Beast World: From Villainess to Cub-Raising Chef

Chapter 170: Chapter 168: Burning Down the Kitchen Was Already Annoying

Wen Dabao jolted and said quickly, "Ah, what I mean is, you should go ask in her livestream! Doesn’t she stream every day? I see her answering their questions in her stream all the time. Or you could send a private message!"

Wen Lan refused without a second thought. "I’m not going!"

Wen Dabao scratched her head. "But if you make a new account to ask, she won’t know who you are. There’s no shame in it that way!"

Wen Lan said stiffly, "It’s just cooking. The process is simple. I’m just not as practiced as that woman. There’s no need to ask her."

Wen Dabao licked her dry lips. "Fine."

’Might as well let them starve.’

Wen Dabao saw her little sister nodding off from exhaustion, her stomach still empty.

Her heart ached for her. She scampered over to a front shelf, grabbed a bottle of strawberry-flavored nutrient drink, and shoved it into her hands. "Little Treasure, drink this first. Don’t wait for Dad’s crayfish, or we’ll starve."

Wen Lan: "..."

Wen Xiaobao rubbed her eyes. "Sister..."

Wen Dabao twisted the cap open and put the nutrient drink in her hands, taking care of her sister with practiced ease. "Drink up, drink up."

Wen Xiaobao was starving. After an obedient nod, she hugged the bottle and began to drink, GLUG, GLUG, GLUG.

But compared to freshly cooked food, it was a poor substitute.

Wen Dabao took a few gulps of the nutrient drink her sister hadn’t finished, then scooped her up and turned her head to say, "Dad, have fun on your own. We’re going up to sleep."

Wen Lan: "...Mm."

Wen Dabao yawned and went up to the second floor.

The layout on the second floor was the same as the first, with two rooms.

The two sisters shared one room, and Wen Lan had the other, each with its own bathroom.

Wen Dabao took her sister into the smaller room and skillfully lulled her to sleep. Then she lay down herself, and in no time, she was fast asleep, sprawled on her back with her little belly sticking out.

Wen Lan took out his terminal, opened a short-form video app, and tapped into his private message conversation with Bai Su.

The message he’d sent earlier today was displayed there, all alone: "Hey, how do you make spicy crayfish?"

’Tch. Fine, don’t reply then.’

’It’s not like I was desperate for a reply.’

’For my daughters’ sake, I can figure it out myself!’

Gritting his teeth, Wen Lan struggled until 3 AM, when he finally managed to get the crayfish clean.

He was so sleepy he could barely stand. He just piled the crayfish up haphazardly, took a shower, and went to his room to sleep.

*

When Bai Su arrived at her restaurant early in the morning, she saw that the general store across the street had opened. In front of the shop, a little bunny was hopping and skipping, playing hopscotch.

’It was painfully cute.’

Bai Su smiled. Just as she was about to get closer, she suddenly felt an incredibly intense gaze on her.

She snapped her head up and saw Wen Lan in the second-floor window of the general store, staring at her expressionlessly while drinking a nutrient drink.

The packaging looked like it was yogurt-flavored.

He was biting the straw, his expression gloomy. From the downward angle of the second floor, his eyelids drooped, his long lashes casting shadows under his eyes, making him appear all the more heartless and cold.

Bai Su: "..."

’If he’d first smoothed down his messy bed-head and gotten rid of the red sleep crease by his eye, his glare might have had a little more impact.’

Wen Xiaobao had clearly seen Bai Su too. Her eyes lit up, and she bounded over. "Auntie!"

The little one adored Bai Su.

The last time Wen Dabao was on a mission that took her through the Snow Country Imperial City, she had begged her sister to find Auntie and buy a box of strawberry pudding.

It was the most delicious thing she had ever eaten!

She could never get enough of it.

Unfortunately, her dad didn’t like this auntie, and he didn’t allow them to like her either.

Her big sister didn’t like this auntie either.

They wouldn’t tell her why; they just wouldn’t let her get close.

A little charm latched onto Bai Su’s leg, and her heart completely melted.

’The little one came to me on her own,’ she thought. ’It’s not like I lured her over.’

’Even if Wen Lan gets mad, he can’t blame me for this. Otherwise, I’ll smash his stupid face in!’

Bai Su ignored the icy glare from the second floor that was sharp enough to feel, scooped the little snow mochi dumpling up into her arms, and planted a big kiss on her cheek. "Good morning, little darling."

Wen Xiaobao’s little face flushed, and she shyly gave Bai Su a kiss on the cheek in return. "Good morning, Auntie."

Bai Su was satisfied. Even if that dumbass Wen Lan jumped down right now, pointed at her nose, and called her a child snatcher, she felt like she could smile and forgive him.

And then, Wen Lan’s tail wrapped nimbly around the second-floor balcony railing, and he leaped down as smoothly as silk right in front of her. He snatched the little snow mochi dumpling away and pointed his straw at her grimly. "Kidnapper. Don’t make me call the police."

Wen Xiaobao timidly tugged at his collar. "Daddy, I was the one who wanted to play with Auntie..."

Without so much as lifting an eyelid, Wen Lan said, "No, you weren’t."

Wen Xiaobao: "0.0"

Bai Su: "..."

She turned and walked away, not bothering to talk to someone so biased against her.

Wen Lan let out a cold snort and also turned to leave, holding Wen Xiaobao.

They walked in opposite directions, each entering their own shop.

Wen Dabao was sitting at the cash register. The corner of her mouth twitched as she shook her head. "Dad, seriously..."

Before she could finish, a fist rapped her on the forehead. "I told you to watch your sister, and you can’t even do that!"

Wen Dabao clutched her head. "OW! That’s domestic abuse! Dad, you’re so dead! I’m calling headquarters to report you!"

Wen Lan scoffed. "Your terminal is right in your hand. Who’s stopping you?"

Wen Dabao clutched her head, gritting her teeth in anger.

’It was all her dad’s fault for being so high-ranking and powerful. All complaints and reports against him were easily intercepted by his subordinates.’

’Otherwise, Wen Dabao would have already gotten promoted by racking up Third-Class Merits from reporting all of Wen Lan’s various violations!’

Hmph.

Wen Lan placed Wen Xiaobao on the counter and ruffled the little bunny’s hair. "We’re going to be living in this city for a few years, so Dad transferred your school records over."

"I’ll take you to register at the kindergarten later. Be a good girl."

Wen Xiaobao nodded obediently.

Then she looked up, tugging on Wen Lan’s pant leg with anticipation. "Daddy."

Wen Lan looked down at her and rubbed her little bunny ears. "What is it?"

Wen Xiaobao asked expectantly, "The crayfish...?"

Only then did Wen Dabao remember. ’Oh, right. We never got to eat the spicy crayfish we were promised last night.’

Wen Lan finally remembered as well. "When you get back tonight, I’ll make them for you."

Only then did Wen Xiaobao nod.

Wen Lan dropped the two little ones off at school and came back to start researching how to make crayfish.

He re-watched the video of Bai Su making crayfish.

Following her method, he heated a wok of oil and tentatively dropped a single crayfish in.

The result...

Scalding oil flew up, splattering all over his face and body.

Caught off guard, Wen Lan jumped back from the sizzling spray.

The commotion in the wok grew louder. It was like a bomb had been dropped in the pot, which was now crazily spattering oil with a loud SIZZLE.

Wen Lan stared at the wok, hesitating on whether or not he should call the fire department.

While he was hesitating, the kitchen had already caught fire. Black smoke billowed, and in a moment, actual flames shot up.

And just like that, the fire blazed its way up to the roof beams.

Now, there was no need for Wen Lan to call for help.

The thick smoke had triggered the street’s security system. The authorities would be here soon.

Wen Lan gritted his teeth, rushed back in, and rescued his bucket of crayfish.

’Damn it, I spent until 3 AM last night washing these things. If they get burned up in a fire today, who can I even complain to?’

He hugged the bucket, squatting on the opposite side of the street and watching the firefighters bustle about. An inexplicable sense of defeat washed over him.

’Is cooking really that hard?’

Wen Lan let out a gloomy sigh, leaned back, and found himself meeting Bai Su’s gaze.

Only then did he realize he was lying on the steps in front of Bai Su’s restaurant. She must have heard the commotion and come out with her camera rig to watch the show, nearly stepping on his face in the process.

From his angle, he had a perfect view up her skirt.

Wen Lan: "..."

Without a second word, Bai Su actually did step on his face. "Pervert."

Wen Lan: "..."

’Damn it, burning down the kitchen was already annoying enough.’

Wen Lan shot to his feet and backed away. "Who’s being a pervert to you?"

Bai Su: "Then may I ask what you’re doing lying on the steps of my restaurant at 9:30 in the morning? Contemplating the philosophy of life?"

Wen Lan scowled. "Can’t I?"

Bai Su: "With a bucket of crayfish?"

Wen Lan: "You look down on crayfish?"

Bai Su: "..."