TMWTGD CH56

Yan Ke’s cake shop was much larger than Xie Jianwei had imagined, and it looked quite upscale.

Reportedly, it was one of the premier dessert shops in S City, attracting countless out-of-towners who traveled from afar just to taste its delicious pastries.

However, Yan Ke had a laid-back personality and dreaded exhausting himself, so the shop had a strict rule: orders by reservation only, in limited quantities. Once he finished the day’s batch, he would wash his hands of it and call it a day. Even more willfully, the shop closed two days a week.

Managing a business like this without going bankrupt was proof enough of Yan Ke’s exceptional skill.

Naturally, Yan Ke still retained a measure of professional ethics. As long as it was not a scheduled closing day, he would pour his heart and soul into every single order, striving to satisfy every customer. Because of this dedication, even though he had just been cheated on, he never thought of skimping on today’s orders; instead, he entrusted them to someone worthy of trust.

Well… namely, Xie Jianwei.

The moment Xie Jianwei stepped inside, a row of employees was already standing along both sides, their expectant expressions resembling people welcoming an idol.

Military Advisor Xie: “…” Having been pampered and revered like stars around the moon for half his life, he had never felt as guilty and ungrounded as he did today.

Leading the pack, a baby-faced youth said, “Mr. Xie, please, right this way!”

Xie Jianwei gave him a nod.

The baby-faced employee looked ready to fly into the heavens with excitement.

Xie Jianwei could only maintain a polite smile.

Next, a senior employee brought over the day’s order sheets, after which they all stood obediently with their hands respectfully at their sides.

Xie Jianwei’s vision blurred just reading the names of the cakes. Still, as a military advisor, bluffing was his primary skill.

“Since the manager is away today, there is no need to be overly constrained. As the saying goes, true knowledge comes from practice; it is time for you all to try handling things on your own.”

He did not want to ruin Yan Ke’s reputation, so the best solution was to let the staff do the work.

Yet the pastry chefs looked thoroughly terrified, saying in unison, “How could we do that? With Mr. Xie here, how would we dare…”

Xie Jianwei smiled gently. “It is precisely because I am here that you can boldly give it your all.”

These words were phrased with consummate artistry. The pastry chefs’ eyes sparkled: My god, is Master Xie going to coach them? With his guidance, wouldn’t they be able to…

Xie Jianwei added, “My time is limited. Please get started as soon as possible.”

“Understood!” Now, everyone was brimming with drive. What was there to fear? Nothing at all! It was rare for Mr. Xie to emerge from seclusion; they would be utter fools not to seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Having delivered his rallying speech, Xie Jianwei began observing with convincing poise.

His confidence in bluffing naturally had solid backing. With a group working simultaneously, he could cross-reference their techniques, using one person’s actions to guide another. Coupled with their innate awe toward him, they practically regarded every word he spoke as sacred scripture.

After a full afternoon of bluffing, the orders were nearly finished. Everyone was in high spirits, feeling that under Mr. Xie’s mentorship, they had created masterworks rivaling the shop manager himself.

Xie Jianwei felt every pastry looked decent. While perhaps not quite up to Yan Ke’s standard, they certainly wouldn’t tarnish the bakery’s name.

Having managed to get through the day, Xie Jianwei saw that Yan Ke had yet to return, so he said, “If there is nothing else, I will head back first.”

Just as he was about to leave, the baby-faced assistant rushed over in a panic, his voice tense: “A rush order! It’s a rush order!”

Xie Jianwei raised an eyebrow. Hadn’t they agreed on reservations only and limited quantities? What was this rush order about?

The senior employee also wore a grave expression: “Thank goodness Mr. Xie hasn’t left yet!”

Xie Jianwei: “…” So that means I lingered too long!

Looking at Xie Jianwei with utter reverence, the baby-faced youth said repeatedly, “Mr. Xie, we must trouble you. The manager certainly won’t return anytime soon, so we need you to handle this urgent order.”

Xie Jianwei realized he could no longer push this onto the staff. Clearly, this rush order was a special exception that only Yan Ke or Xie Jianwei was qualified to fulfill.

Yan Ke grew frantic: “What should we do? If you bake it, won’t your cover be blown?”

Unable to leave yet unable to stay without doing anything, Xie Jianwei thought for a moment and simply said, “Bring it here and let me take a look.”

He glanced over the order sheet, his gaze finally landing on the signature.

Lu Li!

The corners of Xie Jianwei’s mouth curled up.

The baby-faced employee said, “Mr. Xie, we will prepare the kitchen at once. We are truly imposing on you. Mr. Lu’s palate is exceedingly picky; in the past, even when the manager made it personally, he had to redo it three or four times before it was accepted. We really wouldn’t dare touch this order, so we need your…”

“Leave it to me.” Xie Jianwei’s confidence surged instantly. He spoke directly: “It is getting late. You all can head home now.”

“Ah?” The pastry chefs were completely bewildered.

Xie Jianwei said, “It is no big deal. I can handle it myself.”

“Th-This…” They looked at each other in hesitation.

Xie Jianwei asked, “Do you not trust me?”

“Of course not! We have all witnessed Mr. Xie’s craftsmanship!”

“Good,” Xie Jianwei said. “Everyone, off you go. I want some quiet to try something new.”

So that was it! Revelation dawned on them. Master Xie wanted to develop a new secret recipe! In that case, it was indeed improper for them to loiter and watch. Though itching with curiosity, none wished to displease Xie Jianwei. They bid him farewell reluctantly: “Then… goodbye, Mr. Xie.”

Xie Jianwei saw them off: “Get home safely.”

“Mr. Xie, please visit often whenever you have free time!”

“I will.”

Pushing his luck, the baby-faced assistant asked, “Mr. Xie, could you give me an autograph? Please sign right on my chest!”

Xie Jianwei: “…”

Having finally ushered out this pack of fanboys, Xie Jianwei took a deep breath and prepared to bake the cake.

Back at the hotel, food-tasters had blocked his dishes. But here, the cake was specifically ordered by Lu Li, and judging by the conversation, he was a regular customer. Surely no food-taster would intercept it this time?

As long as Lu Li took a single bite of what he made, he would surely recognize the person through the food, and then they could finally re-establish contact!

At this thought, Military Advisor Xie was filled with enthusiasm. Even if he had never baked a cake in his life, it didn’t matter. Delicious or not, they had to trust in “God’s will.”

Xie Jianwei did not dare attempt any complex designs. He made the most basic cake possible, not even daring to pipe decorative frosting, creating something so plain that one would wonder whether this white lump could even be called a cake.

The white lump… ahem, cake made with love, was picked up by the delivery staff. Xie Jianwei waited eagerly for news.

As it turned out, this happened to be a birthday cake for a banquet held by a friend of Lu Li’s named Su Ming.

Su Ming had originally ordered an extravagant two-meter-tall cake from another establishment, resembling an inverted crystal chandelier designed specifically to dazzle everyone present.

However, Lu Li had unexpectedly accepted the invitation and arrived at the banquet. Su Ming had panicked instantly. Good heavens, everyone knew Mr. Lu had a peculiar palate, and ordinary food never met his standards.

Rumor had it that his condition had worsened recently, going without food for over ten days; practically insane (whispered quietly).

Still, Su Ming was aware of Lu Li’s preferences. Pastries made by that renowned cake shop in S City could at least tempt him to take a couple of bites.

Thus, Su Ming had acted with utmost haste, contacting Lu Li’s assistant to secure priority privilege for a rush order and quickly booking this cake.

Honestly, when the cake was delivered, Su Ming’s feelings were exceedingly conflicted.

Was this white lump wishing him a happy birthday, or wishing him an early grave?

Would he truly dare serve this thing to Lu Li? Wouldn’t Lu Li sever ties with him in a fit of rage?!

Su Ming asked cautiously, “Was this truly made by the Lolita bakery on XX Road?”

His assistant nodded gravely. “It really was!”

Su Ming asked again, “Was it made by the manager?”

His assistant thought for a moment. “It should be!”

“Don’t give me ‘should be’, big brother! You wouldn’t want your boss getting a face full of cake, would you?!”

The assistant hesitated, slightly worried that if his boss was smeared with cake, he would smear him right back.

Su Ming kicked him. “Is it or isn’t it?!”

The assistant panicked. “It seems… not? I heard the manager’s cakes are all exceptionally exquisite. The one before us…”

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, how do you handle tasks?!” Su Ming exploded. “Take it away immediately! Don’t leave it here to humiliate…”

Before he could finish saying “humiliate me,” Lu Li walked over.

Having starved for over ten days, an ordinary person would likely be unable to walk and paralyzed in bed. Yet this man remained imposing, his gaze sharp as a torch, without showing the slightest sign of frailty.

Lu Li swept a glance over the cake box and paused.

Su Ming quickly said, “I don’t know who sent this over. I’ll have them remove it right away. How could this even be called a cake? Smearing a layer of cream and…”

“Wait,” Lu Li spoke up, asking, “Was this made by Yan Ke?”

Who was Yan Ke? Fortunately, catching a subtle cue from his assistant in time, Su Ming stammered, “It… it seems to be made by Manager Yan…”

Lu Li examined the white lump a few more times, his brow furrowing slightly.

Su Ming said, “It was indeed ordered from Lolita, though whether it was Manager Yan’s work is truly hard to say.”

After all, the cake’s visual style was simply too bizarre.

Unexpectedly, Lu Li turned slightly to the person behind him and said, “Cut a slice for me.”

His assistant moved swiftly.

Once the white lump was sliced open, it was even more baffling. Inside was a plain, crude sponge cake, and worse, there was nothing inside the layers at all; even a novice baker would rarely produce something this rudimentary.

Reflecting on it, Su Ming felt that the DIY cake he made while accompanying his six-year-old daughter recently was more delicate than this.

Was Lu Li truly going to eat such a thing?

Wasn’t he supposed to possess an exacting palate, having tasted supreme delicacies and preferring starvation over consuming trash?

Fearing Lu Li might take offense, Su Ming watched intently without blinking.

However, the moment Lu Li took a bite, he froze abruptly.

Su Ming thought to himself: It’s over, it’s all over now! The starving lion is about to lose his temper!

Yet moments later, Su Ming’s jaw hit the floor.

Lu Li showed no anger or fury; instead, he silently polished off the entire white lump!

Su Ming and his assistant stood frozen in sheer stupefaction.

What on earth? Was it truly that delicious? A cake that could barely be considered a cake had been devoured whole by Mr. Lu, who suffered from terminal anorexia?!

Incredible!

Su Ming and his assistant exchanged glances, witnessing a miracle in each other’s eyes.

Clearly, ordinary mortals could never comprehend a master’s world. Rough as the cake looked, the taste was probably heavenly!

Regrettably, the white lump had been devoured so completely that not a crumb remained, leaving them only able to swallow their own saliva.

Having eaten something, Lu Li presented Su Ming with a generous gift. Su Ming felt this was the greatest birthday he had ever celebrated, even better than the day he was born!

Halfway through the banquet, Lu Li took his leave early. His driver knew him all too well, driving directly outside the “Lolita” bakery without needing instructions.

The cake shop had already closed, yet faint lights remained inside.

Lu Li did not step out of the car, merely watching the street ahead through the window.

After roughly half an hour, the shop door opened, and a handsome youth walked out. Dressed in a grey trench coat with short hair tousled by the night breeze, the fair nape of his neck seemed bathed in moonlight, breathtakingly beautiful.

Lu Li watched without blinking until his silhouette melted into the night.

The driver asked in a hushed voice, “Mr. Lu, should we follow him?”

Pausing for a long while, Lu Li shook his head: “Head back.”

The driver started the engine and drove away.

Xie Jianwei strolled leisurely toward home, completely oblivious to having brushed past Big Li.

Yan Ke whispered, “Could it be that the Marshal didn’t get to eat the cake?”

The reason Xie Jianwei had waited so long at the shop was the hope that Lu Li, upon tasting his cake, would find it heavenly and come find him.

Instead, he had waited for nearly two hours without a soul showing up.

“Could it be that even cakes have food-tasters?” Xie Jianwei sighed. “Let’s go, time to head home.”

Early the next morning, Xie Jianwei received a call from Yan Ke.

Yan Ke seemed to have just woken up, his voice sluggish: “Thanks so much for yesterday!”

Xie Jianwei said, “Don’t mention it.” Pausing, he probed politely, “So, yesterday you…”

“Don’t even get me started, I was furious! I had a brawl with that bastard, beat him into a pig’s head, and then went off to find someone new.”

Xie Jianwei: “…”

“Damn it, I wasn’t about to be cuckolded for nothing! Did she think I couldn’t pick up girls? The one I found this time has an even bigger bust than hers!”

Xie Jianwei cleared his throat. “As long as you are alright.”

“What could happen to me? Just drank too much last night, got a headache…” Saying so, he added, “Gotta hang up now. My beauty is coming out of the bathroom, I’m gonna… Holy shit! Why the fuck are you here?!”

Clearly, Yan Ke’s latter words were not directed at him.

Xie Jianwei blinked and asked, “What happened?”

With a clatter, likely due to Yan Ke’s shock, the phone dropped to the floor. Faintly, his furious roar could still be heard: “Are you done yet?! Whenever I pick up a girl you come to snatch them away, are you a brat from kindergarten?!”

Immediately following was a voice extraordinarily familiar to Xie Jianwei: “Picking up girls? Do you still not realize who you slept with last night?”

Xie Jianwei promptly hung up the phone.

System Yan Ke: “………………………………”

Xie Jianwei comforted him, “It is only a dream.”

Yan Ke had a breakdown anyway: “That was Admiral Loren, right? That was definitely Admiral Loren!”

Xie Jianwei gazed into the distance.

Yan Ke wailed loudly: “What on earth is the Marshal thinking, ahhhhhh!”

“Ahem…” Xie Jianwei offered a strained defense on his husband’s behalf. “You can’t really blame Lu Li. Think about it. Doesn’t your little brother’s novels always feature a secondary couple?”

Yan Ke: “…”

Xie Jianwei said earnestly, “The secondary couple is usually the main character’s good brother and close friend. Look how much Lu Li values you.”

Yan Ke cried himself unconscious in the restroom: This kind of regard is something I can’t afford!

Xie Jianwei went to work as usual. To his great surprise, Lu Li did not place any orders at the hotel for several consecutive days.

Had he given up?

Before Xie Jianwei could even hone his culinary skills enough to fool the food-taster, Lu Li had shifted his base of operations?

Still, this was not something to rush. If he wanted to maintain his character persona, he first had to improve his cooking skills, which required ample time.

Xie Jianwei diligently practiced his craft.

He was a fast learner with great comprehension; whenever he set his mind to a task, he rarely failed.

Thus, within a mere week, Xie Jianwei could produce dishes that looked quite presentable.

With a little more effort, a few dishes might actually pass the food-tasting phase.

While Xie Jianwei was hard at work practicing, Yan Ke called him again.

Xie Jianwei felt a lingering sense of guilt toward him; after all, a perfectly straight man had been arbitrarily paired up by Lu Li’s imagination.

System Yan Ke clarified, “That is definitely not me.” He only loved women with large chests and had zero interest in rigid men.

On the phone, Yan Ke hesitated and stammered for a long time, rambling about irrelevant matters.

Xie Jianwei sensed he had something difficult to say: “What is it? Just speak your mind. If I can help, I certainly will.”

Yan Ke sighed repeatedly before finally saying, “Come over to my shop later.”

Xie Jianwei asked, “Did something happen?” Could he have been cuckolded again?

Yan Ke said, “In short… we’ll talk when you get here.”

Having nothing planned for the afternoon, Xie Jianwei agreed, “Alright, I’ll pack up and head over.”

Xie Jianwei’s residence was very close to Yan Ke’s shop, just a seven- or eight-minute walk away. This was rather intriguing. If Xie Jianwei had run the bakery before, he probably would have chosen this location to live.

Carrying a basket of fruit, Xie Jianwei walked into the shop. Yan Ke was already waiting for him. Taking the basket, he said, “Why bring this? The shop isn’t lacking fruit.”

“It’s for you to eat.”

Yan Ke looked inside and was delighted: “You’re the best, remembering I love Feizixiao lychees.”

Xie Jianwei smiled.

Yan Ke did not lead him into the storefront, taking him straight to the break room in the back.

Xie Jianwei asked, “What on earth happened?”

This break room also served as Yan Ke’s office, neatly arranged for handling daily business.

By the window stood a computer desk with the screen on, displaying feeds from the shop’s surveillance cameras.

Yan Ke selected the entrance camera, enlarged it, and said, “Wait a moment.”

Before long, in the time it took them to eat seven or eight lychees, a visibly expensive black car slowly drove into the frame, coming to a smooth halt before remaining still.

Xie Jianwei wondered aloud, “This is…”

Yan Ke glanced at him: “Why play dumb? Doesn’t this car look familiar to you?”

Xie Jianwei prudently kept his mouth shut.

Shortly after, someone stepped out from the passenger seat and opened the rear door. Bending slightly, a tall man emerged from the vehicle.

Wearing an impeccably tailored suit, he had broad shoulders and a narrow waist. His long, straight legs moved with measured strides, each step seemingly treading right upon one’s heartstrings.

Yan Ke clicked his tongue: “Starving for so long, yet his physique remains that great. It really defies logic.”

Without a doubt, that was Lu Li.

Xie Jianwei blinked, still not entirely grasping the storyline.

Yan Ke let out a sigh: “If I had known there was a rush order from Lu Li that day, I wouldn’t have gone out. Being cheated on is one thing, but making things difficult for you is another.”

Xie Jianwei: “…”

As he spoke, Yan Ke looked at Xie Jianwei again: “You see it too. Ever since he ate your cake, he comes by every single day. Unfortunately, no matter how many times I try to replicate it, it’s just a knockoff and fails to suit his taste.”

Xie Jianwei remained silent; there was clearly a story behind this.

After agonizing over it for a long while, Yan Ke finally said, “You should go back. Could you truly bear watching him starve to death?”

Go back? Go back where? If it was to Lu Li’s side, Xie Jianwei wanted nothing more, except he hadn’t even passed the food-tasting hurdle yet!

Thinking of it was a bitter tear.

Seeing Xie Jianwei remain quiet, Yan Ke added, “Even if you don’t go back, at least cook something for him. Starving like this, how could his body endure it?”

A vague deduction formed in Xie Jianwei’s mind: Had he been Lu Li’s private chef before?

Judging by Yan Ke’s words, that certainly seemed to be the case.

Xie Jianwei pondered it and felt the likelihood was high.

Furthermore, Lu Li likely knew he was at that hotel, which explained why he constantly ordered food there, purely hoping to eat something he prepared.

Yet, after “Chef Xie Jianwei” was replaced by the actual Xie Jianwei, his cooking skills had plummeted, failing to clear the food-tasting barrier, and thus never reaching Lu Li.

The food-taster had probably experienced the original “Xie Jianwei’s” cooking before, screening out anything that didn’t match and sending only what resembled it to Lu Li.

Consequently, over all these days, Lu Li hadn’t tasted a single dish prepared by Xie Jianwei.

Naturally, he wouldn’t assume Xie Jianwei’s skill failed food-tasting; he likely concluded that Xie Jianwei simply refused to cook for him.

System Yan Ke said admiringly, “My Lord, your summary is spot on!”

This matched the Marshal’s line of thought perfectly. Self-torment was always rule number one.

Xie Jianwei said, “Starving himself even in a dream, what is he trying to gain?”

Yan Ke felt embarrassed to say it out loud: Gaining you, of course!

After Yan Ke dropped several more subtle hints, Xie Jianwei sighed softly: “I’ll go cook something for him.”

Yan Ke urged him, “Go quickly! Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda, brother!”

Xie Jianwei: “…”

Instead of going out to greet Lu Li directly, he headed straight to the kitchen. To save time, he prepared a straightforward dish of salmon fried rice paired with white mushroom soup, which turned out quite presentable.

After all, his intense practice over the past few days had not been in vain.

Yan Ke sniffed the air and said, “It’s been so long since I tasted your cooking. Treat me to a meal sometime!”

Xie Jianwei thought to himself: I just fear that after eating it, you will question your entire life.

Without wasting words, he carried the tray out of the kitchen.

The two finally met, laying eyes on each other for the first time in this dream world.

Xie Jianwei looked him up and down, heartache flickering in his eyes. Having starved for so long, how uncomfortable he must be.

Lu Li stared at him, taking a long moment before looking away.

Xie Jianwei said, “Ingredients were limited, so I could only make this.”

He set the fried rice and mushroom soup onto the table.

Lu Li looked at the golden fried rice speckled with tender cubes of salmon, his eyes flickering slightly.

Xie Jianwei said, “I haven’t cooked in a long time. If it doesn’t suit your taste…”

Lu Li asked, “Can you come back?”

Xie Jianwei: “…”

Lu Li’s voice was hoarse: “Can you return and continue being my chef?”

Xie Jianwei wanted to reply: Yes, of course, forget being your chef, I can even be your bedmate.

However, heaven only knew what the specific rules of this dream were.

What if speaking carelessly caused the dream to collapse? Clearly, classmate Lu Li’s mental state was highly unstable.

With Xie Jianwei remaining silent, the light in Lu Li’s eyes dimmed considerably.

Xie Jianwei could only say, “Eat first. I heard you have gone hungry for a long time.”

Lu Li did not move an inch.

Xie Jianwei asked him, “If I don’t go back, will you keep starving yourself?”

Lu Li pressed his thin lips together.

Xie Jianwei’s tone cooled slightly: “I… will return.”

Lu Li snapped his head up to look at him.

A hint of weariness showed in Xie Jianwei’s eyes: “Give me two days.”

Seeing this expression, the spark in Lu Li’s eyes vanished rapidly, settling into a dark void like the dead of night.

Pushing back his chair, he stood up and said, “I’ll wait for your return.”

Leaving those words behind, Lu Li turned and walked out.

Xie Jianwei remained expressionless. Looking down at the untouched fried rice, he dumped it all into the trash can.

Yan Ke was beside himself with heartache: “Why throw it out?! If he won’t eat it, I will, hey!”

Xie Jianwei walked away without looking back.

Staring at the trash can, Yan Ke was consumed by sheer envy: Damn it, even a trash bin has a better life than me!

Xie Jianwei had no choice. Since Lu Li didn’t eat it, dumping it was the only option; if Yan Ke took a single bite, his reputation as a top master chef would shatter into pieces.

After eyeing the trash for a while, Yan Ke hurried in to ask, “Are you truly going back?”

“Yes,” Xie Jianwei replied.

Yan Ke hesitated: “Actually, it’s not bad. Lu Li is generous. Being his private chef isn’t exhausting, and it pays well. It’s just…”

He trailed off, and Xie Jianwei could only pretend to understand: “We’ll take things one step at a time.”

Yan Ke patted his shoulder: “Big brother, having such talent is practically a crime in itself.”

Xie Jianwei gave a bitter smile and fell silent.

“Look on the bright side,” Yan Ke said. “At least the pay is great, far more than running your own shop!”

Xie Jianwei: “…” He was best at acting out the trope of viewing money like dirt.

Regardless, they had established contact.

Two days later, just as Xie Jianwei finished his resignation paperwork, Lu Li arrived in person to pick him up.

No wonder Yan Ke had accused him of playing dumb; this was likely a car the former Xie Jianwei had ridden frequently.

The assistant took Xie Jianwei’s luggage and opened the door: “Mr. Xie, please.”

Xie Jianwei stepped inside.

The car interior was remarkably spacious, with two individual seats in the back separated by a small tea table.

Because they were separate, Xie Jianwei and Lu Li sat quite a distance apart.

Xie Jianwei greeted him politely.

Lu Li nodded. “I happened to be passing by.”

The poor attempt at concealing his intentions was far too obvious. Xie Jianwei frowned slightly before saying, “Thank you for the trouble.”

Seeing the annoyance in his eyes, Lu Li’s heart twinged, and he turned to gaze outside the window.

Neither spoke throughout the drive. The air inside the quiet car was fresh and flowing, yet the silence between them made the atmosphere heavy and stagnant.

Leaving the city, the vehicle drove into an expansive manor estate.

Glancing at it from afar, Xie Jianwei was overwhelmed by a striking sense of familiarity.

This… was basically a miniature version of the Marshal’s Manor!

Never mind, this was Lu Li’s dream; he was the boss and called the shots.

Besides, being the Marshal’s Manor was convenient, as he wouldn’t have to worry about getting lost.

Once the car stopped, a servant guided Xie Jianwei to his living quarters.

Lu Li merely glanced at him from a distance before walking in another direction.

The route became increasingly familiar as Xie Jianwei walked. When the servant led him into the assigned room, he fell silent.

This… really was his room. His exact room from the Marshal’s Manor.

Honestly, Big Li, what were your intentions, putting your own chef in the master’s bedroom?

After leading him inside, the servant said, “Please rest assured, Mr. Xie. We clean this room regularly, and none of your belongings have been touched.”

Xie Jianwei could only reply, “Thank you.”

The servant added with cautious care, “Once you have unpacked, please head to the small kitchen. Mr. Lu, he…”

“I know,” Xie Jianwei said. “I will prepare lunch for him as soon as possible.”

The servant let out an audible sigh of relief: “It is truly wonderful that you have returned.”

What could Xie Jianwei say? He could only offer a faint smile.

While he knew Lu Li never mistreated him, his status as a chef here was ridiculously elevated!

Having complete familiarity with the Marshal’s Manor, Xie Jianwei easily found the small kitchen after unpacking.

This kitchen had been built recently in reality because Xie Jianwei wanted to experiment with ancient Earth-style cookware.

Lu Li had probably only stepped inside two or three times, yet he had recreated it with astonishing accuracy.

Was his memory simply too good, or was his obsession too deep? Most likely a combination of both.

Xie Jianwei considered the situation. Having gone without food for so long, Lu Li needed something light and easy to digest.

However, dishes of this nature presented quite a high challenge.

For instance, a light, nourishing creamy vegetable soup sounded simple enough: just simmering vegetables in soup. But to produce a refined flavor required immense sophistication.

The cream soup had to be aromatic without feeling heavy. The fish chunks had to be sourced from North Sea saltwater fish; plain cod lacked depth, making halibut or monkfish ideal, complemented by a modest amount of scallops and prawns. The vegetable requirements were equally rigorous: specially pickled crisp cucumbers, carrots, parsley, shredded leeks, and button mushrooms.

Different primary ingredients demanded distinct seasonings, ranging from allspice and fennel to cabbage and breadcrumbs.

In short, creating a truly delicious vegetable soup required extraordinary effort.

Xie Jianwei did not expect to produce a classic masterpiece, but he had to pour his full heart into it!

After wrestling with it for half the day, the utterly exhausted Military Advisor finally had lunch ready.

Lu Li had been waiting at the dining table for some time.

Exhausted as he was, seeing Lu Li finally lift his utensils to eat, and cleaning every plate spotless, Xie Jianwei felt surprisingly fulfilled.

Over the next few days, they did not exchange words. Living under the same roof, they barely crossed paths.

Xie Jianwei spent every day studying recipes, striving to nurse his health back to normal.

No matter how busy Lu Li was or where he traveled, he always rushed back at mealtimes to finish every scrap of food Xie Jianwei made.

After passing half a month in peaceful coexistence, Xie Jianwei felt the time was ripe to approach Lu Li.

Just as he entertained the thought, news arrived that Lu Li would not be returning for dinner tonight.

Apparently, there was a formal engagement he could not avoid.

Xie Jianwei did not dwell on it. Coincidentally, Yan Ke called him, hoping to borrow his old apartment to stay for a while.

Xie Jianwei decided to make a trip home to bring the rest of his belongings to the “Marshal’s Manor.”

Just after stepping out, he realized he had forgotten his phone and looped back.

That was when he overheard a bit of gossip.

“That Xie Jianwei truly is something, throwing tantrums even now.”

“What choice is there? Mr. Lu can only eat what he cooks.”

“Still, acting like this is uncalled for. Since he decided to return, why create trouble? Look at the dishes he’s been cooking lately. Can those even be called food?”

Xie Jianwei and Yan Ke: “…”

The gossips continued their chatter: “When cleaning the kitchen, I snuck a taste. It truly is night and day compared to before. It looks decent, but the taste… sigh… Mr. Lu is truly suffering to stomach that down.”

“What else can Mr. Lu do? Even knowing he’s giving him the cold shoulder, he has to swallow it.”

“What do you think Xie Jianwei wants? Isn’t being Mr. Lu’s private chef great? His food, clothing, housing, and travel rival the master himself, what more could he want?”

“I heard…”

Just as the person was about to dish the main secret, a sharp voice barked: “Loosen your tongues again and you can get out of the Lu residence!”

The two gossips shut their mouths instantly, apologizing profusely.

The one reprimanding them was likely Lu Li’s personal assistant, whose name Xie Jianwei hadn’t noted.

Xie Jianwei returned to his room and grabbed his phone.

His emotions were mixed. After cooking with such effort, his food had been maligned to this extent.

Was it truly that unpalatable?!

It shouldn’t be terrible; it was simply that the former Master Chef Xie had cooked too well. Comparison always brought hurt.

Xie Jianwei didn’t believe Lu Li would look down on it, as he had cleaned his plate at every meal.

His only fear was that, just as the gossips said, Big Li might assume he wasn’t putting his heart into it.

Heaven be his witness, he had exerted his utmost power; it was just that culinary craft genuinely required time to accumulate.

Xie Jianwei went to meet Yan Ke, who insisted on having him cook. Xie Jianwei said, “Cooking every day is exhausting. I’ll leave this meal to you.”

Yan Ke thought about it and said, “Fine, I’ll wait on you this once.”

He went and prepared a creamy vegetable soup.

Xie Jianwei had just made this dish not long ago, and he had tasted his own version, finding it quite tasty.

Now, taking a sip of Yan Ke’s creation, he nearly bit his own tongue off.

What was an explosion of flavor in the mouth? What was the tongue dancing in rapture? What was a divine sensation numbing the senses?

He had truly experienced it now.

This was outrageously delicious!

Yan Ke took a sip himself, then shook his head: “No good, it doesn’t even have a tenth of your skill.”

Xie Jianwei: “…”

Yan Ke sighed: “This really comes down to innate talent. Look at me, having learned from you for so many years, only my pastries are decent, while the rest simply won’t do.”