### Chapter 349: Heart of Stone
“Hey, what do you like to eat?”
“Eh? Ah?” Xia Yu quickly snapped back to reality and replied, “Fish, steamed fish.”
“Alright, first dish, I’ll make you some fish.”
Saying so, Master Chen pulled out a fish from the foam-filled tank and began cracking it on the head with the back of his kn*fe… Pang!
Bam! Bam! Bam!
Seeing this, Xia Yu immediately felt a twinge of regret. She thought that being a chef meant having to k*ll living beings. But with her personality, perhaps it really wasn’t suitable for her.
Master Chen noticed Xia Yu’s reaction but wasn’t surprised. After all, most girls her age shouldn’t be so cold-hearted. But Xia Yu couldn’t just stay like that.
Not for any other reason, just because Jiang Kekai told him Xia Yu was now under her wing and would become her private secretary. In a world where survival of the fittest was the norm, becoming Jiang Kekai’s secretary meant becoming as ruthless as her.
As the saying goes, showing mercy to enemies is like hurting yourself. So, Master Chen not only wanted to teach Xia Yu how to cook but also how to be heartless; only the ruthless can survive better in such a world.
But now, he didn’t expect Xia Yu to accept this right away. “Okay, now the fish is dead. Come a bit closer; I’ll show you how to debone it properly. That way, you won’t have to worry about so many bones when you eat.”
Xia Yu nodded and stepped up to Master Chen’s side, enduring the smell while watching him work. It was disgusting!
Seeing what he took out, Xia Yu had normal reactions; but Master Chen chuckled. “Is it gross? You don’t want to touch it? Don’t worry, you’ll get your turn eventually.”
Xia Yu: “…”
Cutting, adding ingredients, and then steaming fish—
While that was happening, Master Chen washed his hands and pulled out a goose. “Surely you can write, right? When we next meet, bring pen and paper. Write down everything I say, okay?”
“Got it.”
While Xia Yu learned cooking in the kitchen, everyone else fretted in the living room. They weren’t sure why they felt more nervous than her even though she was the one learning to cook.
Not long after, Master Chen presented three dishes and a soup. Xia Yu then carried them to the table.
“Done. Here’s my card. Call me tomorrow when you arrive, and I’ll come pick you up,” Master Chen said as he handed her a card. He then nodded slightly to Jiang Kekai before leaving, “Little Yu, what did he give you? What did you promise him?”
Curious as ever, Jiang Hanhan rushed to Xia Yu the moment Master Chen left to peek at the card. After all, he was supposed to be a world-class big wig.
No secrets here, Xia Yu answered with a bitter smile, “Master Chen wants me to go to his hotel for two hours every day to learn. Otherwise, there’s no way I’ll ever become good at this.”
Hearing this, Xia Hong considered the pros and cons, “Sure, but what happens when school starts?”
“It’s not like a boarding school, right? Can’t you just spend two hours there after class?”
“It’s your decision.” Xia Hong decided to respect her choice. Kids grow up after all.
Meanwhile, Wang Wenjuan brought out the chopsticks and bowls, “Alright, let’s stop all the chit-chat and eat.”
The family finally sat down to eat.
First bite, and Xia Yu reached for her beloved steamed fish.
Midway through, Jiang Kekai intercepted her, “Little Yu, the toxins in your body haven’t been fully cleared. The doctor said you can’t eat seafood yet. Why don’t you start with something else?”
Sure enough, Xia Yu’s parents noticed the word “poisoned” and wondered if Xia Yu wasn’t okay. How could anyone be poisoned? “So… so, Kekai, can you explain how this happened?”
Looking at Xia Hong, Jiang Kekai didn’t hide anything, “Someone bought off my people, planted a slow-acting poison in Xia Yu’s food when we ate together. It’s not dangerous, but hard to clear. Xia Yu will need to visit the hospital every three days.”
Shocking news for Xia Yu. Just another visit to the Jiang family, and she ended up poisoned. But at least it wasn’t deadly. Feeling guilty seeing their worried parents, Xia Yu insisted, “Dad, Mom, I’m fine. Look at me, full of life!”
Though she said so, she herself felt less spirited lately, same during her lessons. Sigh…
Xia Hong and Wang Wenjuan sighed in unison. What could they do? The Jiangs were too powerful for them. Xia Hong looked sternly at Miss Jiang, “I trusted you with Xia Yu. I don’t want to see this happen again. If it does, I’ll never approve of whatever comes next, no matter what.”
“Don’t worry.” Jiang Kekai stroked Xia Yu’s head fondly, looking determined. “It won’t happen again. I promise.”
Jiang Hanhan was eating in silence, taking it all in. No wonder Master Chen was top-notch; she polished off half the fish by herself.
Yet, despite finishing off half a fish, Jiang Hanhan felt no joy. She was anxious over a different matter. Whether Summer Ling knew about her feelings? Jiang Hanhan wasn’t as bold as her older sister. A confession might be seen as a joke; she didn’t dare take the risk.
So, there she sat, conflicted. She faced her sexuality, yet lacked the courage to move forward. If things went sour, who knows how the relationship might pan out.
Little did she know, Summer Ling was dealing with the exact same thoughts. Though carefree on the outside, she feared such matters deeply.
She admitted, after knowing each other for a while, she’d fallen in love with Jiang Hanhan. Yet, she was too afraid to confess, scared Jiang Hanhan was just a regular girl who’d reject her or make their friendship awkward afterward.
And if things did work out, her parents might not accept her relationship.
