CIATB Chapter 6: Eat with me, that's also part of my job!
Chapter 6: Eat with me, that's also part of my job!
In the kitchen, Zhang Yan leaned against the cold countertop, his chest heaving violently.
The scent of alcohol mixed with body heat seemed to still linger on his nose, making his cheeks burn.
evildoer.
This woman is absolutely a monster who has cultivated for a thousand years!
He took a few deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down and focusing all his attention on the ingredients in front of him.
The [God-level Culinary Skills] bestowed by the system flowed through my mind like a clear spring, quickly extinguishing the fire in my heart.
He opened the refrigerator.
M9 Wagyu beef, black truffles, foie gras... these top-quality ingredients still lie there quietly, radiating the glow of money.
Zhang Yan completely ignored them.
He just wanted to finish cooking as soon as possible, pay off his debts, and then escape this place of trouble.
His eyes searched the refrigerator and soon found his target: a piece of tender pink pork ribs, a few plump green vegetables, and a live crucian carp swimming slowly in the water tank.
enough.
As Zhang Yan put on his apron, his entire demeanor instantly became more composed.
Outside the kitchen.
Nie Qingcheng leaned lazily against the glass door of the kitchen, arms crossed leisurely.
She wanted to see what else this young chef, who had piqued her interest so much, could do besides his amazing Yangchun noodles.
Zhang Yan deftly scooped out the crucian carp and cleaned it.
Then, he drew his knife and chopped the ribs.
"Thump, thump, thump."
The blade struck the bone with a dull, powerful sound. With each cut, the ribs snapped cleanly, each piece of bone perfectly uniform in size, as if measured by a precision instrument.
Blanch the ingredients in boiling water and skim off any foam.
In a separate pot, heat oil and add rock sugar.
With a slight flick of his wrist, Zhang Yan smoothly and effortlessly transformed the sugar in the pot from tiny bubbles to an enticing amber color.
As soon as the ribs hit the pot, they sizzled, releasing an explosion of meaty and caramel aromas.
It was an aggressive, domineering sweet fragrance that forcefully rushed into Nie Qingcheng's nostrils, making her subconsciously swallow.
This villa is too big and too empty.
Since my mother passed away, this place has never had that warm, lively atmosphere that belongs to "home".
Over the years, she has been eating either cold business meals or Michelin-starred dishes that are exquisite like works of art but devoid of soul.
She never imagined that one day she would stand here, watching a man cook for her.
Moreover, they were completely absorbed in watching it.
In the pot, the ribs tumbled in the sauce, gradually becoming glossy and shiny.
On the other side, Zhang Yan poured the golden-brown crucian carp into boiling water and covered the pot with the lid.
In just a moment, the milky white fish soup began to bubble and steam, its umami flavor wafting out in wisps.
Finally, stir-fry a plate of vibrant green vegetables over high heat.
It took no more than forty minutes in total.
Three dishes and a soup were neatly arranged on the mahogany dining table.
The sweet and sour pork ribs are glistening with oil and exude a sweet and sour aroma.
The crucian carp and tofu soup is milky white and rich, garnished with bright green scallions.
Stir-fried vegetables are crisp and tender, retaining the most authentic flavor of the ingredients.
"alright."
Zhang Yan took off his apron, stepped aside, and prepared to wait for the creditor to finish his meal, just like yesterday, before packing up and leaving.
Nie Qingcheng walked gracefully over, pulled out a chair, and sat down.
She picked up her chopsticks and first took a small piece of pork rib.
The moment she entered the mouth, her fox-like eyes lit up.
The sweet and sour flavors are perfectly balanced, without any artificial sweetness. The meat is tender and falls off the bone, yet still retains a slight chewiness.
too delicious!
She took another sip of the fish soup.
The flavor was fresh and rich, and the warmth slid down her throat into her stomach, soothing away the fatigue of the whole day.
"Um……"
Nie Qingcheng squinted comfortably, like a cat whose fur had been stroked.
She looked up and saw Zhang Yan still standing there like a doorman, his brows slightly furrowed.
What are you doing standing there?
"I'll clean up after you finish eating," Zhang Yan replied matter-of-factly.
"sit down."
Nie Qingcheng pointed to the chair opposite her, her tone leaving no room for argument.
Zhang Yan was stunned.
"This...isn't appropriate?"
Want to have dinner together?
This goes beyond the scope of a "cook's" job; it's too intimate.
"What's inappropriate?" Nie Qingcheng raised an eyebrow, crossing her long legs under her cheongsam to find a more comfortable position.
"I'm not used to eating alone."
She found Zhang Yan's uneasy appearance amusing and added another reason that he couldn't refuse.
"Having dinner with me is part of my job. If you don't, it's considered a breach of contract."
Zhang Yan: "..."
What else could he say?
He had no room for negotiation when it came to money and power.
He silently pulled out a chair, sat down opposite Nie Qingcheng, picked up his bowl and chopsticks, and began eating without saying a word.
The atmosphere was somewhat awkward.
In the vast restaurant, only the soft clinking of bowls and chopsticks could be heard.
Nie Qingcheng enjoyed her meal, but most of her attention was actually on the boy across from her who was engrossed in eating.
He ate quietly and politely, unlike his chubby roommate who wolfed down his food.
"Not bad." Nie Qingcheng put down her chopsticks, wiped her red lips with a napkin, and spoke casually.
"Your name is Zhang Yan?"
"Um."
"A freshman at Jiangnan University?"
"Um."
One question, one answer; words are precious.
Nie Qingcheng wasn't annoyed. On the contrary, she found his aloof and taciturn demeanor much more pleasing to the eye than those men who deliberately tried to please her.
She poured herself half a glass of red wine, swirling it gently, the scarlet liquid leaving beautiful streaks on the glass.
"Judging from your accent, you're not a local?"
"I'm from Jinghai." Zhang Yan finally said a few more words, picked up a piece of tofu, and put it in his mouth.
"From Jinghai?" Nie Qingcheng was somewhat surprised. "Then your parents..."
Zhang Yan paused for a moment as he picked up some food.
He raised his head and calmly met Nie Qingcheng's probing gaze.
"I have no parents."
"I am an orphan and grew up in an orphanage."
He spoke casually, as if he were talking about something completely unrelated to himself. After he finished speaking, he lowered his head and continued eating the rice in his bowl.
Nie Qingcheng tightened her grip on the wine glass.
Something flashed across that face that always wore an air of playfulness and languor.
It was a shock.
It was shocking.
Deeper still, there is a sudden, sharp, and piercing heartache.
She had seen him embarrassed, blush, and be focused and serious.
She always thought he was just an ordinary college student from a poor family who was working part-time to support himself.
But I never imagined that such a heavy past was hidden beneath that clear and clean exterior.
orphan……
No wonder he possesses a composure and calmness beyond his years.
No wonder he looks at people with such a clean gaze; because he has never been enveloped in the warmth of family, he doesn't understand those worldly ways and shrewdness.
The atmosphere in the restaurant froze instantly.
Looking at his thin shoulders, Nie Qingcheng suddenly found the tempting sweet and sour pork ribs on the plate somewhat irritating.
She quickly suppressed her emotions, picked up her glass, took a sip, and used the alcohol to suppress the unfamiliar bitterness in her heart.
When she spoke again, she resumed her haughty queenly demeanor, only her voice had lost some of its playfulness and gained a gentleness that she herself was unaware of.
Eat more.
She used serving chopsticks to pick up the largest piece of pork rib and put it into Zhang Yan's bowl, her tone still domineering.
"Too thin, it affects my appetite."