novelraw Chapter 238: Living in a Snail Shell
Chapter 238: Living in a Snail Shell
"Alright, I’m heading out then." Lin Feng was aware that his presence was distracting Shen Yao, and from the way she looked, he knew she cared deeply about the breakfast she was preparing. Not wanting to add to her burden, he was instead looking forward to tasting the first meal she would cook for him. With these thoughts in mind, he slowly backed out of the kitchen. Before he left, he didn’t forget to flash a smile at Shen Yao and made a gesture with his hand as if he was grabbing something.
"Lin Feng..." Seeing Lin Feng’s gesture, Shen Yao’s face instantly blushed bright red. She shyly chided Lin Feng, and for some reason, the wild scenes from last night popped back into her head, sending her heart into a flutter once more, heating her cheeks to the point they seemed as if they might ooze blood.
"I’ll stop teasing you. I’ll be waiting outside for you." Lin Feng smiled at Shen Yao and then stepped out of the kitchen, no longer interrupting her cooking. He turned on the TV, watched the news, and waited for the first breakfast Shen Yao would make for him.
Before long, Shen Yao had finished making breakfast. She brought it out on a tray—a simple meal suited for two with four fried eggs, two sandwiches, and two cups of hot milk. She then anxiously watched Lin Feng pick up a sandwich, afraid that he might say it tasted awful, which would render all her efforts futile.
"Hmm, not bad, it’s really quite good." Lin Feng tasted a bite, then openly praised Shen Yao. Truth be told, having a sandwich turn out this well was quite an achievement for her. It seemed she really did make an effort to learn cooking over the Spring Festival, otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to make such a tasty sandwich.
"Really? That’s great. If it tastes good, you eat it all." Hearing Lin Feng say her sandwiches were delicious, Shen Yao immediately sighed with relief, her face beaming with joy. It was the first time she had cooked for Lin Feng, and to have it turn out so successfully made her very happy. She was determined to continue improving her cooking skills, making dishes that Lin Feng would enjoy. Watching Lin Feng eat the sandwich she made filled Shen Yao with immense happiness and joy.
"Here, you eat too." Lin Feng passed the sandwich he was holding to Shen Yao. She had been laboring all morning, and couldn’t be left with an empty stomach; it was better for them to eat breakfast together.
"Mm." Shen Yao didn’t think twice before biting into the sandwich handed to her, because this was the first time Lin Feng fed her, and she wanted to remember every ’first’ with him as a testament to their relationship.
"Look at you eating." Just at that moment, Lin Feng noticed a bit of salad dressing on Shen Yao’s face and tenderly remarked, "You have some sauce right there." After saying this, he raised his hand and gently wiped it off for her.
"It’s only in front of you that I can be this relaxed. I used to eat so carefully, always cautious, and it was so exhausting." Shen Yao grasped Lin Feng’s hand and placed it on her face, telling him with vulnerability how tiring it was to dine either at home or in public, adhering to the standards of a proper lady. In front of Lin Feng, she couldn’t help but want to relax and not worry about anything because it felt so much more comfortable.
"From now on, by my side, just do what you love." Lin Feng clearly understood Shen Yao’s sentiment. Being born into a wealthy family and undergoing such elite upbringing is a mandate every clan imposes. For powerful families like Shen Yao’s, every child is trained to become the successor, which is a tragedy of the wealthy: they can’t choose their own path. Pondering this, he tenderly stroked Shen Yao’s face.
"Mm, it’s so good to have you." Shen Yao clasped Lin Feng’s hand even tighter, afraid that this was all like a dream that could suddenly disappear.
"You cooked this morning, so let me make lunch." Sensing Shen Yao’s anxiety, Lin Feng actively changed the subject to help ease her nervous feelings.
"You can cook too, really?"
"It’s passable, not too terrible. What kind of food do you like?"
"I like fish. Can you cook it?"
...
The two drifted off topic to the lunch menu as they chatted, and Shen Yao became very curious about Lin Feng’s cooking skills. Nowadays, fewer boys know how to cook, let alone an outstanding one like Lin Feng. After writing down some needed ingredients, she handed the list to the bodyguards, asking them to go buy groceries. Then, she pulled Lin Feng into the living room to watch TV and continued their conversation about everything under the sun, feeling like there was an endless amount of things to talk about with him.
Meanwhile, Ding Wan’er had just woken up, but her mind was still filled with the happy moments Shen Yao and Lin Feng shared the day before. All night she pondered how to deal with the issue of Lin Feng; even though she was his fiancée, she hadn’t yet clarified their relationship. After much thought, she couldn’t come up with a satisfactory solution, making Ding Wan’er exceptionally anxious. She didn’t know where Lin Feng and Shen Yao had gone the night before. She had even called all the services at the Tianhai 5-star hotel to no avail, unable to find either Lin Feng or Shen Yao. Where had they gone and what had they done...
Leng Mei also spent the night alone in her bed, thinking back over everything from the moment Lin Feng arrived at Yingbo University and recalling every event in detail. Her heart was a jumble of feelings, and her mind was in disarray, uncertain of how to handle her relationship with Lin Feng. The sudden appearance of Shen Yao disrupted all the previous balance. She had no idea how to resolve her current relationship with Lin Feng and couldn’t come up with any solution. In the end, only two words remained in her mind: a headache!
Lin Feng and Shen Yao snuggled together on the living room sofa, and Shen Yao never imagined she could be this happy one day. Just sitting with the person she loved, watching TV, chatting and speaking softly to Lin Feng made her feel truly blissful,
until the bodyguards returned with the ingredients, ending their sweet moments. This time, Lin Feng insisted on staying in the kitchen alone, asking Shen Yao to continue watching TV while he prepared lunch.
Before long, Lin Feng had finished cooking and presented the meal. There weren’t many dishes—just four dishes and one soup: steamed salmon, braised lion’s head meatballs, egg drop soup with lotus seeds, mushrooms, and baby bok choy, along with a clear oyster soup. The presentation was already so appetizing; Shen Yao couldn’t wait to taste Lin Feng’s culinary skills.
"Try this and see how it tastes?" Lin Feng served Shen Yao a piece of steamed salmon, smiling as he spoke.
"Wow! This is so delicious, how did you make it taste this good? Teach me, quick!" After taking a bite of the salmon, Shen Yao looked at Lin Feng in amazement, because the fish was really incredibly delicious. Compared to the fish she had eaten before at five-star hotels, Lin Feng’s salmon was in a league of its own. It’s not just to flatter Lin Feng’s cooking, but this fish was truly exceptional. The taste was fresh without being greasy, the flesh tender and white without being overdone, and the ginger juice masked the fishy taste just right... Overall, this salmon was just perfect!
It really was strange. Lin Feng could actually cook, and to such an exquisite degree! His culinary skills were nothing short of miraculous. She often ate fish in Yuegang, but the fish prepared by Lin Feng was truly delicious, countless times better than anything she had eaten before. His level was definitely that of a top-grade chef! How did he learn to cook so well? She couldn’t help it; she had to eat more. With that thought in mind, she started to help herself to more fish without stopping.
"Don’t just focus on the fish, try the other dishes too," Lin Feng said with a smile as he watched Shen Yao, urging her to eat something else when he noticed she was only eating the fish.
"Wow! This is delicious! This lion’s head meatball is really amazing!"
"I never knew lotus seeds could be eaten like this, it’s so delicious!"
"You can even make green vegetables taste so unique!"
...
Soon, Shen Yao had tasted all of Lin Feng’s dishes, and at that point, she was at a loss for words. Lin Feng’s cooking was really too delicious, far surpassing any fine dining restaurants she had been to before. Even Master Chen’s cooking at home couldn’t compare to Lin Feng’s, and to think Master Chen was a renowned golden chef in Yuegang. Lin Feng’s culinary talents were indescribably amazing!
Shen Yao’s eyes were now fixed intently on Lin Feng, as her mind was filled with past images: the first time she saw Lin Feng drinking alone on the beach, the silhouette photograph from the shark incident, his impressive oratory at the language exchange meeting, his awe-inspiring moves at the Taekwondo meet, Uncle Wang’s parting advice, the victory in the Tianhai basketball game, and now, the lunch he had prepared for her today. Good heavens! What didn’t Lin Feng know how to do? Was there anything he wasn’t capable of...?
For a moment, Shen Yao was so captivated by Lin Feng that she zoned out. She was now increasingly convinced that her decision to pursue Lin Feng was an absolutely right one.
"If you like it, I can make it for you whenever you’re free. Stop being so surprised, and eat up before it gets cold," Lin Feng said, looking at Shen Yao with a gentle smile, convincing her to eat. Of course, he was very aware of what she was thinking. After all, it had become a common occurrence for people to be amazed by his cooking.
"Oh, okay, but what you’ve made is truly delicious. I wanted to learn how to cook well to make you happy, but it seems that plan has gone down the drain," Shen Yao said helplessly. His cooking was already so delicious that, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t possibly surpass him. How then could she ever capture his heart through his stomach?
"It’s alright. Learning to cook well can help you take care of yourself. When I’m not with you, you can still look after yourself," Lin Feng said with a smile, shaking his head. He increasingly felt that Shen Yao was quite exceptional, a wealthy heiress without the usual faults of rich young people, genuinely sincere towards him, considering him in all she did—such an extent of devotion was truly rare.
"Alright then, I’ll keep learning how to cook and strive to be as skilled as you, haha!"
"Yes, I learned to cook to take care of myself too."
"I really like the food you make."
"If you like it, then eat more."
...
The two of them chatted and ate together, having a wonderful time, making Shen Yao feel like this was the best meal of her life. And not because she was deliberately praising Lin Feng—the food he made truly was indescribably delicious.
In the afternoon, Lin Feng kept Shen Yao company in the living room, listening to music and chatting. They talked about their past, present, and future, discussing many things and laughing together at the fun parts. Throughout the afternoon, Shen Yao curled up, resting her chin in her hand, her eyes fixated on Lin Feng as he spoke, feeling so happy and content with this slice of life.
In the evening, unable to resist Shen Yao’s playful urging, Lin Feng agreed to cook dinner together. Shen Yao prepped the ingredients, while Lin Feng stir-fried them. The kitchen was filled with the aroma of love.