Chapter 114 - 113: Someone’s Trying to Steal My Person

Inside the kitchen, Gu Mian and Ling Xuan were busy at work in silence.

The man stood before the cooking counter, his posture straight and tall. The slight arch of his eyebrows revealed a pleasant mood.

His hand holding the knife was steady, his movements fluid and precise as he let the blade glide across the fish, leaving behind slices as thin as cicada wings.

Ling Xuan couldn’t help but steal a few more glances. ’You really can’t judge a book by its cover,’ he thought. ’To think a man with such a princely image would have this kind of skill.’ The sudden thought that his own Young Master had always seen Gu Mian as a formidable rival made him let out a long sigh.

’Say what you will, his Young Master’s sense of danger is spot on... This guy in front of me really does seem like a handful.’

’He’s good-looking, has a great physique, is a fantastic cook, and is steady and reliable... Plus, he’s from the Gu Family. A Beastman like that would be in the spotlight even in the Beast World.’

’Hey, wait a minute, why am I siding with the enemy?!’

’It’s just cooking!’

’My Young Master can cook too!’

"Is there any rice in the fridge?" Gu Mian asked abruptly, startling Ling Xuan.

He immediately opened the refrigerator, then said in a fluster, "Yes, yes, there’s a lot."

Gu Mian nodded and said no more. He placed the fish slices into a large bowl. They shimmered with a silvery-white luster under the light, but the sheen was soon covered by seasonings.

He added pepper, slivered ginger, oil, and more...

He skipped the step of soaking rice, using yesterday’s leftovers to make the congee directly. Then he added water and the marinated fish slices, and quietly waited for it to boil...

Ling Xuan watched in silence. He had always thought his own cooking skills were excellent, but seeing Gu Mian’s masterful, fluid motions, he realized he still had a lot of room for improvement.

For the sake of his Young Master winning the beauty’s heart, he silently swore... he would definitely go back and practice his cooking skills relentlessly.

Gu Mian focused on simmering the fish congee. While waiting, he leaned against the nearby counter, scrolling through trending topics and news.

After the ruckus they’d caused over the past few days, a lot more content about Beastmen had appeared in City A... only it was all related to mutation.

Before, people couldn’t find any search results related to mutation. Not because such content didn’t exist, but because it had been scrubbed by the authorities.

The fact that it was searchable now wasn’t because the authorities had become more lenient toward Beastmen, but because the disturbance at the South City Nightclub had been too huge... Even though recording was strictly forbidden in the Beast Fighting Arena, leaks were inevitable as word spread from one person to the next.

Some things, the more you try to suppress them, the more outrageously they spread... so the authorities simply gave up.

There was another reason: if the panic reached a certain level, the authorities could justifiably start controlling the Beastmen. At that point, who would care about whether they were mutants or not? They’d just lump them all together and round them up.

But come to think of it, it was strange. Weren’t the Mutant Beastmen created by the authorities themselves?

The fish congee was ready soon enough.

The fish had been enormous, so a portion of the meat had been put in the freezer.

Gu Mian had used two pots to cook, and now he turned off the heat for both at the same time.

In the living room, Wen Qian was nestled quietly on the sofa.

She was holding two fluffy, warm creatures in her arms, with Chi Heng by her legs... and she was quickly growing drowsy. If not for Yin Zhi and Qi Ke constantly competing to nuzzle their way into her neck, she probably would have fallen asleep for real.

Just then, Shen Mqing came down from upstairs. Having changed his clothes, he puffed out his chest, the very picture of arrogance. But when his eyes fell on Wen Qian, his jaw dropped in shock...

He walked over to Wen Qian and asked hesitantly, "Are you... hiding Original Recipe chicken in your arms?"

’Otherwise, why would this fox and the Young Master both be squeezing into her arms like that?’

Wen Qian was speechless. She opened her mouth to say something, but just then, Yin Zhi hissed at him.

Taking an involuntary step back, Shen Mqing immediately sat down meekly on the sofa opposite them. He placed his hands primly on his knees, looking like a well-behaved child.

Ling Xuan came out before Gu Mian and silently began setting out the bowls and chopsticks.

He glanced up, saw the scene, and was equally shocked. He didn’t show it, though. "Everyone... transform back. The fish congee is almost ready."

The little fox and the little tiger showed no intention of leaving Wen Qian’s arms, even though both of their stomachs rumbled in unison with a "GURGLE."

"Let’s eat first." Placing one on her left and the other on her right on the sofa, Wen Qian stretched her shoulders. They were actually pretty heavy.

"I can eat without transforming," the little fox said, narrowing his eyes smugly.

Hearing this, Chi Heng, who was on the floor, also let out an "AWOO."

Yin Zhi was about to say he could do the same, but then he looked up as if he’d thought of something and immediately scampered upstairs.

Ling Xuan, who had finished setting the table, thoughtfully followed him to open the door. When he came back down, Yin Zhi had already changed into a clean set of clothes.

He shooed away the little tiger sitting next to Wen Qian and plopped down onto the stool himself.

In that moment, the little tiger finally understood why he had been so eager.

His narrow eyes squinted in displeasure. After a moment, he ground his teeth and let out a soft huff.

The fish congee was brought to the table, and Gu Mian carefully ladled a bowl for everyone.

In the thick, rich congee, the paper-thin slices of fish shimmered with a faint luster. Gu Mian had also added chopped green onions as a garnish after taking it off the heat, and now it looked... absolutely delightful.

The congee didn’t just look good; its flavor was also impeccable. Wen Qian gently stirred the steaming porridge in her bowl with a spoon. The moment it entered her mouth, she couldn’t help but close her eyes in pleasure.

It was a perfect marriage of fish and congee. The delicate texture spread across her tongue, and the savory aroma was simply unforgettable.

"Not bad. Your cooking is getting better and better," Yin Zhi said, looking at Ling Xuan with praise.

Ling Xuan instinctively glanced at Gu Mian, then silently lowered his head. "Young Master, this was made by Mr. Gu."

Yin Zhi’s brows shot up, but this time, he didn’t say anything.

On one hand, he was genuinely hungry. On the other, he didn’t want to make Wen Qian angry. After all, her mood always soured whenever he bickered or fought with Gu Mian.

’Fine, Wen Qian gets upset when I fight with anyone... because I always "accidentally" knock things over.’

"Another bowl!" Shen Mqing was the first to finish his, his eyes sparkling.

Wen Qian couldn’t help but chuckle. This was the first time she had ever seen him look at any food other than Original Recipe chicken with such an expression.

Ling Xuan, who was sitting closest, took his bowl. Just as he finished ladling more congee, he heard Shen Mqing say brazenly, "When we go back to the Beast World, you should come be a chef at my house!"

The room fell silent for a moment, and Shen Mqing realized his mistake. For Gu Mian to possess that dagger, his status must be extraordinary. He cleared his throat and added, "You could be my brother-in-law, too. It’s not like the Young Master likes my sister anyway!"

A smile remained on Gu Mian’s face, but his eyes had turned imperceptibly colder.

He took a small sip of congee, his tone completely flat. "And do you know why he doesn’t like her?"

Shen Mqing blinked, looking at him in confusion.

"Because... he’s trying to steal who’s mine."