When Li Shuxiao sat down at the dining table, she realized she was wrong, not just wrong, but spectacularly wrong.
She had initially assumed that even if Lin Xiao's cooking skills were decent, they would be limited to home-style dishes. At his young age, she didn't expect him to possess the expertise of a hotel master chef.
However, as she looked at the lavish spread on the table, she knew she had been mistaken.
She saw Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, a giant baby lobster, a multi-treasure fish, roasted pigeon, and white-cut chicken...
And then there was the most unbelievable item, a phoenix made entirely of bean sprouts, something she had only ever seen in "Little Chef"!
It was utterly surreal!
Li Shuxiao rubbed her eyes and instinctively leaned closer to the phoenix, which was larger than Xun'er. She blurted out, "Lin Xiao... did you make this just now?"
"Yes," Lin Xiao nodded. "This thing was indeed a bit troublesome, but purely in terms of presentation, it looks better than the baby lobster. It's one of my more satisfying creations."
When he cooked, he usually wouldn't bother with dishes like Buddha Jumps Over the Wall or steamed multi-treasure fish. Even for white-cut chicken, he would make it spicy. However, to accommodate Li Shuxiao, who had lived in Huadu and abroad for so long, he made everything as light as possible.
Of course, he had seasoned some dishes specifically for Xun'er to enjoy.
"Isn't this something that takes several hours to prepare?" Li Shuxiao asked, bewildered. "This took less than an hour, right?"
She couldn't comprehend how one hour could be enough for such a table of dishes, each requiring considerable effort. Was it possible he had other chefs in the kitchen?
"It wasn't too bad. This took me a little over ten minutes, making it the most troublesome dish," Lin Xiao replied. For ordinary people, just sorting through the bean sprouts would take days, but Lin Xiao was different. His control over spiritual energy allowed him to finish in ten minutes.
"..."
She eyed Lin Xiao suspiciously. She simply couldn't believe him. Who could prepare such a dish in just over ten minutes? Even processing a single baby lobster would take that long.
Let alone this entire table of food. Lin Xiao must be lying. He must have hired someone to prepare everything in the kitchen much earlier, which is why he could present all these dishes in under half an hour.
She wanted to voice her thoughts, but seeing the child nearby, she refrained. Especially since, in the eyes of the adorable Xun'er, Lin Xiao was likely her hero.
She would have a serious talk with Lin Xiao later. At the very least, he shouldn't lie in front of the child, as one lie often requires a thousand more to cover up.
"Come, let's eat first. You must be hungry after such a long drive. Eat, eat," Lin Xiao urged.
Li Shuxiao frowned and took a bite of the giant phoenix.
The moment she tasted it, her eyes widened.
Due to her family's wealth, she had opportunities to taste dishes from many renowned chefs. After this single bite, she could tell.
This was incredibly fresh!
It was likely only recently out of the pot. The juices and texture were superb.
Furthermore, the craftsmanship surpassed any dish she had ever eaten, and the flavor was perfect.
Whose esteemed culinary skill was this?
Li Shuxiao glanced at Lin Xiao.