Chapter 209 - 126: Case Closed! Provincial Department Quota

[Gratitude Coins: 35]

...

Afternoon. 6:00 PM.

The sun was setting in the west, and the sky grew dim.

"SCREECH~!"

A car came to a smooth stop in a parking space at the entrance of White Cloud Temple.

"CLICK!"

The driver’s side door opened, and Lin Yue stepped out.

"Phew, I’m starving. I didn’t even get to eat lunch, and I still had to deal with the court hearing... Following you around is going to shave ten years off my life."

Lin Yue breathed in the fresh air, finally feeling a bit more alive.

She rubbed her flat stomach, which didn’t have an ounce of fat, and looked at Xu De with a hint of disdain.

It was true that lawyers, much like doctors, often had to deal with unexpected incidents that made them miss meals.

But with Xu De...

two meals a day had practically become the norm!

"Sigh. Young people gain weight easily if they eat too much," Xu De said casually.

He was long used to hunger, having endured it since childhood. By now, he was well-adapted. Of course, that didn’t mean he ever binged or overate.

Though he was precise and decisive with his money, he was pathologically meticulous when it came to food.

If it weren’t for the two homeless brothers who used to wait for him to bring them food... he would have eaten everything in his fridge, bit by bit, all by himself.

Xu De’s frugality could easily rival that of the most penny-pinching elders from the countryside!

Right.

’I haven’t seen those two rascals in a few days. I wonder how they’re doing now.’

Something suddenly occurred to Xu De.

An idea struck him, and he promptly spoke up:

"True Monarch."

Lin Yue, who was walking toward White Cloud Temple, paused and subconsciously looked back at him, a confused expression on her face.

"Hm?"

She was immune to those two words by now, having resigned herself to her fate.

"Where’s the kitchen?" Xu De asked.

"What are you going to the kitchen for?" Lin Yue raised an eyebrow, then, as if guessing something, asked in surprise:

"You know how to cook!?"

"A little," Xu De nodded.

"For real? Is it edible?"

Lin Yue grew excited. She figured if his cooking was terrible, it would be the perfect opportunity to give him a nickname!

"It’s decent, I suppose."

Xu De just smiled, neither refuting nor confirming her question.

Lin Yue didn’t think too much of it.

She led Xu De into White Cloud Temple, and upon entering the kitchen, she started bustling about.

「About half an hour later.」

It was 6:42 PM.

Night had begun to fall, the sky growing dusky, but the kitchen lights were still burning bright.

Before long, "Coming through," Xu De announced, carrying three plates of food toward the stone pavilion.

In the stone pavilion, Lin Yue was sitting primly. As soon as she saw his figure, she couldn’t help but straighten her back, craning her neck to get a look.

She was just about to speak...

When in the next second!

The strangely captivating aroma of the food in the air launched a one-two punch right at her delicate nose.

"Ah!"

Lin Yue’s almond-shaped eyes widened as she looked at Xu De in astonishment, watching him place the dishes on the table in disbelief.

"How is your cooking so fragrant too!?"

It wasn’t just the aroma... The appearance of the dishes was like a work of art!

A faint smile appeared on Xu De’s face.

The bonus from [Lv. 2 Chef] had already put him a cut above the head chef of a popular, high-end hotel.

But... it was obvious. To complete the kind of cases that awarded these skills, your own abilities and value had to exceed the skill itself!

"Want a taste?" Xu De tempted her.

Lin Yue’s craving was instantly triggered. Her stomach rumbled, she couldn’t stop swallowing, and her eyes were glued to the food.

But Xu De knew exactly what kind of True Monarch was sitting before him.

What kind?

Mao Ri True Monarch!

Or rather, the Stubborn-Mouthed True Monarch.

"Let me tell you, food can’t just look and smell good. The real test is a perfect balance of color, aroma, and taste," Lin Yue said stubbornly. "You have to taste it to know for sure."

"So, do you want to eat it or not?" Xu De asked.

"I... I suppose I could force myself to have a little."

Lin Yue tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, her expression serious and earnest.

Seeing this, Xu De found her ’serious face’—exquisite but tense, with eyes that kept darting toward the table—rather amusing. He said casually,

"Then I’ll have to trouble you to give it a taste, True Monarch."

"No trouble, no trouble at all!"

Lin Yue said quickly, immediately snatching up her chopsticks, picking up a piece of food, and popping it into her soft lips.

In the next second, as the savory flavor blossomed in her mouth...

"Mmmph!"

Lin Yue’s eyes lit up, like a country cat getting its first taste of a Churu treat.

"How is it?" Xu De asked as he sat down and started eating as well.

"It’s goo—ahem, I mean, it’s alright."

Lin Yue swallowed the food in her mouth and spoke a little unnaturally, then quickly added,

"Of course,"

"Even if food needs that perfect balance of color, aroma, and taste,"

"its main purpose is to fill your stomach!"

"If it can actually make me full, then I might begrudgingly give you a few more points."

Xu De found this amusing and said casually,

"When did you get so particular? Have you been learning from Chaozi?"

"Go on and eat... Just remember to save some. I’m taking it to someone later."

Lin Yue began her battle with the food. She was determined to conquer this feast and show it what a real appetite looked like.

However, it was obvious that at 167 cm tall and weighing only 50 kg—a not-insignificant portion of which was on her chest—she clearly hadn’t mastered the art of gluttony and was in no condition to finish off several plates of fine cuisine.

Xu De ate in silence.

After a while, he caught sight of a figure in his peripheral vision, which made him pause.

"GULP~"

He swallowed the food in his mouth and smiled at the figure.

"Master Guanxin?"

"Have you eaten? If not, would you care to join us and have a taste?"

Hearing this, Lin Yue, who was on the verge of reviving her inner glutton, looked up just in time to see Master Guanxin walking toward them.

She immediately sat up straight.

Her easygoing demeanor from when she was alone with Xu De vanished, replaced by the posture of a well-mannered lady. She sat bolt upright and said gently,

"Mr. Chen, Lawyer Xu is an excellent cook. He made all of this himself. You should try some."