Chapter 101: Thunderous Counterattack (I)

Zhao Chen's irritated "farmhouse chef" and Yu Ling's crisp laughter temporarily dispelled the icy, poisonous fog that Gu Qianqian had maliciously cast. The water rippled, and the splashing water droplets landed on Zhao Chen's sturdy arms, leaving a chill and a slight tingle.

He took advantage of the situation and grasped Yu Ling's ankle as she tried to dodge in the water. His palm was warm, and he gently stroked her delicate skin with unquestionable strength yet tenderness.

"Laugh again?" He raised his eyebrows, his eyes behind the gold-rimmed glasses blazing with a hint of dangerous warning, but more of a sense of cherishment that had been lost and regained.

The momentary panic and hesitation in her eyes just now pricked him like a needle, and now he just wanted to smooth it out with the most genuine warmth.

Yu Ling's cheeks flushed as he looked at her, and the touch on her ankle made her heart beat faster. She tried to keep a straight face and regain some composure:

"Stop laughing, stop laughing! Chef Zhao, if you keep soaking it, the skin will wrinkle! Is your truffle chicken still ready?" She deliberately dragged out the word "truffle", with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Do it! Of course!" Zhao Chen said firmly, as if issuing a military order. He released her ankles and stood up neatly, splashing water. He casually grabbed the large white towel next to him and wrapped it around his waist. With smooth and elegant movements, he bent down naturally, stretched out his arms, and dipped into the water.

"Ah!" Yu Ling gasped as he lifted her up horizontally. The warm water instantly washed away her body, and the cool air made her subconsciously shrink into his firm, warm chest.

"Hold tight." Zhao Chen's voice, with a barely perceptible hoarseness, sounded above her head. He held her firmly, walked across the luxurious and spacious terrace, and into the warm room.

He carried her straight into the surprisingly spacious dressing room connected to the master bedroom.

The floor-to-ceiling mirror covering an entire wall reflected the two of them at the moment - she was curled up in his arms, wet, her cheeks rosy, like an attractive peach; he was only wrapped in a bath towel, his arms were swollen and powerful, full of primitive aggression and a reassuring sense of protection.

"Pick something comfortable to change into? Or..." Zhao Chen gently placed her on the soft velvet stool, leaned over, and his breath brushed her earlobe, "Let me help you?" The ending tone rose slightly, with a hook.

Yu Ling's face flushed instantly. She quickly grabbed a set of neatly folded soft home clothes and stuffed them into his arms, pushing him out. "Go away! Go make your truffle chicken stew! Stop being a hooligan here!"

Zhao Chen chuckled softly, his chest vibrating with joy and satisfaction. He took the clothes and, under her irritated glare, slowly wrapped the towel around him before heading to the bathroom next door with his housecoat.

Before closing the door, he turned around and winked at her: "Yes, ma'am. The farmhouse chef will be on duty immediately."

Yu Ling was the only one left in the cloakroom. The heat on her face hadn't completely faded, and her fingers unconsciously stroked the ankle he had just held, where the warmth of his palm still seemed to remain.

She shook her head, trying to shake off those charming thoughts, and also tried to shake off the vicious words on Lidya Su's phone that were like leeches to her bones.

Flirtatious? Promiscuous? Loan shark? A scapegoat?

These words jumped out uncontrollably again, like cold stones thrown into the lake of heart that had finally calmed down.

She looked at herself in the mirror, with a trace of confusion still in her eyes.

Zhao Chen's frankness and strong aura made her feel at ease, but Gu Qianqian's "surety" and Su Xiao's panic were like shadows that could not be shaken off.

She slapped her cheeks hard and whispered, "Yu Ling, try harder! Don't be led by that kind of person! Believe in him!" Having said that, the uneasiness deep in her heart that was provoked by malice stubbornly lingered and required a stronger force to dispel it.

When Yu Ling changed into soft silk home clothes and walked into the equally extravagant open kitchen in furry slippers, she saw such a shocking yet inexplicably harmonious picture.

Zhao Chen also changed into a set of comfortable light grey home clothes, which made him look less cold and elite in a suit and more homely and soft.

However, he was standing in front of the huge center island at this moment, with an extremely serious expression.

Spread out before him was a plain, even somewhat ugly, black tuber—a top-grade Périgord black truffle. Next to it was a small pile of plump, round Yunnan wild mushrooms exuding a unique aroma.

He held a chef's knife in one hand and an exquisite electronic scale in the other. His brows were furrowed, and his eyes behind his gold-rimmed glasses moved back and forth between the valuable black truffle and the pile of common mushrooms.

"Puff..." Yu Ling couldn't help but laugh out loud, leaning against the kitchen door frame. The gloom in her heart was instantly dispelled by the contrasting scene before her.

Zhao Chen looked up when he heard the voice, and when he saw that it was her, the serious expression on his face, as if facing a great enemy, immediately relaxed, and even showed a hint of imperceptible grievance?

He waved the knife and truffle in his hand, his tone accusing, "Comrade Lingling, you've arrived just in time! Help me take a quick look, is this really not a shiitake mushroom in disguise? I always feel like they look a bit like long-lost brothers."

He pointed at the truffles, then at the shiitake mushrooms, his face serious. "Look at the color, the shape, the bumpy patterns... especially the smell." He leaned in close to the truffles and sniffed hard, his brows furrowed even more. "It's fragrant, but dried shiitake mushrooms seem to have a similar smell, but not as strong."

Yu Ling laughed so hard that her stomach hurt. She walked over to him, unceremoniously picked up the precious black truffle, and waved it in front of him:

"Scientist Zhao, need I remind you that this 'mushroom-like' thing in your hand might be more valuable than an equal weight of gold? Also, the smell of truffles..."

She deliberately leaned closer to him and sniffed hard, imitating his previous behavior. "This is called 'the complex aroma of earthy fragrance mixed with musk and honey', do you understand? It's completely different from the woody smell of dried mushrooms!"

She picked up a plump shiitake mushroom and stuffed it into his hand: "Look, this is a real shiitake mushroom! Look carefully! One is in heaven, the other is in hell! You, the Michelin... oh no, farmhouse chef, I'm afraid you have to retake the food identification course!" There was a cunning glint in her eyes, and she deliberately teased him.

Zhao Chen's ears turned red from her teasing, but he remained stubborn, "What's wrong with being expensive? Does being expensive mean it looks so deceptive? This is clearly a trap set by nature for the chef!"

He took the mushrooms and placed them on the electronic scale in a vented manner. "No, I have to get the ratio right! How many grams of truffles, how many grams of mushrooms, how many grams of chicken... Even a milligram difference could affect the reputation of 'Nongjiale'!"

Seeing him really start to weigh the mushrooms meticulously, even cutting off the excess parts of the mushroom stems precisely to keep only the most perfect caps, Yu Ling felt angry and amused, but her heart softened.

This mysterious tycoon, in front of her, clumsily studied the differences between truffles and shiitake mushrooms, like a primary school student afraid of failing an exam. This clumsy earnestness was more touching than any sweet talk.

She stopped disturbing him, smiled and shook her head, turned and walked towards the spacious living room, and nestled herself in the top-notch sofa that was wide enough to accommodate three people. However, this extremely prosperous and peaceful place was soon broken by the content of Su Xiao's phone call.

Flirtatious? Promiscuous? Loan sharking?

These words came back to me like ghosts.

She picked up her phone, the screen still stuck on the chat interface with Lidya Su. The last few shocking words were like poisoned needles.