Chapter 33: Rumors
Lu Yunxi looked at the man standing in the kitchen and let out a quiet, inward sigh.
Originally, the kitchen had been her private sanctuary, but now there was a second person occupying the space, and his presence made everything feel a bit more cramped and hindered.
“Master Lu, you’re here!” The moment his eyes landed on her, the man’s face lit up. He offered a wide, enthusiastic grin and greeted her with enough energy to power a furnace.
“Chen San,” she said, her eyelid twitching slightly. “I’ve told you many times now: my skills are only average. If you truly want to master the culinary arts, you should seek out a world-class chef to study under!”
This ordinary-looking adventurer, who went by the name Chen San, was the same customer who had left her that massive tip.
After she had refused to meet him face-to-face that first day, he hadn’t become a nuisance. Instead, he simply showed up every single day to patronize the restaurant and relentlessly pestered the shopkeeper for permission to learn from the chef. Eventually, the shopkeeper grew so exasperated by the man’s persistence that he simply washed his hands of the matter and dumped him on her.
Since then, Chen San had become her shadow, spending every waking moment in the kitchen watching her move.
Yunxi felt utterly helpless. Her current proficiency was only at the intermediate level. Once she eventually traveled to a major hub like Jinzhou, she would encounter countless senior masters. When that happened, this man would undoubtedly regret binding himself to her as an apprentice.
“You can only ever serve one master in this world,” she advised him, repeating the warning for what felt like the hundredth time. “If you bind yourself to me, you will be strictly barred from learning from other masters in the future. Think long and hard! The requirements here are unforgiving. If you break that bond, it’s considered a betrayal of your ancestors, and you’ll be despised wherever you go!”
She delivered this lecture almost daily, but Chen San never seemed to take the gravity of it to heart.
“I believe in you, Master Lu. Please, just teach me!” Chen San’s eyes sparkled with sincerity, making his plain face seem almost radiant. “The single most delicious meal I have ever consumed in my life was prepared by your hands!”
Lu Yunxi looked into those longing eyes and found her resolve crumbling. She couldn’t help but wonder if Chen San’s life in the real world was so destitute that he had never even tasted a decent meal. Even though he ate at the restaurant every day, she had only personally cooked for him a few times. With so many diverse dishes available in this massive simulation, surely there had to be something better out there?
“…Let me think about it,” she murmured. After being subjected to his relentless pleading, even she didn’t have the heart to offer a flat rejection anymore.
Fine! I’ll just use a ‘delaying tactic’ for now, she decided. Once the players leveled up enough to enter the larger cities, Chen San would likely get distracted by the high-tier content and stop chasing her.
However, Chen San seemed to read her strategy instantly. He pressed his advantage: “Master Lu, please accept me! I’ve done my research on the local customs—I promise to take care of you in your old age! If there is anything you find difficult or inconvenient, I will handle it for you. I will be incredibly obedient; I’ll do exactly what you tell me, no questions asked!”
Yunxi’s head began to throb from the sheer persistence of it, but a sudden flash of inspiration struck her. “Actually, I do have a few troubles weighing on me. If you can help me resolve them, I will officially teach you how to cook!”
Chen San froze, his eyes widening. “What kind of troubles?”
“My home, Mushroom Village, is under a curse. I want to know exactly how to break it. Secondly, I am searching for a woman named Lu Zhuniang. She is thirty-five years old and possesses one half of a broken jade pendant.”
Chen San waited for her to continue, but when she fell silent, he looked suspicious. “That’s it? Is there no other information to go on?”
“That’s all I have.” She had already scoured the entire town without finding a single lead. It was becoming clear that she needed to reach a larger city as soon as possible. “As long as you can bring me relevant information on either of those topics, I will take you on as my apprentice!”
Chen San’s eyes lit up. He immediately hopped forward to happily stoke the hearth fire. She wasn’t asking him to solve the curse himself, just to find information. He refused to believe that with his resources as a player, he couldn’t dig up a few leads!
“Master, what’s on the menu for today?”
Yunxi glanced at the shameless man—who had already started addressing her as ‘Master’—and decided not to correct him. “A guest reserved the second floor for a barbecue feast… You can start by washing those vegetables over there.”
Chen San nodded vigorously and threw himself into the task. Yunxi then turned her attention to the complex preparation of the marinades and meats.
They were so preoccupied with their work that they didn’t notice the shopkeeper and the village chief’s wife passing by the kitchen door, chatting idly.
When Yunxi finished her shift that evening and arrived back at the estate, she found the village chief’s wife waiting for her with a very peculiar expression.
“Auntie, is something wrong?” Yunxi asked. The woman’s face was so distorted she looked physically ill.
“Ahem…” The chief’s wife let out a series of forced coughs, her face turning bright red. “Well, I heard… I heard that you’ve finally found someone. Is that right?”
Yunxi blinked in confusion. “Found someone? What do you mean?” Did she find news about my aunt?
“No! Good heavens!” The woman covered her lower face with a handkerchief, looking intensely embarrassed. “I’m talking about that young man you’ve been cooking with! Is he the future husband you’ve picked out for yourself?”
Lu Yunxi: …
“Future husband?”
“Oh, don’t try to hide it from me. I saw it with my own eyes while I was chatting with the shopkeeper today! The two of you were working so perfectly in sync in that kitchen. You looked like such a well-matched couple!” The chief’s wife was grinning so widely her eyes were practically squeezed shut with gossip.
“Haha… Auntie, please stop joking!” Yunxi’s lips twitched as she tried to offer a rational explanation. “He’s potentially going to be my apprentice, but I haven’t even decided if I’ll take him on yet! I’m still testing his character.”
The chief’s wife gave her a knowing, subtle smile. “I understand, dear! No need to explain it to me!”
Despite Yunxi’s best efforts to clarify, the woman clearly didn’t believe a word of it. Eventually, Yunxi gave up the struggle, deciding to just let the rumors fly where they may. She collapsed onto her bed, feeling utterly drained.
Exhausting!
The idea of her and Chen San being a couple was preposterous. They weren’t even from the same world!
The next morning, Yunxi paid close attention to Chen San’s demeanor as she entered the kitchen. Fortunately, he seemed entirely oblivious to the town gossip, behaving exactly as he always did. Seeing her staring at him, he looked a bit puzzled and rubbed his face. “Master, what is it? Do I have soot on my nose?”
She let out a silent breath of relief, the embarrassment in her heart vanishing instantly.
“Nothing! Haha!” Once the tension broke, she couldn’t help but burst into laughter. “I was just thinking you look particularly handsome today!”
The moment the words left her mouth, a faint thud echoed from just outside the kitchen door.
Chen San had his back to the entrance as he tended the fire and didn’t notice, but Yunxi immediately snapped her head toward the sound. The shopkeeper was standing in the doorway. He had clearly overheard her teasing comment. He offered her a deeply understanding smile, gave a slow, supportive nod, and walked away with a knowing smirk.
Lu Yunxi: …
That evening, as she walked home, she caught the familiar sounds of neighbors whispering as she passed.
“Did you hear? Little Lu from the valley found herself a husband! Apparently, he’s incredibly handsome!”
“I saw him too! He looks like a young master from a wealthy family—very fair and clean. And the way he dotes on her in that kitchen? You should have seen how happy he was making her!”
Lu Yunxi: “…”
It seems this rumor has already taken on a life of its own. Whatever. There was no point in trying to explain herself anymore. Eventually, when she left the town and he went his own way, they’d realize it was all just a misunderstanding.
