Culinary God in Wilderness

Chapter 261: Chapter 186: You’re The One With The Big Butt

"You’ve studied the theory behind this?"

"Just a little~"

Erica linked her arm tightly through his, as if afraid he might run away, while her other hand made an OK gesture.

Even though he hadn’t explained in detail, Erica instantly grasped his meaning. It was clear she had taken specialized courses on the subject.

He was referring to communication techniques. He’d once come across a video about it, which explained that when you’re in a dispute, you shouldn’t just deny and defend yourself. Instead, you should first validate the other person and then say something like, "I know you’re not the kind of person who would..."

The video claimed that validating the other person first could instantly defuse half their anger. Then, with further conversational tactics, you could ease the tension, making them more receptive to what you have to say.

More importantly, with that one small move—turning around—Erica had forced him to stop in his tracks. It completely broke his rhythm. She followed up with a series of actions, including linking arms and leaning in close, which thoroughly dispelled what little annoyance he’d been feeling.

If a guy had tried it, the effect probably wouldn’t have been so good. But what could he do? This chick was a genuine beauty. Any straight guy would have a hard time resisting that one-two punch.

"Let go of me first. What if this starts unnecessary rumors?"

Even though their chest cams couldn’t capture what they were doing, Erica’s would definitely catch her leaning in. Add her sweet, delicate voice to the mix, and it would be hard for viewers not to let their imaginations run wild.

"Promise you won’t try to get rid of me first."

As she spoke, Erica deliberately tightened her grip on his arm.

The corner of Lin Chen’s mouth twitched, and he quickly nodded.

"Your legs are your own. It’s not like I can stop you."

Seeing that he’d relented, Erica giggled and finally let go.

"Lin, you’re so pure! You can’t resist a girl acting cute. So this is your weakness, huh?"

"That’s only because you haven’t truly provoked me," Lin Chen said, turning to walk back with a deadpan expression. "We Da Xia People have being low-key and friendly in our DNA. Unless someone really crosses a line, we’re usually pretty easygoing."

"What are you mumbling about? Come on, a hug to celebrate our new friendship~"

"Stop!"

Lin Chen held up a hand to her face. "If you have something to say, just say it. We’re not familiar enough for physical contact. Besides, men and women should maintain a proper distance. I wouldn’t want your mom to get the wrong idea; I have no desire to get dragged into any family drama."

"As if she cares what I do."

Erica wrinkled her little nose. "Let’s drop it. I want to apologize again for my poor choice of words earlier. It’s just that I really love to cook, but I’m always getting duped by fake recipes online. Things never turn out right, so I’ve become extra cautious."

Now that she’d put it like that, he couldn’t be petty about it, not as a grown man. He waved his hand, signaling that the matter was settled.

"The kind of situation you’re talking about usually happens with more complex recipes. In baking, for example—making bread, cakes, and so on—the requirements for ingredient weight, temperature, and quality are all extremely high."

"Even with the right recipe, using different brands of ingredients—say, from different places of origin—can produce different results."

"Take flour, the most common ingredient. Different brands have different protein contents, which affects how much gluten develops and how long it takes. That ultimately leads to the wrong texture in the final fermented and baked product."

"Oh, so that’s why..."

Erica scratched her head, a look of sudden understanding on her face. "No wonder none of the recipes I tried worked! So there’s a whole science to it. I guess being a chef isn’t so easy after all."

Back at the shelter entrance, Lin Chen sat down. He glanced at Erica, who was still standing, and silently scooted over.

Erica gave a charming smile and sat down lightly, picking up the coconut bowl in front of them.

"These are peeled Goose-necked Barnacles, right? Did you just peel them right after boiling?"

"Yes," Lin Chen nodded. "I boiled them for five minutes, too. But since it’s my first time, I’m not sure if they’re overcooked or just right. We’ll have to taste them to find out. You can try some. There are plenty more on the reef, anyway."

"Uh..."

Erica’s smile became a little strained. She quietly pushed the coconut bowl in front of him.

"Um, well... I have a pretty sensitive stomach."

’So I’m supposed to be your guinea pig????’

Lin Chen silently picked up the coconut shell and tasted the broth. It wasn’t anything special, tasting pretty much the same as the leftover broth from boiling the coconut crab.

Of course, he was just bluffing. He’d already tasted one while peeling them earlier and just wanted to tease her to see her reaction. He hadn’t expected such a heart-wrenching result.

He picked up his knife, sliced off the edible parts of the Goose-necked Barnacles one by one, and then, under Erica’s expectant gaze... threw his head back and stuffed them all in his mouth.

"Hey!!! Leave me a bite!"

Erica’s expression changed in a flash. She instinctively grabbed his chin, stuck her fingers into his mouth, and fished out a piece. Before he could even react, she popped it into her own mouth and began chewing, nodding in approval.

"So this is what Goose-necked Barnacles taste like! It’s pretty similar to king crab leg meat, actually. Quite delicious. It has a hint of coconut sweetness, and that lemon aroma... is that lemongrass?"

"I’ve learned something new. If I’m ever working by the sea, I know what to eat."

As she stood there, seriously contemplating work matters, Lin Chen chewed blankly, still reeling from the shock of what had just happened.

’What just happened?’

’She just took that right out of my mouth, didn’t she?’

’Is this the kind of thing someone you’ve known for a fucking hour does?’

’Something’s off. This chick’s way of thinking is really not normal.’

’Sometimes she seems perfectly normal, and other times she’s completely nuts and does the most unexpected things.’

"What’s this?"

Erica, however, seemed completely unfazed by the incident. She looked down and spotted the bamboo shoots he had sliced into thin strips on a banana leaf, with more than half of an uncut shoot lying beside them.