Chapter 113: Imperial Chef

Xuan Xuan finally got to enjoy a peaceful sleep. Even though the distant sounds of military training echoed faintly, it was infinitely more blissful than waking up early for training herself.

She gently touched her belly, glanced once more at the sky outside, and estimated the time—it seemed she could get up now. She wondered where Zhan Yu was at this moment.

After freshening up, Xuan Xuan prepared herself and headed over to Zhan Yu’s place.

She had originally planned to enter directly if no one was inside, but to her surprise, it seemed Zhan Yu was there. Still, she knocked on the door. When it opened, her eyes lit up—was he cooking?

Zhan Yu stood at the door dressed in his military uniform, but he was wearing an apron. Xuan Xuan’s keen nose immediately caught the scent of cooking oil smoke from the kitchen.

Zhan Yu’s face darkened. To cooperate with Xuan Xuan’s investigation, he had skipped the morning training. After waiting all morning without seeing anyone, he began cooking, and then she arrived. Still, he stepped aside to let her in.

Xuan Xuan didn’t mind at all. She entered and sat on the sofa, watching Zhan Yu, wondering why he hadn’t gone back to the kitchen yet.

What if the food burned?

“You don’t have to worry about me. Go on and take care of your things,” Xuan Xuan quickly said.

Zhan Yu clenched his teeth. Apart from Kuang Shao, he hadn’t met someone so casually familiar. But now she was the boss, and the matter with the insectoid species could only rely on her. Zhan Yu gritted his teeth and decided not to argue—after all, he still had to consider her teacher’s face.

“The insectoids are in the basement. If you don’t mind, I can take you there now,” Zhan Yu offered.

For safety, Zhan Yu had knocked out all the insectoids, ensuring none of them were awake. Judging by Xuan Xuan’s tone, many people in the camp were still having issues.

He was worried about a repeat of what happened with Xiao Daopeng, so he dared not move the insectoids recklessly. They were like ticking time bombs, ready to explode at any moment.

Xuan Xuan was taken aback. Of course she cared.

Dinner was still being prepared here. She hadn’t eaten anything yet and was ready to go right away.

“Let’s eat first, then we’ll go,” she said.

Zhan Yu was surprised. She came so late and still hadn’t eaten? Could she have just gotten up?

“Wait a moment. I’ll have someone bring you something from the cafeteria. What would you like to eat?” Though inwardly complaining, Zhan Yu still asked politely.

Xuan Xuan looked at him in confusion, then glanced toward the kitchen. Wasn’t he already cooking?

“No need to make such a fuss. I’ll eat a little with you,” she replied.

Zhan Yu felt this Wan Qi Xuan Xuan was even more casually familiar than Kuang Shao.

His face darkened. Was he supposed to be her personal chef now?

Seeing Zhan Yu remain still, Xuan Xuan added, “You go cook, I’ll just wait here.”

With a look of helplessness, Zhan Yu went back to the kitchen to continue cooking.

Zhan Yu hadn’t known how to cook before. He stared at the clay pot of soup simmering in front of him.

But now, he had learned to cook. Where was the person who was supposed to eat this?

He smiled bitterly. To master these skills, he had studied under his grandmother for a whole year, then practiced cooking whenever he had time.

All this was just so he could let her taste it when he came back. But where was she?

The Zhan family tradition was that gentlemen stayed away from the kitchen. But his impression of her was that she liked to eat but didn’t know how to cook. Later, he realized that she and his disciple Wan Qi Xuan Xuan shared the same tastes.

And since Wan Qi Xuan Xuan loved his grandmother’s cooking, he began to wonder—would she like it too?

That simple thought led Zhan Yu, almost possessed, to learn cooking from his grandmother, a faint smile tugging at his lips. Most of what he learned were meat dishes—she seemed to enjoy those.

However, he soon felt frustrated again. Kuang Shao hadn’t even been able to mooch a meal here, but today his disciple Wan Qi Xuan Xuan got lucky.

After preparing the meal, Zhan Yu added two extra dishes because of Xuan Xuan—four dishes in total, plus the simmered chicken soup.

He placed the food on the table.

Xuan Xuan’s eyes brightened. Having such a skilled grandmother in the family, Zhan Yu couldn’t be too bad.

Just a glance and a sniff, and Xuan Xuan had to praise him. The dishes were a feast for the eyes, nose, and palate.

These were all home-style dishes, but after eating cafeteria meals for two days, Xuan Xuan felt incredibly fortunate.

She was very self-aware—no need for Zhan Yu to invite her, she simply sat down and picked up her chopsticks.

After ten years of practice, Xuan Xuan could barely manage to use chopsticks, though it was still challenging. For example, she decided not to eat the mapo tofu in front of her.

Zhan Yu glanced over and saw that every piece of tofu on her plate was smashed; the table before her was a mess.

Silently, he fetched a small spoon from the kitchen and handed it to her.

Xuan Xuan finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Watching her focus on eating, Zhan Yu barely touched his chopsticks. They truly resembled master and disciple—their movements, tastes, even habits were alike.

A bitter smile flickered across his lips. No matter how much they resembled each other, the Wan Qi Xuan Xuan before him was not the Xuan Xuan he once knew.

After hesitating for a moment, Zhan Yu couldn’t hold back and asked, “Where did your teacher go? Has she contacted you recently?”

Xuan Xuan’s hand trembled as she held a chicken leg. The tender meat nearly fell, but she quickly caught it with her bowl—so close.

She glanced up at Zhan Yu, puzzled. Why was he asking that again?

Lowering her head to nibble on the chicken leg, she wondered—did he suspect something?

Had she slipped up?

After pondering for a while, Xuan Xuan decided she probably hadn’t revealed anything. She looked at Zhan Yu again; his expression was unreadable, as always.

“She said she went on an interstellar trip and hasn’t contacted me,” Xuan Xuan muttered vaguely.

That stern-faced god was truly intimidating.

Seeing Xuan Xuan silent for so long, Zhan Yu had expected her to hesitate and say her teacher had gone elsewhere. A flicker of disappointment passed through his eyes.

But maybe she had simply forgotten while eating?

After a pause, Zhan Yu asked, “Do you need me to prepare any materials for you?”

“No, I have everything,” she replied. Inside her space were all sorts of things, but there was no suitable laboratory here.

Having finally enjoyed a proper meal, Xuan Xuan felt much happier.

Though Zhan Yu’s cooking might not match his grandmother’s or Xuan Xuan’s own grandmother’s, after enduring such harsh treatment, his food was infinitely better to her.

He pointed at the dishes on the table. “Need any help?”

Xuan Xuan felt that after eating, she could help tidy up.

Zhan Yu waved his hand, embarrassed to let a young lady help.

Xuan Xuan didn’t care if he was being polite or shy. Without waiting for help, she went to study the insectoids from yesterday.

Zhan Yu watched her back, hesitating for a long while before finally speaking, “If you hear anything about your teacher, could you tell me?”

Xuan Xuan had never heard Zhan Yu speak like that before. She had seen his commanding presence on the military training platform, his tenderness on the Herb Planet, and his cunning demeanor facing Kuang Shao.

But she had never heard such a low, somber voice from him—one filled with pleading.

She dared not turn around. For some reason, her heart ached.

Her intuition told her that if she looked back, she would not be able to resist saying, “Yes.”

But she couldn’t say it. She couldn’t bring that unreal, nonexistent “teacher” back to him.

Her steps faltered. Zhan Yu’s heart flickered once more with hope. “Maybe she didn’t leave?”

Why would he want to believe this impossible “teacher” was still here?

Suddenly, Xuan Xuan turned and looked straight into Zhan Yu’s eyes. With solemnity, she said, “She left—and she will never come back.”

This was something she should have told him on the Star Network.

But now, it was still not too late.

That “she” was never here. She was only from the Mata Continent.

And Xuan Xuan—Wan Qi Xuan Xuan—was the Wan Qi family member of the Federation now.

After saying this, Xuan Xuan left without hesitation and headed to the basement where the insectoids were held.

Zhan Yu, who had been clearing the dishes, clenched the plate in his hand, crushing it to pieces. Blood dripped from his tightly clenched fist onto the wooden floor with a faint “tap, tap…”

He couldn’t feel it, but in his mind echoed only one sentence:

“She left—and she will never come back.”

“She left.”

“She will never come back.”

How could this be? Only two months ago, she had been so vividly standing before him. Her veil was still in his hands. Her voice and face lingered in his mind. Even that soft touch on his lips remained in his heart.

How could she disappear forever in just two months?

Kuang Shao had trained in his place all morning. After eating, he came over to Zhan Yu.

“Hey, you made this yourself?”

Seeing Zhan Yu silent, Kuang Shao was used to it. He stepped closer and saw Zhan Yu’s vacant gaze, the shattered plate in his hand, and the blood flowing into a thin red stream at his feet.

“What are you doing?” Kuang Shao frowned.

Zhan Yu looked at Kuang Shao. “She left and will never come back.”

“Who?” Kuang Shao was stunned, then realized. “Your girl?”

Zhan Yu said nothing, head bowed, lost in thoughts about the Star Network.

“Who said that?” Kuang Shao asked.

“Wan Qi Xuan Xuan.”

“No way,” Kuang Shao denied. Seeing the seriousness on Zhan Yu’s face, he guessed it might be what Wan Qi Xuan Xuan said. “If she’s not coming back, can’t you go find her?”

“Hm?” Zhan Yu finally looked up at Kuang Shao.

Kuang Shao smiled with relief. Since the decision was made, there was no point in arguing. Zhan Yu was with her, and he could still see her sometimes; even if just as friends, so be it.

“Keep an eye on Wan Qi Xuan Xuan. Since she knows her teacher isn’t coming back, she must know where she went to travel,” Kuang Shao said, his beautiful peach blossom eyes full of confidence. “If she’s not coming back, she’ll have to lead us to her.”

Zhan Yu raised an eyebrow.

“I don’t believe she can run far. And with the combined resources of the Kuang and Zhan families, there’s no one we can’t find. As long as she exists, we will find her,” Kuang Shao declared.

***

PS:

Thanks to Milk’s Nest for the pink gift, and to Hawke and Dark Night Lian You for their generous rewards. Douya will keep working hard to write more.