Chapter 6

It is prominently written above:

It is truly not her sordid thoughts; a solitary man in the middle of the night threw out a crumpled piece of what appeared to be a used napkin, and anyone would hesitate.

Chi Zhihan never mentioned the events of that night again, such a hidden ailment must be something not to be spoken of to outsiders, and she had no intention of touching upon his scars

Chi Zhihan identified that the first three characters should be "very delicious"

Because that hand finally reacted, it quickly placed the steamer back on the shelf, and then with a snap, closed that window

Hastily running back to the room, Chi Zhihan took a piece of notepaper. This was the first time she responded to a note after working at Qijia Private Kitchen, expressing her enthusiasm as an employee in a vivid and heartfelt manner

Quiet and orderly

... ... ... ...

Fortunately, she saw the words above

Even if it is very fierce, it should not be enough to scare one to this extent

The fingers of that hand were still stained with some strange colors of paint as always

She said, "Miss Chi, if you can take on this matter, I can help you find your mother"

One hundred thousand yuan is the deposit; if the work is done well, she will help Chi Zhihan pay off all his debts

The note received no response in the end

Completely carefree and indifferent in demeanor

Yesterday, the menu specifically noted to avoid the skin jelly in the soup dumplings. She spent an entire afternoon preparing the broth and struggled for a long time to create the chicken soup dumplings with skin as thin as paper.

That morning at 8 o'clock, she received a bank deposit notification; a stranger's account had transferred 100,000 yuan to her.

Chi Zhihan stood there in a daze

Is the person across the door an elderly deaf-mute?

A small gap in the window opened, and Chi Zhihan quickly stuffed the note inside.

Chi Zhihan felt a pang of compassion in her heart due to such speculation, and it was no wonder that she could startle him with her sudden words, nor was it surprising that she insisted on using notes to convey messages

In the dead of night, in the desolate wilderness, there stands only this one house. At the window of the red-painted main door, a pale, bloodless hand is resting, with the fingertips faintly stained with dark red paint, creating a chilling scene

The menu provided by the opposite side is quite regular, with lunch and dinner typically consisting of one meat dish, one vegetable dish, two side dishes, and one soup, while the late-night snacks are all Chinese-style pastries

In that moment, her heart raced

Then Chi Zhihan declined

Moreover, she is really not that fierce

She made an outrageous request, asking Chi Zhihan to try to take video calls and phone calls in the living room and kitchen every day, and to ensure that some light topics are discussed

Will this result in being kicked out the next day

Chi Zhihan paused for a moment, her brows slightly furrowed

... ... ... ...

She firmly believes that everyone has their own worth. The price that Qi Ning offered is far too high compared to her rightful value. There is always something amiss when things seem unusual; she does not want to accept such a task without understanding the reasons behind it. She needs to know the cause.

... ...

First, she expressed her heartfelt gratitude for his fondness for the meals she prepared, adding four or five smiley face emojis in a single sentence. Then, she instructed him to start with the soup dumplings while she quickly went to make the wontons

I just wanted to ask if the dishes I have prepared these days are to your liking Finally managing to voice the question she had in mind, Chi Zhihan let out a sigh of relief, both for herself and for that hand that looked like it was about to dislocate from trembling

This is not a small amount. The next day, after finishing the Yangchun noodles, Chi Zhihan, who was utterly exhausted, suddenly became alert, and then Qi Ning's call came in.

Then on the tenth day, a new passage was added to the note that had always been on the menu.

Chi Zhihan felt that it had truly been just a blink of an eye, and eight days had already passed. She had not stepped outside for eight days, and all social interactions were conducted through phone calls or video chats. Most of her time was spent preparing the menu

This job is much easier than she imagined; she doesn't even have to think about the menu, she just needs to prepare the dishes according to the requirements on the menu. The only concern she has is that for eight days, she has not received any feedback regarding the flavors.

After finishing the three meals and returning to her room, Chi Zihan took out her phone and sent a WeChat message to Qi Ning, attaching a photo of that note.

She really did not see it wrong; the boss across the door is indeed afraid of her

After finishing, he rushed out the door and pulled the bell.

Not even the soup dumplings are wanted

After finishing, I took another look and added a sentence: absolutely no lard in the wontons

Chi Zhihan gritted her teeth, making the difficult decision to ring the bell once more. This time, she would definitely pretend that nothing had happened, simply placing the meal down in her usual silent manner.

Casting aside her sense of absurdity, Chi Zhihan hesitated for a moment while holding this napkin.

The situation is imperative to achieve

She was indeed quite abrupt today

So, is it just that one cannot speak? Is it a functional disorder of the vocal cords

The notes delivered with the meals each day are all cut half from A4 paper, and the paper only contains the names of the dishes

"Just out of the pot, be careful as it is hot when eating." She steeled herself and continued, her hand still motionless, "Additionally, I made some small wontons myself. If you want, I can go back and serve you a bowl."

... ...

... ...

The days pass quickly when preparing three meals a day

Chi Zhihan believes she can achieve it; with the financial resources of the Qi family, accomplishing this task is merely a matter of raising a hand

As a chef, receiving no feedback on the dishes one has prepared is an excruciating experience. On the evening of the eighth day, when Chi Zhihan delivered the late-night snack, she rang the bell, stood silently with her lips pressed together, waiting for the small window to be pushed open, and for a slender, pale hand to reach out and take the steamer placed on the partition.

Still frowning, she spread out the napkin that was faintly stained, unsure whether it was sweat or water. It was covered with many words, but most of them had been crossed out, leaving only one line relatively clear.

During the tenure, no negative emotions should be displayed within the camera's view

Chi Zhihan gave up her efforts to avoid being abrupt and decided to be concise in her speech

She added a code

Stable

The steamer containing six small soup dumplings is actually a bit heavy

Even after a week had passed, Chi Zhi Han still remembered the tone of Qi Ning's voice on the phone that morning

She learned about the camera's audio recording capability early in the morning on the third day of her work as a private chef

It is not a matter of creating difficulties

He is the boss, the one who pays...

Thus, after a moment of rigidity, the suspended hand began to visibly tremble.

Everything remained as usual thereafter

Thus, Chi Zhihan felt inexplicably nervous, the words 'vampire' flashing through her mind, only to be amused by her own clichéd imagination

Casually carrying the soup dumplings back to the room, finishing them off by pairing them with some wontons

Then I continued to decipher it. The characters at the back had been blurred by water stains. After a long time of recognition, it turned out to be: "I also want a bowl of small wontons"

She seems to have been rather abrupt, although the questions she asked were quite reasonable

She added a few more heartfelt touches while cooking, even considering the digestive health of the elderly, and she made an effort to stew the tougher meats until they were tender.

She merely asked whether it was to my taste

Chi Zhihan lowered her head to read the note, silently counting to five in her heart. Then she looked up, frowned and shot a disdainful glance at the camera, smiled broadly, and made an OK gesture.

Therefore, that interview question on that day may have simply been because he does not like to eat lard

Qining's voice on the phone was cold and authoritative, and when mentioning that the camera had audio recording capabilities, there was not the slightest hint of guilt or unease in his demeanor

Before anyone else moved, the small window on the door suddenly opened, and a hand quickly threw out a bundle of something, then even more swiftly took away the steamer, and with a clap, closed it again

No, he can hear her speaking

There are six soup dumplings in the steamer. Chí Zhìhán suddenly spoke up, and then saw that hand frozen in place

It is a crumpled piece of paper, this time not A4 paper, but rather a regular napkin, balled up and still carrying a somewhat inexplicable dampness

... ...

The person across the door is merely a pitiable individual who is unwilling to communicate with others due to an inability to speak, and is likely older, which makes them even more withdrawn

The handwriting is somewhat hasty due to panic, but it is still evident that it is the same person's notes who usually provides her with the menu

In the following days, she strictly adhered to Qi Ning's requirements, and the living room and kitchen were filled with laughter and joy; however, when she was alone, Chi Zhihan would begin to feel uneasy.

Send notes, reject phone calls, and refuse all modern means of communication

In the future, you can still take calls in the living room and kitchen; I have no intention of intruding on your privacy, I simply wish for there to be more sound in the house

It was just left there on the partition

In the wind, the disheveled Chi Zhihan silently bent down to pick up the items he had thrown on the ground

The person placing the order has a profound understanding of food; over the course of eight days, they have not repeated a single dish name, and regardless of flavor, nutrition, or the presentation of the combinations, everything is excellent

When Chi Zhihan rang the bell again while holding a steaming bowl of wontons, the two of them had completely reverted to their previous behavioral patterns

The situation just now could have easily been addressed through a conversation from behind the door, yet the other party chose to proceed in this manner

She felt that she must have seen it wrong, wondering why she thought the boss from across the street had just fled in a panic

What should we do now

She seems to be caught up in a strange series of events, completely unaware from beginning to end, yet inexplicably becoming more and more entangled.

Although the person living across the way is an elderly man who lives alone, this ancient and primitive method surprisingly made her feel a sense of nervousness reminiscent of the time when she used to slip love letters to the school heartthrob during her school days

She simply asked if it was to your liking, and she even specifically used 'you'; it wasn't very fierce at all

The surveillance cameras have audio recording capabilities, and they can clearly capture sound when you are on the phone in the living room and kitchen. This matter should have been communicated earlier, but since there are rarely such lively sounds at home, I privately listened for a few more days, for which I sincerely apologize

The person across the door does not like to eat lard, and Chi Zhihan realized this on the third day. His taste is actually quite easy to discern, as there are not many things he dislikes.

However, Qi Ning did not provide Chizhi Han with a reason

She felt a moment of sweat in her heart