Chapter 60: Cooking

Chapter 60: Chapter 60: Cooking

The drive back to the Huo residence was much quieter than the journey to the market.

After spending the morning moving through the bustling market with Auntie Zhang, Xi Yunxui had experienced more of this modern world than she had expected. The unfamiliar shops, strange appliances, countless varieties of ingredients, and the constant stream of people had left her both fascinated and slightly overwhelmed.

By the time the car passed through the gates of the Huo residence, she was already thinking about the meal she needed to prepare.

The car came to a smooth stop in front of the main residence.

Auntie Zhang opened the door first and stepped out. Xi Yunxui followed immediately, carrying the bags of ingredients they had purchased. She carefully held them in both hands, making sure nothing was crushed or damaged.

"Let’s take these inside first," Auntie Zhang said.

"Yes, Auntie Zhang."

The two of them walked into the residence together.

Several servants immediately came forward to help with the bags, but Auntie Zhang handed most of them over while keeping a smaller bag for herself.

Xi Yunxui glanced at the ingredients she had personally chosen and felt a small sense of satisfaction.

Everything she needed was finally here.

The thought of the Huo patriarch arriving later that day made her unconsciously straighten her back.

She had been entrusted with an important responsibility.

She absolutely could not disappoint Madam Huo.

After helping Auntie Zhang put away the ingredients that did not need to be taken immediately to the kitchen, Xi Yunxui excused herself and returned to the staff quarters.

She entered her room, closed the door behind her, and immediately began changing.

The simple clothes she had worn to the market were folded neatly and placed aside. She then changed into her maid uniform, smoothing the fabric carefully before checking herself in the mirror.

Her long hair was tied back neatly, leaving her face unobstructed.

Xi Yunxui looked at her reflection for a moment before nodding in satisfaction.

"Time to work."

She picked up her apron and left the room.

---

The kitchen in the main residence was already busy when Xi Yunxui arrived.

Three chefs were moving around the spacious kitchen, preparing ingredients and checking various dishes for the evening meals.

The moment Xi Yunxui entered, the three of them looked toward her.

The first was a middle-aged man named Chef Zhao Ming, who had worked for the Huo family for many years. He was the senior-most chef in the residence and was responsible for overseeing the kitchen.

Beside him was Chef Lin Wei, a quieter man in his thirties who specialized in traditional Chinese cuisine.

The youngest of the three was Chef Chen Hao, a man in his late twenties.

Chen Chen’s gaze lingered on Xi Yunxui for a moment longer than the others.

He had already heard about her.

The new maid who had suddenly appeared in the Huo residence.

The maid who could apparently cook extraordinarily well.

The maid whom Madam Huo trusted enough to personally hand over the responsibility of preparing food for the Huo patriarch.

At first, Chen Chen had not thought much of it.

But now that he had seen the amount of attention Madam Huo had been giving Xi Yunxui, an uncomfortable feeling had begun to grow inside him.

He had spent years perfecting his culinary skills.

He had trained under renowned chefs before eventually being hired by the Huo family.

Yet a maid who had only recently returned to the household had been given the responsibility that should have belonged to one of them.

It was difficult for him to accept.

Chef Zhao noticed Xi Yunxui approaching and wiped his hands before walking toward her.

"Miss Xi," he called politely. "You’re here to prepare the patriarch’s meal, aren’t you?"

Xi Yunxui immediately nodded.

"Yes, Chef Zhao."

"Do you need any help?" Chef Zhao asked. "There are three of us here. Preparing so many dishes alone could be troublesome."

Xi Yunxui smiled politely and shook her head.

"Thank you, Chef Zhao, but I should be able to manage. Madam Huo entrusted this to me, so I would like to handle it myself."

Her answer was neither arrogant nor dismissive.

She simply wanted to do the task herself.

Chef Zhao studied her for a moment before nodding.

"All right. If you need anything, just tell us."

"I will. Thank you."

Xi Yunxui then walked toward the preparation counter.

She began laying out the ingredients she had purchased from the market one by one.

Fresh fish.

Tender meat.

Mushrooms.

Scallops.

Fresh vegetables.

Various seasonings.

As she looked over everything, her mind immediately began arranging the dishes she wanted to prepare.

She wanted the meal to be delicious, but she also wanted it to be suitable for someone of the patriarch’s age.

The dishes could not be too oily.

The flavors had to complement one another.

The ingredients had to remain fresh.

And most importantly, the meal needed to show sincerity.

Xi Yunxui rolled up her sleeves.

"Let’s begin."

She picked up a knife and started preparing the ingredients.

The rhythmic sound of the knife striking the cutting board soon filled the kitchen.

Chop.

Chop.

Chop.

Her movements were smooth and precise.

The three chefs occasionally glanced in her direction.

Chef Zhao’s expression gradually became one of appreciation.

Lin Wei also watched quietly for a while before returning to his own work.

But Chen Chen’s expression became increasingly unpleasant.

He had expected Xi Yunxui to be an amateur.

Instead, her knife skills were surprisingly clean.

Her handling of the ingredients was also extremely confident.

So she really does know how to cook.

His fingers tightened around the utensil in his hand.

He watched as Xi Yunxui carefully prepared the fish before moving on to the meat and vegetables.

The more he watched, the more uncomfortable he became.

Then his eyes shifted toward the ingredients she had arranged.

An idea slowly formed in his mind.

If he could make one of her dishes fail...

Perhaps Madam Huo would realize that she had placed too much trust in a maid.

Perhaps the responsibility would return to the actual chefs of the household.

Chen Chen lowered his eyes, hiding the strange glint that appeared in them.

He waited.

He did not act immediately.

Instead, he continued working as though nothing had happened.

---

Xi Yunxui remained completely unaware of what was happening behind her.

She was entirely focused on the food.

She prepared the sauces carefully, measured the seasonings, and arranged the ingredients according to the dishes she had planned.

Occasionally, she would pause to taste something, making small adjustments where necessary.

Her concentration was so complete that she barely noticed the passage of time.

She had no idea that someone nearby was watching her every movement.

And she certainly did not notice when Chef Chen quietly moved closer to the preparation area under the excuse of retrieving something.

His eyes swept over the dishes.

Then he looked at Xi Yunxui’s back.

A small, secretive smile appeared on his face.

Let’s see how capable you really are.

With that thought, he turned away.

Xi Yunxui continued cooking, completely oblivious to the trouble quietly taking shape behind her.

She only knew one thing.

The Huo patriarch was coming.

And she intended to make sure his first meal prepared by her would be one he would remember.

---

Xi Yunxui had been working in the kitchen for nearly two hours.

The kitchen was filled with the rich aroma of the dishes she had prepared. Steam rose gently from the pots, carrying the fragrance of herbs, spices, fresh vegetables, and meat through the room.

One dish after another had been completed and carefully arranged.

Xi Yunxui checked the final pot on the stove and nodded in satisfaction.

"Almost done."

She wiped the slight sheen of sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand before turning her attention to the last dish.

Everything had gone surprisingly smoothly.

Even though she had been worried about preparing a meal suitable for the Huo patriarch, her confidence had gradually returned as she worked. The ingredients she and Auntie Zhang had purchased from the market were fresh, and the dishes were turning out exactly as she had envisioned.

Chef Zhao had also occasionally glanced over to see what she was doing, and although he had not interfered, his expression had become increasingly impressed.

Xi Yunxui was just about to add the final seasoning when hurried footsteps suddenly sounded outside the kitchen.

A young maid rushed inside, looking flustered.

"Miss Xi!"

Xi Yunxui immediately turned around.

"What happened?"

The maid was slightly out of breath from running.

"Your... your goat!"

Xi Yunxui blinked.

"My goat?"

"Yes!"

The maid nodded frantically.

"Your goat is fighting with a chicken!"

Xi Yunxui froze.

For several seconds, she simply stared at the maid.

"...What?"

The maid swallowed.

"The goat is fighting with a chicken in the garden!"

Xi Yunxui’s eyes widened.

King C.

Of course.

How could she have forgotten about him?

And the chicken.

Her gaze instinctively shifted toward the kitchen entrance, as though she could somehow see through the walls to the garden.

She had completely forgotten about the two creatures after changing into her maid uniform.

She had been so focused on preparing the Huo patriarch’s meal that the thought of checking on them had simply disappeared from her mind.

"How did they even start fighting?" she muttered.

The maid shook her head helplessly.

"I don’t know. I only heard the commotion and went to look. By the time I got there, they were already chasing each other."

Xi Yunxui immediately turned toward the stove.

The final dish was still cooking.

She couldn’t simply leave it unattended.

Her eyes landed on Chef Zhao.

"Chef Zhao, I’m sorry, but could you please watch this dish for me?"

Chef Zhao glanced at the simmering pot and then at Xi Yunxui’s anxious expression.

"Of course. Go and check on them."

"Thank you!"

Xi Yunxui hurriedly removed her apron and placed it aside.

Before leaving, she looked back at the stove.

"It should only need a few more minutes. Please make sure it doesn’t overcook."

"Don’t worry."

Chef Zhao nodded confidently.

"I’ll take care of it."

Xi Yunxui gave him a grateful smile before rushing out of the kitchen.

The maid followed closely behind.

---

The moment Xi Yunxui stepped into the garden, she knew something was terribly wrong.

She stopped dead in her tracks.

Her mouth slowly fell open.

The elegant garden she had seen earlier was almost unrecognizable.

Flowers had been trampled.

Several decorative shrubs had been flattened.

Leaves were scattered across the stone pathways.

Feathers floated through the air.

And mixed among them were clumps of white fur.

It looked as though a miniature storm had swept through the garden.

Except there was no storm.

There were two creatures responsible.

King C was darting around the garden at astonishing speed, his little legs carrying him across the grass while the strange chicken flew after him.

"BAAA!"

"KYAA!"

"BAAA!"

"KYAA!"

The sounds echoed across the garden.

King C suddenly changed direction.

The chicken flapped its large, unusual wings and swooped after him.

King C immediately ran behind a shrub.

The chicken crashed through it.

Branches snapped.

More leaves flew into the air.

Xi Yunxui’s eyelid twitched.

She slowly turned her head and looked at the maid beside her.

The maid looked equally horrified.

Xi Yunxui then looked back at the garden.

This is almost half the garden.

Her face went blank.

She finally remembered something she should have done hours ago.

I should have checked on them when I went to change my clothes.

She had told King C to take care of the chicken before leaving for the market.

She had also specifically warned him to behave himself.

But after returning from the market, she had immediately changed and gone to the kitchen.

Then she had become completely absorbed in preparing the patriarch’s meal.

Somehow, between chopping vegetables, preparing sauces, cooking the dishes, and worrying about whether everything would be good enough, she had forgotten all about the two creatures.

Xi Yunxui slowly covered her face with one hand.

I can’t believe I forgot them.

A loud crash came from the garden.

Xi Yunxui’s hand slowly dropped.

She looked up.

Another bush had been destroyed.

King C emerged from behind it with several leaves stuck to his fur.

The chicken was right behind him.

Xi Yunxui stared at them in disbelief.

"King C..."

Her voice was frighteningly calm.

King C froze.

The chicken also stopped.

For one brief moment, the entire garden became silent.

King C slowly turned his head.

His eyes met Xi Yunxui’s.

His expression changed instantly.

The chicken glanced between the two of them.

Then, without warning, King C turned around and started running again.

Xi Yunxui’s eyes widened.

"You dare run?!"

She immediately chased after him.

"King C! Stop!"

The goat accelerated.

The chicken followed.

And the once-peaceful garden descended into chaos once again.