Chapter 27: Missed Is Missed

Chapter 27: Missed Is Missed

A Castle Taking Shape

Xiao Cheng barely paid attention to the admiration of the architects or the murmurs of disbelief from the professionals around him. For him, this was just a simple matter—building a castle for his daughter, something he had promised.

The main framework was complete, and now, all that remained were the finishing touches. Xiao Cheng turned to the assembled workers, his voice calm but authoritative.

"You want to see the final result, don't you? I'll handle the last adjustments, and the landscaping team will take care of the greenery."

He then shifted his gaze to Sisi and Shen Jiaoyue, who had been watching from the sidelines. Shen Jiaoyue still looked dazed, her eyes flickering between Xiao Cheng and the magnificent castle in front of them.

"Alright," Xiao Cheng said, dusting off his hands, "let's go cook. It's time to eat. The castle will take two more days before we can play in it."

Sisi's eyes sparkled as she admired the nearly finished structure. She grabbed Shen Jiaoyue's hand excitedly. "Mama, did you see that? Papa is amazing!"

Shen Jiaoyue didn't answer right away. She had seen plenty of capable men in her life, but Xiao Cheng… he was different. His abilities were limitless, whether in business, construction, or even the simplest aspects of daily life.

Just then, she instinctively stepped forward and handed him a towel.

Xiao Cheng took it naturally, wiping his hands. "Thanks."

At that moment, Sisi, still caught up in her excitement, suddenly said in her sweet, innocent voice:

"It would be great if Papa and Mama could be like this forever."

Her words struck the air between them like a soft but heavy weight.

Xiao Cheng didn't respond immediately. He simply looked at his daughter, a rare moment of hesitation in his usually decisive demeanor.

Shen Jiaoyue's expression changed slightly. She turned her head away, avoiding his gaze.

Some things, once missed, are simply gone.

There was no going back.

Still, Sisi had no idea about the complicated emotions between her parents. She happily pulled them both by the hand, leading them into the villa as if they truly were a family.

A Feast Fit for Royalty

Inside the grand kitchen, everything was already prepared.

Shen Jiaoyue had assumed they would be cooking with ordinary ingredients, but the moment she stepped inside, she realized how mistaken she was.

The freshest matsutake mushrooms from Yunnan, imported Italian caviar, wild crocodile meat from Africa—every single item in the kitchen was a rare delicacy. These ingredients weren't just for any high-end restaurant; they were originally meant for the world's top five-star hotels.

Yet, due to Xiao Cheng's influence, they had been intercepted and delivered straight to his home.

This wasn't just wealth. This was power.

To Shen Jiaoyue, even the wealthiest business elites she knew would rarely enjoy such a level of luxury in their daily meals.

Yet Xiao Cheng treated it as nothing more than a casual dinner.

Master of the Kitchen

Xiao Cheng didn't just stand back and let someone else handle the cooking. He stepped forward, took the knife in his hand, and began preparing the ingredients himself.

The moment he started chopping, Shen Jiaoyue found herself mesmerized.

The blade in his hands moved like a phantom, flashing with astonishing speed yet never once missing its mark.

She had seen Xiao Cheng's agility in action before—his strength, precision, and control were already beyond her comprehension. But watching him handle food with the same level of mastery was something else entirely.

He wasn't just skilled. He was… flawless.

At one point, Shen Jiaoyue's gaze fell on the piece of Kobe beef he was handling.

Ordinarily, such premium beef would be prepared as steak, cooked delicately to preserve its rich flavor. But Xiao Cheng preferred Chinese cuisine. He diced the beef into tiny cubes, each one cut with exact uniformity.

Shen Jiaoyue was certain that if she measured them with a ruler, each cube would be identical.

And then there was the carrot.

What had once been an ordinary, albeit high-quality carrot from New Zealand, was now something completely different.

Under Xiao Cheng's knife, the vegetable transformed into a perfect miniature sculpture of a lamb. Its form was detailed, realistic, and almost too cute to eat.

Shen Jiaoyue was speechless.

Sisi, standing beside her, gasped in delight. "Wow! So cute!"

Xiao Cheng glanced at Shen Jiaoyue and smirked slightly. "Sisi doesn't like carrots, but they're good for her. A little carving makes them more fun to eat."

Hearing that, Shen Jiaoyue suddenly felt a pang of guilt.

She had always been strict about Sisi's diet, insisting that she eat vegetables for her health. But she had never taken the time to make it enjoyable for her.

Instead of forcing her to eat, Xiao Cheng had found a way to make her want to eat.

Shen Jiaoyue lowered her eyes. She had always thought she was doing her best as a mother. But was she really?

"Alright, out of the kitchen," Xiao Cheng suddenly said, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Dinner will be ready soon."

An Unforgettable Meal

With a reluctant glance at him, Shen Jiaoyue let Sisi drag her into the living room to watch cartoons.

Meanwhile, Xiao Cheng continued cooking.

The kitchen was vast, filled with countless utensils and tools, each one arranged neatly in its designated place.

At first, Shen Jiaoyue assumed that the servants must have prepared everything for him.

But the way Xiao Cheng moved so fluidly, knowing exactly where everything was—it became clear that he had organized the kitchen himself.

She found herself once again at a loss for words.

By the time Xiao Cheng brought out the dishes, the air was thick with rich, mouthwatering aromas.

The moment Sisi sat down, she immediately reached for the little carrot animals in her bowl.

"I'm gonna eat you!" she giggled, taking a big bite out of a tiny carved rabbit.

Shen Jiaoyue watched in disbelief.

She had spent so much effort trying to get Sisi to eat vegetables before. Yet now, with just a bit of creativity, Xiao Cheng had made it effortless.

Feeling a bit competitive, Shen Jiaoyue picked up her chopsticks and took a bite of the vegetables.

At first glance, the dish seemed ordinary—simple stir-fried cabbage.

But the moment it touched her tongue, she was stunned.

The flavor was fresh. Not just in the usual sense, but in a way that felt like biting into the pure essence of nature itself.

The balance was perfect. Even the parts that looked slightly overcooked were unbelievably crisp and flavorful.

She had eaten at countless high-end restaurants before, but this… this was on another level.

For a moment, Shen Jiaoyue didn't want to try any other dishes. She was afraid they wouldn't match the perfection of what she had just tasted.

She took another bite.

Then another.

And in that moment, she finally understood.

Sisi wasn't obsessed with the food here just because it was delicious.

It was because, in every single bite, there was a level of care and dedication that made it feel special.

And that was something money could never buy.