Chapter 120 Food Tasting
Zhao Chen was used to this respect and waved his hand casually, with a fake smile of "meeting old friends" on his face:
"Okay, Matsuo, stop playing tricks. Bring my leader here to try something new today, just give me some face!" His tone was relaxed, even a little embarrassed to be a freeloader, and he quickly pulled out a chair by the water and helped Yu Ling sit down.
Matsuo's face was full of smiles, he understood what he meant: "Don't worry, Mr. Zhao, the 'Harmony' menu is specially customized for you two." He bowed slightly and made a smooth gesture of invitation.
I sat down. In front of me was a large table carved from a single block of black walnut. The tableware was bone china so thin it was translucent, with indigo glaze dots scattered haphazardly, looking carelessly expensive.
The first appetizer arrived. A palm-sized black ceramic bowl held a clear, transparent broth, adorned with a few slices of jade-white lotus root, each as thin as a cicada's wing. Atop these lotus root slices sat a few plump, almost bursting caviar! Atop the top, a feather-shaped black truffle proudly exuded a unique fragrance!
The freshness of the broth, the crispness of the lotus root slices, the salty, fresh flavor of the caviar bursting on the tongue, the overbearing aroma of the truffles… a quadruple impact! Yu Ling was so shocked that her soul left her body for a second. Is this a food tasting? This is a piece of art that cost a lot of money! She looked sharply at Zhao Chen.
Zhao Chen just took a leisurely sip of iced lime water. When he caught her gaze, his eyes behind his gold-rimmed glasses immediately curved up. With a little pride as if he had "got a great bargain", he lowered his voice:
"How about it? Isn't Matsuo nice? He's usually very stingy, but today he spent a lot of money on this caviar!" His tone was as relaxed as if he was reviewing the barbecue stall downstairs.
Yu Ling: “…………”
She looked at Zhao Chen's calm, "I've earned it all" attitude, then at Matsuo standing beside her with a genuinely respectful smile on his face. Her inner hope of a "friend tasting the food" suddenly shattered. This was clearly the emperor's incognito visit, the imperial chef performing a passionate performance!
The following dishes were more outrageous than the last.
The second dish: charcoal grilled black throat fish, the skin is crispy and the fish meat is so tender that it melts in your mouth. The slight spiciness of the sansho sprouts meets the mellowness of the 10-year-old Huadiao foam, it’s amazing!
The third dish: slow-cooked Wagyu beef fillet, so pink and tender, the warm and salty taste of Kyoto white miso wrapped in the rich milky aroma of five-year-old Parmesan cheese, fighting in the mouth, so delicious that it makes people want to cry!
The fourth course is a blast! Matsuo personally pushes a cart to the table and performs a live salt-baked French blue lobster demonstration! The sizzling sea salt sizzles as the entire lobster tumbles in spiced butter, a burst of aroma. Matsuo's knife swiftly slices through the snow-white, springy prawn meat, drizzled with a sauce rich in the essence of shrimp brain... Fresh! Sweet! With the surging ocean and the warmth of charcoal! One bite and you're in heaven!
For each dish, Matsuo respectfully explained the ingredients, as if he was reporting on his work.
Zhao Chen's acting was on point throughout. When Matsuo spoke, he nodded earnestly, occasionally uttering "hmm"; when the dishes were amazing, he gave a thumbs-up and exclaimed, "Matsuuo is awesome! His cooking skills have improved!"; when the waiter poured the wine, he leaned close to Yu Ling and whispered:
"This wine is pretty good, I got it from a friend's cellar. Feel free to have more." Did your napkin "accidentally" fall off? The waiter flashed to catch it and replaced it, as fast as a ninja.
Perfect.
It's also ridiculously fake.
Yu Ling's heart was completely softened as she immersed herself in this top-notch delicacy and Zhao Chen's flawed performance as an "ordinary person".
The last dessert is the finale.
In the crystal bowl, the light green matcha mousse looks like a top-grade jadeite, with a transparent "dewdrop" blown by sugar art on it. In the dewdrop is a bright red raspberry, and next to it are two white cherry blossoms, which are too beautiful to be eaten.
"Morning dew," Matsuo's voice was strangely gentle. "Pure and new. Please enjoy."
Yu Ling picked up a small spoon and gently poked the "dew drop." Raspberry juice dripped down, soaking the matcha mousse. The slightly bitter and sweet matcha met the sweet and slightly tart raspberries, and the sweet finish of white chocolate...a burst of layers. She narrowed her eyes in satisfaction, not putting down the spoon, but her peripheral vision caught sight of Zhao Chen beside her—was he eating a little absent-mindedly?
He leaned slightly sideways, his phone screen gleaming coldly, his fingers tapping away on the keyboard, leaving afterimages! His brows furrowed slightly, his gold-rimmed glasses reflecting a dim light. His focused, cold profile betrayed no trace of the relaxed, freeloader he'd become. He was clearly a decisive battlefield commander!
Working on something? Or...?
Yu Ling's suspicions were just beginning to form when Zhao Chen, seemingly possessed of eyes, instantly placed his phone face down on the table. His expression seamlessly shifted back to a gentle smile, a hint of embarrassment at being caught.
"Ahem...my friend encountered some technical difficulties at work and needs urgent help." He picked up the napkin to wipe the corner of his mouth, his action making it seem even more obvious.
Yu Ling remained silent, the doubt in her heart like a stone dropped into a deep pool. She bent down to scoop another spoonful of "morning dew", but her wrist "accidentally" knocked over the glass of iced water next to her!
Crash——!
Iced water mixed with ice cubes was poured precisely onto Zhao Chen's right arm, which was resting on the edge of the table! The cuffs of his expensive dark gray suit were instantly soaked, becoming a darker shade!
"Oh! I'm sorry!" Yu Ling exclaimed, grabbed a napkin and wiped the messy wet mark.
"It's okay, it's okay! It's no big deal!" Zhao Chen was also stunned, then waved his hand and let her press it with a soft napkin to absorb the water.
Just as Yu Ling lowered her head to focus on the dark water stain, her nose tip, very close to the expensive suit fabric, caught an extremely subtle scent that was almost covered by the smell of the restaurant's incense and the fabric itself.
The scorching smell of burning metal! The strange odor of melting special insulation! And a faint, cold, pungent whiff of gunpowder smoke!
This taste... too familiar!
It was exactly the same smell as the one on his clothes that night at the Qixia Mountain Villa!
Yu Ling's wiping motion suddenly stopped! Her heart felt like it was being gripped by an icy iron hand!
Bullshit technical difficulties!
He's giving orders!
He was remotely controlling another devastating "cleansing" somewhere! And his target was, ninety-nine percent of the time, that lingering ghost, Gu Qianqian, who had stabbed her heart with the threat of "future"!
A huge shock and a hot, sour warm current instantly swept over Yu Ling!
This man! While she was enjoying a feast prepared by a top-notch private chef, while she was troubled by that little bit of inferiority, he was using his own way, deep in the darkness, to crush all threats and clear all obstacles for her!
She suddenly raised her head and her gaze met Zhao Chen's eyes filled with concern and inquiry.
Under the warm yellow light, his handsome face still showed the helpless tolerance of an "ordinary husband" who was splashed with water by his clumsy wife. His cuffs were wet, with the coolness of ice water and the cold aftertaste of gunpowder that only she could smell.
Yu Ling suddenly smiled. Her smile was dazzling, but a thin layer of mist quickly covered her eyes.
She threw the napkin aside, no longer paying attention to the wet spot. Instead, she reached out and tightly grasped Zhao Chen's large, bony hand, soaked in ice water. Her fingertips were cold, yet they held a rock-hard strength.
"Zhao Chen." Her voice was very soft, with a little imperceptible sob and complete entrustment.
"Hmm?" Zhao Chen was slightly startled, his heart tightening at the coldness and slight trembling of her fingertips.
"This 'Morning Dew'..." Yu Ling used her spoon to touch the breathtakingly beautiful dessert in front of her, her eyes gleaming with a cunning yet gentle light, and each word was as clear as a declaration:
"…It's so sweet. Sweeter than truffle caviar, sweeter than blue lobster, and even a hundred times sweeter than that fondant cake you made in the kitchen last night."
She paused, then held his hand tighter, her gaze like the warmest stars, staring deep into his suddenly constricted pupils:
"Because... it's a certain 'ordinary husband' who, using all his 'friends' and 'free meals' privileges, clumsily and secretly prepared the best 'future' for his chairman's wife."
Zhao Chen's body instantly stiffened like a stone statue! The pupils behind his gold-rimmed glasses contracted like an earthquake! He stared in disbelief at the all-seeing understanding and tenderness in Yu Ling's eyes, at the mischievous smile at the corner of her lips, sweeter than honey...
All the disguises, all the "friend" scripts, collapsed before her eyes that seemed to see through the soul! Not a single slag remained!
He opened his mouth, his throat constricted. He tried to explain, to cover up, but found all his words were pale and powerless. A huge current of warmth and a sense of ecstasy at being completely accepted and understood, like a world-destroying tsunami, instantly engulfed him!
He grabbed Yu Ling's slightly cold hand tightly with his backhand, with such force that his knuckles turned white. The next second, he loosened his grip in a hurry as if he was burned. His eyes were filled with great ecstasy and helpless stupidity at surviving the disaster.
Matsuo and the waiter had already retreated quietly into the shadows, the water was gurgling, and the shakuhachi was whimpering.
Yu Ling picked up the dessert spoon, scooped up the crystal "dewdrop" wrapped in bright red raspberries, and handed it to Zhao Chen's slightly dry lips. Her eyes were astonishingly bright, with a queen-like command and complete doting:
"Open your mouth, Mr. Zhao. Your 'friend's' future cannot be wasted."
Zhao Chen looked at her star-filled smile so close to him, and the raspberry at her fingertips that looked like a burning ruby, his Adam's apple rolling with difficulty.
He no longer hesitated and obediently opened his mouth, allowing the sweet and slightly sour taste, which symbolized purity and rebirth, to explode in his mouth.
sweet.
So fucking sweet.
It was so sweet that his eyes burned and his heart boiled.
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