The Retired CEO's Guide To Being Spoiled-Chapter 45: A Meal to Capture the Heart

Obviously, the two of them didn’t go all the way; they just fooled around for a while before going back to sleep. The next day, Ethan Caldwell went to the company while Julian Sterling stayed home, browsing on his computer. Notifications regarding the final round of the data competition had begun being forwarded. Julian scrolled through the forum and discovered that people were discussing it quite a bit, and there were also many people supporting Lucas Hill.

Looking at this situation, Julian pondered for a long time.

Initially, he only wanted to establish a company and be the boss operating from behind the scenes. Currently, he and Ethan Caldwell were relatively harmonious; there wouldn’t be any problems in the short term. This period would be enough for him to build the company, turning it into his trump card, ensuring his safety regardless of the situation.

However, many unexpected things had happened. Seraphina Cole, Gabriel Cole, and a bunch of Harringtons - everyone was an unpredictable variable. Now that he had accepted Ethan Caldwell’s offer to go to Caldwell Empire, although he was only in charge of the project with Iris Visuals, sooner or later, he would have to reveal himself. Not to mention he had caused a scene at the Sterlings’ house yesterday. With two or three issues piling up, he feared he wouldn’t be able to relax in the near future.

Now, he could only do his best to push that project to develop quickly and build a position for himself; only then would he have time to catch his breath. And the prerequisite was that during this time, he must keep a firm hold on Ethan Caldwell; otherwise, he feared more side issues would arise.

Thinking this, Julian immediately sat up and sent a message to Ethan Caldwell: [Are you coming home for lunch?]

Very quickly, Ethan replied: [What is it? Want to have lunch with me?]

Julian texted back: [I’m cooking. Does President Caldwell want to try?]

Ethan quickly texted back that he was coming home, adding an expectant emoji. Seeing this, Julian curled his lips into a smile.

He went online to search for some information about seafood and some menus to nourish the body for men. Then he picked out a few dishes and texted the cook to go to the market and buy groceries.

Although Julian texted saying he was cooking, he actually knew his own abilities well. Julian absolutely did not have the high level of skill to make delicious food the first time entering the kitchen, so he decided that today he would only stand next to the cook and learn from her.

He had no interest in cooking, but it was better to learn a few dishes. What if he became poor later and had to cook for himself? Where would he get the money to hire someone? At least he should know how to cook a few dishes to take care of himself. He could be poor, but having lived two lives, he couldn’t mistreat his stomach.

He had already died once, what was left to fear? As long as he lived happily, that was enough.

A while later, Julian heard noise downstairs. He knew the cook had arrived, so he leisurely went down. The cook’s surname was Hughes; she was over fifty and a retired chef. Her skills were very good, and her house was nearby, so she accepted the offer to cook and clean the kitchen for Ethan Caldwell. She had worked there for several years, was tight-lipped, and knew how to be discreet for the homeowner. Mainly because Ethan didn’t like hiring live-in maids; he wasn’t used to it, so Mrs. Hughes fit his requirements perfectly. And she just wanted to find a job for fun in her old age, not stay here forever, since she still had children and grandchildren at home.

Seeing him come down, Mrs. Hughes smiled: "I bought the ingredients. Why does the Young Master have the mood to eat hotpot today?"

Julian smiled: "I want to cook for Ethan, but I’ve never cooked before. Could you season the hotpot broth for me? I’ll just blanch the food for him, that would be more convenient."

Hearing that, Mrs. Hughes laughed.

She brought the things into the kitchen, and Julian followed. The two busied themselves in the kitchen for a long time, only finishing all the dishes a little after 11 o’clock. Although it was said that both of them worked, in reality, Julian only stood by picking vegetables and playing with water; the rest was done by Mrs. Hughes.

The hotpot broth was ready, seasoned very palatably; now it just needed to be put on the stove to be served. Seeing everything prepared, Mrs. Hughes got ready to leave. Julian quickly packed her a portion of minced meat porridge and loach with tofu.

Mrs. Hughes smiled brightly, said goodbye to him, and left.

Julian looked at the food in the kitchen, then at the clock on the table. He went into the bathroom to wash up a bit.

Only when he pushed the door open to leave did Julian hear the sound of the front door opening. He smiled, changed into a comfortable set of home clothes, and went out to welcome Ethan Caldwell.

"It smells really fragrant. Jules’s skills are truly excellent."

Julian had just reached the door when he saw Ethan standing in front of the dining table. He glared at Ethan and said: "I don’t have that kind of ability. The food was cooked by Mrs. Hughes, I just helped out on the side. But I learned a dish or two today, I’ll cook for you next time."

Ethan loosened his tie, sat at the table, and asked him: "What dish is it?"

Julian pointed casually at two dishes on the table: "These here. Minced meat porridge and loach with tofu."

Ethan glanced around the table. Today, the main course was hotpot. The smell of the broth was strong and fragrant, with a plate of raw vegetables trimmed neatly. The dipping items included tofu and a very large plate of meat. He looked briefly; one part was beef, and the other part looked quite strange in color. Next to it were some side dishes, a portion of Japanese-style loach with tofu, and a small bowl of minced meat porridge, probably to line the stomach.

Julian ladled some porridge for him, pushed the bowl of tofu towards Ethan, and said: "Here, eat to line your stomach. Let me cook the hotpot for you today."

Having said that, he dropped some beef and vegetables into the hotpot, then dipped a couple of pieces of the meat that Ethan hadn’t identified yet. Waiting for the food to cook, Julian picked it up and put it into Ethan’s bowl.

Ethan took a bite and asked: "Is this goat meat?"

"Yes, it’s goat hotpot."