Chapter 74: Extra Points

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[Facial recognition in progress—please follow the instructions: turn your head to the left, open your mouth...]

Following the prompts from the system, Chen Shian took Lin Mengqiu’s phone and began recording her face.

“All done.”

Once he finished, Chen Shian handed the phone back to Lin Mengqiu.

It’s true what they say—it's easy to get used to luxury, but hard to go back to simplicity. He’d never thought his own phone lagged, but now, after using Lin Mengqiu’s, his own suddenly felt sluggish and slow.

“Class leader, your phone is really nice. How much does a phone like this cost?”

“Seven thousand.”

“...”

Suddenly, Chen Shian didn’t think his own phone was so bad after all.

After helping him register for the building access, Lin Mengqiu returned to her reading.

Chen Shian glanced at the book in her hands. It was extracurricular reading, probably something she enjoyed in her leisure time.

Only at home did he ever see her doing anything unrelated to studying.

Uncle Lin was in the kitchen preparing dinner, while Lin Mengqiu read quietly by herself.

It was clearly unrealistic to expect the class leader to entertain him, but Chen Shian didn’t mind. He went to the tea table, poured himself a cup, and asked her,

“Class leader, would you like some tea?”

“No, thank you.”

“It’s really good.”

“No.”

“This is tea we grew and picked ourselves at the temple.”

“...Fine.”

Chen Shian fetched another cup, poured her some tea, and placed it on the coffee table before her sofa.

Lin Mengqiu’s gaze drifted from her book to the tea, but she still didn’t drink it.

Chen Shian could tell—at home, the girl was different from how she was at school. She was noticeably more approachable here.

In the classroom, she wore her aloofness like protective coloring, keeping everyone at arm’s length. But at home, she seemed to let her guard down. Though her expression remained calm and serene, there was a new richness to the emotion in her eyes.

After pouring her tea, Chen Shian left the living room.

Seated cross-legged on the sofa, Lin Mengqiu quietly watched his retreating figure.

Chen Shian entered the kitchen.

“Uncle Lin.”

“Shian! Hungry? The soup’s ready. Want to have a bowl while you wait? I’ll whip up a couple of dishes—won’t take long!”

“No rush, I just wanted to come in and learn from you, see if I can help with anything.”

“Oh, I’m no expert—just cooking to make things edible. Don’t blame me if it doesn't taste great!”

“How could I? It already smells wonderful.”

On the way home, Lin Mengqiu had already told him what was for dinner: four dishes and a soup.

The soup was chicken with ginkgo nuts, the dishes were five-spice pork ribs, chopped chili fish head, fried silverfish with egg, and stir-fried pork with green peppers—a hearty, home-style meal.

There was nothing else to do this evening, so Lin Ming hadn’t started cooking too early. The soup was ready, the ingredients prepped. With two pots in the kitchen, it wouldn’t take long to finish the rest of the dishes.

“Uncle Lin, this fish head is huge!”

“Of course, I picked the biggest one at the market this afternoon. The bigger the fish head, the better it tastes.”

“Has Uncle Lin always been the one who cooks at home?”

“Yes, I’m basically the househusband here. Shian, you know how to cook, don’t you?”

“I do. Back in the mountains, I was always the one cooking.”

“Then you must be a real chef. Mengqiu doesn’t cook at all!”

“That’s because Uncle Lin can’t bear to let our class leader cook. She’s so smart, I bet cooking would be a breeze for her.”

“Hahaha, you’ve got a point.”

The two men chatted cheerfully in the kitchen, while Lin Mengqiu, sitting on the sofa, couldn’t make out what they were saying—she just kept peeking curiously.

Just as Lin Ming was about to finish cooking, his phone rang from his pocket.

He wiped his hands and answered, frowning slightly when he saw the caller ID.

“What’s up, Uncle Lin?”

“My boss is calling—I’d better take this. Shian, could you watch the ribs for me? They’re almost done.”

“Sure, Uncle Lin. Go ahead, I’ll keep an eye on them.”

Lin Ming left the kitchen with his phone, stepping out onto the balcony to take the call.

Lin Mengqiu had no interest in these long-winded business calls, which always began and ended with endless pleasantries and only got to the point in the middle.

She glanced toward the kitchen, but Chen Shian hadn’t come out.

Unable to contain her curiosity, she finally closed her book and picked up the cup of tea.

She took a sip, blinking in surprise.

She studied the tea in her cup.

It was delicious.

She wasn’t a connoisseur like her father, nor especially fond of tea, but this cup was genuinely good.

Page 2 of 3

After finishing her tea, Lin Mengqiu made her way to the kitchen door.

Inside, Chen Shian was lifting the lid off the pot, releasing a cloud of fragrant steam from the five-spice pork ribs.

“Are you sneaking a taste?”

“What are you saying? Uncle Lin asked me to watch the stove.”

Seeing that the sauce had almost reduced, Chen Shian turned off the heat, holding the plate with one hand and the spatula with the other, expertly transferring the tender ribs onto a dish.

“Is Uncle Lin still on the phone?”

“He won’t be done for another half hour at least.”

“Hmm...”

Rather than sit around waiting for Uncle Lin to finish and cook the rest, Chen Shian, after a moment’s thought, took the apron hanging on the wall and put it on.

Lin Mengqiu was taken aback.

“What are you doing?”

“Cooking the rest of the dishes, of course. We can’t just wait for Uncle Lin to finish his call before we eat.”

“...You’re going to cook?”

“Unless you want to cook, class leader? I am the guest, after all—maybe you could show me your skills?”

“...”

Lin Mengqiu didn’t reply, just shot him a glare. She could only make rice or boil water—if it were up to her, the three of them might go hungry tonight.

Chen Shian was clearly teasing. Luckily, only a couple of dishes remained: stir-fried pork with green peppers and fried silverfish with egg—both quick to make.

He took the tenderloin from the bag and started washing it.

Seeing he was really about to cook, Lin Mengqiu’s face showed genuine surprise.

She wanted to tell him not to trouble himself, but curiosity got the better of her—she couldn’t help but wonder what his cooking tasted like. After all, her father’s dishes, while not bad, had grown a bit monotonous over the years.

She definitely wanted to taste a dish cooked by this exorcist.

Since it was her own home, it felt awkward just standing by, watching him work.

“Need any help?”

“Could you prep the green peppers?”

“...”

Lin Mengqiu was a bit embarrassed to admit she’d never prepared green peppers before. But surely it was just a matter of washing them? She silently moved behind Chen Shian to the sink, took the peppers from the bag, and washed them thoroughly under the tap.

“All done.”

“...”

Chen Shian stared at the green peppers she handed over, deep in thought.

Wait, that’s it? Just washing them counts as ‘prepping’?

“Take off the stems.”

“...”

Lin Mengqiu took the peppers back, twisted off the stems, and handed them over again.

“...”

Chen Shian was silent. It would be faster to do it himself than teach her every step.

“Just leave them there.”

“Anything else I can help with?”

“...Could you peel some garlic for me?”

Lin Mengqiu arched an eyebrow. “You think I’m not good enough?”

“Class leader, not at all. Peeling garlic is very important.”

“...”

I know you do!

She didn’t argue, just obediently started peeling garlic. She was determined to see how skilled Chen Shian really was.

The overhead kitchen light shone on Chen Shian’s hands, the knuckles well defined as he picked up the knife, wielding it like an extension of his own arm, slicing open the green peppers with practiced ease.

“Prepping peppers isn’t just about washing them. See these white ribs inside? That’s where the bitterness comes from. If you want the peppers to be crisp and not bitter, you’ve got to strip these out.”

“...”

Lin Mengqiu blinked. She wasn’t sure if he was right—she’d never seen her dad remove those white ribs when cooking peppers...

Once the peppers were prepped, Chen Shian began slicing them into thin strips.

It was like watching a cooking show up close. The kitchen knife, rather heavy in her own hand, moved as if weightless in his, the rapid rhythm of the blade echoing through the kitchen. In a blink, a whole pepper was transformed into a neat pile of evenly sliced strips.

“Careful, don’t cut yourself working that fast,” Lin Mengqiu couldn’t help but say.

“When you chop, tuck your fingers in and press your knuckles to the blade. You won’t cut yourself.”

He continued slicing as he spoke, and by the time he finished, Lin Mengqiu had peeled the garlic.

“You’re pretty quick at peeling garlic, class leader. Looks like you’ve had a lot of practice.”

“...”

That’s so sarcastic—minus one point for you!

Before he could ask, Lin Mengqiu quickly placed the peeled garlic cloves on his cutting board.

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Smack—

With a sharp blow, Lin Mengqiu shrank back a little.

He put the smashed garlic into a bowl for later, then took out a plate.

“Toss the pepper strips with a little salt to draw out the moisture—it keeps them crisp and lets the flavor soak in. Careful not to use too much salt.”

“...”

Lin Mengqiu didn’t reply, but listened intently.

With the peppers done, it was time to slice the meat.

“Slice the meat thin, then into strips about the same size as the peppers. That way, when you pick up a bite, you get both the tenderness of the meat and the flavor of the pepper together.”

“Add a bit of light soy sauce, rice wine, white pepper, and cornstarch—mix until coated. Then drizzle in a little oil to seal in the moisture...”

Chen Shian worked as he spoke, half to himself, and Lin Mengqiu found herself a bit entranced.

She didn’t even know where to find half the seasonings he mentioned in the kitchen, but Chen Shian moved with the confidence of someone cooking at home, reaching for bottles and jars without hesitation—even knowing where things were in the cupboards.

His measurements were unerring; there was no hesitation, no second guessing, as if every spoonful was exactly as it should be, right down to the control of how many drops of soy sauce went in.

He heated the wok until it smoked, poured in the oil, and when it was hot, tossed in the marinated pork. The meat changed color under the high heat, the spatula flicking rapidly to keep the strips separate. The aroma of sizzling meat filled the air.

“How long do you stir-fry it for?” Lin Mengqiu couldn’t help but ask.

“High heat, quick fry—take it out when the edges start to brown. That keeps the juices in and stops the meat getting tough.”

“...A few minutes?”

“Depends on the heat and the amount—just gotta go by feel.”

Lin Mengqiu understood, but couldn’t figure out how he judged things like “just right” or “cooked through.” Without specific instructions, it all sounded like a foreign language.

Couldn’t he just say how many minutes to fry it for?

Sizzle—

He tossed minced garlic into the leftover oil in the wok, releasing a mouthwatering fragrance. Turning up the heat to the max, he added the pepper strips, stir-frying them until they softened and their edges blistered.

He returned the cooked pork to the wok, added a dash of light soy sauce for depth, half a spoon of sugar to balance the heat, tossing everything so the flavors melded.

Finally, he drizzled a little bright oil around the edge of the wok for color and sprinkled in chopped scallions for aroma.

Off went the heat, and the dish was done.

“All set.”

“...”

Bright green pepper strips, tender golden garlic, and caramelized pork mingled together in a cloud of fragrant steam.

Served on a white porcelain plate, the dish was mouthwatering even to look at.

Lin Mengqiu was speechless. Her mind was still trying to process how he’d made the dish, but the scent of the peppers and meat had already crept into her senses.

She swallowed involuntarily.

She was a picky eater.

She usually lost interest after a few bites, and even with a classic dish like pork with green peppers, she’d only pick out the meat.

But now, Chen Shian’s freshly cooked stir-fry sat right in front of her.

She’d watched him make it, smelled the intoxicating aroma, and at this moment, couldn’t resist the urge to abandon her composure and snatch a bite.

Sensing her anticipation, Chen Shian smiled and asked,

“Class leader, want to try it?”

“No need.”

“Just see if the flavor is right.”

“Oh...”

In the end, Lin Mengqiu couldn’t resist. She picked up a pair of chopsticks, and with a certain solemnity, took a generous bite from the plate he held.

She blew on it to cool it, still trying to maintain her poise, and slipped the morsel into her mouth...

“~~~~~!”

Her eyelashes fluttered, and her once-lowered gaze slowly lifted, a spark of color igniting in her eyes.

The crisp heat of the peppers met the rich savor of the meat on her tongue.

The flavors danced together, each enhancing the other—the spice brought out the layers of the pork, while the meat’s juices mellowed the fresh bite of the pepper, weaving a wondrous balance in her mouth.

“~~~~~!”

It was absolutely delicious!

What on earth had she been eating before, calling it pork with green peppers?

How could someone make this dish so perfectly?

“Well? Does it suit your taste?”

“Yes.”

Lin Mengqiu answered calmly.

But inside, she was shouting—

A thousand times better than my dad’s!

Add a point... no! Add two!!