Rebirth at the Start: This Fate is Too Explosive!

Chapter 288 Amateurish and Playful

Twenty minutes later.

The doorbell of the bamboo grove courtyard rang again.

The spirits of the ancestors arrived first.

She seemed to have run over; fine beads of sweat glistened on her forehead, and her cheeks were slightly flushed.

As soon as she entered the door, her nose twitched involuntarily—the domineering, intense, and unique aroma emanating from the kitchen, carrying the numbing fragrance of Sichuan peppercorns and the smoky aroma of chili peppers, instantly captivated her! It was a soul-stirring call from her hometown of Hunan!

"It smells so good!" Xian Zuling's eyes lit up. She said, "I'll go help," and headed briskly towards the kitchen without even saying goodbye.

For Hunan girls who love spicy food, the allure of Li Yifeng's "Sichuan Flavor Feast" far surpasses that of the barbecue outside!

Su Luming followed closely behind, entering with a mixture of curiosity and reserve.

As soon as she entered, her gaze quickly swept across the warm and elegant living room before finally settling on Ye Fan, her expression inquisitive: "What happened between you and Xian Zuling?"

There was a hint of tension in his tone.

Ye Fan was fiddling with the barbecue skewers on the table. Hearing this, he didn't even look up, and said in a flat tone, "Nothing much? I just invited you guys over for dinner."

Su Luming frowned slightly: "Then tell me over the phone..."

"I told you the ancestral spirit is here too, so I invited you all to come over for a meal, to make it more lively," Ye Fan interrupted her. "What else could it be?"

"Oh! I see! I thought..." Su Luming seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, but the doubt in his eyes had not completely disappeared.

Ye Fan: "What did you think?"

Su Luming: "No, it's nothing!"

Only then did she have the mind to carefully examine this legendary "top scholar's apartment." The simple and modern decoration, the comfortable soft furnishings, and the swaying bamboo shadows outside the window all exuded an air of elegance and luxury.

"Tsk tsk, the top scholar's treatment is really different! The environment is so nice! Why have you never invited us to come and see it before?" she asked, half-jokingly and half-seriously.

Ye Fan shrugged and replied half-jokingly, "I'm just afraid that Miss Su will look down on my small place and won't come even if I invite you. That would be so embarrassing for me."

"Tch! Nobody would believe that!" Su Luming scoffed, but his gaze involuntarily drifted toward the kitchen.

Through the half-open door, she saw Xian Zuling skillfully chopping side dishes for Li Yifeng. The two seemed to be exchanging ideas, and Xian Zuling had a relaxed and even excited smile on her face that she had never seen before.

She seemed to know this place far too well.

"Ye Fan," Su Luming withdrew his gaze, his tone tinged with confusion, "Why do I feel like the ancestral spirit knows this place like the back of its hand? Like it's its own home?"

"She comes here to cook for me every day, how could we not know each other well?" Ye Fan replied casually while opening a juice bottle.

"Ah!" Su Luming's voice rose instantly, filled with disbelief and astonishment, "You...you wouldn't have already..."

He didn't say what he was going to say, but the meaning in his eyes was very clear.

Ye Fan put down the juice bottle, adopting a righteous and awe-inspiring demeanor: "Su Luming, can't you think about things more healthily?"

He gestured to the busy figure in the kitchen and explained in a low voice, "You know her situation best. I have plenty of space here, so I had her come over to cook dinner for me. It's like a part-time job, and it also lets her eat something good and have a balanced diet. It's that simple."

Su Luming finally understood: "Oh! So that's how it is!"

Ye Fan looked at her and asked, "Are you her roommate?"

Su Luming asked with a puzzled look, "Yes! What's wrong?"

Ye Fan: "What kind of roommate are you? This guy comes to work here every day, and you didn't even know?"

Su Luming was taken aback, a hint of embarrassment and grievance flashing across his face: "How was I supposed to know! She always eats alone, so mysteriously. When I asked her if she wanted to eat together, she always said she'd already eaten or had something to eat... Who knew she was coming here to see you..."

She was indeed somewhat wronged. The independence and alienation of the ancestral spirit made it difficult for her, her roommate, to truly get close to it.

Ye Fan, of course, knew the reason behind it. Seeing Su Luming's rare moment of frustration, he smiled and said, "Alright, I was just teasing you. Wash your hands, dinner's about to start. Judging from Old Li's posture, his 'Little Prince of Sichuan Cuisine' performance is about to be the grand finale."

Su Luming said "Oh" and went to wash his hands with mixed feelings.

The spicy aroma wafting from the kitchen grew stronger and stronger, making one's mouth water.

In no time, the table was laden with food, the air filled with aromas, and the colors were vibrant:

The barbecue section featured sizzling lamb skewers, crispy chicken wings, tender grilled eggplant, golden corn, and more, piled high on several large plates.

Sichuan cuisine features a plate of twice-cooked pork, glistening with oil, fragrant with green garlic sprouts, and marbled with lean and fatty pork slices, exuding the rich aroma of Pixian chili bean paste; a bowl of bright red boiled fish, still sizzling with hot oil, covered with Sichuan peppercorns and chilies, with tender fish slices hidden underneath; and a huge bowl of spicy blood curd soup, bursting with flavor, with duck blood, tripe, beef aorta, and luncheon meat soaking in boiling red oil!

That domineering spicy and savory flavor is the absolute center of attention on the entire dining table!

Finally, there was a small glass of chilled beer, two large bottles of chilled juice, and some cucumber salad that Shi Kai had casually bought.

Just looking at those bowls of bright red Sichuan dishes made Ye Fan's forehead break out in a cold sweat and his throat tighten.

As a Fujian native with a light palate, he is a typical "foodie who loves to play". The food smells delicious and looks tempting, but actually eating it requires great courage and a lot of iced drinks.

Li Yifeng served the last dish, took off his apron, and proudly put his hands on his hips: "How about it, Lao Ye? Does my cooking qualify me as the 'Little Prince of Sichuan Cuisine'? The color! The aroma! It's no exaggeration!"

Ye Fan suppressed the dryness and itchiness in his throat and gave a thumbs up: "Hmm, not bad! My son has made something of himself, able to cook such decent dishes!" He deliberately emphasized the word "son".

"Get the hell out of here!" Li Yifeng laughed and cursed, pretending to kick him.

At this moment, Xian Zuling's gaze was completely captivated by those Sichuan dishes.

She sat at the table, her eyes shining brightly. Her nostrils flared slightly as she took a deep breath of the intensely spicy aroma she so desperately missed, and couldn't help but whisper in admiration, "It smells so good! It looks delicious! And it's not spicy at all!"

For Hunanese palates that crave spicy food, this is like a call from heaven; barbecue instantly loses its appeal.

Shi Kai looked at the frighteningly red dish and smacked his lips: "It looks really good, and it smells delicious, but... it feels a bit too 'enthusiastic'."

He subconsciously touched his stomach.

Su Luming also looked troubled: "It smells delicious... but I estimate I can only have a small taste."

She usually eats a light diet.

Li Yifeng waved his hand dismissively, exclaiming with boundless enthusiasm, "What's there to be afraid of! You'll get used to it after a few more times! Come on, everyone, sit down! Let's dig in! Fill up the beer bottles!"

He deftly opened the Urumqi beer bottle, and foam gushed out.