking it over, Xie Mingmu handed something to Park Jiyeon.

"A key? What do you mean by that?" Park Jiyeon asked, puzzled.

"Aren't you going to come here to cook in the future? This way, you can come over anytime to improve your cooking skills, and I won't have to open the door for you every time. This way, I can work and rest in peace."

Park Ji-yeon was a little angry when she saw the key, thinking that Xie Mingmu thought she was a casual girl. But she felt a little guilty when she heard Xie Mingmu's explanation.

Getting his key is also good, as it makes it easier for me to come over and fully unleash my culinary talents.

One day I will make unnie look at me with new eyes. After I finish cooking, and there is another very important reason. Every time I come here, Park Jiyeon feels that all her fatigue has been taken away.

Seeing Park Jiyeon looking somewhat dazed, he suddenly realized that his behavior was inappropriate and might cause misunderstandings, so he reached out and took back his keys.

"Fine, I'll take my keys back. I was just joking with you."

"No! You just said it was for me, how can you take it back?" Park Jiyeon hurriedly refused, putting the keys into her wallet and then into her small bag.

Seeing Park Jiyeon put away her keys, sit down and finish eating her rice cakes, and then see her still playing on her phone and watching variety shows, Xie Mingmu just wanted to get rid of her so he could rest: "Ms. Park Jiyeon, why aren't you leaving yet? It's getting late."

"It's too late to go back today." Park Jiyeon glanced at her phone. "It'll be almost 1 a.m. by the time I get back, and I'll disturb the unnies when I take a shower. I'll be sleeping on the second floor tonight, so please don't come up!"

"I disagree!" Xie Mingmu said, somewhat amused and exasperated.

"I don't need your permission." Park Jiyeon took out the key Xie Mingmu had given her, shook it, and looked somewhat smug.

"I have a key now, so don't do anything weird tonight."

Xie Mingmu gritted his teeth and forced himself to calm down: Harmony, harmony, the world is so beautiful, yet I am so irritable. This is not good, this is not good.

Park Jiyeon lay on the sofa, watching Xie Mingmu's ever-changing expressions with a smug look, her snow-white legs trembling.