Mrs. Lu instinctively glanced at Xu Yanxia.
Knowing Mrs. Lu was also surprised, Xu Yanxia proactively said to Mrs. He, "You flatter me. I just grew up watching the elders in my family cook, and later studied Food Science, so I know a little about cooking. I'm hardly a talent. I apologize for interrupting your meal."
—This was, of course, just an excuse. What truly allowed her to identify ingredients by scent alone was a lifetime of diligent, day-in-day-out accumulation from her previous life working in the Imperial Kitchens.
Mrs. He, however, asked her further, "Which university's Food Science program?"
Xu Yanxia answered truthfully, "Huazhong Agricultural University."
"No wonder,"
a lady immediately remarked with feeling, "The Food Science department at our HZAU is top-notch not just domestically, but worldwide. I just returned from North America not long ago, and many of the top technical experts in the major food companies there now are from HZAU."
"That impressive!"
Mrs. Qu, wearing a qipao nearby, said to Xu Yanxia with a sarcastic tone, "With such high qualifications, you should go find a proper job. What a pity to be working as a personal assistant."
"You've hit the nail on the head,"
Mrs. Lu said with a laugh, "She is a highly-paid talent recruited by our group. Not only are her qualifications excellent and her skills strong, but her cooking is also exceptionally delicious. You might not even be able to find someone like her if you tried."
"You..."
The qipao-clad Mrs. Qu, fuming, tried to speak but was drowned out by Mrs. Lou who spoke at the same time, "Huh? The day before yesterday, my son Lou Tong came home saying he had an incredibly delicious late-night snack with Jingyao. Could it have been made by Xiao Xu? That child now complains every day that our housekeeper's cooking is bland!"
Mrs. Lu said proudly, "It was indeed made by Xiao Xu. Ever since she came to work for me, my whole family's appetite has increased."
This immediately sparked envy from everyone—
"Mrs. Lu, stop tempting us! Hearing you say that makes us all want to go to your place for a taste!"
"Exactly! Just how delicious must it be for someone as disciplined about weight management as you to eat more?"
"Look at you all, as if I'm so stingy."
Mrs. Lu promptly issued an invitation with a smile, "Since Mrs. He has come all the way to Rong City, you must leave some time for me in the next couple of days. I'll host a dinner for everyone."
"Wonderful!"
Everyone looked at Mrs. He with anticipation.
After all, the He family was one of the most powerful and wealthy families in the country today, firmly entrenched in the capital, Beijing. They were rarely seen, so such a good opportunity to build connections was something everyone wanted.
Mrs. He, however, declined politely with a smile, "I already feel bad for calling everyone here on such short notice to keep me company today. I have to fly to Australia early tomorrow to see my grandson and won't be back for two weeks."
"Then two weeks it is,"
Mrs. Lu quickly added, "You must leave time for me then. Let me fulfill my duties as host and have you taste Xiao Xu's cooking. This child learned cooking from her family elders since she was young; it's that hard-to-find traditional flavor nowadays."
Mrs. Lou also chimed in to help, "Sister Shen is deliberately making us jealous! Mrs. He, if you don't agree, we'll miss out on this treat!"
"Then I'll have to trouble Mrs. Lu for her hospitality."
Mrs. He finally nodded.
Deal settled.
Perhaps afraid Mrs. Lu wouldn't include her then, the qipao-wearing Mrs. Qu finally refrained from any more sarcastic remarks.
Everyone enjoyed lunch, then watched a traditional Chinese music and opera performance in the garden, followed by tea and conversation.
By the time Xu Yanxia followed Mrs. Lu back to the hillside mansion, it was already dusk with the city lights beginning to twinkle.
As soon as the car stopped, someone hurried to greet it, but it wasn't Butler Zhang. It was Mrs. Lu's assistant, Wu Huina.
"Madam, you're back. I'm sorry, I went back to my hometown yesterday. I got your message this morning and tried to rush back, but I got stuck in traffic and only arrived this afternoon."
"It's fine,"
Mrs. Lu was in a great mood today and said with a smile, "You were supposed to be resting. It was just a sudden social engagement on my end. Luckily, we had Xiao Xu at home, and it's all handled. You can go back and rest."
"Alright."
Wu Huina smiled, then turned her gaze to Xu Yanxia, who had gotten out of the passenger seat, and said, "Xiao Xu, thank you so much for helping out today."
"It was my duty, no need to be polite."
Xu Yanxia gave a slight nod to the other woman and followed Mrs. Lu into the living room.
She didn't notice Wu Huina behind her, staring intently at the clothes she was wearing.
"Mom, you're back."
Lu Jingming came out from the living room. He was still wearing the shirt and suit from when he went out this morning, though now the sleeves of his shirt were rolled up, giving him a somewhat more casual look.
"Where did you go today?"
Mrs. Lu said with a smile, "I had lunch with Mrs. He from Zhongrun today. It was quite fruitful, thanks to bringing Xiao Xu along."
She then turned back to Xu Yanxia and said, "Xiao Xu, I'll have to trouble you then. Mrs. He is a proper lady from a great family, well-traveled and sophisticated. We need to prepare well."
"Of course, Madam."
Xu Yanxia quickly agreed. Out of the corner of her eye, she sensed the CEO seemed to be looking at her, so she hurriedly greeted him as well, "CEO Lu, you're back."
Lu Jingming gave an "Mhm," withdrew his gaze, and asked his mother, Mrs. Shen, "You're inviting Mrs. He for a meal?"
"That's right. Mrs. He is very difficult to invite."
Mrs. Shen entered the living room full of pride, looked around, and then asked him curiously, "Where are your father and Jingyao? Didn't they come back with you?"
"Jingyao accompanied Dad and Uncle Zhou and the others for golf this afternoon. They'll probably have dinner together. I went back to the office for a bit of overtime and just got back from the company."
Lu Jingming then asked, "Have you had dinner?"
Mrs. Shen said, "We've been drinking tea and eating snacks all afternoon; I'm completely stuffed. You haven't eaten yet?"
"No."
CEO Lu seemed a bit pitiful.
Xu Yanxia quickly offered, "Then let me make something for you. What would you like?"
"Anything is fine, don't go to too much trouble." CEO Lu was quite easygoing.
Mrs. Shen, however, said, "He likes noodles. Just make him a bowl of noodles."
"Alright, please wait a moment."
Xu Yanxia hurried back to her room to change.
She couldn't bear to cook in a dress worth tens of thousands.
Behind her, Lu Jingming couldn't help but let his gaze follow her retreating figure.
That dress she wore today... was quite nice.
Well, Wen Jiajun wasn't wrong either.
As a chef hailing from northern China, making noodles was second nature.
After changing, Xu Yanxia took less than twenty minutes to prepare a bowl of noodles with savory minced meat sauce, accompanied by a side dish of red oil pickled vegetables and a plate of soy sauce-braised beef.
When she brought the food to the dining table, Lu Jingming was looking at a report on his phone.
"CEO Lu, your meal is ready."
Seeing he was focused, she reminded him softly, "I made you noodles with minced meat sauce. The pickles were marinated yesterday and tossed with red oil. The beef was braised this morning."
"Okay, thank you."
Hungry by now, Lu Jingming put away his phone, glanced at the food on the table, and was immediately captivated.
The kimchi was a tempting, vibrant red, while the beef showed an appealing soy sauce hue, with thin, even slices arranged in a floral pattern on the plate. Between the meat's grain, one could see tendons stewed to a translucent softness.
As for the noodles, they were even more impressive. Uniform in thickness, they were stacked as neatly as a coiled hairdo, topped with a rich, fragrant sauce made from wood ear mushrooms, shiitake, eggs, and shrimp. The intense aroma rushed to his nostrils, immediately stirring his appetite.
He took a bite. The hand-pulled noodles were delightfully chewy and smooth, carrying a rich, wheaty fragrance that instantly reminded him of his grandmother, who had passed away many years ago.
When he was little, his father was busy with work, and his mother had just given birth to his younger sister and brother. For a period, he lived with his grandmother in the old hometown, and she would often make this very type of noodles for him.
"So, son, how are the noodles? Are they good?"
Mrs. Lu, having changed her clothes, had deliberately come to sit at the dining table. "Oh, does Xiao Xu know you like this kind of noodles? Did you tell her?"
