HCB Chapter 164 Glimpse of the True Face
Chapter 164 Glimpse of the True Face
Dusk fell quietly, and the lively scene in the kitchen gradually faded away, leaving only the occasional sound of pots and pans colliding, announcing the end of a busy day.
Cheng Yuntao walked to Mu Qingfeng's side and bowed slightly. "Steward Mu, the dishes have been served. I think it's getting late. If you have no other instructions, I will take my leave."
"Miss Cheng, you can't leave for the time being." Mu Qingfeng stepped forward, stretched out his arm, and blocked her way.
Hearing the voice, Cheng Yuntao slowly raised her head, her eyes full of confusion. She looked straight at Mu Qingfeng with clear eyes, trying to find the answer from his expression.
Mu Qingfeng looked calm and steady as he explained in a low voice, "The master wants to see you."
Upon hearing this, Cheng Yuntao's face flashed with surprise, but she quickly regained her composure and asked politely, "Does Steward Mu know why Boss Ji wants to see me?"
Mu Qingfeng shook his head slightly, his tone calm: "This is the master's intention. I am just following orders. I don't know the specific reason." After saying that, he muttered to himself in his heart. He really couldn't guess what the master was thinking. Why would he be willing to let a little cook see his true face.
Seeing that she couldn't get any useful information from Mu Qingfeng, Cheng Yuntao stopped asking. She consoled herself that perhaps it was just a routine inquiry about tonight's dishes, such as whether the taste was appropriate and the ingredients were properly selected.
"Miss Cheng, please follow me." Mu Qingfeng slightly turned sideways and made a gesture of invitation, with a hint of urging in his tone.
Cheng Yun moved lightly with peach lotus steps, following Mu Qingfeng's footsteps, and walked towards the house where Ji Yanchuan was. Along the way, the breeze blew past, ruffling her hair, but her heart was like a surging wave, and it took a long time to calm down.
Soon, they arrived outside the door of the house where Ji Yanchuan was.
The two guards at the door stood as straight as pine trees, with expressionless faces. Mu Qingfeng stepped forward quickly, talked to the guards in a low voice for a few words, then turned around and nodded slightly to Cheng Yuntao, motioning her to go in on her own.
Cheng Yuntao took a deep breath, raised her hand and gently pushed open the slightly heavy door. The door hinge turned, making a slight creaking sound, which was particularly clear in the silent atmosphere.
She thought she would communicate with Ji Yanchuan through a screen as before, but she didn't expect that as soon as she entered the door, her eyes met directly with Ji Yanchuan who was sitting in the middle.
Ji Yanchuan was wearing a gorgeous brocade robe embroidered with delicate dark patterns, which gleamed faintly in the candlelight.
He had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, a high, straight nose, and thin lips that were slightly upturned, revealing a certain innate nobility. His long, black hair was tied up and secured with a jade hairpin, which only highlighted his outstanding temperament and exuded a luxurious aura.
Although he is young, it is hard to hide his calmness and grandeur in his every move.
Seeing her standing at the door in a daze, Ji Yanchuan raised the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing a playful smile, and joked: "Miss Cheng, there is no need to be restrained, come and sit down." As he spoke, his slender fingers gently pointed to the empty seat next to him, his movements elegant and natural.
"Boss Ji, I heard that you are hosting a banquet tonight. It's not proper for a little cook like me to appear here." Cheng Yuntao's expression froze, and she secretly wondered the reason for Ji Yanchuan's abnormal behavior.
At the same time, he felt that Boss Ji was actually much younger than he had imagined.
Ji Yanchuan put down the teacup in his hand, leaned back in his chair, waved his hand gently, and said in a low and magnetic voice: "There is no one else tonight, just you and me. You are my guest tonight."
Seeing the other party's sincere invitation again, Cheng Yuntao didn't want to refuse. After hesitating for a moment, she walked to the empty seat and sat down. She sat upright, her hands folded on her knees, her eyes downcast, not daring to make the slightest offensive move.
The villain inside me paced back and forth anxiously: What should I do? What should I do?! Why did I feel so awkward, like I was dating someone online?! We should just keep it a cold relationship, so why did he suddenly show up?!
Seeing her being extra cautious, not even daring to look at him more than twice, Ji Yanchuan couldn't help but joke again, "A few days ago, when we were separated by the screen, I remember Miss Cheng was very eloquent and had a lot of ideas and thoughts. How come today, as soon as the screen was removed, she seemed to have lost her voice, unable to utter a single word?"
Cheng Yuntao smiled awkwardly and apologized quickly: "I'm really sorry. I offended you a lot the past two days. I hope Boss Ji will be magnanimous and not hold it against me."
Ji Yanchuan shook his head slightly, a smile in his eyes: "I don't feel offended, on the contrary, I find it very interesting. Whether it's your cooking skills or those novel ideas, they are all refreshing to me."
"My name is Ji Yanchuan. You can call me Yanchuan. You don't have to call me Boss Ji all the time."
Cheng Yuntao realized that Ji Yanchuan had no intention of making things difficult or teasing, and she relaxed a lot. She showed a sincere smile, but still declined politely: "Boss Ji, you are my customer. It is really too rude to call you by your name. It is more appropriate to call you Boss Ji."
Seeing her insistence, Ji Yanchuan stopped forcing her: "Start eating. After the meal, I will ask Qingfeng to take you back."
"No, I'm not hungry, I..." Before she could finish her words, her stomach suddenly growled at an inopportune time. Cheng Yuntao's face flushed red, and she subconsciously reached out to press her hot cheeks, feeling annoyed.
Ji Yanchuan didn't laugh at her. He just picked up a piece of crystal sashimi and put it into his mouth. He nodded affirmatively and signaled to her with his eyes that it tasted good.
Cheng Yuntao simply stopped worrying about it and picked up her chopsticks to taste each dish one by one.
The crystal minced meat is translucent, smooth and melts in the mouth, and paired with ginger vinegar sauce, the refreshing feeling spreads instantly in the mouth, which is very refreshing; the combination of hibiscus flowers and tofu in the snow soup is fresh and refined. The tofu not only retains a tender and smooth taste, but also incorporates an elegant floral fragrance; the fine-grained steamed buns are small and exquisite, with rich and rich fillings. After being mixed cold, they are paired with a special sauce, which perfectly blends the aroma of green onions and sesame.
The roasted bones have a golden and crispy skin, while the meat inside is tender and juicy, and the marinated seasoning is just right; in the crab stuffed with orange, the delicious crab meat and the fragrance of orange permeate each other, and each bite is unique; the oil-splashed mandarin fish has tender meat, and the aroma stimulated by the hot oil is perfectly combined with the steamed fish soy sauce; the lychee meat is bright red in color, sweet and sour, and the lychee-like shape adds to the fun.
The Sophora japonica leaf cold soup is emerald green in color, with a refreshing taste accompanied by the faint fragrance of Sophora japonica leaves; the crucian carp and water shield soup is milky white and thick, with the delicious crucian carp and water shield complementing each other; the cherry cake has a rich cherry aroma and is full of sweetness when bitten; the Polygonum flower candy is sweet and crispy, with the crispness of glutinous rice perfectly blended with the sweetness of syrup and sesame.
Cheng Yuntao enjoyed the food more and more, and in the end she even seemed to be taking the lead.