Chapter 78

Chapter 78

Ye Family Villa

The nanny and the chef were driven out of the kitchen, curiously watching the two people bustling around inside.

Chu Hengyi skillfully cleaned the feisty little lobsters, preparing various ingredients for stir-frying them.

Ye Mingzhao stood in front of the sink, sorting through the vegetables they had bought and placing them on the counter. He wore a beige apron and rolled up his shirt sleeves to his elbows. Casually picking up a cucumber, he washed it under the faucet, scrubbing meticulously.

After washing one cucumber, he moved on to the next, then the tomatoes. The nanny and chef standing at the kitchen door couldn't help but shake their heads at Ye Mingzhao's clumsy movements: "Oh dear!"

The young nanny tiptoed over and whispered, "Mr. Mingzhao, maybe I should do it!" Washing things like this was such a waste of water! And the cucumbers and tomatoes were being scrubbed so hard they were almost getting mushy. She felt sorry just watching.

"No need!" Ye Mingzhao placed the washed cucumbers and tomatoes on the cutting board and picked up a kitchen knife, gesturing as if to cut.

The chef, Old Zhang, standing at the kitchen door, felt his heart skip a beat: "Uh, maybe I should do it! Don't cut yourself!"

With two thuds, Ye Mingzhao cut a cucumber into four sections, then sliced each section into four pieces.

Chu Hengyi turned around and saw this scene, couldn't help but laugh: "Let me do it."

He took the kitchen knife from Ye Mingzhao, flattened a few cucumbers, and casually made a few cuts. Ye Mingzhao suddenly realized: "Oh, I see how it's done now."

With that, Ye Mingzhao snatched the knife back, picked up a tomato, and slapped it—

Chu Hengyi was caught off guard, and tomato pulp splattered across his face.

Chu Hengyi: "..."

Ye Mingzhao glanced at the kitchen, now a mess, and silently wiped his face with a tissue.

Chu Hengyi sighed silently, holding back a laugh: "Not every trick works the same way!"

Ye Mingzhao handed the knife back to Chu Hengyi and silently went to peel the century eggs.

Chu Hengyi chuckled helplessly, took the knife, and dutifully cut the tomatoes for the sugar-mixed tomatoes, also slicing the century eggs Ye Mingzhao had peeled.

Satisfied, Ye Mingzhao patted his hands and went for the tofu, declaring confidently, "I can cut the tofu myself this time, no problem."

Chu Hengyi was a bit confused: "Do we need to cut tofu for the preserved egg and tofu dish?"

Ye Mingzhao replied with dignity: "Let's cut it! It'll be easier to eat that way."

Okay then!

Chu Hengyi thought about it and decided cutting tofu shouldn't be too hard for Ye Mingzhao, so he handed the knife back and went to braise the beef.

While the beef was braising, Chu Hengyi started kneading the dough.

Ye Mingzhao was watching the process of making hand-pulled noodles for the first time, standing beside Chu Hengyi with great interest. Chu Hengyi reminded him: "Don't get distracted while cutting the tofu, be careful not to cut yourself."

Hearing this, Ye Mingzhao decided to focus back on the tofu, carefully cutting it.

Chu Hengyi's smile was hard to suppress, and even he didn't realize how much joy was reflected in his eyes.

Those at the door exchanged glances, feeling out of place.

By the time the four members of the Ye family returned home from work, Chu Hengyi had already finished braising the beef. He set the pressure cooker aside and started stir-frying the little lobsters.

The spicy, garlicky, thirteen-spice, and salted egg yolk flavors filled the vast kitchen with an overwhelming aroma, making everyone's mouths water.

Chu Hengyi arranged the freshly cooked crayfish of various flavors on a large plate. Ye Mingzhao's tofu was also cut—each piece was distinct and uniform in size, arranged like dominoes on the plate. Even the sliced century eggs were neatly placed on top of the tofu blocks, satisfying even the most meticulous person.

The sauce for the century egg with tofu was prepared by Chu Hengyi.

Ye Mingzhao personally drizzled the sauce Chu Hengyi had made over the century egg with tofu, then sprinkled peanuts, cilantro leaves, and chili peppers on top. A visually and aromatically pleasing dish of century egg with tofu was now ready.

While Ye Mingzhao was meticulously plating, Chu Hengyi scooped up the cooked noodles and placed them into a large blue-and-white bowl. He then topped the handmade noodles with the pre-prepared braised beef brisket. The beef was cut into large, thick chunks, each piece with lean meat connected to tendon, exuding a rich aroma with its deep red hue. Chu Hengyi casually sprinkled some cilantro and green onions before pouring the glossy, thick braised beef sauce into the bowl.

In an instant, the rich aroma spread from the kitchen.

The smell was so irresistible that the four members of the Ye family, who had just returned home, couldn't help but swallow their saliva, their appetites immediately whetted.

"Time to eat!"

Ye Mingzhao, who had been eagerly waiting, took off his apron and carried the century egg with tofu and sugar-coated tomatoes out.

Chu Hengyi followed closely behind, holding a large plate of garlic-flavored crayfish. The remaining dishes were brought to the table one by one by the maids waiting at the kitchen door.

"Tonight's dinner is so lavish!" Mrs. Ye praised with a smile, having just washed her hands. She touched her flat stomach with a hint of worry, "Looks like I'll need to hit the gym tonight!"

At her age, maintaining her figure wasn't easy. Eating a good meal meant she'd have to exercise for at least two to three hours.

Ye Mingzhao smiled and said, "I made all of this."

He pointed to the three cold dishes on the table, "Chu Hengyi helped me a bit."

Before he could finish, his second brother, Ye Mingxi, enthusiastically exclaimed, "Wow, our Zhaozhao is so amazing, he's learned how to cook!"

"Just a little," Ye Mingzhao paused, then added somewhat guiltily, "Chu Hengyi helped me a lot."

Chu Hengyi glanced at Ye Mingzhao with a smile and chimed in, "I just assisted with the minor tasks. The key steps were all Ye Mingzhao's doing."

Like sprinkling sugar on the tomatoes, pouring vinegar sauce on the cucumber salad, and cutting the tofu for the century egg with tofu! These steps are crucial!

Without these steps, the dishes wouldn't be complete!

Ye Mingzhao wholeheartedly agreed with Chu Hengyi's statement, nodding repeatedly, "I indeed played a crucial role!" Without his involvement, those dishes wouldn't have tasted or looked the same!

The Ye family, unaware of the truth, took Chu Hengyi and Ye Mingzhao's words at face value and genuinely believed Ye Mingzhao was indispensable. Even the eldest brother, Ye Mingchen, praised enthusiastically, "As expected of our Zhaozhao, he has a talent for everything he does."

Hearing this, the maid bringing out the braised beef noodle soup almost burst out laughing. She quickly lowered her head, trying to forget the scene of Ye Mingzhao smashing the tomatoes earlier.

Chairman Ye didn't say much, but the first thing he did was pick up his chopsticks and take a piece of sugar-coated tomato into his mouth, "Not bad, the sweetness is just right, not overpowering."

The rest of the Ye family also tasted Ye Mingzhao's cucumber salad and century egg with tofu, with one praising the well-smashed cucumbers and the other complimenting the authentic sauce of the century egg with tofu.

Ye Mingzhao smiled politely, then turned to Chu Hengyi and said with satisfaction, "You deserve half the credit too."

Chu Hengyi: "…………" He had never seen Ye Mingzhao so confident before.

But this side of Ye Mingzhao made Chu Hengyi blink, finding it inexplicably adorable!

By the end of the meal, not only were the three cold dishes made by Ye Mingzhao highly praised by the Ye family, but even the four flavors of crayfish and braised beef noodle soup made by Chu Hengyi were compared to a state banquet.

Although Chu Hengyi knew the Ye family was simply trying to praise their son, his smile grew wider with each compliment.

It could be said that the compliments really hit the spot.

After dinner, the Ye family went out for a walk together. The six family members strolled on the lawn in front of the villa.

On a midsummer night, the sky was filled with stars, and the horizon was shrouded in a mysterious purple-blue hue.

As the night breeze blew, Ye Mingzhao suddenly felt a wave of heat. Chu Hengyi, walking beside him, reached out with his long arm and hooked it around Ye Mingzhao's shoulder.

In an instant, it felt like a furnace was pressed against him, and waves of warmth radiated from Chu Hengyi's body.

Ye Mingzhao gave him a speechless look and said, "It's so hot. What are you doing?"

"Just wanted to thank you."

"You're biting the hand that feeds you." Ye Mingzhao wasn't used to being so close to someone in over 30-degree heat. He casually pushed Chu Hengyi's arm away: "What are you thanking me for?"

"Everything," Chu Hengyi paused slightly, then added, "From the moment I met you."

Ye Mingzhao raised an eyebrow and steered the conversation toward Hua Rui: "How do you plan to deal with her?"

Chu Hengyi had already instructed Dagger to investigate the people in the photos and sent people to look into Hua Rui's assets.

"She's hiding abroad, unwilling to return, simply out of fear of the Ye family's retaliation."

But for masterminds like Chu Hengyi and Ye Mingzhao, geographical limitations were irrelevant if they really wanted to target someone.

So Chu Hengyi's top priority was to uncover Hua Rui's assets and dismantle them one by one.

"What are you two talking about?" A voice suddenly sounded from behind, and a head sneakily appeared between Ye Mingzhao and Chu Hengyi: "Is there something we can't hear?"

Chu Hengyi glanced at Ye Mingxi, whose eyes were clear, and noticed that his head was almost resting on Ye Mingzhao's shoulder. Chu Hengyi frowned slightly and pushed his big head back.

"We're talking about Hua Rui," Chu Hengyi said succinctly, revealing everything Chu Jianguo and his wife had said.

The Ye family members who were drawn over by this conversation immediately darkened their expressions.

Chairman Ye said coldly, "I underestimated her." If he had known, he would have eradicated her back then!

Mrs. Ye noticed Chairman Ye's regret and patted the back of his hand. She then turned to Chu Hengyi and said, "You've suffered so much over the years."

She never imagined that Hua Rui could be so heartless, even going so far as to hire the families of human traffickers to adopt Chu Hengyi and have people film the abuse Chu Hengyi endured at the hands of Chu Jianguo and his wife.

The thought of their family being torn apart and her son suffering such abuse from a young age made Mrs. Ye's eyes burn with hatred.

"Back then, your father was overbearing and drove Hua Rui's father to his death. Later, Hua Rui sent people to kidnap you in revenge for her father. When the plan was exposed, she fled abroad. Your father felt guilty toward her, and at the time, the Chu family had no connections or influence abroad, so they had no choice but to let her roam free."

But they never expected that Hua Rui, even while abroad, could still stir up so much trouble.

"She can cause trouble because she has money," Ye Mingxi snorted with disdain. "But it's not twenty years ago anymore. It's time to deal with this venomous snake once and for all."