Apocalypse Foodie System: Watch Her Cook!-Chapter 163 - 158: Choice

Tang Yiyi gazed deeply into Zhang Xue’s eyes, hesitating. In this moment, she wasn’t sure whether she should trust Zhang Xue. Suddenly, she recalled the day Tang Yuan was born, when Zhang Xue nearly exhausted herself using her superpower to heal her wounds, turning pale but refusing to stop, just to ensure her recovery.

Despite Xiong Wei being right outside that day, making it a highly dangerous situation for all, Tang Yiyi could see that Zhang Xue genuinely wanted to save her and had even forgotten she shouldn’t overuse her superpower.

Remembering this, Tang Yiyi felt a strong urge—deciding to trust Zhang Xue this once! She wanted to see if Zhang Xue would ultimately let her down!

It was a gamble; if she won, all would be well. If she lost, she would personally erase her own mistake!

As she thought of this, Tang Yiyi’s eyes turned more resolute, just as Zhang Xue saw it. Zhang Xue thought Tang Yiyi was unwilling to teach her, or even wanted to end their friendship, and felt a pang of hurt inside.

She was about to say she changed her mind and wouldn’t learn after all when she heard Tang Yiyi suddenly say: "I’m just overwhelmed lately. If you’re willing to learn cooking from me, that would be great! But this means more tasks for you each day, can you handle it?" 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Zhang Xue, who thought she was about to face a falling out with Tang Yiyi, was unexpectedly elated by her words! She looked at Tang Yiyi in surprise, eyes welling up with emotion and asked incredulously, "Yiyi, what did you just say? You’re really going to teach me to cook? Aren’t you afraid..."

Tang Yiyi cut her off before she could finish, "What should I be afraid of? Don’t forget how you agreed to this at the start! You promised five years of work, and it hasn’t even been that long. Do you really intend to leave? In your dreams!"

Despite the harsh tone, Zhang Xue burst out laughing, "Five years? That’s too short! Where else can I find a boss as good as you? No way, five years isn’t enough. I’ll stick by your side, living the good life!"

The words were playful but also came from Zhang Xue’s heart. Ever since breaking up with her boyfriend, she lived in a haze, hoping to move past her heartbreak and start anew, only to discover she was pregnant!

At first, the news terrified her, but then she felt elation, believing it to be a compensatory gift from the heavens. She grew up as an orphan; her parents passed away, and she was raised in a welfare home, awakening her Wood Ability before adulthood, which significantly improved her life.

However, she fell in love as soon as she entered the Superpower Academy. She and her boyfriend were mutually attracted, enjoying a loving relationship for years. But because she was an orphan, her boyfriend’s parents looked down on her, thinking she couldn’t bring additional benefits to their family. They didn’t force her to end the relationship, but condescendingly informed her she could only ever be a lover, as their son was destined to marry a noblewoman from an equally prestigious family—not an orphan like her!

Back then, she was young and proud, preferring to break rather than bend, and painfully parted ways with her boyfriend. After discovering she was pregnant, driven by anger, she never returned or contacted him to share the news, instead secretly moving to the small Qinghe City to live under an alias, determined to protect the child in her belly at all costs.

Though Zhang Haoyu was born safely, her own health had deteriorated, her superpower nearly depleted, and with each year that passed, she was nearing exhaustion. If not for the chance encounter with Tang Yiyi, she’d probably be dead by now.

As Zhang Xue interacted with Tang Yiyi, she gradually understood her temperament, treating her as a little sister. Seeing that Tang Yiyi was pregnant with no man by her side reminded Zhang Xue of herself, bringing a sense of shared pain and deepening her fondness for Tang Yiyi.

Thus, her initial caution towards Tang Yiyi faded away, and she not only treated her as a younger sister, but also decided to stick with Tang Yiyi for the long haul, regardless of the five-year term. After all, Tang Yiyi hadn’t treated her poorly, and staying with her was no loss.

Tang Yiyi could hear the sincerity in Zhang Xue’s words, feeling relieved and no longer regretting her decision earlier. Having nearly finished resting, with new customers arriving, she invited Zhang Xue into the big kitchen to observe.

While Tang Yiyi cooked, Zhang Xue watched attentively. She observed Tang Yiyi’s fluid movements, managing six pots simultaneously without a hitch, seasoning skillfully like a performance, leaving Zhang Xue dazzled and wide-eyed. To her, Tang Yiyi wasn’t just cooking; she was putting on a show!

Because there was no surveillance in the big kitchen, Zhang Xue had never seen Tang Yiyi cooking before—this was her first time, and she was utterly captivated. Not until Tang Yiyi finished cooking and deftly plated the dish did she come back to her senses, taking a sharp breath in awe.

The aroma of the dish was especially strong right after it was cooked, and if not sealed, the fragrance would dissipate over time. Therefore, all Tang Family trays come with transparent lids. Once Tang Yiyi finished plating the dish, she placed it in the tray and covered it to preserve the aroma.

Having worked at Tang Family for several months, Zhang Xue had smelled all sorts of dish aromas, considering herself knowledgeable, and usually wouldn’t lose her composure like today. But today was different—Tang Yiyi agreed to teach her cooking, allowed her into the kitchen to observe, and the dish was at its most fragrant just off the heat, prompting her to inhale excitedly.

When Tang Yiyi noticed the noise and looked over curiously, Zhang Xue suddenly realized she had lost face and blushed with embarrassment.

Tang Yiyi didn’t want to embarrass her further, so she refrained from laughing and said instead, "I still don’t know your skill level, so here’s a carrot. Cut it into shreds, and let’s see your knife skills."

Though most of the ingredients Tang Yiyi used were prepped by an assistant, the kitchen still held plenty of backup ingredients, and all necessary tools were available, perfect for Zhang Xue to practice.

Though Zhang Xue was an average cook, as a superpower user, she had decent knife skills. Eager to not make Tang Yiyi regret mentoring her, she wanted to show off in front of Tang Yiyi. As soon as Tang Yiyi finished speaking, she picked up a carrot and started cutting swiftly.

The cutting speed of a superpower user couldn’t be compared to that of an ordinary person. Zhang Xue hadn’t formally learned cooking, but she was remarkably adept at cutting. She held the knife steadily, without it wavering, and the kitchen was soon filled with the rapid, rhythmic sound of chopping, swift and steady. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, feel free to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets at Qidian.com, your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com for reading.)