<h1><strong>Chapter 1696 Like Host And Hostess</strong></h1>


    It was noontime. Luca finally finished tranting the contents of one of the folders. She nced at the time. It was almost time to prepare the hotpot.


    She walked out of the bedroom. Nina was sitting on the couch watching TV. She was afraid that she would disturb Luca, so she had turned the TV volume down to the point where she could barely hear anything.


    “Are you done?” Nina smiled when she saw Luca walk out of the room


    “I''ve just finished part of my work. I''m going to prepare the hotpot now,” replied Luca. Then, she headed to the kitchen.


    Making a hotpot was not asplicated as making proper meals. She only had to season the soup base and clean the ingredients. That was all she had to do.


    Nina followed her into the kitchen. “Let me help you.”


    “It''s alright. Just wait for the food,” Luca said as she opened the fridge and took the ingredients out. “You''re already treating me to hotpot. How could I just eat without helping? But I''m pretty bad at cooking too. Don''t expect me to help you to make the soup base. I can still manage if it''s just cleaning the vegetables.” Nina helped to take the ingredients from Luca when Luca was taking them out of the fridge.


    Luca smiled and shook her head when Nina insisted on doing so. She did not reject her offer.


    Nina looked at the hotpot ingredients in the bag and eximed, “I didn’t expect you to buy all my favorite food.”


    "Aren“t hotpot ingredients all the same?” Luca said. She knew Nina wasing, so she bought some of her favorite hotpot ingredients.


    “There are so many hotpot ingredients, but everything here suits my taste.” Nina rummaged through the ingredients in the bag and eximed, “There''s nothing I don''t like to eat here.”


    Luca smiled, and she took the hotpot seasoning out. She nned to make the hotpot soup base first. After all, the soup base was the essence of hotpot.


    Nina took the ingredients out one after another, saying, “Luca, others would think that we''ve known each other for years. You know my preferences so well.”


    Luca opened the package of the hotpot seasoning and said thoughtfully, “Perhaps we have known each other for a long time?”


    Nina was startled for a moment. She turned around and nced at Luca, who was busy making the soup base. She smiled and replied, “Is that so? Then did I forget about you? If that''s the case, I should be feeling guilty as hell for forgetting about you.”


    Luca shook her head. She did not continue the subject of the conversation. “Oh, please help me make some juiceter. I''m nning to add some spice to the soup base to make it a little spicier.” "It tastes good if it''s a little spicy.” Nina nodded and agreed to help her. "Leave the juice to me." Hence, both of them worked together and finished making the hotpot in a short time.


    Luca poured the soup into the pot on the induction cooker and turned it on.


    Nina pped her hands with a smile on her face. “It''s been a long time since I looked forward to enjoying hotpot. Thank you, Luca.”


    Luca poured the juice into the ss, smiled at her, and said, "It''s just hotpot. You don''t have to thank me."


    "You have no clue. After my mother fell sick, I feel satisfied just being able to have a proper meal, not to mention hotpot.” Nina took the ss of juice Luca handed to her and took a sip of it.


    The juice was freshly squeezed by her. It tasted nice and sweet, so she took another sip of it.


    Luca felt sorry for Nina when she heard that.


    Previously, Percy was beside her to keep these matters away from her. However, Nina was bearing all the burden alone in silence now.


    Everyone would feel sorry for what she was going through.


    “Then you shoulde over here often to apany me. It''s kind of boring to eat alone.” Luca extended an invitation to her.


    "Alright, but won''t you be too busy to entertain me next time? Your wounds are almost healed, right? I think you''re going to be busy soon. I heard that you''re helping T Corporation with the tender?” Nina asked.


    “Yes, their trantor is still on leave and can''te back to work. I was asked to do some tranting work,” Luca exined. She did not expect Nina to know so much about it even though she was not working in T Corporation.


    It seemed like she had friends in T Corporation observing everything there.


    Was it all because of Bianca?


    As Luca was lost in thoughts, the soup started boiling. She came back to her senses, lifted the cover, and said, "Let''s start putting in the ingredients now.”


    Nina put her favorite meatballs and vegetables in hurriedly.


    Luca picked up a big slice of beef and put it into the pot. She said, “Don''t forget about the beef slices.”


    "Yes, beef slices are my favorite,” Nina smiled and said.


    While the two of them were waiting for the meatball and vegetables to cook in the pot, the apartment''s door was suddenly pushed open.


    Both of them turned around and looked in the direction of the door at the same time.


    Luke came walking in.


    Luca was so startled that her jaw dropped a little. Why did hee here? Did she not send him a message telling him that Nina was here?


    Could it be that it was because of Percy? He knew Nina was here, so that was why he came here? Luca knew Luke was not that kind of person. Moreover, everyone in T Corporation was busy now. She nced behind him. After Luke came in, he closed the door and changed into slippers. Everything was done at one go. No one followed behind him and came into the house.


    Luca was speechless. He knew Nina was here now, yet he still came. He was even deliberately walking toward her.


    Nina came back to her senses and looked at the man who was heading toward them. She asked confusingly, “Mr. Crawford?”


    “Yes.” Luke shot a nce at the hotpot. His eyes gleamed, and he sat down at once.


    Nina looked at his gestures and suddenly recalled that the apartment unit used a digital door lock. Even if Luke was letting Luca stay in this apartment, she must have changed the passcode.


    Could it be that she changed the passcode and informed Luke about it so that he coulde in and out as he wished?Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    However, no matter what kind of situation it was, it was a fact that Luke coulde in and out of this apartment as he liked.


    Nina looked at Luca. Although she looked surprised too, it seemed like there was something unusual going on between them.


    Then, she thought of the men’s clothing on the balcony. It turned out that the expensive men’s garment belonged to Luke.


    "Having hotpot for lunch today? Do you mind getting me a set of cutleries?” Luke sat down beside Luca and asked.


    Luca snapped back, not knowing why Luke would do this. Nothing was going on between them. Still, the outsiders would wonder how a man and a woman could live together if there was nothing going on between them.


    It was unlikely that they were sharing this bachelor apartment.


    “Let me go to the kitchen and get the cutleries for you.” Luca stood up with aplicated expression on her face. She nced at Nina. There was no need for Luca to study Nina''s expression carefully. Luca knew Nina had a lot going on in her mind. Nina had probably already misunderstood...


    She did not know how to exin this. It was inconvenient for her to exin it in front of Luke. Luca walked into the kitchen and picked up a set of cutleries for Luke. She nned to talk about it after lunch.


    Luke took the cutleries from her and nced at the ingredients. He said, "It looks sumptuous.” “Mmm,” Luca replied in a soft voice. It would be bad for her to move her seat all of a sudden since she was sitting here just now. Hence, she had no choice but to endure it and continue to sit beside Luke.


    It was as if they were the host and hostess as they were sitting together, while the guest was sitting opposite them.