PART 09 A Tragic Incident Triggered by a Bowl of Hand-Pulled Noodles

"Miss Lin, the Fourth Prince wants to eat the vegetarian noodles you made," a head poked in from outside the door, smiling as it waved at Lin Wuniao. It turned out to be a little eunuch from the Fourth Prince's side.

Miao Fangfei lifted her head, her black hair cascading slowly and elegantly from her shoulders. She was already as exquisite as a porcelain doll, and at this moment, she possessed an indescribable beauty: "My surname is Hua; I was adopted from outside by the Miao family and have no blood relation to my cousin Manxi at all"

"Oh? Eating vegetarian noodles again?" Lin Wuniao walked out from a small corner, looking at the young eunuch with great confusion

Congratulations to you! Oh, you truly are a perfect match of talent and beauty! Hmm, hmm, hmm, like wolves, tigers, and leopards!

Lin Wuniao almost took off his shoes to hit him on the back of the head

Before her words had finished, Miao Fangfei's face turned red, displaying an expression of embarrassment. Lin Wuniao followed her gaze and saw a shadow of blue standing by the door, with cold, icy eyes and an expression of indifference on his handsome face, though his lips were tightly pressed together. It was unclear how long he had been listening there.

Of course not

"We, Cousin Manxi and I, will be together in the future." Miao Fangfei hesitated for a while, then finally stamped her foot and gritted her teeth resolutely

Lin Wuniao's face immediately darkened, and he shook his head in frustration: "Please help me respond to the Fourth Prince, or else, let's change the head chef. Lord Manxi's temperament is too cold, and I fear I won't be able to persuade him"

Deep within his heart, there was a sense of confusion, but more so, a sweetness. Her eyes resembled those of a fawn, round and glistening, carrying a hint of haze. Each time he looked at her, it distracted him immensely

In this day and age, even chefs are being coerced

"Adult!" This is the Nth time today that Lin Wuniao has called out to Miao Manxi with a hesitant expression.

What has happened, and why is he so flustered

Lin Wuniao glanced at her with a shocking gaze, remaining silent

She is truly extraordinary for being able to observe so many things with those invincible squinting eyes

As she cut, tears streamed silently in her heart; clearly, it was something she could easily express with just a few words, yet she found herself so entangled in her emotions.

It is indeed a blatant threat

Lin Wuniao turned her head to look at the frying pan and honestly replied, "I am not skilled at making that by hand." She only knew how to cook instant noodles and occasionally made some alkaline noodles as a makeshift. As for hand-made noodles, they were so advanced and required such technical skill that she had not yet attempted them

"Who allowed you to leave without permission?" His voice was icy, a hundred times colder than usual

After lunch, there is a brief rest period. Except for the chef on duty, all the junior chefs swarm into the practice room next to the imperial kitchen.

The Fourth Prince mentioned that he has been reminiscing about the vegetarian noodles made by Chef Lin on that day, and it would be even better if they were hand-pulled this time

With each cut, she was exceptionally meticulous, carefully lifting the knife, raising it high before letting it descend slowly. As a result, after cutting just ten potatoes, she was already too exhausted to lift her wrist.

Lin Wuniao walked back helplessly, feeling dejected

The young eunuch was visibly unsettled by her gaze, holding a bowl of noodles, and lowered his head as he walked away.

Oh. Lin Wuniao lowered his head, and before a cup of tea had passed, he raised his head again, calling out in great distress, "My lord!"

"What have I done wrong again?" She felt exceptionally wronged, raising her eyes to glare at Miao, only to find that his eyes were already filled with a blizzard of ice and snow.

One pair of eyes always looks proudly up at the sky, while the other is naturally slanted; they truly present a delightful contrast, indeed a pair made in heaven.

In the break room, Miao Fangfei, with her eyes cast sideways and biting her lip, had tears of embarrassment welling up in her eyes

That is correct. If you cannot persuade Lord Miao, it is likely that the master will employ various other methods to continue inviting Lord Manxi. At that time, Chef Lin will have to suffer.

She was pierced to the point of numbness

Lin Wuniao, Lin Xiaochu, it's over, it's over! Zheng's small kitchen from the same issue stumbled over from the entrance of the imperial kitchen.

The hand gripping the knife trembles, shaking as if it were alive with Parkinson's disease

As his fist was raised halfway towards the back of his head, he suddenly stopped in his tracks, abruptly turning around, his eyes piercing like cold stars.

That is rather explosive

Lin Wuniao's gaze momentarily became distant, and he continued to call out in a manner that was off-topic: "My lord... my lord!" How can one express an unspoken invitation?

It is truly a tragedy triggered by a bowl of handmade noodles

Ah? Lin Wuniao raised his head, still holding half a potato in his hand. Seeing his flustered appearance, she couldn't help but feel a tremor in her heart

Miao Fangfei was greatly surprised to hear Lin Wuniao's praise. She paused for a moment, tossed her hair, and with a half-smile, let out a hum: "I don't know what you're thinking, but this time you actually spoke the truth"

He thought long and hard; Lin Xiaochu was the beloved disciple of Master Manxi. No matter what, he had to seize the opportunity to curry favor. Therefore, as soon as he received news of the Fourth Prince's anger, he hurried over to issue a warning, embellishing the details in hopes of making the situation seem more dire, thereby emphasizing the importance of the information.

Lin Wuniao was immediately stunned, where to go

The man, with veins bulging, grabbed her collar and threw her out the door: "In the future, if you wish to relieve yourself, there is no need to call for me repeatedly; you may go directly!"

Before long, a bowl of fragrant and steaming handmade vegetarian noodles was ready

She still hopes to become the first female chef in the private sector after leaving the palace; this is not merely a superficial embellishment, and she is not foolish enough to have any ambiguous relationship with her short-term benefactor

The Fourth Prince is extremely angry and is said to want to imprison those below in the dungeon

The presence of the fully seated adults made her feel extremely uncomfortable. She coughed repeatedly and finally could not hold back any longer, turning around to glare angrily: "Lin Wuniao, lower your head, do not look at me."

The gentleman at the table looked at her with a suspicious gaze, and after a long while, he awkwardly flicked his sleeve and said: "Go, hurry there and back!"

I ... ... that ... ... '' Lin Wuniao and he exchanged glances, unable to speak no matter what. In a fit of anger, he stamped his foot, turned around, and began to chop the radishes vigorously

Is this the shredded potato you cut?" He threw the paper bag he was carrying on his back at Lin Wuniao, and the bag burst open, scattering the unevenly shredded potatoes all over the ground

Lin Wu Niao, filled with a hidden anger, gazed at him with an inscrutable depth, returning his gaze with a signature cold stare reminiscent of TVB's Empress Ru Fei: "The hand-pulled noodles are about to melt, aren't you going to serve them?"

Her hair was adorned with the radish slices that she had vigorously tossed. At her feet lay scattered chunks of radish. Even on the nearby Miao Fangfei, there were strands of radish that she had flung away.

"Why are you still not going!" The voice of the adult in charge became stern.

Well, I will go get some water, you chat with Miss Fangfei Lin Wuniao scratched his head, feeling quite cold from his demeanor

The adult... Lin Wuniao hesitated for the last time, and upon meeting his cold gaze, swallowed all her courage. She ran off, complying with the wishes of the adults at the table, and truly went to relieve herself.

Ah? Really?" Lin Wuniao, fully intrigued by Miss Fangfei's gossip, excitedly asked, "Aren't you all surnamed Miao?" Could it be an incestuous sibling romance?!

As she spoke, her face flushed with a hint of ambiguity

Ah? Lin Wuniao was dumbfounded, this is too harsh, it's just two strands of hair, could it be that one would be imprisoned just for this bowl of hand-pulled noodles

Then I shall wait for the two of you to prepare the hand-pulled vegetarian noodles The young eunuch did not linger, bowing slightly as he consciously retreated outside the door, merging with the shadows beyond

Lin shook his head reflexively, as if there were no birds.

As she brushed past Lord Manxi, a strand of his black hair that hung over his shoulder was stirred by the wind, brushing against her face with a slight tickling sensation. Her heart suddenly skipped a beat, as if her heart had unexpectedly thumped against her chest, causing a flurry of confusion and a slight pain. She had always been rather thick-skinned and would not ponder why her heartbeat had become irregular; she merely stole a cautious glance at the expressionless Lord Manxi.

Waste! After a long time, he finally succumbed to Lin Wuniao's frozen smile, sighed, shook his head helplessly, and left in anger, waving his sleeve

It is indeed convenient; one only needs to maintain a stern expression without showing any emotion. No wonder he has been keeping a cold face all along

Lin Wuniao, why are you competing with me for the full seat, cousin?

"Lin Wuniao!" At the very moment she dashed out the door, the adults at the table finally spoke coldly, "Stop right there!"

Miss Miao, I did not compete with you for Master Manxi! Lin Wuniao's eyes were filled with helplessness; when it came to Master Manxi, all she could do was look up in admiration, never daring to show any disrespect.

Lin Wu Niao turned around and saw her looking as if she was about to cry, and quickly raised his hand: "He specifically came here to reprimand me! This is not special treatment!"

Her waist-length hair swayed with her kneading motion, resembling fine satin, bright yet heavy with a sense of drape

Lin Wuniao looked on enviously and casually touched the strands of hair wrapped in her headscarf

The little eunuch gently replied to her, "Lin Xiaochu, can scallions and garlic be compared?"

By the afternoon, the imperial kitchen was still bustling with people coming and going, each person in a great hurry. Only the small chef Lin, who was in charge of the banquet, was quite idle, secretly practicing cutting potato shreds in the most inconspicuous corner with the largest kitchen knife.

Oh? There are actually special requirements

Lin Wuniao suddenly realized that there really is such a thing as a child bride. She laughed heartily and clapped her hands, sincerely praising: "Very good, very good, Miss Miao and Lord Manxi are truly a match made in heaven, a rare pair that stands out among a hundred, perfectly suited for each other, perfectly suited!"

You are to cut one hundred potatoes for me today. His eyes flickered, his tone was icy, and he turned to leave with his hands behind his back

Where to? She hesitated for a moment, but still asked the question

She proudly smiled and declared: "I have liked Cousin Manxi since childhood, and I have always given my all every day and every time. Only my culinary skills can match Cousin Manxi!"

For the entire morning, she was not in the right state, dreamily chopping vegetables, dreamily passing the seasoning dishes, and then dreamily gazing at the table full of dishes.

It was not until he had walked far away that Lin Wuniao retracted his gaze, rubbed his eyes, and complained: "Indeed, in the depths of the palace, the expressionless face of Miao Manxi is still more effective."

Today, Miao Fangfei deliberately turned her head at a forty-five degree angle and successfully made eye contact with Lin Wuniao. Today, she did not wear the uniform of the Imperial Kitchen; instead, she creatively donned a pomegranate red skirt paired with a white embroidered jacket. Her hair was not all tied up like the female chefs in the Imperial Kitchen, but rather flowed loosely over her shoulders, glossy and black like satin

The air, facing the little eunuch at a forty-five-degree angle, revealed an elegant smile

Miao Fangfei did not listen to her explanation at all, shot her a fierce glare, and stormed out in anger

Forget it, I will continue to cut the potato shreds, lest Master Manxi return and cause a storm. Just thinking of Master Manxi's cold gaze and expression makes me shiver all over

At this moment, the fully occupied adults truly paused their work, looking at her with a hint of curiosity, their eyes dark and profound.

With a swift motion, I dashed out the door at a brisk pace

With a swift motion of the knife, slices, chunks, and shreds of radish flew through the air.

I am innocent! Lin Wuniao is at a loss for words, wanting to cry but having no tears.

His tone was indifferent, yet his face turned unnaturally red

Now, it is he who is hesitant to speak.

From beginning to end, I have never looked at Miao Fangfei even once

Ah? Lin Wuniao was taken aback and abruptly stopped, still maintaining the posture of running forward, with her fists clenched and her body leaning forward, her head slowly turning little by little.

She feels quite wronged as well. These shredded potatoes are clearly the best batch she has cut in recent days. Unfortunately, the adults at the table are becoming increasingly nitpicky. Having evolved from chopsticks to knitting needles, what more could he possibly be dissatisfied with

Wherever there is a match, it is undoubtedly in the eyes that the perfect harmony is found

The esteemed guests were momentarily taken aback by her vigorous state at the peak of her abilities, and a sense of heaviness unconsciously settled in their hearts

Then you, why did you sneak a glance at my cousin! I saw you staring at my cousin all morning!" Miao Fangfei glared, her eyes rolling to the corners in anger, and in her fury, her direction shifted again

Lin Xiaochu, in the handmade noodles you prepared for the Fourth Prince, two long hairs were found. The Fourth Prince is furious and says he will punish you severely

I can help you! Miao Fangfei approached with a sidelong glance

Miao Fangfei let out a cold snort from the base of her nose: "I am afraid you will lose the face of my cousin at the banquet." She rolled up her sleeves, skillfully kneading a lump of dough, and began to make hand-pulled noodles

A potato cut in half takes about the time of a tea break, barely meeting the standard of a toothpick. She picked one up, gazed at it with great delight, then set it down and continued cutting

"Enough!" The adult at the table frowned, watching her slice the carrots in a very dreamy manner. Unable to contain his anger, he exclaimed, "Lin Wuniao, this is the imperial kitchen, not a pigsty. There is no need for such thick carrot pieces!"

The little eunuch smiled as he approached, and with a grin directed at Lin Wuniao, he said: "Chef Lin, the master asks you, how have you accounted for the matters concerning the banquet?"

The banquet was full... Sir! Lin Wuniao jumped down from the dining table, glancing at him with a sense of restraint, only to find him frowning, his expression in his eyes even more complex and difficult to decipher

His gaze darted over time and again, and each time he wanted to open his mouth to inquire, he was always suppressed by his own reason

It was quite easy for the lady to relax when she was summoned by His Majesty.

He didn't even have time to pat his chest; he had just delivered the plum blossom cake to the Fourth Prince's residence. The young eunuch who took over was chatting with him when they suddenly heard the sound of chopsticks falling inside.

She has only just begun to understand that the life of an apprentice is indeed so arduous

Miss Miao, thank you