Culinary God in Wilderness

Chapter 442: Chapter 276: Authentic Beef Tallow Hot Pot

The temperature in the room rose rapidly. Wreathed in a drunken haze and driven by instinct, the two of them ignited in an instant like dry tinder.

The sweet taste of wine lingered between them, their breathing growing heavier.

At some point, Erica had ended up on his lap. Her light shirt had fallen to the floor, revealing the tight, figure-hugging sports top she wore underneath.

Her kiss was gentle yet fiery, slowly numbing what little reason Lin Chen had left.

Just as Lin Chen was about to completely lose himself, Erica suddenly bit him, as if venting some inner dissatisfaction.

The faint pain on his lips shocked him back to his senses, and he hurriedly pushed her away.

He shot up from the chair, turned, and rushed into the bathroom. He splashed his face repeatedly with ice-cold water until he finally calmed down.

’Dammit, drinking always leads to trouble!’

He stared blankly at himself in the mirror, the sweet taste of wine still faintly lingering on his lips.

Before, he’d only known that Erica had a crush on him, and they were toeing the blurry line between friends and something more. But now, their relationship had suddenly escalated to that "more than friends, but not quite lovers" stage.

If she hadn’t inexplicably bitten him just now, their clothes would probably be off by now.

When he came out of the bathroom, still struggling with how to face Erica, he found that the girl had fallen asleep, slumped over the table.

He felt an inexplicable sense of relief.

He carried her to the bed, tucked her in, pulled the key card from his pocket, and quietly left the room.

CLICK.

The moment the door clicked shut, Erica’s tightly closed eyes snapped open.

She touched her cheek. It was shockingly hot, though she didn’t know if it was from the alcohol or something else.

She licked her lips, where a faint sweetness still lingered.

’That’s strange... I’m not usually the type to get jealous so easily. What’s gotten into me?’

’If I hadn’t bitten him just now, then right now...’

She pulled up the cold blanket. There was no scent in the bed.

’Oh well. At least he didn’t seem repulsed. That’s good feedback. I’ll find another chance next time.’

Her head might have been spinning, but her eyes were exceptionally clear, showing not the slightest hint of drunkenness.

’I never thought chasing a man could be so interesting. This is so much fun. Men from Great Xia are really good at holding back. I’d like to see just how long you can resist.’

Lin Chen, on the other hand, had just entered Erica’s room when he immediately saw the lingerie she had carelessly tossed on the bed.

The corner of his mouth twitched. His mind couldn’t help but conjure images of the secrets hidden beneath that tight top, and his breathing quickened.

A faint fragrance filled the entire room. Besides the clean scents of shampoo and body wash, there was another smell that was very familiar to him.

Glancing around, he saw a bottle of perfume next to the bathroom sink.

Not only that, but her suitcase was open on the carpet by the bed, with a messy pile of clothes on top. A few lacy thongs were particularly conspicuous.

He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. He tossed the fabric from the bed into the suitcase, closed the lid, stripped off his clothes, and slipped under the covers, turning off the light as he did.

Strangely, the faint fragrance was in the bed as well.

As long as he smelled that scent, his mind would wander uncontrollably.

’Dammit, why do I feel like I’ve fallen into a trap? But that can’t be right. No matter how smart she is, she couldn’t have predicted that I’d switch rooms with her, could she?’

’It’s probably just her scent lingering from when she lay on the bed after her shower. Don’t overthink it. Calm down. It’s late. Time to sleep.’

After lying down, the effects of the alcohol began to creep in. In the silent darkness, only the sound of his own frantic heartbeat remained.

He didn’t know how much time had passed before he finally, groggily, fell asleep.

When he opened his eyes again, the sky outside was still pitch-black. He quickly got up to use the bathroom, then went back to bed.

He didn’t wake up again until a call from the front desk jolted him awake. He realized it was already 11:30.

The hotel provided two sets of toiletries, so he just quickly washed up in her room before carefully opening the door and walking to the door of what was originally his own room.

Just as he raised his hand, the door suddenly opened.

"Come on in. Looks like you slept well last night."

Erica walked out of the room as if nothing had happened and gave him a wink.

"We check out in half an hour, okay? Don’t forget, we’re going for hot pot."

"N-No problem."

The mention of hot pot made Lin Chen subconsciously think of the video from last night. He tensed up instantly, his words becoming a bit jumbled.

After they checked out and were in a taxi heading to the restaurant, he still couldn’t quite believe how calmly Erica was acting, as if everything was normal.

’Back home, this would be mortifyingly awkward, wouldn’t it?’

’Then again, maybe not. Young people these days are so open-minded. Someone like me would probably be called a dinosaur.’

"Had a fight?"

The driver glanced in the rearview mirror and chuckled. "Young people... it’s normal to have a fiery temper. It’s always about small things. Just talk it out. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger. If that doesn’t work, find a hotel room and screw your brains out. I guarantee you’ll be sweet as ever."

"You’ve misunderstood. We’re not..."

Lin Chen was speechless. Just as he was about to explain, Erica’s arm snaked around his neck, and her cool hand clamped over his mouth. She laughed.

"We didn’t fight! We’re just too hungry to have the energy to talk. Plus, we just woke up and are still a bit out of it. Drank too much last night, haha. We’re great~"

As she spoke, she leaned over and gave Lin Chen a loud SMACK on the cheek, then flashed a peace sign at the rearview mirror.

"Hahaha, good, as long as you didn’t fight. Looks like you wore yourselves out last night. Alcohol is a good thing, sure, but it really saps your stamina. Maybe drink a little less next time."

The driver glanced in the mirror again. "Your boyfriend still seems drunk. Why’s his face so red? Want me to crack a window?"

"No, no, that’s okay. He’s just shy. We haven’t made it official yet. You know, Da Xia People are more reserved."

"Oh, so he’s from Great Xia! That makes sense. I’ve had lots of passengers from Great Xia who are very quiet, speak softly. They’re good people, though. Judging by the destination, you’re going for hot pot? That place is pretty famous. Lots of foreigners go there. You’ve hit the jackpot finding a boyfriend from Great Xia."

"That’s what I think too, hahaha! There’s so much good food, I was drooling like crazy just watching the videos!"

The two of them chatted animatedly, leaving Lin Chen completely unable to get a word in. Forcing his way into the conversation to clarify their relationship would only make things weirder, so he just silently turned to look at the scenery outside.

It had been too late when they arrived yesterday, so he hadn’t gotten a good look at this coastal city. Looking closely now, he could see it was distinctly different from Toronto.

White seagulls circled everywhere in the sky, their distinctive cries instantly evoking a seaside atmosphere.

In the distance, the shallow coastline was clearly visible, the azure waves glittering under the sun.

The traffic on the streets wasn’t heavy, and many foreign tourists with huge backpacks were taking pictures on the roadside. The overall atmosphere was very relaxed.

The hot pot restaurant was a standalone building surrounded by a parking lot. This architectural style was very common in North America, but it was usually found in suburban areas.

There was a greater than seventy percent chance that this type of building would be a restaurant—be it a fried chicken place, a pizza parlor, a Cantonese restaurant, a Korean barbecue joint, or something else. A hot pot restaurant wasn’t too surprising.

It was peak mealtime, and the restaurant was buzzing with people. Nearly half the faces were foreign, and the air was thick with the rich aroma of beef tallow.

Steam rose from the pots in front of everyone, and smiles graced every face as they ate, their mouths glistening with oil.

The thought of finally tasting authentic hot pot made Erica involuntarily take a deep breath, swallowing the saliva that was flooding her mouth.

"A table for two? This way, please."

A woman who looked to be in her forties, wearing a uniform with the restaurant’s name on it, came over. She led them through the main hall, straight upstairs, and finally seated them at a table by the window.

The second floor was also more than half full. Lin Chen couldn’t help but be secretly amazed by how good business was.

He took out his phone and scanned the QR code on the corner of the table.

DING.

With a crisp sound, the corresponding menu popped up on his phone screen.

Erica hadn’t realized this yet and was looking around the table curiously.

"Where’s the menu? Is it hidden somewhere, or will they bring it later?"

"It’s here," Lin Chen said, handing her his phone.

"Huh?"

It was only when she saw the menu on the phone screen that she understood and looked at the strange code on the corner of the table.

"This must be the QR code from the vlog last night, right? I can’t believe they have them here too. It’s amazing."

She swiped a few times. Every dish had a corresponding picture.

"This is so convenient! You just scan it with your phone, you don’t even need a waiter. You place the order yourself and the food comes right out. Is it all like this in Great Xia now?"

"Yes. It’s not just for menus. All businesses use QR codes for payment. Even farmers selling produce at roadside stalls have them. You don’t need to carry any cash when you go out; a single phone can handle everything."

"I really want to see what a cashless city is like. When can we go visit?"

"Let’s talk about it later. We need to finish the work we have on hand first."

’I’ll definitely go back, but before that, I need to find a suitable location. Ideally, I can secure the land for the manor and hire people to manage the crops. Only then can I relax and travel back home.’

"You should recommend what to get. I’m not really sure what’s good."

Erica handed the phone back and slid over to sit next to him, making it easier to see the menu.

"Are you brave enough to try organ meats? Things like tripe, omasum, fatty intestines, kidney slices... the ones you saw last night."

"Of course. Didn’t you say they’re the most popular items for spicy hot pot? People like us who rough it in the wild can’t afford to be picky eaters."

"Alright, then. One of each. And we’ll get some fatty beef and lamb, tender beef, velveted pork, sliced snakehead fish, shrimp paste, celtuce, firm bean curd, tofu skin, and beef meatballs with salted egg yolk..."

One good thing about this restaurant was that you could order half portions of every dish, which was perfect for foreigners who wanted to try a bit of everything but were worried they couldn’t finish it all.