Chapter 23

After hanging up the phone, Ying Quhe stared at the table full of food. He crushed the flowers in his grip, tossed them into the trash bin, picked up the gift box, and went upstairs.

Rose thorns pierced his palm, oozing a trickle of blood. The sharp sting gave him a slight release from the stifling frustration built up in his chest.

Ungrateful little wretch. She was worse than a dog raised by his own hand!

…

Nan Qing was dead drunk. After clutching the toilet and throwing up violently for a while, she cupped Xi Mi’s face and began belting out 《Yellow Earth Slope》^[1].

Ji Donglin stood at the doorway holding his phone and asked Xi Mi, “Goddess, Ying Quhe called just now. I barely said a word before he hung up on me. Do you want to call him back?”

Xi Mi helped Nan Qing toward the bedroom. “Let’s talk tomorrow.”

She looked up at the ceiling in resignation.

Perhaps due to the shadow left by the competition, she was feeling a bit afraid of facing Ying Quhe right now.

After sleeping for barely three hours, Nan Qing developed a high fever at six in the morning.

Xi Mi was already aching all over from dealing with Nan Qing the previous night. She asked Ji Donglin to carry Nan Qing downstairs, but the young man pouted and took a step back. “I’m a frail guy who can’t even truss a chicken. How am I supposed to carry a madwoman?”

Xi Mi put her hands on her hips, annoyed. “Ji Donglin, can you show a little chivalry?”

“…Fine, fine, fine.” Reluctantly, Ji Donglin carried Nan Qing downstairs and took her to the hospital himself. Exhausted after a night of chaos, Xi Mi sat on a chair in the hallway, leaned her back against the wall, and drifted off to sleep.

She had no idea how long she slept, but when she woke up, she realized her head was resting on Ji Donglin’s shoulder. She quickly sat up straight, rubbed her eyes, and asked, “Where’s Nan Qing?”

“Her driver took her.”

Xi Mi was surprised. “Huh? How long ago did they leave?”

Ji Donglin said, “About five or six hours ago.”

“…I slept that long? Why didn’t you wake me up?”

Ji Donglin grinned, revealing two cute canine teeth. “I couldn’t bear to wake up my Goddess.” His smile was like the winter sun melting ice and snow, filling the air with brightness and warmth.

Xi Mi checked the time. It was already afternoon. She rubbed her empty stomach and stood up. “Thanks so much for last night. Let me treat you to a meal, okay? What would you like to eat?”

“Whatever Goddess says goes!” Ji Donglin pondered for a moment. “How about treating me to a bowl of Jinyang rice noodles?”

Ji Donglin was not particularly fond of that kind of food, but after weighing his options, it was the cheapest thing he could think of.

Xi Mi followed the aroma into a noodle shop and ordered two bowls of clear-broth rice noodles. On such a sweltering day, both of them were dripping with sweat as they ate. Ji Donglin asked, “Goddess, were you angry when Ying Quhe talked to you like that yesterday?”

Xi Mi slurped a mouthful of noodles and shook her head. “I’m not angry.”

But she felt deeply hurt. Her chest ached, and she even felt a bit afraid of going home to face Ying Quhe.

She feared going home only to be hit with another harsh scolding right off the bat.

Halfway through the meal, Xi Mi received a WeChat message from Culinary Dao.

– Culinary Dao: “The competition is over. Congratulations on advancing! Are you happy now?”

– Xi Xi Xi Mi: “Not really happy. I’m a bit sad because I made mistakes during the match. Right now, I don’t know if I should go home and face Master. I’m afraid he…”

– Culinary Dao: “Afraid of what?”

– Xi Xi Xi Mi: “Afraid he’ll call me a little idiot. qaq”

– Culinary Dao: “Fearing criticism means you still lack confidence in yourself. That mindset will affect your performance. You need a healthy mindset to look your flaws in the eye so you can face the next round properly.”

Xi Mi let out a sigh. She looked up at Ji Donglin, then glanced back down at Culinary Dao’s message. Certain feelings were easy to type out over the internet. But those same thoughts could never be turned into spoken words to say out loud to the person sitting right in front of her.

Culinary Dao was right. She had to maintain a healthy mindset. Ying Quhe was a judge; he had to be fair and unbiased.

That single thought felt like clearing away the gloom in her heart. When she stepped out of the restaurant, even the sky seemed much bluer.

Passing by a private kitchen restaurant, Xi Mi saw a chef recruitment notice at the entrance and stopped to read the requirements. Ji Donglin stayed by her side. “You’re not actually looking for a job, are you?”

Xi Mi nodded. “Yeah. There are still two weeks before the next match, so I have plenty of time. I can’t keep leeching off Master for free food and housing. I need to earn my own keep.”

She glanced down at the shoes on her feet, feeling a sudden pang of distress.

She was crushed under a mountain of debt, and the pressure was heavy. She had all the motivation in the world to work!

The owner of the private kitchen was a middle-aged man with a bald head and a potbelly, giving him a somewhat comical appearance. Even though it was peak mealtime, the inside was dead quiet with hardly any customers.

The owner sat behind the counter, munching on melon seeds while watching 《China’s Supreme Taste》.

Xi Mi tapped on the counter to catch his attention. “Hello, I was wondering, are you still hiring a chef?”

Without turning around, the owner held his breath and stared at the screen. “Read the requirements posted at the door yourself!”

Right at a tense moment, a sixty-second ad suddenly popped up. Enraged, the owner slammed the table. “Damn ads! I’m buying a VIP membership right after this!”

Taking advantage of the ad break, the owner turned around and saw a young couple standing outside the counter. His gaze locked onto Xi Mi’s face for a few seconds before he abruptly turned back, rewound the video, paused the frame, and compared the Xi Mi on the screen to the real-life Xi Mi in front of him. After a moment, he asked excitedly, “Xi Xi Xi Mi? Are you Xi Xi Xi Mi?”

Xi Mi smiled warmly. “Hello, boss. I’m here to apply for the chef position.”

The owner hurriedly pulled out a notebook and pen, rushed around the counter, and handed them to Xi Mi for an autograph. Then he shoved Ji Donglin aside with his rear, leaned his head close to Xi Mi, threw up a “V” sign with his fingers, and snapped a selfie with a loud click.

“…o(╯□╰)o” Xi Mi said awkwardly, “Boss, I’m here for a job interview.”

The owner excitedly took her hand. “Congratulations, you passed! Welcome to Guangnaoke^[2] Private Kitchen!”

Xi Mi explained her situation: she couldn’t work breakfast or dinner shifts. The owner felt it didn’t matter at all. Having a chef was more important to him right now than anything else.

The owner said, “With your potential, why would you lower yourself to a small kitchen like ours? Our restaurant only operates for lunch and dinner. Since you won’t be working dinner, the salary will be cut in half to three thousand Yuan a month. Taking a day off deducts sixty-six Yuan. When you want to quit, just give me a week’s notice. How’s that sound?”

Xi Mi asked, “Then… can I occasionally add new dishes to the menu?”

The owner replied, “No problem at all!”

The pay wasn’t low, and with the remaining rounds of the competition scattered over the next month, she could use the restaurant to practice and test out new dishes.

After finishing the job discussion and stepping outside, Ji Donglin asked in confusion, “Goddess, just how short on money are you?”

Xi Mi said, “Short enough to be up to my ears in debt.”

Ji Donglin asked her, “With your level of skill, why stoop to working in a small restaurant like this?”

Xi Mi explained, “During the competition, I need a relaxed environment. Somewhere I can cook freely and focus on developing new dishes, so a small restaurant is perfect. Did you notice? The owner is a fan of the show, so he won’t pay me too little, and he’s willing to accommodate my terms.”

Ying Quhe never came home at noon, giving her plenty of time to make a little extra money.

If she could keep herself busy, she definitely wouldn’t slack off.

*

Feeling bad about bothering Ji Donglin any further, Xi Mi took a taxi home by herself.

Reaching the door, Xi Mi was just pulling out her keycard when the small iron gate swung open from the inside.

Ying Quhe stood just inside, watching her with his usual chilly gaze. Dark circles hung under his eyes, looking as though he hadn’t slept well last night. Hearing a panting sound, she looked down to find Ying Quhe holding the leash of a full-grown German Shepherd. The striking wolf-dog had pricked ears and a panting tongue, its cold, imposing expression an exact match for its master’s.

The shepherd barked fiercely at Xi Mi twice.

Xi Mi took a frightened step back. “Master, didn’t you go to the company today?”

Ying Quhe scoffed, “Heh. Someone stayed out all night, so I was about to go file a missing person report.”

“…” Xi Mi was speechless. Honestly, he just wanted to take the dog out for a walk, didn’t he?

On her first night at Ying Quhe’s place, she had heard barking, but she had never seen the dog in person. Ying Quhe had merely mentioned a vicious dog in the backyard and forbidden her from going there.

She hadn’t expected this “vicious dog” to look so formidable; it was practically the spitting image of Ying Quhe!

Inside, Xi Mi saw a table full of cold dishes, some of which had already gone sour. Turning around, she asked Ying Quhe, “Did you cook last night and wait for me to come back?”

Xi Mi watched as Ying Quhe crouched down and scratched the dog under its chin. The fierce beast lay down obediently.

Ying Quhe’s tone carried a trace of displeasure. “Do you think I’m your dutiful maid? Yesterday was Ulrica’s birthday, but her stomach was upset, so she didn’t eat anything.”

Ulrica seemed to understand her master’s words. She raised her chin and let out an awoo, as if saying: Master, how come I didn’t know it was my birthday?

So the dog was named Wolf King. True to its name, it really did look like a wolf king. Xi Mi gathered the dishes into the kitchen and cleaned them up. By the time she came out, Ying Quhe had already taken Ulrica outside on her leash.

Xi Mi found it a little hard to understand, so she asked why he didn’t hire a housekeeper since he lived alone.

“Because I don’t like being disturbed.” Ying Quhe poured a cup of tea for Xi Mi and gestured for her to sit over.

Xi Mi sat down nervously, having already prepared herself mentally for a scolding. To her surprise, Ying Quhe skipped any reprimand and said, “For yesterday’s dish, you could have drawn inspiration from rattan pepper fish fillets. That would have showcased your knife skills while eliminating the fishiness and preserving the signature tenderness of the grouper.”

With his guidance, Xi Mi felt as if her mind had suddenly unblocked, instantly becoming crystal clear.

Right! Why hadn’t she thought of that at the time?

Seeing her biting the edge of her teacup in tension, Ying Quhe added, “There’s nothing wrong with striving for creativity, but in certain situations, traditional cooking techniques are more suitable. Li Cheng won first place simply because of his experience. He knows his own weaknesses very well, so he stuck to traditional cooking and didn’t dare to take risks.”

Xi Mi muttered aggrievedly, “I understand the reasoning, but the way you talked on stage yesterday really hurt my feelings. What happened to me being your personal disciple?”

Ying Quhe looked solemn. “On stage, I am a judge, not your friend, and certainly not your master.”

Xi Mi said, “Got it.”

Ying Quhe refilled her cup. As he did, she caught sight of several scratches across his palm, glaringly bright red. Setting down her teacup with a gasp, she grabbed his wrist and turned his palm upward. “What happened to your hand?”

Xi Mi pressed lightly on the wound with her fingertip. Judging by the scratches, they looked like puncture marks and scrapes from sharp thorns. She asked, “Did you handle some thorny ingredient? Does it hurt?”

Ying Quhe tried to pull his hand back, but Xi Mi held tight and brought it close to her lips. “Don’t move. Let me blow on it. It must be burning like crazy right now. Why didn’t you go to the hospital to get it treated?”

“Were you with Ji Donglin last night?”

Xi Mi said, “Nan Qing and I stayed over at his place last night because she got drunk.”

“Why didn’t you come back?”

Xi Mi looked embarrassed. “I was afraid if I brought a drunk Nan Qing back, you’d beat me up, so…”

The frustration Ying Quhe had bottled up all night transformed in an instant into an uncontrollable impulse.

The girl’s forehead was right beneath his lips, barely half a fist away, as though pulled together by invisible threads.

Unable to resist the temptation, he deliberately leaned down, closer and closer…

“All done blowing! Later we should go to the hospital to get it wrapped…”

The two of them were simply too close. The moment Xi Mi raised her head, her forehead bumped against Ying Quhe’s lips. The cool, moist touch caused her face to instantly flush crimson, and she recoiled by reflex.

Cupping her flushed cheeks, she stammered, “Ahhh… I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to!”