A Strange Feeling

The young servant turned his head, chuckling softly, and politely cupped his hands: "Young master, our Boss Su, hehe, didn't you just see her?"

"See her?" Prince Ling looked a bit puzzled. He had just come in and saw a few servants and the two beauties, but hadn't seen any Boss Su.

"Yes, you did see her, and even exchanged a few words," the servant said slyly, "Our Boss Su is a woman, and she's the head chef of our Serenity Vegetarian Bistro! The ones you spoke with just now from the kitchen were Boss Su and her apprentice, Miss Lingdang."

"She... she is Boss Su!?" Prince Ling was utterly shocked this time.

He had expected that someone with such keen insight and business acumen would be a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties, worldly-wise and seasoned from decades in the trade.

But unexpectedly, the Boss Su, who had even stirred the prince's interest in courting, was actually a young woman! A beautiful girl in her teens, looking like a fairy!

This was simply unbelievable!

Seeing Prince Ling's astonishment, the servant was not surprised at all and smiled: "Hehe, didn't expect that, did you? Many people think our Boss Su is a middle-aged man. Oh, by the way, there's something you don't know, young master — have you heard of Xiangmanlou?"

Prince Ling nodded and said, "The nationally renowned Xiangmanlou, famous for its novel and delicious dishes, has rapidly risen in the past year, defeating many high-end restaurants to become the most prestigious eatery. Since I've come to Qingmiao City, it's the only place whose food suits my palate."

The servant said, "Well, do you know who taught the chefs at Xiangmanlou?"

Prince Ling's body trembled slightly as he asked, "You mean... the chefs at Xiangmanlou were taught by our Boss Su?"

The servant nodded: "Exactly! Young master, you know Xiangmanlou's rapid rise in the past year is because they launched a series of novel and delicious new dishes. But what you don't know is that all these new recipes were invented by our Boss Su and sold to Xiangmanlou! Those top chefs there all learned cooking from our Boss Su!"

After saying this, the servant hummed a little tune proudly and went to attend to other guests, leaving Prince Ling utterly shocked.

That little spicy pepper, she was so formidable!?

Such a capable woman who also suited his taste made Prince Ling's heart race, stirring a strange feeling he had never experienced before...

In the kitchen, Su Li was completely unaware that she had already caught the attention of the most influential prince. She was busy amid the smoke and fire, cooking and teaching her apprentice. Though busy, she was skillful and graceful, calm and unhurried.

Prince Ling and the other three apprentices were diligently learning. Xiao Zetian had set them a strict task: within one month, they must master skills enough to run the vegetarian bistro, so Su Li wouldn't have to cook there every day, sparing her the pain of separation from her lord.

Thus, these four apprentices studied and practiced as if their lives depended on it, showing extraordinary diligence.

This made Su Li extremely happy, thinking to herself that with such diligent apprentices, being their master was easy and joyful — truly delightful!

When the last dish was done, Su Li, sweating and teary-eyed, took off her apron and accepted a cup of tea from Lingdang, sipping slowly. Just then, a servant came in and said, "Boss Su, there's a guest who's been sitting in our shop since noon, insisting on seeing you. Do you want to see them?"