Volume 2 Chapter 21

Volume 2 + Chapter 21: Having Lunch Together

As the two finished touring the aquarium, it was already noon.

“Time’s getting late. Let’s go enjoy lunch together,” Bai Yuxuan said to Ouyang Qianxue beside her.

So the two walked out of the aquarium. Outside, a luxury sedan was already waiting for them.

“Miss Ouyang, please get in,” a woman in a suit nearby said, opening the car door for Ouyang Qianxue.

“Thank you.” With that, Ouyang Qianxue got into the car, and Bai Yuxuan sat right next to him.

“Why are you sitting right next to me? This car has seats in both the front and back rows, you know.”

“That’s because you belong to me today. I have to keep an eye on you.” Bai Yuxuan showed a sly smile, looking like a wolf who had caught a lamb.

“But speaking of which, I give the dishes we’re having for lunch today a perfect recommendation. They’re the best I’ve ever eaten in my life,” Bai Yuxuan said proudly.

“Is that so? I’d really like to see this restaurant that you, Young Master Bai, praise so highly.”

However, the car ultimately pulled into the parking garage of Bai Yuxuan’s apartment building.

“Huh? Isn’t this your home? Weren’t we going to eat those ‘best dishes’ you talked about?”

“That’s because I invited the chef who can make the best dishes to my home. Please, come in.”

With that, the two entered the apartment. But once inside, Ouyang Qianxue found the apartment completely empty.

“Where is this chef you mentioned? This place obviously only has the two of us,” Ouyang Qianxue asked, puzzled.

“She’s already here, isn’t she? Here,” Bai Yuxuan said, handing an apron to Ouyang Qianxue.

“Me? Are you joking? The last couple of times I came here, I just made ordinary home-cooked meals. You, Young Master Bai, eat delicacies from land and sea every day. How could you possibly appreciate the plain, simple food I make? Are you making fun of me?”

“Not at all.” Bai Yuxuan’s expression became very serious. “Cooking isn’t just a skill, it’s a way for the chef to express their passion. The dinner you made last time truly touched my heart. So in my mind, you are the best chef.”

“So that’s because you were starving last time! Anyone who hasn’t eaten all day would find even a plain steamed bun delicious. But fine, since you’re so eager to eat my cooking, don’t complain later if it’s bad.” After saying this, Ouyang Qianxue put on the apron and walked into the kitchen.

Looking at the slender, busy figure in the kitchen, Bai Yuxuan felt a sense of happiness welling up from her heart. At that moment, her gaze resembled that of a child eagerly anticipating their mother’s cooking.

Half an hour later, a table full of sumptuous dishes was presented before Bai Yuxuan.

“Hey, Xiao Liu, you’ve been busy all morning. Come in and eat with us.” Bai Yuxuan then made a call, and soon the woman in the suit who had opened the car door for Ouyang Qianxue earlier walked in.

“Sorry to intrude on you both.” The woman in the suit greeted them respectfully before sitting at the table.

“It’s fine. Working for such a scheming person must be hard for you. Sit down and have some. I hope you won’t mind my cooking.”

“I should wait until you two have finished. For someone of my lowly status to eat with the young master…” The woman in the suit seemed hesitant.

“This is also an order. Eat with us. That girl Ouyang Qianxue doesn’t believe that my praise for her cooking comes from the heart. You taste it and see if I’m telling the truth.”

“Is that so? Then I’ll have a taste.” The woman in the suit gently picked up a morsel of food with her chopsticks and placed it in her mouth. Instantly, a burst of delicious flavor erupted on her tongue. She then tried other dishes, and each one delivered a powerful impact on her taste buds.

“These dishes seem like ordinary home cooking, so why is the flavor so refined and delicate?” the woman in the suit asked, somewhat incredulous.

“That’s because she puts a lot of extra steps into the cooking process. Some ingredients that could go straight into the pan, she marinates first and then adds broth to reduce the sauce, enhancing the freshness. There are many complicated steps like that. So even ordinary home-cooked dishes can become extraordinarily delicious through her hands.” Bai Yuxuan put down her chopsticks after swallowing a bite of food.

“I see. Truly worthy of being recognized by our young master,” the woman in the suit said admiringly.

“You’re exaggerating way too much.”

“No, I’m not exaggerating in the slightest. By the way, why is your cooking skill so good?” Bai Yuxuan asked, full of interest.

At this, Ouyang Qianxue fell silent.

He remembered that time just after his father’s company went bankrupt and before he was adopted by Wang Shiman. He, his mother, and younger sister were crammed into a shabby rented room.

“This tastes awful! I can barely swallow this food!” A black-haired girl complained to a blond-haired boy.

“Qianyue, don’t complain. Our family isn’t like it was before,” their mother said, patting the black-haired girl’s head.

Because their family had been well-off before, the black-haired girl was used to delicacies and had become very picky. So these cheap meals bought from street stalls were simply unbearable for her.

“Look, your older brother is eating it just fine, isn’t he?” Under their mother’s admonishment, the black-haired girl lowered her head and began spooning the food into her mouth, bite by bite.

Seeing his sister like this, Ouyang Qianxue felt heartbroken. So he started learning to cook himself. He constantly researched and pondered how to make delicious dishes from cheap ingredients. That’s how he developed his current culinary skill.

“I was just curious, that’s all. Don’t feel pressured to say it if you don’t want to.” Noticing Ouyang Qianxue’s expression, Bai Yuxuan spoke up.

“You…” Hearing Bai Yuxuan’s words, Ouyang Qianxue felt a touch of emotion. He hadn’t expected Bai Yuxuan, who bullied him every day, to have such a considerate side. Maybe he really was a good person after all! However, just as this thought crossed his mind, reality gave him a hard slap.

“Because stuff like cooking skills doesn’t really matter. The important thing is that today I acquired another set of precious photos.”

Bai Yuxuan took out her phone, opened the photo album, and showed Ouyang Qianxue. The pictures showed Ouyang Qianxue wearing the apron and cooking.

“Such a top campus beauty looks very much like a caring wife, doesn’t she?” Bai Yuxuan smiled.

“You jerk!” Ouyang Qianxue grabbed a chicken drumstick and tried to poke Bai Yuxuan’s face with it. Bai Yuxuan calmly caught Ouyang Qianxue’s wrist with one hand, quickly ate the chicken drumstick with her mouth, and even gave Ouyang Qianxue’s finger a little suck in the process.

“You pervert!” Ouyang Qianxue, having had his finger licked, felt a shiver down his spine and backed away.

“To think the top campus beauty not only personally cooks for me but even feeds me. If the other guys at school found out, they’d probably die of envy.” As she spoke, the corner of Bai Yuxuan’s mouth lifted slightly, and she looked at Ouyang Qianxue with a playful glint in her eye.

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