Chapter 491: Rap
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Tutu and Li Zekai held hands and walked to Lin Wan’s side.
“Auntie Lin, can I sing a duet with you? I want to sing “You Look So Pretty When You Smile” with you,” said Tutu.
Lin Wan was stunned. Before Tutu, Qi Yue, Li Zexuan, Li Zexin, and Wheatley had all offered to sing a duet with her. Even a few parents had asked to sing with her. By now, she was supposed to perform almost ten songs. She hadn’t expected Tutu to come and ask her as well.
The concert was for everyone. She couldn’t be the one popping up everywhere.
“Auntie Lin, the three of us can sing together. I know the song too,” said Li Zekai.
“Alright.” Lin Wan nodded.
Li Zexin, Li Zexuan, and Xiao Yi decided on a rap song. It was not surprising that Li Zexuan could sing, but Xiao Yi did not expect Li Zexin’s rap to be so good. Coupled with his movements, it was as if he had trained for it professionally.
Xiao Yi was baffled. Li Zexin flicked his hair in pride. “Do you think I’m very good at it? Let me tell you… I know a lot of things. Wind God, you’ll slowly find out about the rest.”
Li Zexuan pretended to barf. “Li Zexin, do you even have a little shame?”
“Why do I have to be ashamed? I’m doing rap just so I can be respected a little,” said Li Zexin.
“Li Zexin’s singing is not bad, but he’s too smug about it,” Xiao Yi said.
“Wind God, you can leave the second part of your sentence out. I only heard the first half anyvvay,” said Li Zexin. He put his arm around Xiao Yi’s shoulder. “Isn’t just one song too few? Why don’t we sing a duet? I know Cantonese too.
How about “Iron Blood Loyal Heart”?”
“You know how to sing “Iron Blood Loyal Heart”?” Xiao Yi was surprised.
“You know the song? It’s very old. I know that my brother knows it too. How about it? Should we do it?” asked Li Zexin.
“You two can do it together,” Li Zexuan said. “I’m opting out of it.”
Li Zexuan knew that his younger brother wanted to sing with his idol, so he chose not to join in. “I’m going to find Teacher Bai Xue and ask her if she can sing a song with me.”
“Brother Xuanxuan, don’t be so shameless when you’re chasing after a celebrity. You’re just a little shy, but you have to learn from me. If your skin was a tenth as thick as mine, Teacher Bai Xue would have invited you to sing with her long ago. Right, Wind God?”
Xiao Yi looked at Li Zexin disdainfully. “What? I don’t understand.”
“Are we singing or not?”
“We are.” Xiao Yi nodded. “Let’s practice the one where we three sing together first.”
Everyone was supposed to sing with a few other guests. At five o’clock, the first round of rehearsals ended.
[Although I can understand that they didn’t let us see the practice so that we could have a surprise tonight, I still feel frustrated that no one is in the livestream.]
[Why don’t you stop watching it for a while?]
[I’m only taking a look every few hours. Everyone is practicing. It won’t be fun if we know what they’ve prepared.]
[Yeah. Tutu and Jiejie appeared once in front of the camera.]
[It’s better to just turn off the livestream. It’ll be fine as long as the livestream lasts longer tonight.]
[The production team didn’t think this through, did they?]
[I left it playing on my phone. Just pay attention to sounds. If there is a sound, then it means someone’s coming. If not, I just let it be.]
Since everyone was practicing, the production team arranged for dinner. It was a simple noodle soup.
Everyone gathered at Bai Xue’s house for dinner, and they finally appeared on camera again.
[I finally see everyone!]
[The song list is out. There’s also a Cantonese duet. Guess who’s singing it?]
[Could it be Mr. Li and Ms. Lin?] [Mr. Li is not on the list.]
[I know it! It’s Li Zexin and Xiao Yi!] [Yes. They want to sing “Iron Blood Loyal Heart.”]
[I smell something brewing.]
[Do you even need to say it?]
[I’m looking forward to it. Is Mr. Li really not participating?]
[Yes. Mr. Li is surely not participating.]
In the courtyard of Bai Xue’s house, noodles were boiling in a huge pot, and steam was rising from it. In another pot, the toppings were being stir-fried. The program’s backstage chef took charge and flipped the iron pot before the camera.
Li Zekai curiously watched the chef with the chef’s hat. “Uncle, are you not tired? You keep swinging the pot back and forth. The pot is so big.”
“It’s alright. I’m fine. Flipping the pot is the soul of cooking. A chef who can’t flip the pot isn’t good.”
“You’re amazing! You threw it so high, and the food didn’t even fly out,” Li Zekai said.
“Controlling the strength is key. The food inside is easy to manage. Kiddo, the oil will splatter when I fry it. You better stand over there. It wouldn’t be good if you get burned.”
“Alright.”
“Jiejie, come and see! These noodles are impressive.” Tutu was circling around the pot of boiling noodles.
Li Zekai ran over and saw another chef holding a pair of oversized chopsticks. The chopsticks held the noodles in place. When he let go, the noodles stayed balanced on the chopsticks.
“The noodles have come alive,” whispered Li Zekai in awe.
“Yes, these noodles have come alive.”
The chef revealed the secret. There was actually a hollow pipe in the middle of the pot, and the noodles were wrapped around the pipe. It looked like the noodles were standing on their own.
“I see… Uncle, you tricked us!” Tutu said.
“Just wanted to make you all happy.” The chef took the hollow pipe out. “The noodles are ready to come out of the pot. Are the toppings ready?” “It’s time to pour the sauce. Everyone, get ready to dig in.” [Them shouting for each other shows their familiarity with each other.]
[Why does a simple bowl of noodles feel so festive?]
[The last two shouts are definitely the finishing touch.]
[Just like the street vendors in our neighborhood. They call out to us wherever we pass by.]
‘We’re ready!” Feifei said.
[Indeed, kids are the happiest. As long as everyone can eat together, anything tastes good.]
[The atmosphere is the key.]
[Exactly, the atmosphere is crucial. When everyone’s together, their appetites increase.]
[In winter, having a steaming bowl of noodles feels so blissful, especially when it’s cooked on the spot.]
Everyone combined the three tables together.
Wheatley didn’t usually like eating noodles. However, when the chef was cooking them, she was already drooling in anticipation.
Nannan was worried that her stepdaughter might go hungry since the dinner today was noodles. But she saw that Wheatley made her dad fill up an entire bowl of noodles for her.
Everyone held bowls bigger than their own faces.
“Tutu, this noodle is so delicious!” Feifei held a fork and slowly stuffed the noodles into his mouth. “Feifei, add a bit of vinegar. It’ll taste even better.”
“Sure, I’ll add a little.”
“Li Zexin, you’ve added so much chili. Aren’t you afraid of burning your throat?” Li Zexuan looked at his brother pouring chili sauce into his bowl.
“Big brother, this chili only looks spicy, but it’s not spicy at all. Don’t believe me? Try it.” Li Zexin had added just a bit in the beginning. He tasted it and found it to be delicious. The sauce was made with scallions and peanuts, but it wasn’t spicy at all. Moreover, the flavor was incredible..