Chapter 62: The Strange Substance [1]

Chapter 62: Chapter 62: The Strange Substance [1]

Xi Yunxui had barely taken a few steps toward the villa when she decided not to follow Huo Jingchen and his grandfather into the living room.

There was still work waiting for her in the kitchen.

Besides, after the chaos in the garden, she wasn’t particularly eager to stand around and answer questions she wasn’t prepared to answer.

So, while Huo Jingchen, his grandfather, and Madam Huo - who had at some point came out to greet the Huo patriarch, headed toward the living room, Xi Yunxui quietly turned toward the kitchen instead.

The strange chicken was still nestled securely in her arms.

The creature seemed unusually content now, occasionally shifting its wings before settling down again.

Xi Yunxui lowered her gaze toward it.

"You’re lucky you look cute," she muttered under her breath.

The chicken tilted its head.

Xi Yunxui sighed.

"Don’t pretend you don’t understand."

She continued toward the kitchen.

As soon as she stepped inside, the head chef, Chef Zhao, noticed her.

His eyes immediately brightened.

"Miss Xi, is everything settled?"

Xi Yunxui paused.

For a brief moment, she didn’t know what to say.

Settled?

If only.

She saw King C and the chicken destroy over half of the garden, discovered that the strange old fortune teller she had scolded was actually the Huo family’s patriarch, and somehow ended up bringing the chicken back without actually solving anything.

Xi Yunxui could only give Chef Zhao an awkward smile.

"Something like that."

Chef Zhao looked at her for a moment, clearly sensing that there was more to the story, but he wisely decided not to ask.

Xi Yunxui placed the chicken somewhere safe before turning her attention back to the food.

Although most of the dishes had already been prepared, she wanted to inspect everything one final time before it was served.

She moved from one dish to another, checking the appearance, temperature, and aroma.

Everything seemed fine.

Then she reached the final dish.

Xi Yunxui stopped.

Her brows knitted together.

Something was wrong.

The smell was subtle—so subtle that an ordinary person probably wouldn’t notice it.

But Xi Yunxui did.

She had spent years working in a restaurant in her previous life. As the restaurant’s business grew, it naturally attracted competitors who weren’t above using underhanded methods.

There had been several attempts to sabotage their food.

Some substances had been added to ingredients.

Others had been secretly mixed into prepared dishes.

Because of those experiences, Xi Yunxui had developed an unusually sharp sense for anything strange in food.

She leaned closer to the dish and carefully smelled it again.

Something has been added.

She didn’t immediately accuse anyone.

Instead, she picked up a small spoon and carefully took a tiny amount of the food.

She was just about to taste it when—

[Warning! An unknown substance has been detected in the food.]

[This substance may be harmful to the guests. Consumption is not recommended.]

Xi Yunxui froze.

The spoon remained suspended beside her lips.

Her expression didn’t change.

Slowly, she lowered the spoon.

Someone tampered with the food.

Her eyes quietly swept across the kitchen.

There were three chefs present.

Chef Zhao stood closest to the stove, busy checking another dish.

The second chef was arranging ingredients nearby.

And then there was the third chef.

Chef Chen.

Xi Yunxui’s gaze briefly landed on him.

The moment their eyes met, Chef Chen quickly looked away.

It was only for a second.

Most people wouldn’t have noticed.

But Xi Yunxui did.

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

Suspicious.

She didn’t confront him.

Suspicion wasn’t evidence.

For all she knew, Chef Chen could simply have been curious about what she was doing.

Accusing someone without proof could create unnecessary trouble, especially when the person involved was a member of the Huo family’s kitchen staff.

Xi Yunxui calmly put down the spoon and acted as though nothing had happened.

She turned toward the servants who were waiting nearby.

"You can start taking the dishes out."

"Yes, Miss Xi."

The servants immediately began carrying the food toward the dining area.

Xi Yunxui watched them carefully.

Her expression remained calm, but her mind was already turning.

Whoever added that substance must have had access to the kitchen.

She glanced once more toward Chef Chen.

He was already pretending to be busy.

Xi Yunxui said nothing.

For now, she would watch.

---

Meanwhile, in the living room, King C had already found himself a comfortable seat.

The moment Huo Jingchen’s grandfather sat down, the goat was placed on the chair beside him.

King C immediately sat upright.

His chest puffed out.

His head lifted proudly.

His little eyes wandered around the spacious living room with an air of importance.

It was the first time he had been allowed to sit on a proper chair in the Huo residence.

Usually, Xi Yunxui was always constantly reminding him that he couldn’t behave as though every piece of furniture belonged to him.

But today?

Nobody was stopping him.

King C stretched his legs slightly and settled deeper into the chair.

His expression practically screamed—

Finally. I have been recognized for the noble creature that I am.

Madam Huo, who was sitting nearby, glanced at him and couldn’t help smiling.

"What a proud little fellow."

King C lifted his chin even higher.

Huo Jingchen’s grandfather noticed the gesture and laughed quietly.

"This fellow certainly has a personality."

King C’s ears twitched proudly.

He seemed very pleased with himself.

Huo Jingchen himself had excused himself earlier to go upstairs and change.

After spending so much time outside, he wanted something more comfortable than his usual formal clothing.

The moment he entered his room and closed the door behind him, however, he didn’t immediately head for his wardrobe.

Instead, he leaned against the closed door.

His head tilted slightly backward.

He exhaled slowly.

His heart was beating faster than usual.

Huo Jingchen frowned.

He knew his own body extremely well.

He was disciplined.

Controlled.

Even under enormous pressure, he rarely allowed his emotions to show.

Yet now, for some inexplicable reason, his heart refused to settle.

His mind drifted back to the garden.

More specifically—

To Xi Yunxui.

He remembered the sight of her hurrying across the garden, chasing after King C and the strange chicken.

He remembered the way she had called out to them.

The slightly breathless frustration in her voice.

The way she had looked completely exasperated as she tried to stop them from destroying everything around them.

And somehow, that simple scene had struck something deep inside him.

He had felt an overwhelming sense of warmth.

A strange happiness.

Almost as though he had returned home after being away for a very long time.

Ah... I’m home.

The thought had appeared in his mind so naturally that even now, remembering it made his chest tighten.

Huo Jingchen closed his eyes for a moment.

It had taken an extraordinary amount of restraint not to walk straight toward her.

To pull her into his arms.

To simply hold her.

He had no idea why seeing her like that affected him so deeply.

Perhaps it was because he was used to seeing Xi Yunxui as the quiet maid who carefully followed the rules.

But today, she had been different.

She had been lively.

Flustered.

Frustrated.

And somehow, incredibly endearing.

Huo Jingchen opened his eyes.

His lips curved into the faintest smile.

Then he suddenly realized he had been standing there for quite some time.

He straightened and walked toward his dressing room.

He opened the wardrobe.

There were countless clothes inside.

Huo Jingchen reached for one shirt.

He held it against himself and studied it for several seconds.

Then he frowned.

"No."

He put it back.

He picked another.

He looked at it.

Still no.

Another.

Then another.

Five outfits later, Huo Jingchen stood in front of his wardrobe with a deeply puzzled expression.

"What exactly is wrong with me?"

He looked around his room.

He wasn’t going to a business meeting.

He wasn’t attending an important event.

He wasn’t meeting a client.

He was simply at home.

So why was he standing here worrying about what to wear?

Huo Jingchen stared at the clothes in silence.

Then his expression slowly changed.

A certain possibility crossed his mind.

His ears felt strangely warm.

He immediately dismissed the thought.

Ridiculous.

He reached for another outfit.

Then paused.

His mind once again returned to Xi Yunxui.

Huo Jingchen stared blankly at the clothes in his hands.

After a few seconds, he quietly muttered,

"...This is getting serious."

And for the first time, the normally decisive CEO of the Huo Group found himself genuinely troubled by the simple question of what to wear at home.

---

The servants soon began carrying the prepared dishes out of the kitchen, one after another. The aroma of the food quickly spread through the dining area, filling the room with an enticing fragrance.

Madam Huo, who had been seated in the living room, noticed the servants beginning to arrange the dishes.

She rose gracefully from her seat and turned toward the Huo family’s patriarch.

"Father, the food is ready. We can go to the dining room."

The old man nodded.

"Alright."

He pushed himself up from his seat and took a step forward.

Then he suddenly stopped.

His gaze drifted toward King C.

The little goat was still sitting proudly on the chair, looking as though he had completely forgotten the destruction he had caused in the garden.

The patriarch’s lips curved into an amused smile.

Without saying anything, he walked over and reached down.

He picked King C up with ease.

King C blinked.

Then his eyes narrowed contentedly.

Ah... this old man truly knows my worth.

After all, the man had personally carried him from one place to another.

Clearly, this was someone with excellent judgment.

King C settled comfortably in the patriarch’s arms as the old man carried him toward the dining room.

Once they arrived, the patriarch carefully placed King C on an elevated chair beside the table.

King C immediately looked toward the dining table.

His eyes widened.

Dish after dish had already been arranged neatly across the table.

The colors, aroma, and presentation were enough to make even him momentarily forget about his usual mischief.

His nose twitched.

Oh?

He leaned forward slightly.

This girl...

His eyes gleamed.

Xi Yunxui is actually very good at cooking.

The patriarch took his seat.

Madam Huo sat beside him, while the others gradually settled around the table.

But the moment the patriarch took a proper look at the dishes before him, his expression changed.

He didn’t immediately pick up his chopsticks.

Instead, he studied the dishes carefully.

His gaze moved from one plate to another.

The seasoning.

The arrangement.

Even the aroma.

After several seconds, he turned toward Madam Huo.

"Did you hire another chef?"

Madam Huo stared at him.

Then she suddenly laughed.

"Father, you can tell?"

She looked genuinely amused.

"How can you tell that the food wasn’t prepared by one of our usual chefs just by looking at it?"

The patriarch raised an eyebrow.

"Why wouldn’t I be able to tell?"

He picked up his chopsticks and casually inspected one of the dishes.

"I’ve eaten food cooked by your chefs for years. I know their cooking styles."

He gave a small, confident smile.

"I can recognize when someone else has prepared the food."

Madam Huo shook her head with a smile.

"Your palate is still as sharp as ever."

She then glanced toward the kitchen.

"It wasn’t prepared by any of our usual chefs."

The patriarch looked at her.

"Then who made it?"

"Xi Yunxui."

There was a brief pause.

The patriarch’s brows lifted slightly.

"Xi Yunxui?"

Madam Huo nodded.

"Yes. The young maid who owns that goat."

She gestured casually toward King C.

The patriarch’s eyes moved toward the goat.

King C was currently staring intently at the food.

A faint smile appeared on the old man’s face.

"Oh."

That was all he said.

He didn’t ask any further questions.

Instead, he calmly picked up his chopsticks and turned his attention back to the food.

But the slight amusement in his eyes remained.

After all, this was certainly becoming more interesting than he had expected.