Chapter 868: Chapter 867: Movements
Liu Ying is indeed scared.
Behind the door, there is a delicate face that shows excitement and shyness.
Unlike yesterday when she appeared to challenge Liu Lan with confidence, it seems like the 13-year-old girl hiding behind the door now is the standard and classic Lolita.
“I am Xia Yu—”
A slightly familiar voice.
Liu Ying’s hand on the door lock trembled a bit.
Even though yesterday’s encounter was their first meeting, Liu Ying felt this voice was even more familiar than her mother’s call.
She opened her mouth to respond.
“Don’t remember?” the voice asked again.
“R-remember!”
Liu Ying said softly.
“Open the door for me!”
Then came the direct knocking on the door.
“Ah—”
Clearly startled, Liu Ying squatted down, covering her head with both hands, “Wait a minute!”
“How long to wait?”
“Wait a little!”
“I’m very busy, if you don’t open it, I’m leaving…”
Saying that, Xia Yu pretended to turn around.
Click!
The sound of the door lock opening, the courtyard door opened slightly, Liu Ying’s face peered through the crack, timidly calling to him, “Wait…”
She gathered all her courage, clenching her hands tightly.
Xia Yu turned around, meeting the eyes through the crack, he could clearly see the shyness in Liu Ying’s eyes, which completely overturned his impression of her.
Yesterday, upon first meeting Liu Ying, she was a spoiled problem girl bossing her brother, Chef Liu Lan, around. Now the scene had changed to a reclusive girl afraid of seeing people?
What the hell!
Xia Yu’s forehead twitched, feeling like he might have found the wrong person.
Is she really the one he wants to find? Xia Yu had deep doubt for the first time about his choice.
However, human personality is something difficult to explain with words.
Take the Ten Outstanding Chief, Table White Knight, Si Yingshi as an example.
This guy, handsome enough and with excellent cooking skills, definitely belongs to the perfect high-status figure, supposed to be the number one boss with a lofty character, but he has some cowardly personality, is very weak in controlling the Ten Master Mechanism, which leads to other members doing things behind his back in daily life.
However, his cowardly demeanor is limited to daily life, if it concerns culinary matters, Si Yingshi immediately becomes serious and assertive.
Thinking of Si Yingshi, Xia Yu’s tightly frowned brows slightly relaxed.
He looked at the evasive big eyes through the door crack and decided to try something in the culinary aspect.
It just so happened he assigned a similar homework yesterday.
“Little Ying, as I said yesterday, control is not only reflected in the amount of ingredients used but also in knife skills, heat control, etc. I asked you to study the impact of knife skills on the quality of a dish, right?”
Liu Ying paused.
“Hmm…”
Strangely, when mentioning culinary matters, her eyes immediately became calm and decisive, with no sign of hesitation or timidity, “Mr. Xia, I tried repeatedly after returning yesterday. Regarding your statement on how knife skills impact dish quality and their relationship with control, I am willing to believe and feel it’s the direction I should strive for, but I think I’m far behind and haven’t touched the edge yet…”
Her head drooped in disappointment, not out of shyness this time.
Liu Ying’s change made Xia Yu’s eyes light up.
“There’s hope!”
He couldn’t help but push the door open, Liu Ying looked at him in astonishment, but Xia Yu quickly said, “Hmm, your attempt shows you’re keen. I can demonstrate for you, proving that the knife skills I mentioned have limitless possibilities in the future.”
He blinked at Liu Ying.
“Alright!”
Liu Ying exclaimed in surprise, her voice full of energy and determination.
Seeing this, Xia Yu finally smiled, “That’s more like it! Come on, lift your head, stand tall, I’ll train you to become a feared female demon, instead of fearing others.”
Outside, Liu Mother and Liu Feng exchanged glances.
Seeing Xia Yu dragging Liu Ying’s hand towards the kitchen while laughing and chatting, Liu Feng was dumbfounded, feeling this was really his shy sister who was indifferent to her brother?
Liu Mother murmured happily, “Looks like Little Ying can learn from this Demon King Xia.”
From morning till afternoon, Xia Yu bid farewell to Liu Mother and returned to the mansion.
Zhu Qing greeted him at the door excitedly, “How was it, did you strengthen your relationship with that little disciple?”
Xia Yu kept his head down thoughtfully, ignoring her.
“When talking about culinary arts, she’s open and energetic, but once idle, her demeanor changes… can’t do, looks like before the Lantern Festival selection, gotta give her special training!”
The first festival of the year is the Lantern Festival, which falls on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, about two weeks away.
According to the system task, in these two weeks, Xia Yu needs to significantly improve Liu Ying’s culinary skills to a level where she can face special chefs head-on, so she won’t be eliminated early in the selection process.
Part of it is culinary skills, and part of it is special training tailored to her personality…
Xia Yu is indeed troubled.
The time is pressing, considering the current situation, the task of “Juxia Building’s Reputation” can undoubtedly be described as hell-level difficulty.
The problem is, the task rewards and difficulties are severely unmatched!
“System, can you unlock the ‘Juxia Building’ management template and replace the reward, maybe with a golden Evolution Crystal Stone or something…”
“Hint: ‘Juxia Building’ is a special historic establishment, indirectly owned and managed by the host. You may receive a certain amount of specialty products from the historic establishment on the monthly settlement day.”
Specialty products?
Xia Yu was stunned; inexplicably, he thought of Ye Feizhou’s use of the White Jade Tower’s specialty product “Cold Water.”
“If it’s a special ingredient, one that cannot be purchased with Fame Points and can only be acquired through owning a historic establishment’s output… Then the task reward is decent!” Thinking about some mysterious unknown specialty ingredient, Xia Yu’s hands itched.
What could it be? In any case, don’t let people be disappointed.
“Aunt Qing!”
Suddenly, he whispered closely to Zhu Qing, making Zhu Qing’s expression increasingly peculiar as she listened.
“Are you sure?”
Zhu Qing was stunned.
“Yes, it’s the only way. Isn’t it just fear of strangers? Then let her see the world more, and in the process, hone her culinary skills! It’s not culinary skills developed at home, but skills that can be normally displayed under the public’s gaze!” Xia Yu already has a training plan for his nominal disciple Liu Ying.
First——
Let’s at least alter her overly secluded second personality somewhat, so she’s not afraid of strangers, and can perform her culinary skills normally on the duel stage.
Otherwise, Xia Yu wouldn’t expect a 13-year-old girl with psychological shortcomings to win the Lantern Festival selection.
That’s nothing but daydreaming.
…
This year, it’s been quite unsettled.
Outside the Xia Mansion, the position for the third Pavilion Master of White Jade Tower soon to be publicly recruited spread widely, and everyone was discussing.
On the third day of the month.
Jingzhou, Jiang Han City.
A secluded small manor by the big river welcomed visitors.
“Brother Huang, what great interest!”
There was clapping from behind. Having retired from a high position in the Imperial City and returned to his hometown, Huang He, wearing a bamboo hat and a raincoat, pretty much looked like an old fisherman, sat still on a small stool by the river pier.
The visitor was in no rush, standing with hands behind his back for over an hour until Huang He caught a fat freshwater fish, then he suddenly said quietly, “Fish, when I see fish, I always pull out the footage of this year’s hunting competition finals and watch it again; I’ve watched it seven or eight times. Every time, I feel that Demon King Xia lives up to his name!”
The fish slipped from his hand, not placed in the fish basket, and it flopped around on the pier floor.
Huang He picked up the fish, looked back at the visitor indifferently, “Wu Tong, I know why you’re here, but the enmity between Xia Qing and me was resolved in the battle of Loulin Ship. You should go.”
The visitor turned out to be the current ‘Tianji Star’, Wu Tong, the second-in-command under the leader Yan Qi in the Dark Cuisine World, an old monster that truly exists.
Wu Tong stood with hands behind his back, gaze far-reaching, as if overlooking the vast river, but his face clearly radiated contempt.
“Your position is soon to be taken by Xia Qing.”
Upon hearing this, Huang He, who was grabbing the fish basket, shivered slightly.
“Have you heard? The third Pavilion Master of White Jade Tower, the leader intends to publicly recruit. Think about it, how did that Pavilion Master chair become vacant? Wasn’t it because Xia Qing defeated you? In terms of culinary skills and fame, he’s more than qualified!”
The indifference on Huang He’s face was replaced by something chilling, “I absolutely cannot accept Xia Qing taking that position!”
The old monster Wu Tong smiled fakely, “Good, I also don’t want the Xia Family to rise from the ashes.”
Huang He gazed at him icily.
“So tell me, what do you want me to do?”
“Brother Huang, continue your secluded life; you just need to lend me someone, a powerful Lin Chef.” Wu Tong’s flickering eyes revealed an unspeakable murderous intent.
“Lin Chef? Not a Dragon Chef?”
Huang He’s expression changed slightly, reading the murderous intent in Wu Tong’s eyes, coming to an understanding.
“For everything else, I won’t need Brother Huang to worry, but as for Lin Chef personnel, looking across the Chinese Realm only the former Chief Instructor of White Jade Tower can command.”
“Alright!”
Huang He’s response was concise.
Actually, in his mind, it was more about the determination to help his beloved disciple Ye Feizhou eliminate the Demon King of his generation.
In the Chinese Realm, there cannot be two tigers on one mountain; only one Crown Prince successor can exist.
Otherwise, with more Crown Princes, and other dragon heirs being better, the Chinese Cuisine World could easily fall into chaos. Huang He thought about many things, even imagining the fierce rivalry between Demon King Xia and Ye Feizhou ten years later, with the Chinese Realm splitting into two factions…
This was something Huang He did not want to see.
Not for personal vendetta, but for the future of the Chinese Realm. Huang He told himself this in his heart.