The woman, Xie Siya, came from an ordinary background but possessed immense ambition. After graduating high school, she decided against further education, deeply influenced by the belief that education was useless. Entering the workforce required a skill, and after comparing various professions, she ultimately chose a chef as the most secure career. She reasoned that anyone could forgo luxury goods, smoking, drinking, or fashionable clothes, but no one could go without food—not even a single meal. Buying clothes once a month is considered extravagant, let alone in other industries. This profession would never become outdated or face the challenges of inflation or market contraction. With exceptional skills, one could always earn money, ensuring a thriving business.
Alone, she traveled to the metropolis. She had read about Tan Family Cuisine in some book and developed a blind fondness for it, perhaps because of its long history and its founder. Tan Zongjun, a bureaucrat from the late Qing Dynasty, was a lecherous and gluttonous official who spent his days in bed with his concubines. He was particularly lazy, and when he was intimate, his personal maid would push his buttocks from behind as he made his way in and out. Being a gluttonous and official, the servants in his household naturally did their best to satisfy his appetite and keep their jobs.
Over time, Tan Family Cuisine gradually took shape. It's a home-style cuisine, emphasizing slow and meticulous preparation, unlike restaurant dishes which are often cooked quickly for business purposes. Tan Family Cuisine primarily uses braising, stewing, simmering, steaming, poaching, pan-frying, roasting, and soups, while rarely employing stir-frying techniques or flipping the wok. For this reason, it's best to make a reservation in advance to allow the chef ample time for preparation. The cooking methods mainly involve braising, stewing, simmering, roasting, and steaming. Tan Family Cuisine is known for its expertise in preparing dried goods and its mastery of using rich broths and slow-cooking seafood delicacies.
These were Li Yang's words when he described Tan Family Cuisine to Cao Xin; they were almost official statements. Cao Xin didn't seem surprised. Now, she could accept anything unexpected or even shocking happening to Li Yang without batting an eye. Is a woman who can tolerate her man having many mistresses an ordinary woman?
As for Xie Siya, she was a shrewd and intelligent woman. She went north alone and waited at the door of the contemporary Tan family cuisine inheritor for a month and a half, waiting every day, regardless of wind or rain. When she ran out of money, she ate steamed buns and drank cold water. Finally, she persevered and moved her master, who sincerely accepted her into the family and taught her carefully, allowing her to learn the true teachings.
Within a few years, her Tan family cuisine had become quite renowned, reaching a level of mastery that was almost enough for her to stand on her own. But her shrewdness lay in this: she wasn't in a hurry to make money and build a reputation. Instead, she continued to work tirelessly under her master, helping with cooking at his family's restaurant. After more than a year of honing her skills, she finally made significant progress, mastering her craft. Given time, she would reach a level of perfection that rivaled her master's. Her master couldn't help but jokingly remark, "Teaching my apprentice has made me starve!" While this was just a joke, it speaks volumes about Xie Siya's culinary skill.
She left the capital to make her own way in the world, not staying in her master's territory. Instead, she came to the Jiangnan region, where apricot blossoms and spring rain fell, and Jiangdong City became her base. She quickly made a name for herself there. At that time, Li Yang was probably still in junior high school. Because of her exceptional skills, she soon gained fame and attracted the attention of many high-ranking officials and nobles. Her value soared, and countless five-star hotels offered her exorbitant sums to stay at their hotels. However, she turned a blind eye to all of them, seemingly with even greater ambitions, wanting to open her own restaurant.
But just when everyone was eagerly anticipating a dramatic turn of events in Jiangdong City's culinary scene, this stunningly beautiful and incredibly skilled female chef suddenly vanished without a trace, disappearing from public view. Only a select few high-ranking officials and dignitaries knew the inside story. In a seemingly romantic turn of events, Xie Siya met her true love, a wealthy and devoted young man who fell deeply in love with her at first sight. They married, and Xie Siya retired from the culinary world, settling down in this upscale neighborhood. On a whim, she opened this private restaurant, which also became her and her husband's love nest.
Ten years of hard work and sweat have yielded results, revealing her true beauty after she has washed away all her glamour. With her bare hands, she cooks for her lover, willingly becoming a caged bird, her exceptional skills blooming only for him. Speaking of her true love, her husband is a prominent and well-known figure in Jiangdong City. Although he is not a good person and has his flaws, that's only towards outsiders. He treats her like a fairy, completely devoted to her.
Just like many wise men employ their subordinates, they prioritize ability; as for the subordinates' character and conduct, "good enough" suffices. For example, the stories of Emperor Qianlong employing Heshen and Chen Ping's alleged affair with his sister-in-law illustrate this point—appointing people based on talent, not idleness. Similarly, Li Yang's underlings might be lecherous, promiscuous, or violent—these minor flaws don't detract from their exceptional abilities, yet Li Yang still hires them with high salaries. As for Li Yang himself, many say he's a good person, while others call him a scoundrel and rogue. But these flaws didn't prevent him from rising to power, sweeping through the Jiangdong and Jiangnan underworld to become the uncrowned king of the Xishan region's underworld.
Xie Siya married him, and after nights of pleasure, she became even more radiant and captivating. The young master, for her sake, restrained his lustful nature, harboring feelings for other women but never actually making a move. Xie Siya was far wiser in this respect, a role model for any woman. She knew when to play dumb, turning a blind eye to rumors and ignoring them, but carefully observing during their nightly encounters. She understood that he hadn't truly been promiscuous, and then silently indulged in nightly revelry, draining him until he was too weak to seek other women.
With such a man's protection and support, Xie Siya amassed a fortune of tens of millions in just a few years. She then skillfully invested her wealth, reaping substantial profits. Her money multiplied, and her initial culinary skills were merely a golden stepping stone. However, all this happiness changed after an incident six months ago. Her world collapsed. The man's power waned, and he himself was castrated, becoming a modern-day eunuch, unable to perform sexually, unable to satisfy even the most basic sexual needs. He became a complete cripple, with a terrible temper, irritable, easily angered, narrow-minded, and violent. His eyes were bloodshot, like an enraged bull, ready to butt anyone he encountered.
Xie Siya suffered greatly as a result, but fortunately, she was very shrewd. Her family was worth over ten million, and even without this man's protection, she could still live comfortably. However, their affection was genuine; she was willing to give up worldly riches for him, even settling down to cook for him – that was proof enough. Now that the man was in trouble, she wanted revenge. But the background and power of that man's enemy were ridiculously strong, even more so than her own man. Her feelings towards this enemy were complex. Having conducted a thorough investigation, she knew him well, knowing he had once been an ordinary, penniless nobody, practically a good-for-nothing.
But through her own efforts, regardless of the means, she rose step by step to become a dazzling figure, even bringing down the man who was the son of the municipal party secretary, and she greatly admired him. Admiring an enemy is a fatal flaw; falling in love with an enemy is even more deadly than falling in love with an ordinary person. She gritted her teeth and hardened her heart to avenge the man, suppressing that slight admiration. Once the two of them broke off relations, she would have to stand completely behind the man.
Her man, Cai Qingni, now rarely leaves the house and is practically half-mad.
"Li Yang, Li Yang, don't blame me for being ruthless. Our hatred is irreconcilable. Since you've come to me willingly, I will make you pay the price. Everyone thinks Qing Ni is crazy, but they're blind and short-sighted. They don't know that the man I've set my sights on is no ordinary person. He's just pretending to be deaf and dumb, deliberately acting this way to lull Li Yang into a false sense of security. Then he'll wait for the right moment to strike and cripple Li Yang completely."
"Li Yang, Li Yang, you're too arrogant! Qing Ni has already heard that someone higher up is going to take you down and is very unhappy with you. And today you beat up the young master of the Longteng Group, almost ruining his manhood! This enemy is too big for you. You'd better be careful not to get knocked down and die from all that trouble!"
"Even with Xue Tao and Prince Yu of Ou Jinliren backing you up, it's all in vain. They are just businessmen. When businessmen face power and violence, they can only be slaughtered. As the saying goes, 'A scholar encountering a soldier is like a scholar who can't reason with a soldier.' Whether they are politicians or military figures, if those in power want to take down a big businessman, isn't it a piece of cake?"
"Luo Zhongfu and Huang Guangyu are representatives of this."
"Li Yang, your good days are over. Everyone's kicking you when you're down. Let's see how long you can last!" Xie Siya's round, millstone-like buttocks clenched and unclenched, feeling a sticky, dripping sensation, as if water was present. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she let out a cold snort. She crossed her arms, her face suddenly turning icy. Because she had seen the scene she most wanted to see: Cao Xin's face changed drastically. Her chopsticks and spoon clattered onto the table, her breathing became rapid, her whole body convulsed, and her eyes rolled back—she looked as if she had been poisoned.
To show off, Li Yang kept talking about various anecdotes and stories related to Tan family cuisine, such as the glorious years of the Tan family's ancestor who was a Hanlin scholar. He also made up a few half-baked jokes. He didn't touch his chopsticks at all, just watched Cao Xin eat, acting like nothing was wrong.
"What's wrong with you?" Li Yang exclaimed and hugged Cao Xin.
"I...I'm afraid I've been poisoned," Cao Xin said, trembling.
"Poisoned?" Li Yang's expression changed drastically. He turned around abruptly and saw Xie Siya's mocking gaze and a disdainful smile.
Chapter 915: Fear
"It's you?" Li Yang said angrily with a cold snort.
"That's right, it's me. What can you do to me?" Xie Siya smiled smugly, looking at Li Yang with a bright and triumphant smile.
Li Yang stood up, gave a cold laugh, and instead of seeking revenge, rushed to Cao Xin, placed his hands on her body, and said urgently, "Feel my magic power, mobilize your own magic power, and force the poison out!"
"Okay." Cao Xin managed to speak, her face deathly pale, her body convulsing almost uncontrollably. Li Yang's surging magical power rushed into Cao Xin's body like a mighty river. Cao Xin felt a jolt within her, her expression instantly sharpened, she became much more alert, and her body regained some control.
"Concentrate. Don't be nervous, you'll be alright~" Li Yang comforted Cao Xin, channeling his magic power while activating his second avatar. The second avatar, sized like a mosquito, burrowed into Cao Xin's body, searching like a police dog for the toxins causing trouble, spewing out wisps of Samadhi True Fire to drive away and burn them away.
"Ah—" Cao Xin screamed in agony. Even though it felt like flames were burning in her meridians, the pain was unbearable. She broke out in a cold sweat, her whole body trembled, and her breathing became rapid. She could barely sit up.
"Don't be nervous, it'll be over soon. It's just a little painful. I won't let anything happen to you," Li Yang said, suppressing his anger and comforting Cao Xin with deep pity. "Don't worry, I'll be fine too. I don't want to leave you either. I'll try my best to fight the poison," Cao Xin forced a smile as she comforted Li Yang. Li Yang felt even more pain in his heart and scolded, "Concentrate, so I can help you get rid of the poison!"
"Don't waste your time. Let me tell you, I'm using the most potent toxins, the venom of turtles, snakes, five-step snakes, and bamboo vipers. A person will die within minutes. The only chance of survival is to inject antivenom immediately. But do you have that? Obviously not, so you're doomed. All other methods are futile." Xie Siya walked over easily and said smugly to Li Yang.
"You have such a vicious mind! We've never wronged you, how could you do such a thing?" Li Yang turned around and glared at Xie Siya, completely bewildered. Had he ever offended her? Could it be because he'd just touched her butt? That would be far too vindictive.
"You make it sound so easy? We have no grudge against each other? That's probably just your own assumption, isn't it? Let me tell you the truth, we not only have a grudge, but a very deep one. Hmph~"
"You're ruthless and cruel. You ruined my husband and made him unable to be a real man. Tell me, do we have any hatred towards each other?" Xie Siya stared at Li Yang with resentment.
"Your husband?" Li Yang frowned. "Holy crap, I've ruined so many men, castrated so many, I can't even remember them all. How would I know your husband is that idiot?"
“Yes, that’s my husband~” Xie Siya glared at Li Yang.
"Who is your husband?" Li Yang asked.
"Cai Qingni~"
"What?! Cai Qingni is your man? Your lover?" Li Yang almost jumped up; this news was too shocking. He never imagined that Xie Siya, this beautiful woman who hid in her boudoir, would have that bastard Cai Qingni as her man.
"Shut up! If you dare to talk nonsense again, I'll shoot you dead!" Xie Siya suddenly pulled out a large, black gun from her bosom. The dark muzzle was pointed directly at Li Yang's head, ready to fire at any moment and smash Li Yang's head into a pulp.
"I won't move, don't be nervous, don't get agitated~" Li Yang couldn't let go of Cao Xin's hands; he had to use his magic power to protect Cao Xin's meridians and blood vessels. Otherwise, if she was burned by the Samadhi True Fire, recovery would be extremely troublesome. He also didn't dare to provoke Xie Siya. If this woman had a fit and wanted to die together with Li Yang, Li Yang would be incredibly frustrated.
"You think you're so powerful? You're the underground emperor of Jiangdong City, the uncrowned king, controlling all the underworld businesses in Jiangdong City. But you shouldn't have ruined my husband. So I'm going to avenge him and get my revenge. Let me tell you, I don't expect anything good from you, but I'm going to take you down with me. I won't be satisfied with just shooting you dead; that would be too easy. I'm going to make you watch helplessly as the woman you love dies in front of you."
"I'll make you experience the pain of losing your lover!" Xie Siya said triumphantly. "Now that you're in my hands, as long as you obey, everything is negotiable. Although I hate you to death, I might still let you go."
“Thank you for your kindness,” Li Yang said gratefully, “but we don’t need it. Your tricks may seem successful, but in the eyes of an expert, they are child’s play. I’ve already done all that. You can keep playing with them yourself, and you’ll know the result when it comes out.”
"Let me tell you, don't try to scare me. I'm not someone you can easily frighten. Just wait to collect her corpse!" Xie Siya said, pointing at Cao Xin. "Really? Does she look like she has a problem?" Li Yang looked at Xie Siya with amusement. Cao Xin's face was fair and rosy, her color had returned, her body was no longer stiff, and her agitation had subsided. She sat quietly, as if nothing had happened. It was unbelievable.
"No, impossible~ Absolutely impossible, that's the world's top poison, the poison of poisons. Impossible, impossible~" Xie Siya was immediately agitated and lost her composure, looking at Cao Xin in disbelief. She absolutely could not believe that Cao Xin could be unharmed after being poisoned by snake venom.
"Let me tell you, your skills are utterly worthless in my eyes. You think you can get away with this? My woman is safe and sound. Isn't it time for you to pay the price? Anyway, we're enemies." Li Yang looked at Xie Siya mockingly, determined to teach her a lesson.
"What, what do you want to do? Let me tell you, there are bullets in here. Don't force me, don't come near me!" Cao Xin said excitedly, pointing a gun at Li Yang's head.