Chapter 132: An Unexpected Interlude and Pork Belly Cuisine

With Shinomiya Emotsuki’s interference gone, Xue Tian'ai’s cooking speed improved significantly. His movements became fluid and effortless; with his slender fingers, he gripped a slab of pork belly, and with his other hand, he used a kitchen knife to divide it into three portions.

He sliced one portion into uniform, thin slivers, cubed the second into perfect squares, and left the final piece intact. After using a toothpick to prick dozens of tiny holes into the skin of the third piece, he set it aside and left it be.

Next, Xue Tian'ai picked up various side ingredients—potatoes, green peppers, onions—and began to chop. Although these were merely ordinary vegetables, under his blade, they seemed imbued with a different soul, cut with the neatness and beauty of works of art.

While Xue Tian'ai worked in an unhurried, orderly fashion, the three women watching him through the glass were somewhat bewildered. They still could not grasp exactly what he was trying to make. Qin Mengxue, however, was different; although she did not understand the process, she had absolute trust in Xue Tian'ai’s cooking, so she said nothing.

"What exactly is this 'Xue' fellow trying to cook? I don't understand a single thing he's doing," Su Jiaqi, who always had a straightforward personality, asked directly.

"I don't know either. I feel like Assistant Xue might be making red-braised pork, but it doesn't quite look like it," Gan Bingning replied, shaking her head while mentally searching through recipes to deduce his intent.

"I think Xue Tian'ai must be making more than just one dish," Qin Mengxue interjected, her mind seemingly elsewhere.

In truth, she had selfish motives today. She originally hadn't wanted Xue Tian'ai to cook this meal; she had intentionally refrained from reminding him about the three bento boxes that morning. She hadn't expected Su Jiaqi and Gan Bingning to remember so vividly, coming to the office early to demand their bentos with an air of relentless determination. With no other choice, Qin Mengxue had devised this plan to make him cook on the spot using the cafeteria facilities.

Yet, she felt incredibly reluctant now. Xue Tian'ai’s cooking was supposed to belong to her alone. But ultimately, it was her own fault; if she hadn't let her tongue slip and said, "Xue Tian'ai’s cooking is indeed delicious," none of this would have happened.

Xue Tian'ai, however, had no time to ponder the thoughts of the three women. He was fully immersed in his craft. He tossed the thin pork slices into a frying pan, placed the cubes into a pressure cooker, and wrapped the long strip of pork in foil before sliding it into the oven.

Even while operating three different cooking tools simultaneously, Xue Tian'ai showed no signs of hesitation; his actions remained methodical. Suddenly, his busy figure paused. His eyes narrowed, and with a slight tilt of his head, he glanced out of the corner of his eye toward the entrance of the executive dining room.

At that very moment, the door swung open, and a boisterous, chattering sound of female laughter drifted in. A crowd of young women was huddled outside the entrance.

"Ouch, stop, stop! Don't push me... I'm about to get squeezed out of existence..."
"Are you trying to kill me? Why is your chest so big... you pushed the door wide open!"
"You're one to talk! I don't know who it was that heard Assistant Xue was cooking here and ran over halfway through their bathroom break..."
"You, you, you... I was already finished, alright!"
"Can you all stop arguing? You're blocking my view!"

"That's right, where is Assistant Xue?"
"Yeah, yeah... Zhiruo shouldn't have lied to us; he must be in here!"
"Ah, I'm so curious—what does a man as handsome as Assistant Xue look like when he cooks?"
"Eh? But where is Zhiruo? Where did she run off to...???"

"Never mind where Zhiruo went, look! There's Assistant Xue!" someone in the crowd shouted, pointing at Xue Tian'ai behind the glass.

"Wow! Assistant Xue looks so, so, so handsome like this... and also..." As the other women followed the pointing finger, they saw him—and they also saw something else.

The conversation, the playful banter, and the noisy grumbling ceased instantly. The women all looked with a tinge of fear toward the dining table in the executive room.

There, Qin Mengxue and the other two women were staring at the young employees with dark, icy expressions. The sudden intrusion had put them in a foul mood, and the fact that the staff had ignored them for so long to gawk at Xue Tian'ai was akin to dancing on a minefield.

Watching the women at the door, Xue Tian'ai shook his head in resignation. Even in a company with relaxed management, staff barging into the executive dining room was a serious offense, let alone in the Meng-Hua Group, which was known for its strict rules. "Though, it seems I’ve never followed the rules of the Meng-Hua Group myself..."

"Which department are you all from?" Qin Mengxue, as the president, was the first to stand up. With a tense expression, she walked to the door and asked coldly.

Although her voice wasn't particularly loud, to the employees at the door, it felt like an invisible, towering mountain pressing down upon them.

"R-reporting, President Qin, we are from the... Clothing Planning Department..." one of the bolder employees stammered, not daring to meet Qin Mengxue’s gaze.

Initially, they had only heard that Xue Tian'ai was cooking here; they hadn't known that Presidents Qin, Su, and Gan were also present. Had they known, they wouldn't have dared to barge in even if they had a hundred times the courage. But upon reflection, it was only natural for the leaders to be in the executive dining room. That was the first thought that occurred to the group, followed by the sinking feeling of dread when they heard the anger in Qin Mengxue’s voice.

"The Clothing Planning Department?" Qin Mengxue frowned. It wasn't a prominent department, and she rarely paid much attention to it. Still, she scolded them with visible annoyance: "Does the Clothing Planning Department have no work to do? Do you not need to work today?"

"I'm sorry, President Qin!" "Terribly sorry, President Qin!" "We won't do it again, President Qin!" A chaotic chorus of apologies erupted. Even though their "romantic interests" were piqued, they dared not provoke the formidable presence of Qin Mengxue.

"Enough, go back to work. I hope this does not happen again! Also, inform your manager to come to my office this afternoon!" Qin Mengxue didn't want to dwell on the matter too long and didn't pursue it further.

"Thank you, President Qin!" The women, relieved that they weren't being punished, scampered away as quickly as they could.

As the door closed, Qin Mengxue sighed softly and returned to the table. Propping her chin on her hand, she watched Xue Tian'ai behind the glass, wondering to herself.

Despite the small interruption, Xue Tian'ai hadn't stopped his work. His hands continued to manage the heat and the ingredients with steady precision, though his eyes were fixed on his phone screen, which displayed the message Shinomiya Emotsuki had sent him earlier.

...

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Xue Tian'ai said as he walked out of the kitchen with a large platter, placing it on the dining table. He smiled slightly at the three women: "The meal is ready."

When the women saw the dishes arranged on the platter, their eyes lit up, and their stomachs gave uncooperative, hungry growls. The platter held three distinct pork belly preparations.

One was the thinly sliced pork, fried to a slight crisp, garnished with emerald-green lettuce leaves. The second was the red-braised pork, drenched in a thick, glossy crimson sauce, hiding cubes of pork belly with the skin facing upward, interspersed with potato balls and carrot chunks. The final dish was a whole, succulent slab of foil-roasted pork belly, still glistening with rendered fat.

"Get your own utensils. I'm starting," Xue Tian'ai said, sitting down. Before they knew it, he had already produced a pair of chopsticks and a bowl of white rice. He dove right in, picking up a piece of red-braised pork and eating it with his rice.

The three women were stunned by his complete lack of gentlemanly conduct. Did this guy not understand "ladies first"? But seeing his relentless pace, they realized he wasn't joking. They hurried to the kitchen to fetch utensils, then returned with murderous intent, plopping down at the table.

Qin Mengxue, familiar with his cooking, was the most eager. No sooner had she sat down than she was grabbing pieces with both hands and stuffing them into her mouth.

Gan Bingning picked up a piece of the red-braised pork and took a delicate bite. Instantly, her face flushed with bliss. She couldn't find the words to describe it.

The melt-in-the-mouth texture, the rich sensation that wasn't overly greasy, and even a faint, lingering aroma of fruit tea stimulated her taste buds. With a few more chews, the juices and sauce exploded in her mouth! It was delicious—absolutely delicious to the extreme!

Su Jiaqi picked up a piece of the crispy roasted pork. She was momentarily paralyzed, unable to believe that such a dish could be made by a man who looked so unserious.

While the skin of the pork was perfectly dried and crisp, the inside was saturated with sweet, rich juices. The contrast of crispy exterior and tender interior bloomed on her palate, completely conquering every taste bud she had.

Too busy to ask questions, both Su Jiaqi and Gan Bingning, now utterly conquered by Xue Tian'ai’s cooking, lowered their heads and began to eat. For a time, the dining table became a battlefield of flavor.