Chapter 80: Familiar Taste
[ Host... wait a minute, ] Susu’s tiny voice piped up again, breaking the heavy silence in Lin Xu’s head.
[ If Mo Ying is General Mo... then doesn’t that mean he’s also Mo Shen? ]
Lin Xu’s eyes widened slightly. Her heart skipped.
"What...?" she muttered under her breath, trying to keep calm as she slowly stepped back behind one of the pillars.
[ Host, think about it! He disappeared, was declared dead, and now he’s back alive, as the great General Mo! If that’s true, then— ]
"Then he’s the father of my children," Lin Xu finished quietly, her voice trembling just a little.
Her chest tightened. She pressed her hand lightly against it, trying to calm the sudden storm inside her.
Mo Ying—or rather, Mo Shen—was right there. The man she swore she’d never see again.
And yet, there he was, walking through the grand gates of his mansion like a stranger, with another woman proudly holding onto him.
Her eyes lingered on him longer than she should have. That calm expression, that sharp, commanding gaze, it was all the same. He hadn’t changed that much.
[ Host, are you okay? ] Susu asked carefully.
Lin Xu didn’t reply. Her throat felt dry.
How could she even process this?
If he was really Mo Shen, then that meant the children... their children...
Her thoughts tangled up as her stomach tightened in confusion.
"Why didn’t he tell me?" she whispered under her breath, her fingers trembling slightly as she held her sleeve.
[ Maybe he doesn’t remember? Or maybe... he doesn’t want you to know, ] Susu said softly.
Lin Xu’s lips pressed into a thin line. She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down as she watched the two of them, Mo Ying and Princess San, walk deeper into the residence surrounded by guards and servants.
She wanted to move, call out to him, but her legs wouldn’t listen.
[ Host... what are you going to do? ]
Lin Xu’s gaze darkened slightly as she turned away, her voice low. "What I’ve always done... pretend nothing happened."
She walked off quietly, her steps slow but steady.
[ But Host, if Mo Ying is truly Mo Shen then that means he’s the real father of your child, aren’t you going to tell him about this? ]
"Why the heck will I do that?" Lin Xu snapped at Susu.
"I should tell him? So he can take my kids away? Never!"
Lin Xu walked slowly towards the cook’s quarters, still lost in her thoughts.
---
Mo Ying and Princess San stepped into the dinner hall where the other family members were already seated.
They all stood up like they had rehearsed to welcome San Na as she bowed towards Madame Mo, who had a fake smile plastered across her face.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Madame Mo, and the rest of the Mo family members," San Na said politely, her voice calm and collected.
Brushing her off, Madame Mo pulled her in for a hug.
"What’s with all the formality? We will be family in just a matter of days. Call me Mother." Facing Mo Ying, whose face was obviously displeased, Madame Mo nudged him towards Princess San.
"Mo Shen, why don’t you both take your seats and have dinner? The meal today looks quite delicious."
Not responding, Mo Ying took hold of San Na’s hand and pulled her towards him, directing her to sit.
With them seated, their food was placed neatly before them by some maids.
"Brother, I’m very sure you will enjoy this meal... trust me, it’s made from the best!" Mo Lan’s words rang into his ears as he tried to understand what she meant.
Mo Ying and San Na, together with the other family members, started eating. The dishes were delicious, the smell alone could make anyone hungry.
His uncle, Lord Mo Ren, took a big bite of the steamed fish and nodded in satisfaction. "This is amazing! The chef must be truly skilled."
His wife agreed, smiling. "Yes, it’s been a long time since I’ve tasted food this good. Everything is perfectly seasoned."
Even San Na smiled, gracefully holding her chopsticks as she tasted the lotus root soup. "Mm... this is wonderful."
But while everyone enjoyed the meal, Mo Ying sat quietly. He picked up his chopsticks and took a bite of the braised meat.
The moment the taste hit his tongue, his entire body froze. His eyes widened slightly, and the chopsticks stopped midair.
That taste...
He knew it.
He could never forget it.
The soft texture, the exact way the sauce was blended—there was only one person who could cook like that.
Lin Xu.
He dropped his chopsticks on the table with a soft clack, making everyone look at him. His gaze turned cold as he looked toward the servants.
"Who cooked this?" he asked, his voice low but sharp enough to cut through the air.
The maids all froze on the spot. One of them trembled and quickly knelt down. "G-General... w-we only served the dishes. We don’t know who made them."
The rest followed, falling to their knees in fear.
Madame Mo frowned, confused. "Mo Shen, what’s wrong? Is something wrong with the food?"
But Mo Ying didn’t answer her. His eyes stayed locked on the maids. "I asked a question. Who cooked this?"
Madame Mo looked at her daughter, immediately knowing that she had something to do with whatever was going on, so she herself dropped her chopsticks to enjoy the drama.
The silence in the room grew heavy. Everyone looked at each other nervously, unsure of what to say.
Just then, Mo Lan spoke up with a sweet, fake smile. "Ah, brother, there’s no need to scare them. I hired a special cook for your wedding. She’s the one who prepared the food."
Mo Ying turned his gaze to her, his eyes narrowing. "A special cook?"
"Yes," Mo Lan said calmly, her smile never fading. "Her name is Lin Xu."
The chopsticks in his hand snapped clean in two.