Chapter 25: The Return of the Culinary God

At 18:30, the workday at Yingzhi Group came to an end.

Zhao Qianqian stretched out her long, fair legs, blocking Liu Di's path.

"Hey, little brother, where are you going tonight?"

"How about joining your sister for dinner?"

This woman!

Mature, alluring, and seductive!

Liu Di almost couldn't hold himself back!

"Ahem!"

Yan Qingwen, with a dark expression, appeared behind them at some unknown moment. "Qianqian, you stay and work overtime! Liu Di, you're coming home with me for dinner!"

"Boss, you can't interfere with our personal lives!"

"Wait, why are we going home for dinner?"

By the time Zhao Qianqian processed what was happening, Liu Di had already been dragged away by Yan Qingwen. She could only wave them off helplessly.

On the way back to the mansion.

Liu Di, seated in the driver's seat, looked serious. "Boss Yan, I've discovered something strange."

Seeing Liu Di's expression, Yan Qingwen instinctively became more serious too. "What have you discovered?"

Liu Di turned his head, frowning, and said, "It seems like you were jealous."

"What?!"

"Zhao Qianqian was flirting with me, and you got jealous."

A moment later, an angry shout pierced through the soundproof Rolls-Royce, echoing across the sky!

The usually cool-headed female CEO had completely lost her composure, uttering words she had never said before: "Liu Di, you're full of crap!"

"Hahaha..."

Liu Di burst out laughing, finding immense joy in teasing Yan Qingwen.

Ten minutes later.

A Rolls-Royce worth 20 million yuan pulled up at a local market, looking quite out of place.

"Eggplants, 2.5 yuan each..."

"Cabbage, 10 yuan for three heads!"

The market was bustling with vendors calling out their prices.

Liu Di turned to Yan Qingwen, who was still fuming, and smiled, "Speaking of dinner, I happen to be a decent cook myself. I'll go buy some groceries and show you what I can do tonight!"

Before Yan Qingwen could protest, Liu Di had already stepped out of the car.

Yan Qingwen frowned as she looked out the window.

The crowded market, the muddy ground, and people who looked like laborers haggling over a few cents for vegetables.

Could anything bought from such a dirty place be edible?

Knock, knock, knock...

Liu Di tapped on the car window, his face full of embarrassment.

"Um, Wenwen, this place only accepts cash, and I just happen to be out…"

Hearing this, Yan Qingwen's heart softened.

It wasn't that Liu Di didn't have any cash on him, but rather, he had none at all!

The over 5 million yuan had already been spent!

Looking at the disheveled man who had saved her life, Yan Qingwen couldn't bring herself to be angry.

She gently opened her wallet, pulled out a wad of cash, and said softly, "If it's not enough, just ask me for more."

"Wow, so much money!"

Liu Di snatched the cash and dashed off like a thief!

Twenty minutes later.

Yan Qingwen regretted it.

The biggest regret of her life was giving Liu Di money to buy groceries!

After filling the trunk of the Rolls-Royce.

Liu Di returned with a dozen or so fish and dozens of pounds of beef!

He also brought back a bag of dirt!

With no other space, the groceries had to be placed in the Rolls-Royce cabin!

At this point, at Yan Qingwen's feet.

A bag containing a flopping snapper splashed water all over her face!

Fresh beef oozed red blood, making Yan Qingwen too scared to put her foot down!

"What did I do in my past life to deserve this?"

"Why did I have to meet Liu Di?"

Yan Qingwen screamed in frustration.

"Who's calling me?"

The young man in a white shirt tossed another bag into the car and coolly slid back into the driver's seat.

"What's in this bag?"

Yan Qingwen glanced at the wriggling contents of the bag, her scalp tingling.

"Silkworm pupae, high in protein, great for muscle building!"

"Ah...! They're bugs!"

"Yan Qingwen, can you be more dignified? What are you screaming for? Someone who doesn't know might think I'm assaulting you!"

"Liu Di, you're too much!"

"Wait until you taste my cooking; you might just fall for me!"

Outside the kitchen of the Yan family mansion.

Liu Di barred everyone from entering, claiming that his god-level cooking skills were not for public viewing!

Yan Qingwen was holding her phone, hesitating whether or not to order takeout!

What puzzled her was that Yan Kaikai and Yan Xinxin, the two little girls, had cheered in excitement when they heard Liu Di was cooking.

The two little girls were now huffing and puffing, running around in the yard.

They said they had to work up an appetite so they could eat to their heart's content!

Yan Qingwen just couldn't understand it. No matter how she looked at him, Liu Di didn't seem like someone who could cook!

But she did know that before joining the Yan family, Liu Di had worked as a waiter in a restaurant.

Could it be...

He picked up some skills while working there?

But could skills from such a place really produce anything delicious?

Ten minutes later.

There was a loud banging sound coming from the kitchen.

It sounded like someone was abusing beef!

Twenty minutes later.

The kitchen was filled with a piercing scraping sound, like nails on a chalkboard!

Yan Qingwen sighed behind the door, hoping he wouldn't wreck the kitchen.

Thirty minutes later.

Someone in the kitchen was mixing mud!

Forty minutes later.

A cold chill started seeping out from the kitchen!

"What on earth is Liu Di doing in there?!"

Just as Yan Qingwen's patience was running out, the kitchen door opened!

Liu Di gently wiped his hands with a white towel, "Ladies, dinner is served!"

The three ladies of the Yan family, each with different thoughts, entered the kitchen!

"Wow! It's dazzling!"

"I can't even open my eyes!"

On the dining table before them was an awe-inspiring ice sculpture!

It was a mountain range carved out of ice, majestic and sprawling, with a misty aura, like a mystical paradise!

"What is this...?"

Yan Qingwen's eyes widened. As a top-tier heiress, she had never seen such a masterpiece!

This must be an extraordinary display of knife skills, right?

"Liu Di, did you make this?"

Liu Di casually spread his hands, "A trivial skill, an Ice Mountain Tai."

"But what are we supposed to eat?"

The twin girls, Yan Kaikai and Yan Xinxin, widened their eyes. "Are we supposed to gnaw on the ice?"

"Good question!"

Liu Di glanced at the non-existent watch on his wrist, "The sashimi on this mountain, from slaughter to plating, took 6 minutes and 10 seconds. There are 50 seconds left before the optimal flavor window closes, so I suggest you hurry and enjoy it."

"Sashimi? Where?"

Yan Kaikai leaned in closer to the ice mountain and finally saw it.

The surface of the ice was neatly lined with slices of fish, so thin that they were almost invisible!

Liu Di smiled faintly, picking up a slice of fish with chopsticks and holding it under the light, making it slightly translucent!

It was an amazing display of knife skills!

After lightly dipping the edge in soy sauce, Liu Di placed the fish in his mouth.

He closed his eyes to savor it.

"Hmm..."

Liu Di elongated his tone, "The thickness is just right. Not only was it freshly slaughtered, but the ice mountain also preserved its freshest state..."

"It's incredibly fresh!"

"And with the top-quality soy sauce from your kitchen..."

"Ah, it's delicious!"

The sight made the twin girls drool uncontrollably!

"Oh my god, I can't take it anymore!"

"Yum, yum!"

The two little girls rushed forward, eagerly grabbing the fish slices and stuffing them into their mouths!

Liu Di chuckled lightly, "Miss Yan Qingwen, care to try?"

Yan Qingwen remained unimpressed, "It's all showy nonsense, just a gimmick to fool children!"

But when Yan Qingwen picked up a slice of fish, dipped it in soy sauce, and put it in her mouth.

Her expression froze.

Only one word echoed in her mind: fresh!

It was as if the fish had come to life!

She had never tasted such delicious sashimi!

Not even a world-class chef could achieve this!

"Liu Di, are you sure this is the same fish from the car?"

In Yan Qingwen's memory, they were low-quality ingredients, so how could they taste this good?

"The fish are still the same fish, perfectly ordinary."

"But my knife skills are extraordinary, once in a century!"

Liu Di shrugged, moving to the stove, where Yan Qingwen noticed for the first time.

Behind Liu Di was a huge ball of mud!

"Liu Di, I have to admit, your cooking skills are impressive!"

"And not just impressive, really impressive!"

"But why is there so much mud in the kitchen?"

Liu Di flashed a sly smile, "This is for my next dish, Mud-Baked Beef!"

Bang!

Liu Di threw a punch, creating a hole in the massive mud ball!

The next moment, an overwhelming aroma filled the air, enveloping everything around!

The two little girls, who had been thoroughly enjoying the sashimi, suddenly looked up, sniffing the air.

"What is that?"

"It smells amazing!"

"Kaikai, it's beef, a huge piece of beef!"

Yan Qingwen was stunned once again.

This beef smelled absolutely divine!

In that instant, all the other delicious foods in the world paled in comparison!