In the blink of an eye, the night passed.
Outside the window, the sun was shining brightly.
Bai Xiaodu got up early, finished washing up, and headed to the kitchen.
Director-General Shen had set a daily schedule for him.
In the morning and afternoon, he was to practice Mage Hand.
In the afternoon and evening, he was to practice body-tempering techniques.
At night and in the early morning, he was to wash up and warm her bed.
Cooking, however, was not something Director-General Shen required of her dog.
But as the saying goes, the way to a woman's heart is through her stomach.
What was more...
Recalling the meal from last night, Bai Xiaodu's stomach began to churn.
Her house was so beautiful, so how could the food be so atrocious?
Damn woman, did she not have taste buds?
As for how terrible it was...
Bai Xiaodu's praises had grown quieter and quieter with each bite until he finally went back to his room in silence and boiled a bowl of plain noodles for himself!
“What do you think you're doing?”
A faceless chef wearing a white hat and white uniform stood with hands on its hips, looking down at him with eyes that didn't exist.
“Working,” Bai Xiaodu replied with a nod, drying his hands with a towel.
He wore a collar around his neck and a white chef's apron he had found somewhere tied around his waist.
This chef was so strange; it was almost as if it had actual intelligence.
“Heh,” the faceless chef sneered. “Master is not good at cooking, which is why my brain is programmed with a complete database of recipes, powered by an advanced microchip. You are a mere mortal. How dare you think you can challenge my culinary skills, which are precise down to the millisecond?”
Bai Xiaodu stared at it, speechless.
If this idiot hadn't confidently served him a table full of food last night, where Bai Xiaodu took one bite, frowned, and moved to the next dish, only to repeat the process, he might have actually believed this artificial idiot's nonsense!
Bai Xiaodu didn't hold back. “What you make is literal shit.”
“Hmm?”
Judging by its tone, the faceless chef was looking highly displeased right now!
Ignoring it, Bai Xiaodu imperiously took over the main cooking station and waved his hand to dismiss the robot.
Seeing his attitude, the faceless chef actually lost its temper as well.
“I am the Lord of the Kitchen, personally appointed by Master! If anyone is leaving, it should be you. Do not interfere!”
Bai Xiaodu shrugged. “Then let's stake our honor as chefs and have a thrilling culinary duel, shall we? As for the judge, it'll naturally be Director-General Shen. Whoever's dish she eats more of wins. Do you dare to accept, you artificial idiot?”
“Why wouldn't I?!”
The faceless chef huffed and went to stir-fry its own dishes, ignoring Bai Xiaodu from then on.
Actually, the chef's problem was very simple. Bai Xiaodu had figured it out with just one bite.
Director-General Shen must have used a recipe from the Eastern Continent, while the artificial intelligence implant was manufactured here on Blue Star.
Who in their right mind taught it to stew meat without parboiling it and skimming off the blood foam?!
Bai Xiaodu silently brought out a jar, which contained round glutinous rice that he had soaked since last night.
Now that he was certain he would be staying here for a week, there was no way he would tolerate eating this kind of food for seven whole days!
Ignoring the faceless chef's battle-ready posture as it brandished its spatula, he quickly peeled and cored the lotus seeds, pitted and washed the red dates and longans, and sorted out the raisins and dried kumquats.
Most of the ingredients here were also purchased from the Eastern Continent, which worked out perfectly for him.
The ingredients looked familiar, and his hands knew exactly what to do.
The process was tedious, but Bai Xiaodu had already calculated the exact time Director-General Shen had breakfast.
Providing the highest quality and most efficient service without delaying a client's daily routine was nothing more than standard practice for him.
The faceless chef, however, was in an awkward spot. Because it had rushed to finish cooking its dishes early, only to realize breakfast time was still far off, it had no choice but to throw the food into the warming drawer.
It stood there waiting anxiously until breakfast time finally arrived.
Director-General Shen had already taken her seat in silence, quietly reading a book with its cover torn off.
The robot immediately grabbed its plates and dashed over like the wind to set them on the dining table.
“Sweet and sour pork ribs, braised chicken with mushrooms, Sichuan boiled pork slices, tomato scrambled eggs, and Mapo tofu. Please enjoy, Master.”
“Hmm?”
Director-General Shen looked slightly puzzled.
Standing to the side, Bai Xiaodu brought out his own dish, unable to suppress a smirk at the sight.
Who in their right mind eats such heavy, greasy food right after waking up? Aren't they afraid of getting an upset stomach?
The faceless chef was completely oblivious to this, continuing proudly. “That guy insulted my culinary skills! To a chef who lives for cooking, he has insulted my robotic dignity!”
It solemnly pushed the dishes forward. “May heaven judge between the loyal and the treacherous!”
Realizing that Bai Xiaodu was actually competing with her chef, Director-General Shen's lips twitched slightly.
Food was merely a means to sustain vital functions.
At her level, she could function normally even without eating for a month.
Eating was just a habit to keep her body accustomed to it.
Out of habit, Director-General Shen naturally picked up her chopsticks, took a bite from each dish, and swallowed.
It was mediocre—salty where it should be salty, sweet where it should be sweet.
She set down her chopsticks and gave a flat reply. “Yes, it's good.”
Hearing this, the faceless chef puffed out its chest instantly, snapping its head to glare at Bai Xiaodu.
As for the latter... he didn't pay attention to it at all!
Bai Xiaodu didn't care about a mere robot. In his beautiful wine-red eyes, there was only the devastatingly beautiful, breathtaking, and utterly peerless figure of Director-General Shen!
Director-General Shen couldn't help but rest her cheek in her hand.
Her cyan-blue eyes looked away, halting her telepathic probe into his inner thoughts.
Bai Xiaodu smoothly presented his tray, and Director-General Shen gently lifted the lid.
The moment she caught a whiff of that familiar, enticing aroma, her movements froze.
She seemed to daze for a moment, staring down in silence.
The glutinous rice grains were distinct, translucent, and plump, decorated beautifully with various dried fruits. A complex blend of sweet aromas rose with the steam, drifting straight to her nose.
“It's Eight Treasure Rice.”
A trace of nostalgia flickered in her cyan-blue eyes. Director-General Shen gently scooped up a spoonful.
Enjoying the translucent texture and the sweet fragrance lingering on her tongue, she couldn't help but nod gently.
Though she didn't know the exact recipe, she knew how tedious the culinary processes of her hometown were.
The youth before her must have put a great deal of effort into this.
“You've been very thoughtful.”
Bai Xiaodu smiled slightly.
He knew a traveler so far from home like Director-General Shen wouldn't be able to resist this.
With one bite, was this just Eight Treasure Rice? No, this was the taste of home!
He quickly glanced at the faceless chef beside him and sighed deeply. “Actually, I barely scraped by with a passing grade. When it comes to precision down to the millisecond, I still can't compare to your chef. He's so smart. To prevent the texture from deteriorating, he cooks the dishes and leaves them in the warming drawer for a whole hour. Unlike him, I only rely on my feelings to make sure the food is at the perfect temperature before immediately bringing it to you. He has so many recipes and knows how to do everything. Unlike dumb old me, who only knows how to worry about you, Director-General.”
The faceless chef looked down at the half-eaten Eight Treasure Rice, then looked up at Bai Xiaodu.
Bzzzt.
As if unable to process such highly complex information, a crackling static sound began to emit from its head.
Bai Xiaodu blinked and quietly took a step closer to her side.
It's fine if it blows up on him, but it can't blow up on Director-General Shen!
Resting her cheek in one hand, Director-General Shen watched Bai Xiaodu's silver tail wagging back and forth.
Slowly reaching out her hand, she grabbed it firmly.
Rate on N.U.
