Chapter 67: Small Scale Hell on Earth [4K]
Although Luxianbei always felt that the kitchen helpers were a group of big rats and a bit strange, she had to admit that the Yishu at the Liao Zhai Tavern were really efficient.
After she told the helper what ingredients and tools she needed for cooking, within three minutes, it brought everything back in a small bamboo basket, neatly arranged on the stove, then politely bowed and stepped aside.
Once the Yishu stepped back, Luxianbei took a deep breath, walked forward, picked up a kitchen kn*fe in one hand, and grabbed a lively crucian carp with the other. She quickly cleaned and scaled it, then dried it with a towel and placed it on the cutting board to begin filleting the fish.
Filleting a fish with many bones requires a very high skill level. If the force is not enough, small bones will remain; but if too much force is applied, the fish meat will become too mushy, affecting the taste.
However, for Luxianbei, this was not a difficult task.
While removing the small bones of the crucian carp, she maximized the integrity of the fish. The difficulty is much lower than when Qing Ji taught her the “Taihe Gentleman Sword Illustration,” where she had to stack three pieces of glass and strike with one sword to only shatter the middle piece while keeping the top and bottom intact.
After filleting and cutting the fish, she placed it in a small basin she had prepared earlier, sprinkled some minced ginger and garlic, poured in cooking wine and a bit of salt, and set it aside to marinate.
While it was marinating, Luxianbei skillfully prepared various seasonings.
Seeing her fully focused on cooking, Hu Boss stopped interrupting and silently observed for a moment. He simply stood up from his chair, swaying the teapot in his hand, and leisurely walked towards Mr. Hei in the distance.
He passed through the towering shelves and approached a low metal spiral staircase, quickly ascending the steps until he reached Mr. Hei’s side.
This location was close to the center of the kitchen and the highest point, allowing him to see almost every corner of the kitchen.
“Is that guy your new apprentice?”
Mr. Hei, who was still cooking a pot of dishes smelling of oil, did not turn around upon sensing Hu Boss’s approach and simply said lightly.
“The basic skills are decent, but while filleting the fish, you can still feel some traces of swordplay, which contains a murderous aura that affects the taste.”
Hu Boss took a sip of tea and glanced at the busy Luxianbei, after a long time he withdrew his gaze and said slowly, “She didn’t come from me; she sought me out herself.”
“Oh?” A hint of surprise flashed in Mr. Hei’s eyes as he asked, “Is she here to learn skills? What does she want to learn? Eight Delicacies?”
Hu Boss shook his head, “It’s even a bit more advanced than the Eight Delicacies.”
Mr. Hei was silent for a moment while plating the cooked dishes, then continued to ask, “More advanced than Eight Delicacies? Is it Five Flavors Mixed?”
“That would be nice. If she really can learn it, you should keep her; she could help me out.”
After saying this, he turned to look at Hu Boss.
Upon seeing a meaningful smile on Hu Boss’s face, he raised one hand above his head and gestured, “More advanced than Five Flavors Mixed? So high?!”
“Old buddy, don’t be so conservative; combine her identity and guess boldly!”
Mr. Hei stared blankly at Hu Boss, then glanced at Luxianbei, who was blanching the crucian carp, and after a long silence, tentatively inquired, “Could it be that she wants to learn Hell on Earth?”
Although it was Mr. Hei’s first time meeting Luxianbei, he had already heard of the name Calamity.
A merciless witch sort of urban legend wanting to learn dishes that provide experiences akin to having one’s soul extinguished seems entirely reasonable.
Heard that in England, there’s a force known as Hell’s Kitchen, gathering many witch-urban legends, cooking dishes that are quite unique, and are well-known in the entire spiritual community as poisons.
“Wrong!” Hu Boss shook his head and revealed the correct answer to Mr. Hei, “What she wants to learn is the human fireworks! Isn’t that very ambitious?”
Throughout the history of Liao Zhai Tavern, thirty thousand apprentices wanted to learn human fireworks. Among them, twenty-eight thousand couldn’t even make it through the basics, and of the remaining two thousand who can reach the standard of Five Flavors Mixed, fewer than a hundred ultimately succeeded; only two and a half made it through.
“You should understand what that represents, right?”
“I understand.” Mr. Hei stated expressionlessly with his giant square face, “That means she can’t learn it.”
“Don’t be so absolute!” Hu Boss waved his hand, “I think she’s quite talented.”
“Look at her; the dishes she’s making actually have flavor, right?”
As he spoke, Hu Boss stretched his neck toward Luxianbei’s direction and sniffed.
“Yeah, it has a flavor of nostalgia, a bit of affection from elders to juniors, a touch of life’s suffering, and a hint of love that cannot be together.”
Mr. Hei pondered for a long while before stating seriously, “Do you really think she can learn? I don’t think she looks the type willing to stay here as a boss.”
Yes, Luxianbei does not know, and Hu Boss hasn’t told her, that learning the methods of human fireworks signifies qualification to take over as the owner of Liao Zhai Tavern.
In fact, Hu Boss is not even the original founder of Liao Zhai Tavern; he is the third owner.
“Heaven knows what she intends to do by learning human fireworks. She could very well be like that Pu, learn it, and then run away.” Mr. Hei said.
“Isn’t that fine?” Hu Boss replied, “That Pu’s book allowed everyone in the world to taste a bit of human fireworks; what’s wrong with that?”
Hearing this, Mr. Hei’s expression changed. He slammed the stove angrily and said, “Goodness! You think it’s good? That’s because he didn’t include you in the book. Ask the kitchen staff what they think!”
“Tsk!” Hu Boss spat and waved his hand, “You folks are such cheapskates! If they didn’t include you in the book, would so many people know you existed?”
“If so many people didn’t know you existed, how would you have enough source of spiritual energy?”
“Mr. Hei shot a sidelong glance at Hu Boss and said, “So this is your excuse for not giving us wages, huh?”
Hearing this, Hu Boss’s face twitched, and he became awkward. He changed the subject, “Uh, I think that calamity guy is almost done; shall we go try?”
Mr. Hei looked at Luxianbei from a distance and seemed to sense something; his brows instantly furrowed, shaking his head like a square drum, “You go; look at what she is making! If you dare eat it, I won’t!”
“Hmm?” Hu Boss looked puzzled.
While talking with Mr. Hei just now, he had carefully observed Luxianbei’s cooking.
From various details, although the dishes Luxianbei produced were far from the standard of human fireworks, based on ordinary human standards, they were already quite delicious.
Why did Mr. Hei react so strongly? Hu Boss thought.
Then, after seeing the dish of Huoxiang Tender Fish that Luxianbei was plating, he suddenly understood.
That dish had “poison”!
**”Deadly” poison!**
Moreover, it faintly exuded an aura of destruction.
How did she manage to do that?
This changing dynamic felt too sudden, as if a charming girl turned into a gruesome, grotesque beast in the blink of an eye.
What kind of mental journey did she undergo when making this dish? Hu Boss wondered.
He initially thought that Luxianbei had great talent for learning “human fireworks,” but it seemed now that her talent for learning “Hell on Earth” was even stronger—
The marinated crucian carp was blanched, and when the meat was nearly cooked, it was swiftly lifted out. Then, with hot oil, a pinch of Sichuan pepper, minced garlic, Doubanjiang, and preserved ginger were tossed in to release aroma before the fish meat was added. Once the surface of the meat had a layer of golden red, water was added to bring it to a boil.
As soon as Luxianbei plated the dish and drizzled the sauce over it, Hu Boss appeared by her side like a ghost, reminiscent of a member from a manga group who stumbled upon something exciting.
“Done? Can I taste it?”
“Yeah, please!” Luxianbei replied, handing him chopsticks.
Hu Boss took the chopsticks, picked the fattest and most tender part of the fish, and placed a small piece in his mouth.
The moment the fish entered, the tender and smooth texture took over his palate, followed by an intense aroma, with just the right hint of Huoxiang leaves’ fragrance.
Then, before the enticing aroma faded, the hidden devil beneath the deliciousness revealed its claws.
Tremendous spiciness, a mild bitterness, and an unbearable sourness exploded from every corner of his mouth, crashing into every nerve cell like a missile on the ground.
Soon after, the horrifying spiciness, bitterness, and indescribable foulness exploded from every corner of his mouth like a bomb.
Of course, these terrifying flavors were not the actual taste but rather a pure and shocking impact on the spiritual sense.
There’s a saying that the food made earnestly has a soul.
In a sense, what Hu Boss was tasting was the soul of the dish.
Clearly, this dish of Huoxiang Tender Fish by Luxianbei had a terrifying soul capable of causing spiritual pollution.
Ordinary people who lacked spiritual awareness could only taste the initial deliciousness of the fish and would be unable to realize the horror within.
It was just like ordinary people could not glimpse hell.
However, Hu Boss was not an ordinary person; he was not just an urban legend but also someone with exceptionally sharp spiritual awareness.
To put it simply, super doubled!
The fish meat entered his mouth, and he instantly felt petrified, pausing for a moment, and though his face showed no displeasure, he silently spat the fish out.
Mr. Hei thought that only Hu Boss in the whole Liao Zhai Tavern could eat this stuff, but now Hu Boss wanted to clarify that he couldn’t eat it either.
That thing was simply a small-scale hell on earth!
Perhaps some urban legends might like it, but the vast majority of urban legends and spiritual ability users couldn’t handle it.
Seeing Hu Boss only take a small bite before spitting out the dish he made, Luxianbei felt greatly let down and somewhat disbelieving as she asked, “Although I know my skills are far worse than the folks at Liao Zhai Tavern, is it really that bad?”
Even if it’s hard to eat, can’t you at least show some face and swallow it? Luxianbei thought to herself.
Hu Boss straightened up, looked at Luxianbei, and shook his head, “No, your skills are quite outstanding; in terms of flavor, you’ve surpassed the vast majority of human chefs already.”
“But didn’t you say you wanted to learn the methods of human fireworks?”
“Indeed!” Luxianbei nodded earnestly.
“If that’s the case, your dish not only has nothing to do with the basics but is also completely contrary to it.” Hu Boss said.
“Simply put, food, due to its unique meaning of existence, often carries many beautiful expectations. Yet I didn’t taste any beauty in your dish; rather, I sensed potent malice.
“Can you tell me what you were thinking while making this dish?”
What to think? Could it be that what I thought while cooking is the key to mastering human fireworks? Luxianbei thought and responded calmly, “I thought of a lot.”
“I thought about my dad when he made this dish for me.”
So that was the source of that nostalgia? Hu Boss nodded.
“Unfortunately, he has passed away; his bones are gone, and when I think of him, I can’t help but think about how painful it must have been for him before he left.”
Hu Boss, “…”
“I thought of Mr. Zhang, who often dined at our small family restaurant. He particularly liked children and always earnestly but awkwardly persuaded the children who came to eat to study hard.”
So that was where the caring aroma came from? Hu Boss nodded again.
“Unfortunately, he also passed away; the neighbors said he had liver cancer and left last year.”
Hu Boss, “…”
“I also thought of the little couple who often dined at our small restaurant. They were truly in love, and I envied them as a child, thinking that might be the true appearance of love.
“Did they also d*e?” Hu Boss couldn’t help but interject.
“That’s not the case.” Luxianbei shook her head expressionlessly and said, “They broke up.”
“When I was cooking just now, I couldn’t help but think about how such loving couples ultimately have to part ways. Though they are alive, love has actually died, right?”
“It’s just like when the movie has ended, but you’re still sitting there, unable to leave; no matter how much you wait, you can only wait until the end credit.”
Hu Boss pressed his forehead lightly and said in a deep voice, “I think I roughly understand your problem.”
Why are you always thinking about d*ath while cooking?
With a sense of despair, how could you manage to create human fireworks?
Chapter 68: Can Only Be Done Once
Chapter 68: Can Only Be Done Once [5K]
After a brief silence, Hu Boss crossed his arms over his chest and looked at Luxianbei with a serious expression. He asked, “Miss Calamity, have you heard a saying? That the chef’s mood can affect the taste of the dishes.”
Luxianbei thought for a moment and nodded at Hu Boss.
She had not only heard of it, but not long ago, when Jiang Li was being sent off, she had also cooked an unpalatable table of dishes due to a low mood.
“But how does this relate to whether I can learn human fireworks?”
“Of course it does!” Hu Boss replied, “From the standpoint of basic cooking skills, you are already quite excellent. But while cooking, you always inadvertently emit negative energy, and that negative energy ultimately merges into the dishes you cook, thereby influencing the final product’s taste.
“This influence might not be apparent when your spiritual energy fluctuation level is low, but now your spiritual energy fluctuation level has already far surpassed most spiritual ability users and urban legends. The weak energy emitted unintentionally can have a huge impact on the things around you.
“The cause of this situation is likely related to your past experiences; as for what you have been through in the past, I won’t pry too much, ha ha!”
Upon hearing this, Luxianbei squinted her eyes, sizing Hu Boss up and said, “I think I understand what you mean; you want to say, I have no talent and are trying to discourage me, right?
One’s past experiences are hard to change, and as long as they don’t change, they will influence the taste of the dishes produced every time.
In such a case, it would be very difficult to learn the cooking methods of human fireworks!
It is almost equivalent to having no talent at all.
Actually, Luxianbei felt that Hu Boss’s words were quite euphemistic; if it were her, she might have directly said something like, “A waste of spiritual roots wants to cultivate? What are you dreaming about!”
Hu Boss looked at Luxianbei, was stunned for a moment, then smiled, “You may have misunderstood; I didn’t intend to discourage you.”
“Actually, I believe you not only have talent, but exceptional talent. When it comes to pouring emotion into cooking dishes, other apprentices would need at least a few years to learn.”
“However, your talent is not quite suitable for learning the cooking methods of human fireworks. I wonder if you are interested in learning something else?”
“Something else?” Luxianbei tilted her head curiously and asked, “What exactly?”
“Hell on Earth!”
Luxianbei, ???
For a moment, she thought her hearing was off and hadn’t quite understood what Hu Boss said.
But when she looked at Hu Boss, she found his eyes were very serious, completely unlike someone joking.
Seeing Luxianbei’s doubtful gaze, Hu Boss smiled and repeated, “You heard it right; I am indeed talking about Hell on Earth, the kind that uses negative energy as raw materials, extracts essence through cooking, and brings misfortune and despair to diners.”
While speaking, he glanced at the plate of Huoxiang Tender Fish on the stove and added, “In terms of cooking Hell on Earth, you are undoubtedly a once-in-a-thousand-years genius!”
“Take the dish you just made as an example; without anyone teaching you, it has already taken on the initial shape of Hell on Earth; that’s indeed impressive!”
Although Hu Boss’s praise sounded sincere, Luxianbei couldn’t shake the feeling of not being able to feel joyful.
It felt like someone sincerely complimenting a not very attractive girl, “Even though you don’t look good, you’re uniquely ugly!”
Completely impolite and hurtful, right?
Luxianbei thought, glancing at the Huoxiang Tender Fish she made, she fell silent for a few seconds, then suddenly raised her head and looked directly at Hu Boss, her tone serious, “But I have reasons I must obtain human fireworks; if I truly have no chance of learning it, can I trouble you to help me make it?”
“Since you understand the cooking methods of human fireworks, you should be able to do it, right?”
“I can give you remuneration! If that doesn’t work, I will stay here and learn that ‘Hell on Earth’ cooking method, and work for you for a while.”
“Oh? That’s an interesting proposal. I refuse!” Hu Boss replied with a cunning smile, akin to that of a fox.
One of your favorite things to do is to say ‘NO’ to those you think are capable? Luxianbei internally grumbled and asked, “Why? Didn’t you say it was tempting? Is it because the remuneration isn’t enough?”
“The remuneration is certainly enough, and I am indeed tempted.” Hu Boss explained, “I refuse you because I can’t make it anymore.
After a pause, he added, “To be precise, currently, there’s no one in the entire Liao Zhai Tavern, including all spiritual ability users and urban legends, who can make it.”
“How could that be?” Luxianbei blurted out.
Upon hearing this, Hu Boss raised a finger and said solemnly, “Only once! Almost every chef who masters the cooking methods of human fireworks can only make it whole once, and I have already done it once.”
“Do you know why it can only be done once?”
Luxianbei stared blankly at Hu Boss, rather like a fool, shaking her head.
“Because the raw materials are insufficient! The materials needed for human fireworks may require the moon falling into a chimney, a rural village at night slightly leaning amidst a sea of wheat, or perhaps the dew falling from the branches, with the morning breeze quietly caressing the face.
“It could be summer white porcelain plum soup, the sound of crushed ice hitting a wall; grass is sowing its seeds, shaking its leaves, or it could be returning home late at night to find someone sleeping on the dining table waiting for you, along with a bowl of freshly cooked noodles garnished with a few sprigs of scallions and a spoonful of lard, steaming hot.”
“In short, it’s a kind of wonderful thing that is hard to describe. After making Huan fireworks fully once, although the beautiful memories remain, the materials are consumed, leaving not enough for a second time.”
At this point, Hu Boss observed that Luxianbei still seemed puzzled, as if she hadn’t comprehended, he pondered for a moment and shifted to explain, “Since you know that Pu guy, do you know what he cooked as human fireworks?”
Luxianbei looked at Hu Boss, momentarily stunned, before quickly realizing, “Is it ‘Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio’?”
Upon hearing this, Hu Boss revealed a pleased smile and nodded, “To be precise, it should be the original version of ‘Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio’.
After taking a deep breath, Luxianbei began to understand everything, and her eyes brightened, realizing that human fireworks doesn’t purely refer to strictly culinary dishes?
“Who told you it must be food?” Hu Boss said, “And here, experiencing human fireworks doesn’t completely mean consuming with one’s mouth; it also refers to absorbing through seeing, hearing, smelling, etc.!”
“Additionally, think carefully; besides that one human fireworks, do you remember any of his other works?”
“I remember!” Luxianbei responded without hesitation, “I think there’s a book called ‘The Classic of Agriculture and Mulberry’.”
“Hu Boss’s corner of his mouth twitched as he expressionlessly asked, “Do you remember anything else?”
“Of course!” Luxianbei again replied without hesitation, “I remember there are three dramatic scripts: ‘Nine Transformations of the Merchant’, ‘Celebrating Sister Zhong’s Birthday’, and ‘The Banquet’, along with ‘The Transmission of Plants’, ‘The Pharma of Prescription’, and ‘The Treatise on Febrile Diseases’—”
“Not that!” Hu Boss couldn’t help but interrupt, “How do you know so much?”
“Uh, by coincidence; by coincidence.” Luxianbei weakly replied, “Please don’t mind it.”
Should I tell you that I am a student of the Chinese Language and Literature Department, and I came across this knowledge while expanding my extracurricular pursuits? Luxianbei mentally added.
Seeing Hu Boss’s dark face, sensing the slight agitation in the ambient spiritual energy fluctuations, she immediately understood she had blurted something wrong impulsively.
It felt like someone saying, “People will always remember the first, who knows what the highest peak in the world is?” and beside you, naming every peak from Mount Everest down to the tenth peak, like Anaburna, without a hint of realization that their hand was almost fused into their own face.
Hu Boss stared silently at Luxianbei for a moment, his chest rising and falling slightly, adjusting his breath before speaking again.
So, if you want to obtain complete human fireworks, there are only two paths: the first is to find a way to collect enough raw materials.
“The second is to find a way to learn the cooking method yourself.”
“Although your talent isn’t well-suited for learning the cooking method of human fireworks, if you absolutely want to learn, we can still find a way to teach you.”
“I understand, I understand!” Luxianbei rapidly replied, “It’s like those athletes who once achieved remarkable success; when they grow old and weakened, although they can’t recreate their past glory, becoming an excellent coach isn’t a problem, right, coach?”
Although it also sounds somewhat correct? Hu Boss frowned, and his face once more displayed a smile that seemed to have been painted on.
“Pretty much that’s the meaning, so how will you choose?”
“The first option!” Luxianbei answered without hesitation, “Although my talent isn’t great, running errands should be much easier than learning directly, right?”
“This matter is probably just like me playing games; I’m completely clueless at making strategies, but as long as I look at other people’s strategies, I can almost pick it up after just one look.
“Plagiarizing homework, that I am most proficient at!”
The person who only learned half of the cooking methods of human fireworks thought the same way, but in fact, it wouldn’t be that much simpler.
Hu Boss opened his mouth, wanting to say something but repeatedly paused, finally saying, “If that’s the case, then come back to the kitchen at the same time tomorrow night.”
“At that time, I will give you the tools and methods for collecting human fireworks materials.”
At this point, he paused, turned to glance around the kitchen, then again focused his sight on Luxianbei, “It’s getting late today, so get some rest early, okay?”
“Got it! Thanks, Boss, I’ll leave first!” Luxianbei responded, turning to walk toward the elevator at the end of the kitchen.
Having walked only a little way, she suddenly stopped, turned back to ask Hu Boss, “By the way, Boss, can I also learn about Hell on Earth?”
That thing sounds powerful; it might be good to learn a bit.
“Learning is possible! If I can’t entice them, I’ll just drug all the little bastards and force Old Turtle to show up!”
Hu Boss was taken aback, smiled and nodded, “Of course you can.”
“Also,” Luxianbei glanced at the Huoxiang Tender Fish beside Hu Boss, raised her hand to point, and quietly asked, “Can I pack that thing up and take it back?”
She suddenly remembered she seemed to have promised Jumeng to pack a late-night snack for her but hadn’t paid attention to what Jumeng wanted, so she could only take this thing back to appease her.
Whether or not it’s edible is another matter; the intention counts for something, right?
At least, I can’t lose face before that stinky sister, right?
Moreover, I also want to see if this human hell is truly what I imagine it to be, capable of being made into weapons, Luxianbei thought.
Hu Boss shrugged, “Not a problem at all.”
That thing left in the kitchen will ultimately be a disaster; what if some nearsighted Yishu or mountain spirit ends up eating it? They’d probably d*e on the spot, and it’d be beyond rescue.
“Thanks, Boss!”
Luxianbei took the packed Huoxiang Tender Fish from Hu Boss, thanked him, and quickly walked out.
At the moment she turned around, her expression darkened, and she furrowed her brows.
She found it very strange.
She had no ties to Hu Boss; why was he willing to help her to this extent?
In the early morning, in the Jingyi Apartment Complex.
Jumeng, who hadn’t slept all night, was sitting cross-legged on Luxianbei’s bed, holding Wang Ying, watching the sunlight gradually intensify outside the window, pouting, and murmuring, “You dog thing, I asked you to bring me a late-night snack, but it’s already dawn and you’re still not back? What’s the point of a late-night snack? Might as well have breakfast!”
As she spoke, it was as if she suddenly thought of something; her expression darkened, her willow brows furrowed, and she raised her hand to slap the meatball in her arms, causing Wang Ying to struggle violently.
“Oh no! That dog thing couldn’t have done something and offended Hu Boss, got dragged into the kitchen by him, chopped up, and boiled, right?!”
“Then tonight, wouldn’t I have to order a calamity tenderloin tempura or spicy stir-fried calamity liver at Liao Zhai Tavern?”
While Jumeng was speaking, the sound of a door opening rang out from downstairs, quickly followed by the delicate call of Luxianbei.
Yes, she had stayed at Liao Zhai Tavern too long. When she came out, it was already bright, missing the chance to get rid of the urban legend transformation.
“Stinky sister, has the stinky sister gotten up? I brought you something to eat.”
Hearing that, Jumeng rolled her eyes, leaned back against the bed, and entered a pretending-to-sleep state.
I, sister, don’t care about whether you, dog thing, have made it back safely from Liao Zhai Tavern!
I, sister, played games, went to bed early, and slept soundly!
After waiting in the dark for a moment, hearing movements at the bedside, Jumeng opened her eyes slightly and peeked at the direction of the sound. The moment she blinked, she saw Luxianbei nearly pressed to her face.
“Alright, stop pretending; get up quickly?”
“…” Jumeng fell silent for a few seconds, opened her resentful eyes, and crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at Luxianbei with a resentful expression.
“What’s up? What’s with that expression? You wouldn’t want to say you need a kiss to get up, would you?” Luxianbei teased, expressionless.
“Go right ahead, do it!” Jumeng shouted nonchalantly.
“Didn’t we kiss earlier? Did I remember wrong?” Luxianbei tilted her head.
Jumeng’s gaze lingered for a brief moment on Luxianbei’s rosy lips, and her face suddenly flushed. She dodged Luxianbei’s gaze and murmured, “I—I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, if you don’t know, then forget it.” Luxianbei said disinterestedly, “Just leave it pending; get up and eat what I packed for you!”
Saying this, she swung her hand with the packed bag, “I personally made Huoxiang Tender Fish.”
“Personally made?” Jumeng assessed Luxianbei with a sidelong glance.
Luxianbei nodded, “Yes, personally.”
“Hmph!” Jumeng lifted her chin slightly, sneered, and took the packed bag from Luxianbei, “Then I shall reluctantly give it a try!”
Seeing Jumeng take the packed bag, Luxianbei raised her brows slightly, quickly walked downstairs, and called out, “Don’t be in a rush; let me get you a bowl and paper towels, and don’t eat in my bed.”
Watching Luxianbei’s somewhat flustered figure, Jumeng muttered softly, “Hmph! Dog thing, I’m going to!”
As she spoke, she opened the packed bag and pinched a small piece of fish meat between her fingers, sending it to her mouth. After chewing it a couple of times, she curled her lips into a smirk.
“Hey, the dish made by the dog thing isn’t bad!”
The next moment, however, she seemed to be petrified, frozen on the spot.
After the initial deliciousness faded away, she felt the malice hidden within that dish, and in an instant, her delicate little face turned pale and green, seemingly as if it had been ruined.
It was an inescapable sense of cold impact; it felt like working diligently for a year under the motivation painted by the boss, only to discover during the year-end evaluation that his inept nephew came in first, while she received the last place.
Or like staying up for several days straight, finally defeating a very challenging BOSS, only to find herself corrupting right before stripping the corpse.
The sense of disappointment and sadness from a shattered dream engulfed her.
Meanwhile, Luxianbei stood at the foot of the stairs, looking at the stopwatch on her phone, murmuring, “Three, two—”
The moment she uttered a word, a furious scream burst from upstairs.
“Luxianbei, you b*stard! YUE~YUE~YUE, you actually poisoned the dish, YUE~!”
Hearing this, Luxianbei nodded with satisfaction.
Some people are like this; they are always polite to those with whom they have a neutral relationship but will find ways to be difficult with those who are closer to them.
Moreover—
Could this hell on earth even affect a stinky sister like Jumeng?
Isn’t that a must-learn? Luxianbei thought earnestly.
(Hehehe, it’s the last day of the year! I wish everyone a Happy New Year!)
