Chapter 81: Chapter 81
"Is something the matter with the food, brother? If you don’t like it, we can just take it away." Mo An tried coaxing her brother, but Mo Ying suddenly stood up.
He took the plate of braised meat as he instructed the servants present, "Go get the person who cooked this immediately!"
"Y-yes, young master," they immediately ran out of the dining hall.
Meanwhile, Mo Lan just kept on eating her food.
"What’s wrong with cousin? There’s nothing wrong with the food," Mo Zan whispered to his brother.
"Let’s just see what he’s going to do... the residence has been boring for months now, I won’t mind a little chaos," Mo Ting replied as the two laughed.
Meanwhile, the servants quickly ran towards the cooks’ quarters where Lin Xu, Yan Mei, and their other staff were resting.
Banging on the door, the head maid called out, "Miss Lin, your presence is needed!"
Lin Xu and Yan Mei exchanged a quick look, both startled by the loud banging on the door.
Yan Mei was the first to speak. "What’s going on? Why are they making such noise?"
Before Lin Xu could respond, the door swung open and the head maid, out of breath, bowed deeply. "Miss Lin, you must come with us right away. The General... he has requested for you."
Lin Xu froze for a second. "The General?" she repeated, her voice calm but her heart skipped again.
"Yes, Miss. He tasted one of your dishes and demanded to see the cook immediately," the maid said nervously, glancing behind her as if afraid to waste even a second.
Yan Mei frowned. "Why would the General call for the cook personally? That’s strange."
Lin Xu inhaled slowly, steadying herself. "It doesn’t matter. Let’s just go and see what he wants."
With that, they followed the maid out, with Yan Mei right behind her. The other kitchen staff looked on in confusion and worry.
The walk from the cooks’ quarters to the main hall felt longer than usual. Lin Xu’s heart thudded with every step she took, her mind a storm of thoughts she tried hard to suppress.
[ Host, are you sure about this? What if he recognizes you? ] Susu’s voice echoed softly in her head.
"Then I’ll deal with it. Even if he does find me here, I have nothing to be afraid of. He was the one who lied about his identity and disappeared overnight. And anyway, he isn’t aware that he’s the kids’ father yet, so it’s fine," Lin Xu murmured under her breath.
As they approached the dining hall, the guards standing by the doors straightened immediately. The maid bowed again and stepped aside.
"Miss Lin Xu has arrived," she announced.
Inside, the room was tense. Everyone had gone silent, their eyes on Mo Ying, who stood beside the table, his expression dark and unreadable.
The moment Lin Xu stepped in, Mo Ying’s gaze snapped toward her. His hand tightened slightly around the plate he held.
Lin Xu lowered her eyes politely and bowed. "This servant greets the General."
Meanwhile, Yan Mei’s words seemed to be stuck in her throat as she stared at Mo Ying, surprised to see him.
"Mo-mo-mo Ying—"
Lin Xu caught hold of her wrist as Yan Mei faced her. Lin Xu shook her head, signaling her not to say anything.
"Did you cook this?" Mo Ying’s voice was cold.
Lin Xu looked up, meeting his eyes just for a moment before answering. "Yes, General. I was the one who prepared the meal."
The room was silent again. Even the sound of breathing felt heavy.
But before anyone could comprehend what could happen next—
"Smash!"
Mo Ying threw the tray of braised meat on the ground in front of Lin Xu and Yan Mei, causing them to stare in surprise.
The loud crash echoed through the hall, the plate shattering into pieces as sauce splattered across the polished floor. The sudden sound made everyone flinch.
Yan Mei gasped and instinctively stepped closer to Lin Xu. The servants nearby quickly dropped to their knees, trembling.
Lin Xu didn’t move. Her head stayed lowered, her hands calmly folded before her, though her heart pounded in her chest.
Mo Ying’s jaw tightened as he stared down at her, his voice sharp. "Where did you learn to cook like this?"
Lin Xu blinked once, keeping her expression steady. "Is something wrong with the food, General?"
Just speaking alone felt like someone was piercing a knife down her throat. Meanwhile, Yan Mei was still staring at the broken plate in disbelief.
"Everything is wrong with this food... I want you out of this residence immediately. I will not have you cook here. Guards!"
He called out as a group of guards barged into the hall, ready to follow his command.
"Yes, General?"
"Take this woman and her people out of my residence. They shall not take a step here ever again!" he commanded.
As Lin Xu just stared at him, her face frozen. There were no emotions visible, but if only anyone could know what was running through her mind.
Meanwhile, Yan Mei was already in tears, yanking Lin Xu’s arm, trying to ask her why Mo Ying was acting this way.
Nodding, the guards proceeded to their task, but just then, the loud voice of Mo Lan rang out.
"And where do you think you are taking them to?" She stood up, walking towards them as her purple hanfu danced around.
Facing Mo Ying, she said with an amused tone, "Brother, I am still confused on what you find bad about this young cook’s food. It’s certainly not bad."
"Yes, yes, nephew, your sister is right," Uncle Mo agreed.
"Indeed, it’s actually one of the best I’ve tasted!" his wife agreed as other family members nodded their heads in approval.
"Or, brother, is there another reason why you suddenly want us to throw the cook out? I’m really curious."
The two stared at each other like a tiger and a tigress. Mo Ying didn’t know what Mo Lan was planning, but he was totally not going to let her have her way.
Even if it meant Lin Xu hating him for this, he would do everything to get her out of this house.