Whether angels and demons actually possessed souls was inherently a vague matter.

Because they did not need Grim Reapers to reap their souls, possessing their own unique system of existence.

However, Xie Jianwei wanted them to have souls now, which was precisely why he planted this psychological suggestion in the Little Skeleton.

It shouldn’t be too difficult. After all, when dealing with that “it,” Xie Jianwei had already tried to reap its “soul”—which, of course, might have simply been a fragment of consciousness.

At any rate, a Grim Reaper’s scythe was quite handy and could easily be exploited to achieve his goal.

If the Little Skeleton’s soul was to enter a demon’s body, the prerequisite was that demons possessed a soul.

Only then was there any possibility of success.

The Little Skeleton naturally yearned to possess a demon’s body.

Just consider it:

Even if he were reincarnated as a human, history might repeat itself. The difference in lifespan between humans and Grim Reapers was simply too vast. Once he aged, grew sick, and died, Xie Jianwei would be left all alone once more.

Last time, they had naively assumed that Xie Jianwei’s abilities would allow him to distinguish souls, but what was the result? It subjected them to a painful and desperate second life.

Reincarnation was out of the question; therefore… he needed to live forever.

The Little Skeleton was immortal, yet he couldn’t get any closer to Xie Jianwei—he couldn’t even kiss him.

However, if he possessed a demon’s body, none of that would be a problem anymore.

Thus… he wanted to become a demon. He wanted to be with Xie Jianwei forever, to possess this man completely and utterly.

Xie Jianwei told him, “Even if it fails, it doesn’t matter… Staying together like this forever is also wonderful.” He was referring to sharing a long, enduring companionship with the Little Skeleton.

Yet how could the Little Skeleton be content with that?

In his current state—neither human nor ghost—what right did he have to monopolize Xie Jianwei indefinitely?

Even Luo Lun felt that Xie Jianwei was insane for staying with a skeleton; how could he bear to make Xie Jianwei endure such a burden?

He had to succeed; he must succeed!

Xie Jianwei was actually quite confident about this. It was mainly because the Little Skeleton in this dream world was exceptionally well-behaved—so sweet that it tugged at his heartstrings.

The high demon’s body had been preserved impeccably well. Once the preparations were complete, Xie Jianwei did not intend to delay any further.

When the time came to reap the soul, Xie Jianwei feigned a trace of nervousness.

Instead, the Little Skeleton comforted him: “Don’t worry, it will definitely succeed!”

With those words, Xie Jianwei felt entirely at ease.

The whole process went even smoother than expected. When Xie Jianwei drew out the Little Skeleton’s soul, he caught sight of Lu Li.

Though somewhat ethereal, it was unmistakably Lu Li’s appearance.

Xie Jianwei’s eyes crinkled with affection as he looked at him, his gaze brimming with love.

This dream was quite a chaotic mess, but if it weren’t for Lu Li, Xie Jianwei wouldn’t have done any of this at all.

Yet this was Lu Li—his lover—so no matter what he had to do for him, he was completely willing.

The Little Skeleton’s soul successfully entered the high demon’s body. However, it likely required a fusion process, so he had not yet awakened.

Xie Jianwei could take advantage of this time to take care of the other matter.

The reason he had suggested to the Little Skeleton that both angels and demons possessed souls in this world was precisely so he could reap the “it” inside the demon Lu Li.

What was a soul? Simply two distinct streams of consciousness.

Since “it” was attached to the demon Lu Li’s soul, wouldn’t severing and extracting it allow it to be disposed of?

Xie Jianwei couldn’t be entirely certain whether this was correct, but he had to try. Even if it failed, there were other methods.

However, even two of “it” combined were no match for Strategist Xie.

With a single swing of his scythe, “it” was easily extracted.

Yan Ke exclaimed, “Is it really the Hundred-Limbed King?”

“Can’t tell.” Without the slightest pause, Xie Jianwei swung the scythe once more, causing that fragment of consciousness to completely vanish.

With that, both instances of “it” within the dream world had been resolved. All that remained was to soothe the Little Skeleton.

Xie Jianwei let out a breath of relief, carefully hid the demon Lu Li’s body, and turned to return to his own quarters.

The moment he entered the room, Lu Li happened to open his eyes.

Xie Jianwei asked softly, “You’re awake? Would you like some water?”

Lu Li looked at him, then lowered his head to look at himself. When he held out his hand, his gaze still carried a sense of unfamiliarity.

Xie Jianwei smiled gently: “How do you feel?” Saying this, he handed him the warm water in his hand.

Lu Li tasted the long-lost sweetness of water.

Xie Jianwei’s eyes curved sweetly: “Say something.”

“Ah Wei…” he spoke, his sexy voice tinged with a slight hoarseness.

Hearing that familiar voice made Xie Jianwei’s heart tremble slightly. He sat by his bedside, staring at his lips.

Lu Li was startled for a moment, then grabbed his waist tightly and pressed his lips firmly onto his.

The water glass crashed to the floor, but no one paid it any mind.

Lu Li kissed him eagerly—scorching lips and a hot tongue entwined in a honey-like, deep-seated affection.

Invaded so intensely, Xie Jianwei was unable to respond properly, yet he wrapped his arms around Lu Li’s neck, submissively accepting him.

When the two parted, Lu Li’s voice grew even deeper: “Ah Wei…”

Xie Jianwei leaned his forehead against his, a sweet smile rippling at the corners of his lips: “Lu Li.”

“Mm.”

“I love you.”

Suddenly, a pulling sensation washed over him. When Xie Jianwei forced his eyes open again, he was already back in reality.

Strategist Xie: “…”

Yan Ke was quite surprised: “Eh? Why did you come out? Weren’t you two… cough cough… doing it?” He had cut the connection a step early to avoid being intrusive, but how did Xie Jianwei wake up too?

Xie Jianwei thought for a moment, pressing his hand to his forehead: “Was the soothe successful?”

“So fast?” As Yan Ke spoke, he checked the data, then stared slack-jawed, “It actually succeeded!”

Xie Jianwei’s mood was also… rather hard to describe.

Yan Ke remarked somewhat ambiguously: “Could it be that he was soothed right after you finished? This time Marshal Lu was really… really… so easy to coax!”

Xie Jianwei paused silently: “We didn’t do it.”

“Ah? Then what did you guys do?”

Xie Jianwei was also caught between laughter and tears: “We just shared a kiss, and then… well, I confessed my love to him.”

Yan Ke: “…”

Xie Jianwei turned to look at Lu Li, who was still asleep, his gaze exceedingly tender: The Little Skeleton was surely the side of himself that he hid the deepest.

Humble, pure, and loving Xie Jianwei without asking for anything in return.

Because his past experiences had been too bitter, receiving even a tiny bit made him completely content.

Xie Jianwei said, “It was truly thanks to him that this dream world could end so smoothly.”

Yan Ke stretched and asked, “Do you want to rest?”

Xie Jianwei replied, “Mm, let’s continue the treatment in a couple of days.”

“Alrighty, I’ll go take a break myself too,” Yan Ke chuckled with a smug expression.

Xie Jianwei shook his head: “Go ahead. Talk to you later.”

Although so much time had passed in the dream, in reality, day had not even broken yet.

Lu Li had indeed had a dream.

Xie Jianwei took him back to the Marshal’s Manor, settled him down, and lay beside him.

When the sky was dimly turning pale, he felt a large hand moving aimlessly over his body.

Xie Jianwei kept his back to him and said, “You’re awake?”

Lu Li burrowed into the blanket and pulled at his pants: “Try me and see if I’m awake.”

Xie Jianwei didn’t know whether to laugh or cry: “Don’t force it.”

“How can it go in if it’s not hard?” Lu Li spouted nonsense, his hands continuing to misbehave. Of course, he didn’t actually force his way in. After touching him lightly with his fingers, he smiled wickedly, “And you claimed I was forcing it; this place of yours is squeezing my finger and won’t let go.”

Xie Jianwei had long been aroused by his teasing. Placing his arm over his eyes, he said, “Stop blabbering, hurry up…”

“My strategist is truly hard to please—one moment ‘don’t force it,’ the next moment ‘hurry up.’ In a moment, will it be ‘slow down’?” As he spoke, he buried himself deeply into him. Xie Jianwei gasped and truly pleaded, “S-slow down.”

“Which one should I listen to?” The Marshal worked industriously, “Forget it, your other self… is more obedient…”

Having had a wonderful dream and a passionate session early in the morning, the high-spirited Marshal put on his clothes, ready to head out.

Xie Jianwei suddenly asked him, “…Do you need my help?”

Lu Li didn’t quite catch his meaning: “Hmm?”

Xie Jianwei stepped off the bed, casually wrapping a robe around himself: “You’re going to see Eisenhower in a bit, right?”

Lu Li nodded in response: “That old guy has been waiting for days; it’s not good to keep stalling him.”

Eisenhower was the Minister of Finance. Lately, he had been constantly complaining that the military budget was too high, arguing that in times of peace, large amounts of funds shouldn’t be poured into military research anymore. Instead, the troops should be appropriately disbanded, expenses cut, and more resources tilted toward imperial construction to do genuine work for the people.

The old man was formerly the president of the First Bank in the Old Federation. After the Old Federation collapsed, he aimed his sharp eyes at Lu Li, the dark horse, pouring in money and resources desperately. He was genuinely one of the founding figures of the empire.

He had been quite reliable during the war, managing logistics and supplies impeccably, supporting Lu Li with his entire family wealth.

Naturally, Lu Li hadn’t mistreated him after settling the war, directly handing over the country’s financial lifeline to him.

Eisenhower was actually very skilled at these matters and possessed unique insights regarding economic development. However, he also had a fatal weakness.

Because of his status as a “founding veteran,” he relied on his age to act arrogantly and looked down on commoner generals like Luo Lun. He knew that the person Lu Li trusted most was still the military personnel—after all, they were brothers who had faced life and death together. Even if there was no war, these life-and-death bonds would not disappear.

In his heart, he felt somewhat unbalanced. Back then, he contributed money and effort, selling everything to supply them during the war. Yet afterward, these young lads all became high-ranking regional lords, standing on equal footing with him. How could he be content with that?

What felt even worse was that he couldn’t share his true thoughts with the Marshal, feeling excluded from the inner circle from beginning to end.

With these chaotic little thoughts surfacing, he naturally wanted to cause trouble.

Moreover, the issue he raised wasn’t unreasonable. The Galactic Empire was waiting to be rebuilt; the focus truly ought to be shifted toward infrastructure, and military spending should indeed be appropriately reduced, as the war was already over.

However, Lu Li could not do so. Making moves against the military right after unification was a major taboo. If he disheartened those soldiers who had risked their lives for humanity, this newly established Galactic Empire might collapse again before even standing firm.

Yet balancing these relationships was no easy task.

Eisenhower was an old fox who loved acting arrogant based on his age. Furthermore, Lu Li had indeed accepted his favors back then; out of reason and courtesy, it was difficult to publicly humiliate him.

This old slicker was also the type to push his luck—the more respect he was given, the arrogance he displayed. Over the past few days, his complaining had been endless.

Lu Li had avoided him for several days, but today it was truly unreasonable to keep avoiding him.

Hearing Xie Jianwei say those words, Lu Li was quite surprised: “If you can step forward, you can definitely handle that guy easily.”

Eisenhower originated from the Old Federation and was extremely timid around Xie Jianwei. During the war, he had also obeyed Xie Jianwei blindly. If Xie Jianwei was willing to step in, he could definitely suppress him.

However, Xie Jianwei couldn’t. Eisenhower belonged to the typical group of senior ministers who wished to support Xie Jianwei. The main reason Xie Jianwei detached himself from worldly affairs was to make them give up those ideas. After all these years, they had finally extinguished that thought; Xie Jianwei naturally wouldn’t give them hope again.

Xie Jianwei shook his head: “If I say a word to him, his tail will stick up into the sky even higher.”

Lu Li smiled: “He’s listened to you ever since back then.”

Xie Jianwei said: “Who he listened to was Young Master Xie, not your lover.”

Lu Li could hear the meaning in his words. Sweetness welled up in his heart, and the corners of his mouth couldn’t help curving upward.

Xie Jianwei turned to serious matters: “To deal with Eisenhower, you can start with the Deli family. Back then, to raise money and demonstrate his loyalty, he squeezed everyone around him dry. Now that things are stable, he will definitely ‘compensate’ them. Turning a blind eye to these things on ordinary days was right, but right now you can use it to drop a subtle warning, lest he truly believes he is fiercely loyal to the people.”

Lu Li nodded: “It is indeed time to remind him.”

“He has leverage in your hands, so there’s no need to give him too much face. Although we relied on his resources back then, he hasn’t been idle these years—digging a bit here, scooping a bit there, he has long fed himself fat. If you continue to indulge him, who knows what trouble he might cause.”

“That is indeed the case,” Lu Li said seriously. “I’ve been yielding to him recently because I was concerned about another matter.”

Xie Jianwei asked: “Regarding next year’s reshuffle, do you want to transfer him to another post?”

Lu Li said: “Mm. He can’t be allowed to serve two terms in the position of Finance Minister. The group of people he employs has a corrupt atmosphere.”

Xie Jianwei asked again: “You’re yielding to him everywhere because you’re afraid he’ll realize you intend to transfer him?”

Lu Li nodded: “In a way, yes. Mainly, I don’t want him to make a massive fortune right before changing posts.” This line of thinking was also correct; Eisenhower held an arrogant posture to begin with. If he knew he wouldn’t be able to stay in this position next year, he would definitely try to rake in money desperately, wishing he could swallow everything in one bite.

However, Xie Jianwei remarked: “If you truly want to transfer him, you can no longer yield to him.”

Lu Li: “Hmm?”

Xie Jianwei explained: “Eisenhower has been immersed in officialdom for half his life and is best at gauging people’s minds. Having followed you for so long, he has long figured you out completely. The more you yield to him, the more vigilant he becomes. With you treating him well now, he has likely already seen through your intentions. Raising the issue of cutting military expenses is, on one hand, an attempt to suppress Luo Lun and the others, and on the other hand, a way to test you.”

Xie Jianwei paused before continuing: “He knows this is your line in the sand, yet if you don’t even get angry at him over this matter, he will only be more convinced that you want to replace him next year.”

Lu Li knitted his brows: “It was my oversight.”

Xie Jianwei said: “It’s fine. Today, go give him a thorough scolding, and I guarantee he will be happily and obediently compliant.”

Lu Li laughed: “My strategist is indeed amazing.”

Xie Jianwei’s legs and waist had been rendered weak by him last night. Glancing downward, he said, “How can I compare to how ‘capable’ Big Li is?”

Lu Li was amused by him, pulling him over for a kiss: “If it wasn’t ‘capable,’ would you still like it?”

He was referring to “Big Li.” If it were the Xie Jianwei of the past, he might not have picked up on the deeper meaning behind these suggestive words. But having gone through several dream worlds, hearing these words now truly elicited a sigh of nostalgia.

Xie Jianwei cupped his face and kissed him: “When I liked him, he wasn’t even an adult yet.”

Lu Li was visibly stunned.

Xie Jianwei added: “I already liked him back then, and now I only like him even more.”

Lu Li’s eyes lit up: “Ah Wei’s mouth is as sweet as honey today.” Saying so, he kissed him fiercely.

Xie Jianwei was kissed until he was out of breath: “Are you heading out or not?!”

“In a bit… just a bit more. Let that old man wait a little longer.” Saying so, he began stripping Xie Jianwei’s clothes.

After the Marshal thoroughly messed up the strategist, he finally went to discipline the old fox with utter satisfaction.

Nestled in the blanket, the corners of Xie Jianwei’s mouth curved up slightly: He had overthought things. Lu Li had never worried about him “interfering in politics”; what he feared was Xie Jianwei ignoring him.

Ignoring him meant not caring, and if he didn’t care, did it mean he didn’t like him anymore?

If he didn’t like him, would he leave him?

And he couldn’t hold back a Xie Jianwei who truly wanted to leave.

This was Lu Li’s logic—simple and straightforward to a degree that made one’s heart ache.

Xie Jianwei couldn’t help letting out a soft sigh: “Leave? Where could I possibly go?” Without Lu Li, he would have long lost the motivation to live on.

Just as Xie Jianwei had predicted, Lu Li went to the council hall with a dark face. Eisenhower was initially sipping tea leisurely there, but the moment he looked up, he immediately stood up and bowed.

Lu Li didn’t mince words, flying into a rage right off the bat.

With this burst of anger, Eisenhower genuinely shrank like a quail. Far from acting arrogant based on his age, he instantly turned into a pathetic sight, repeatedly agreeing without daring to utter a single word of nonsense.

Furthermore, the moment Lu Li darkened his expression, it instantly reminded him of the “God of Slaughter” from back then, who slaughtered gods and Buddhas alike.

Indeed, their Marshal was a God of War, but this God of War’s hands were covered in far too much blood; calling him a “God of Slaughter” was already being polite.

He had indeed gotten a bit too full of himself over these years. Lu Li was indeed loyal to past bonds, but he was by no means someone who could be manipulated at will. Thinking back to the terrifyingly brilliant Young Master Xie, wasn’t he currently kept obediently inside the Marshal’s Manor, becoming a “vase” in the eyes of outsiders?

These old veterans were all too clear on Young Master Xie’s capabilities. When even a person like that was forced by Lu Li to relinquish power, how could they…

Cold sweat broke out on Eisenhower’s head, and he became increasingly well-behaved.

Over the past two days, the Marshal could be described as feeling refreshed and exhilarated, the primary source naturally being his Ah Wei.

Clingy in bed and charming out of it, he cared for him in every way, and even took the initiative to cook him a dinner.

Lu Li felt that the phrase “living like an immortal” was insufficient to describe his good mood at this moment.

Of course, the moment he thought about how there was another version of himself who could see this side of Xie Jianwei, he felt upset again.

However happy he was earlier was how upset he felt now.

Besides… was Xie Jianwei like this with him first? Or had he already been this good to the other one before?

Was he the first one, or which number was he? At any rate, he wasn’t the last one.

Very well… the Marshal was about to drown himself in jealousy again.

After accompanying him for two days, Xie Jianwei began the new treatment.

Dragging it out for too long might arouse Lu Li’s suspicion; two days was already not a short time.

Yan Ke came back from idling around and said, “I think I might have met my destined one.”

Xie Jianwei was quite curious: “Who?”

“I haven’t asked for her name yet, but she’s a very, very beautiful woman!”

Xie Jianwei was quite surprised that Yan Ke hadn’t used the descriptor “big-breasted” and had instead used “beautiful.”

However, very quickly, Yan Ke added implicitly: “She has the most beautiful chest I’ve ever seen.”

Xie Jianwei: “…” Perhaps what Yan Ke encountered was not his destined person, but his destined chest?

The new dream world formed, and Xie Jianwei landed smoothly.

Yan Ke’s voice sounded softly: “If this dream world doesn’t have ‘it,’ does that mean the Marshal this time is the Lord Lifuer from before?”

Xie Jianwei said: “It should be.”

Yan Ke said: “If there’s no ‘it,’ this dream world will definitely be much simpler.”

Xie Jianwei said: “Mm, though I might still be a scumbag.”

“Hahaha.” Yan Ke couldn’t help bursting into laughter, then added, “It’s fine, it’s fine. Without ‘it’ causing trouble, the Marshal is still very easy to coax.”

Cough cough… After saying these words, Yan Ke felt his tongue bite back a bit. When it came to adding drama for himself, he thoroughly admired the Marshal. Even without “it,” the Marshal could surely turn himself into a tragic victim.

While they were chatting casually, Xie Jianwei had already settled firmly on the ground.

After a brief spell of dizziness, the surrounding noise grew deafening.

“Onions, duck meat!” “How much beef is left?” “Don’t put fish eggs in the seafood paella!”

Once Xie Jianwei calmed down, he heard someone say to him: “Ah Wei, if you’re tired, go rest first. Being young is no reason to pull all-nighters like this!”

Xie Jianwei seized the opportunity to agree, walking out of this noisy kitchen.

Following his memory, he found a clean and simple room. Sitting down, he rubbed the space between his brows.

Yan Ke asked: “What is your identity this time, Lord Xie?”

Xie Jianwei actually had a bit of memory in his head. He spoke slowly: “A cook.”

“Ah?” Yan Ke blinked, “A chef?”

Xie Jianwei said: “I only have fragmentary memories. It seems I left from somewhere and came to this hotel to serve as the sous chef. I specialize in desserts, but I can actually make anything.”

Yan Ke asked: “Is there any information about the Marshal?”

“No…” Xie Jianwei let out a soft sigh, “This time it’s a bit tricky.”

“Why?” Yan Ke hadn’t reacted yet.

Xie Jianwei said gloomily: “Although I learned a few dishes, I can’t serve as a sous chef at a five-star hotel relying solely on baked king prawns and red wine braised meat, right?”

Yan Ke: “…”

Xie Jianwei continued: “Since I was given this setup, I can’t break character, so…”

Yan Ke understood… This was truly… extremely difficult.

Xie Jianwei added: “Let’s play it by ear. Hopefully, Lu Li’s side won’t require any overly exquisite culinary skills from me.”

Yan Ke felt that this hope was basically non-existent. The Marshal loved earning perks for himself so much; how could he miss such a golden opportunity…

Today happened to be Xie Jianwei’s day off, so he didn’t need to work in the back kitchen and could take a breather.

However, Xie Jianwei didn’t stay idle either; he found a computer and began looking up information and memorizing recipes.

With Strategist Xie’s ability to read ten lines at a glance and possess a photographic memory, rote memorization was a minor matter. He could easily store a vast quantity of recipes in his brain.

However, cooking was a skill that truly couldn’t be solved by rote memorization alone. It required the accumulation of experience, and experience was something very difficult to fast-track.

He originally thought he could stay in his room all day memorizing recipes, but as dinner time approached, Xie Jianwei’s phone rang.

“Ah Wei! Hurry to the kitchen, a huge piece of good news!”

Xie Jianwei asked: “What’s wrong?”

“There’s no time to explain too much! Hurry, come quick! Miss this chance and it won’t come again!”

Fearing he might miss important “plot lines,” Xie Jianwei said: “Okay, I’ll be right there.”

Yet when he arrived, he regretted it slightly. A whole row of chefs was lined up in full gear, clearly indicating that this “good news” was related to cooking.

Strategist Xie felt a rare sense of guilt. Nothing had stumped him in half a lifetime, yet he was tripping up right here.

The head chef was a middle-aged man, slightly plump and looking very amiable. After scanning the crowd, he cast an appreciative glance specifically at Xie Jianwei, then raised his voice: “There’s an important opportunity in a bit; all of you can display your talents. If you succeed, there will be a huge reward!”

Xie Jianwei: “…” Was it an open-ended prompt? He wanted to make baked king prawns.

Unfortunately, the head chef had already assigned the topic: “The guest ordered one of our signature dishes—Thessaloniki Rice and Mutton Stuffed Grape Leaves!” As he spoke, he looked toward Xie Jianwei again, the meaning behind his gaze impossible to miss, essentially saying: Perform well, young man; this is your specialty dish.

Strategist Xie: Stuffing rice and mutton into grape leaves? What kind of weird thing is that!

He had memorized quite a few recipes, but unfortunately, he hadn’t memorized this one yet.

The head chef waved his hand: “Alright, alright, everyone begin! I’ll be in the secondary kitchen preparing orders for other guests, so go ahead and make it boldly!”

The group of chefs agreed in unison.

Out of necessity, Xie Jianwei had to resort to the bathroom escape tactic, heading to the restroom first to look up the recipe on his phone.

This search truly brought utter distress. Thessaloniki was the second-largest city connecting eastern and western Greece, and this rice and mutton stuffed leaf dish was one of their famous local specialties. It appeared to be simply leaves wrapping rice, but the simpler such things were, the harder they were to make properly.

This recipe was even more miraculous, written in a way that could only be felt rather than expressed in words.

What did it mean to mix diced mutton, raisins, and pine nuts, add an “appropriate amount” of cloves, cumin, and cinnamon for seasoning, use mint, dill, or cilantro for garnish, and finally require sardines and onions to make it “plump”? The leaves weren’t simple either—they had to be grape leaves, harvested in late spring, blanched in boiling water, placed in saltwater, and finally coated with a layer of specially made lemon-egg yolk chicken broth…

So the question arose: exactly how much diced mutton, raisins, and pine nuts should be added? What constituted an “appropriate amount”? How much counted as garnish, what counted as plump? And what about the recipe for that specially made lemon-egg yolk chicken broth at the end?

To make matters worse, the end of the recipe added a sentence: “Cook with heart, and flavor will follow.”

Cook with heart, and even if it burns, does it count as flavor?

Strategist Xie maintained an expressionless face.

Yan Ke cleared his throat: “Unfortunately, I’m not good at cooking either.”

Xie Jianwei said: “This isn’t a matter of being good or not; this is a matter of master-level precision.”

No matter how skilled an ordinary person was at cooking, they couldn’t possibly create a dish that tasted like it was prepared by a Michelin three-star chef!

Just as a child playing with a toy gun, no matter how good their aim, couldn’t be compared to a special forces soldier.

Yan Ke suggested: “How about… finding an excuse to slip away first?”

Rather than failing and exposing himself, it was better not to make it at all.

Xie Jianwei pondered for a moment, feeling that this was indeed necessary.

However, right at this moment, the voices of two young men chatting came from outside: “Ah, Mr. Lu is truly ridiculously handsome!”

“A hundred times handsomer than on TV! That aura—two point eight meters tall!”

“Cough cough… Say, how could such a great person suffer from anorexia?”

“Who knows? Too much money, living too comfortably, and then… well… you get it.”

“Hahaha, anyway, ordinary folks like us shouldn’t dream about it.”

“Speaking of which, he’s really ruthless toward himself. I heard he’s been starving for over a week, relying entirely on nutrient fluids to hold on. If he keeps going on without eating anything, anyone would break down!”

“Speaking of which, his figure is still so good after starving for so long; you can imagine how he used to be… tsk tsk tsk…”

“Alright, alright, stop daydreaming. Would Mr. Lu look at a little gay like you?”

“Go, go! Just because I can’t get a taste doesn’t mean I can’t think about it!”

Xie Jianwei listened from inside the stall, feeling utterly helpless.

Yan Ke said: “Looks like you have to make it now.” The Marshal was starving and waiting, having fasted for a week; if he wasn’t fed soon, he would starve!

Xie Jianwei pushed open the door and walked out: “Cook with heart, then.”

That was all he could do. However, after hearing that the person ordering the food was Lu Li, Xie Jianwei actually had a plan in mind.

As long as the exterior looked convincing enough, even if the taste inside was horribly unpalatable, Lu Li shouldn’t be picky about it.

As the owner of the dream world, he would definitely give himself a cheat—for instance, tasting it once and realizing it was made by his strategist, then being completely captured by this “特色” (distinctive) “gourmet dish” or something.

Didn’t novels always write it that way?

Strategist Xie gathered his spirits and returned to the kitchen with full confidence.

Fortunately, because everyone was working hard on their own dishes, no one had time to look at others. Thus, details such as whether Xie Jianwei’s movements were clumsy, whether the sequence was wrong, or whether too many small mushrooms were added went entirely unnoticed.

Xie Jianwei assembled a portion of Thessaloniki Rice and Mutton Stuffed Grape Leaves with decent form. From appearance alone, it could earn an 80 out of 100. Perhaps this body still retained some muscle memory, so the technique was quite sufficient. It was just lacking culinary experience, so as for the taste…

Forget it, no need to fuss over these details. Since Lu Li was eating it anyway, he would surely discern this “familiar” flavor!

Over a dozen portions of stuffed grape leaves were taken away one after another, leaving the group of chefs feeling quite anxious.

The guest was too distinguished, the reward too generous. If one were appreciated, their future path would be smooth sailing, so everyone was nervous.

Xie Jianwei wasn’t nervous; regardless, Lu Li would only want to see him.

Yet despite all his calculations, Xie Jianwei never expected his stuffed grape leaves to be sent back.

Yan Ke was shocked: “How is that possible?! Could it be that this Mr. Lu isn’t the Marshal??”

Xie Jianwei’s brain turned rapidly, quickly understanding: “He probably didn’t even eat it…”

Yan Ke looked completely bewildered: “Ah?”

Soon, someone came to report the results.

“Oh man, high status really is different! Before eating, there’s a taste tester. If it fails the taste test, it doesn’t even get sent in front of Mr. Lu!”

Xie Jianwei cleared his throat and looked into the distance.

Yan Ke: “…” So Strategist Xie’s stuffed grape leaves couldn’t even pass the taste test and were eliminated directly!

This… this truly was an extraordinarily heartbreaking story.

The problem was, while it couldn’t pass the taste test, if the Marshal ate it, it would definitely pass!

However, it was completely useless… Xie Jianwei didn’t even have the “qualification” to run in front of Mr. Lu to self-recommend his bed… ahem, self-recommend his stuffed grape leaves.

Xie Jianwei said: “I’d better practice more. I can’t let him stay hungry forever.”

Just as Xie Jianwei said, the next day Mr. Lu ordered food again. This time he ordered a fairly common dessert—crepes.

However, the crepes made by Strategist Xie, which possessed more beauty than flavor, still failed to pass the taste test.

After suffering such ordeals for three days, the chefs in the back kitchen couldn’t help complaining.

“I really don’t get what this is all about. He doesn’t like anything we make, yet he still insists on ordering every day…”

“He has too much money to burn. What’s wrong with earning money? Hurry up and get cooking!”

Xie Jianwei was also quite puzzled: why was Lu Li so persistent about this particular hotel? Did he know he was here? But if he knew, why didn’t he come directly to find him?

Xie Jianwei wasn’t overly worried that Lu Li would starve to death; after all, this was his dream. Still, letting him starve like this wasn’t right either.

Xie Jianwei worked hard to hone his culinary skills. Although he made rapid progress, he consistently failed to pass that wretched taste test.

Yan Ke lampooned: “I feel like this taste test is like a heavy club beating apart lovers.”

Xie Jianwei: “…”

After four or five days of this struggle, the head chef came to comfort everyone: “Don’t be discouraged! Mr. Lu is still willing to give us chances, which shows we have potential! Why doesn’t he go to other hotels? Why does he favor ours? It shows that among the dishes he tasted, something moved his heart. As long as we keep trying, we can definitely satisfy him!”

Strategist Xie had no choice but to work hard to satisfy that taste-testing older brother…

Over the weekend, Xie Jianwei received a phone call. The screen displayed “Yan Ke.”

Yan Ke’s voice was frantic: “Ah Wei, emergency! Hurry over to help me watch the shop! I’ve been cuckolded! Damn it, I’m going to beat that dog couple to death!”

Xie Jianwei: “…”

Yan Ke added: “Hurry, hurry! My cake is still in the oven, and there are quite a few orders today. I’m leaving it all to you; I’ll buy you a meal later!”

What could Xie Jianwei do? He had no choice but to turn around and go bring ruin upon this cake shop instead.