Chapter 340: Dark Cuisine

After hanging up, Wan Caixuan remained holding her phone in a daze until the woman beside her nudged her elbow, snapping her back to reality.

“Miss, who was that on the phone?” The woman smiled knowingly.

Wan Caixuan put away her phone and replied coolly, “A friend.”

“A regular friend or a boyfriend?” The woman’s curiosity flared up like a raging fire.

Wan Caixuan closed her eyes, leaned back against the seat, and acted as if she hadn’t heard.

The woman refused to back down. “Miss, I’ve watched you grow up. Something this important—you shouldn’t be hiding it from me.”

“Meng Yi, drop it.” Wan Caixuan’s delicate brows furrowed slightly. “This is my private matter, it doesn’t concern you.”

“Alright then.” The woman, Meng Yi, reluctantly shut her mouth.

Wan Caixuan turned to stare out the window, but the dazzling lights of the imperial capital failed to stir her heart in the slightest. It felt as though her soul had already flown back to Jinghai, back to his side.

***

As soon as Lin Xiao stepped into the kitchen, Huang Caixing grabbed his hand and stuffed a charred, blackened object into his mouth.

“Big Brother Lin, I made this! Try it.”

Lin Xiao was caught off guard. His jaw instinctively clenched, and he chewed a few times before his brows furrowed deeply.

“What is this?”

Huang Caixing beamed. “It’s a new dish I invented. Potato Stir-Fried with Chocolate. Isn’t it great?”

“Potato stir-fried with chocolate?” Lin Xiao resisted the urge to criticize it outright and swallowed the chunk expressionlessly. “Did you… try it yourself?”

“Nope! It’s my first attempt, so I let you taste it first.” Huang Caixing looked at him with excitement and anticipation. “You’re the first person in the world to ever try this dish. So? How does it taste, Big Brother Lin?”

Should he feel honored?

Lin Xiao couldn’t help but mock the thought in his mind.

Huang Caixing’s cooking skills weren’t bad, but this… creation of hers was in a category of its own.

Still, seeing her eager expression, Lin Xiao nodded slightly.

“It’s… quite creative. Not bad. You should try it yourself.”

“Really?! You like it?” Huang Caixing’s eyes lit up, and she bounced with excitement. “I knew it! I have a natural talent for cooking. Even my first original dish is a success. I’m a genius.”

Without a second thought, she picked up a chunk of the dish and popped it into her own mouth.

Lin Xiao’s eyes glimmered with amusement as he watched her.

Meanwhile, Yuan Yu, who was chopping vegetables nearby, couldn’t hold back her laughter. She let out a soft “Pfft!” and muttered, “Idiot.”

The moment the food hit Huang Caixing’s tongue, her adorable little face instantly scrunched up in disgust.

“Blergh!”

She spat it out immediately, her entire face twisting in horror.

“Bleh! Bleh! Pfft! Pfft!” She frantically wiped her tongue, as if trying to erase the taste from existence.

“How… How is this so disgusting?!?”

She furiously scrubbed at her lips and turned to glare at Lin Xiao, who had a mild smirk on his face.

“You lied to me!!!”

“I didn’t.” Lin Xiao sidestepped as she swung her tiny fists at him. “I really think it’s not bad.”

To prove his point, he picked up another piece from the plate and ate it.

“The chocolate and salt are just a bit too much, but it’s still edible.”

Lin Xiao wasn’t lying. In the past, while carrying out covert missions, he had eaten things far worse—raw rat meat, for example. Compared to that, this Potato Stir-Fried with Chocolate was practically a delicacy.

However, his standards were clearly very different from Huang Caixing’s.

What he considered edible, she found completely inedible.

“Big Brother Lin, stop eating that. What if you get a stomachache?”

Huang Caixing had already suffered a heavy blow. No matter how much Lin Xiao tried to reassure her, it was pointless. She snatched the plate away and dumped the entire dish into the trash, dejectedly muttering, “I knew this would happen. I’m never messing around in the kitchen again.”

Huang Caixing was gloomy and silent for the next ten minutes, only recovering during dinner.

The two girls had small appetites. They barely finished half a bowl of rice before feeling full. Meanwhile, the rest of the dishes, along with half a pot of rice, all ended up in Lin Xiao’s stomach.

“Big Brother Lin, you eat so much, yet you never gain weight. How do you keep your body in such good shape?” Huang Caixing rested her chin on her hands, watching him eat with great interest.

Yuan Yu was also staring at him, her eyes full of curiosity.

Lin Xiao found this question hard to answer.

His huge appetite was directly linked to his ancient martial arts training, but that wasn’t something he could easily explain.

He casually brushed it off. “Martial artists need a lot of food. If we don’t replenish our energy, our bodies won’t keep up with the strain.”

Luckily, Huang Caixing was just asking out of curiosity. She quickly moved on to another topic.

After dinner, Lin Xiao took Yuan Yu and Huang Caixing to the nearby park where he usually trained.

By this time, the city lights were shining, and the evening breeze brought a sense of calm and relaxation.

With the sun completely set, the oppressive heat had finally cooled, and the park was filled with locals out to enjoy the night air.

Lin Xiao searched for a quiet spot and finally found one.

He clasped his hands behind his back, his expression serious as his gaze swept over the two girls. His sharp eyes seemed as if they could see right through them.

“Big Brother Lin, why are you looking at us like that? It’s scary!” Huang Caixing pouted.

Yuan Yu’s face flushed red, and she shifted uncomfortably under Lin Xiao’s intense gaze, her eyes darting away as if she didn’t dare to meet his stare.

“How’s your progress with the guiding technique and self-defense moves I taught you?” Lin Xiao closed his eyes for a moment. When he reopened them, the piercing sharpness had disappeared, replaced by a deep, calm stillness.

“Uh…”

The two girls exchanged looks, momentarily at a loss for words.

Without Lin Xiao around to supervise, and with their schoolwork keeping them busy, they had completely neglected their training.

“Studying is important, but so is your body. Without a strong body, how can you have the energy to study?”

Lin Xiao huffed lightly, adopting the strict demeanor of a military instructor. “I happen to be free tonight, so you’re training properly. No slacking off!”

“Ugh… got it…” The two girls grimaced but reluctantly agreed.

“Alright, let’s begin.”

***

One hour later.

Lin Xiao was carrying Yuan Yu on his back while supporting Huang Caixing, who was struggling to walk.

“Brother Lin, you’re so cruel!” Huang Caixing’s flushed face made her delicate skin look even more tempting, making one want to take a bite. “You tortured us so much. Aren’t you afraid you’ll break us?”

Lying on Lin Xiao’s back, Yuan Yu nodded vigorously in agreement.

“You two just have poor stamina and endurance.”

Lin Xiao was speechless. He hadn’t even pushed them hard. They only practiced a few rounds of their guiding technique and self-defense moves.

“I did the same exercises with you, didn’t I? Why am I not tired?”

“Hmph! Don’t compare us. We’re just two delicate girls, and you’re a freaking monster!” Huang Caixing rolled her eyes. “We still have classes tomorrow! If we’re late, you have to take responsibility.”

Yuan Yu nodded again and adjusted her position.

“Relax,” Lin Xiao reassured them. “You only feel tired now because you burned a lot of energy. After a good night’s sleep, you’ll be fine. Even if you oversleep, I’ll wake you up.”

“Hmph! I refuse to get up tomorrow!” Huang Caixing pouted. “I feel completely drained. My back hurts, my legs ache, and I can’t even walk properly. There’s no way I’ll get up.”