Chapter 96: What’s Missing

Chapter 96: What’s Missing
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
It took all the force of will He Sui could muster to stop himself from lunging at the food. “Let me try!”
He Sui plucked He Zhou’s steak from its plate and took a big bite. His eyes lit up. “It’s delicious!”
He Sui’s excitement was so great it attracted the attention of the rest of the He family. He Ning, who was in his room, and He Xiaoguo, who was doing his homework in the living room, were startled by his cry and quickly crowded around him. When he saw the steak He Sui was eating on his own, He Xiaoguo began tugging at He Suit s trousers, pouting cutely, “Fourth Brother, I want some too…”
He Sui gritted his teeth in reluctance but still divided the steak, cutting it into small pieces.
He Xiaoguo could not wait to get his share and immediately snagged a piece. Meanwhile, He Ning picked up a pair of chopsticks and helped himself to a piece. He turned to He Zhou and asked, “Did you make it?”
“I did,” He Zhou answered.
“Your cooking has improved again,” He Ning commented lightly.
Such a juicy steak would not be out of place in an authentic Western restaurant.
He Zhou had always been a talented cook. Perhaps it would be wise to encourage him to develop his skills further…
He Ning picked up a piece of the steak and stuffed it in He Jing’s mouth. He Jing chewed slowly, savoring the taste and texture like a true-blue connoisseur of Western cuisine.
A crack formed on He Zhou’s impassive mask. His eyes chilled, and his tone became curt, “Are you saying I didn’t do a good job?”
“No.” He Jing said seriously, “It’s just missing a little something.”
He Sui, whose mouth was smeared with oil stains, smiled when he heard that. “He Jing, there’s no need to pretend it isn’t good. If you think you’re so capable, why don’t you try cooking a steak for us to compare?”
This…
He Zhou recovered, patching the holes in his cracked facade. “I won’t tell you what you can or cannot do. You may do as you please.”
There was no way He Jing would cook a better steak.
Expressionlessly, He Jing began processing the ingredients. She rolled up her sleeves and cleaned her chosen steak, rinsing it in water and toweling it dry before seasoning it with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, she heated a pan and drizzled some oil before searing the steak evenly on both sides.
Her hands were not idle as she prepared the steak; she also spent some time preparing the sauce that would go with it.
Four pairs of eyes watched in stunned silence.
He Jing’s quick, efficient movements and skillful technique showed she had plenty of experience cooking.
No one expected her to have been telling the truth when she said she knew how to cook!
At this moment, a beautiful young woman stood in front of the pan, her silhouette seemingly painting the picture of a socialite in her element. Anyone who saw her would compare her to a three-star Michelin chef. Her fingers danced, jumping from one ingredient to another, finally stopping on a particular white mushroom with a distinct note of nobility.
She sauteed onions in a pan before adding a generous amount of white wine and the mushrooms she had sliced earlier. She removed the onions and mushrooms, setting them aside for later; they would be the garnish. Soon after she had added the mushrooms, she poured in fresh cream and stirred to thicken the sauce. The smell it produced was divine! He Jing’s skillful handling of several ingredients put He Zhou’s to shame; there could be no doubt.
He Jing plated the steak, garnishing it with the sauteed onions and mushrooms she had kept. She drizzled the sauce over the steak, completing her dish.
When He Jing presented the final product to those present, she was met with pin-drop silence.
He Xiaoguo discarded the piece of He Zhou’s steak he was about to gobble up, returning it to the dish He Sui had in hand. He Sui gulped.
Even the ever-cold He Ning looked moved. Only He Zhou seemed gloomy.
As if waking from a dream, He Sui broke the silence. He feigned maturity by saying, “It’s not beauty but how it tastes that counts! I’ve never eaten anything more delicious than Third Brother’s steak.
He Xiaoguo frowned. He did not want to humiliate He Zhou, but he could not resist the temptation of the delicious food. He chewed on his index finger, wondering what he should do.
In the end, it was He Ning who stepped up to the plate, breaking the stalemate.
“I’ll sample it.”
He cut off a small piece of the steak, the beautiful dish so immaculate that he almost could not bear to destroy it. “How is it?” He Sui asked nervously.
Three seconds later…
“It’s not delicious..”