Chapter 95 Three Women, One Stage

A man’s ambition lies in conquering the world. Lin Fan was never one to be content with the status quo. Leading Dragon Soul to where it was today was not about proving anything to others, nor was it in pursuit of some grand, glorious result. He did not worship unlimited power, nor did he care for endless wealth. What he truly savored was the process itself—the gradual ascent to the summit, the exhilarating heartbeat of every struggle for dominance. He was determined to trample anyone who dared stand in his way.

As for matters of the heart, it was not that Lin Fan had never considered them, but he knew that now was not the time. With his family’s vengeance yet unfulfilled, how could he dare dream of a home?

At dawn the next day, Lin Fan was already awake. He had no intention of letting his elder sister look down on him. Today, he would prove to every woman in the world that a man could both conquer the battlefield and command the kitchen.

Practicing the full set of Yanqing Fist every morning had become almost a daily ritual for Lin Fan. Unless something unusual happened, he never skipped this routine. Though Yanqing Fist focused primarily on hand techniques, it also emphasized the unity of body and movement. Lin Fan knew there were still many details, whether in footwork or technique, that he had yet to master. He realized it had been some time since he’d returned to China, and he had yet to visit his master.

Before long, sweat had drenched his entire body. Only then did he, flushed and breathing hard, return to the villa and plunge straight into the shower. He wasn’t worried about time—he knew his sister would not be up this early.

After his shower, Lin Fan headed to the kitchen and began rummaging around. Though it had been a while since he last cooked, his confidence in his culinary skills was unwavering.

“What’s that? Why does it smell so good?” While Lin Fan was bustling about in the kitchen, the villa door opened and Tang Rui entered with Feifei at her side.

“Brother, what are you making?” Feifei immediately echoed Tang Rui’s question.

“How come you two are back so early?” Lin Fan asked from the kitchen without turning his head, still focused on his fried rice.

“Sister Rui said she left some documents here and dragged me up at six,” Feifei replied, a bit disgruntled. “But really, what brings you to the kitchen today? I remember you were quite the foodie when you were little.”

Lin Fan could only shake his head in resignation, muttering to himself, “Is it really so strange for a man to cook?”

“Feifei, you’re one to talk! You were the one who insisted on coming back early, saying you missed your brother,” Tang Rui retorted. “Look at the time—you dragged me out of bed for this.” Though Tang Rui’s demeanor was gentle with men, she was lively enough among women.

Feifei glanced nervously at the kitchen, relieved to see Lin Fan still absorbed in his work. She had been worried he might have overheard Tang Rui’s remark.

Tang Rui gave Feifei a puzzled look, not understanding why she was so concerned about Lin Fan overhearing.

In truth, with Lin Fan’s keen hearing, how could he possibly miss a word? The kitchen wasn’t far from the living room anyway. He simply pretended not to hear. As long as Feifei didn’t bring it up directly, he wouldn’t expose her thoughts. He already had Zhao Ying, and Feifei knew it, so all he could do was hope his little sister would someday come to understand and find her own happiness.

“So lively this early in the morning,” Lin Yan remarked as she came downstairs, taking a deep breath of the delicious aroma that filled the air. “What is that smell?”

“My brother’s in the kitchen,” Feifei replied, glancing at Lin Fan’s back as he worked. Though she knew her brother now had a girlfriend, she still clung to a shred of hope. She had liked Lin Fan since childhood, and now that he was back, how could she give up so easily?

Lin Yan was briefly taken aback. She hadn’t taken Lin Fan’s words seriously the night before and never expected her younger brother to actually get up and cook. “It’s been years since I’ve seen him. He really has changed. I wonder what he made—it smells incredible,” she murmured from the stairs.

The three women chatted in the living room while Lin Fan busied himself in the kitchen. Though it was only fried rice, what he served was nothing like what one would find in a restaurant. On the table were three plates of fried rice that appeared quite ordinary.

“It looks plain enough. Aside from being a little prettier and smelling a bit better, there’s nothing special about it,” Feifei said after a careful inspection.

Tang Rui and Lin Yan didn’t comment but nodded in agreement.

“Come on, color and aroma are two out of three, and you haven’t even tasted it yet!” Lin Fan protested, feeling a bit aggrieved. Women, he thought, are impossible to please.

“Feifei, why don’t you try it first?” Lin Yan suggested, chuckling. She knew that appearances could be deceiving.

“Alright then, I’ll humor you,” Feifei said with a forced smile, seeing Lin Fan’s long face. Even if it wasn’t good, she could just eat less—after all, Lin Fan had worked hard, and she couldn’t bear to let his effort go unappreciated.

Feifei picked up a spoonful of fried rice, then another, and another, repeating the motion several times. Astonishment filled her face. “Impossible, this just can’t be.”

“What’s wrong?” Tang Rui and Lin Yan asked in unison, noticing Feifei’s expression.

“How can this be? I refuse to believe it,” Feifei muttered, frowning as she tried again. “Try it for yourselves.”

Taking her seriously, Lin Yan and Tang Rui each scooped up a spoonful. At once, all three women found themselves repeating the same action over and over.

A faint, confident smile played at the corners of Lin Fan’s lips, as if he had anticipated this very scene.

After a while, all three women looked up at once and asked, “How on earth did you do that?”

Each of their spoons held a cluster of five grains of rice, perfectly encasing a fragment of egg. Every scoop was precisely the same—five grains wrapped around a bit of egg, forming a tiny gem. They tried again and again, and every time it was the same. The curiosity was irresistible. How had Lin Fan made such extraordinary fried rice?

Lin Fan, feigning mystery, replied, “Ah, that’s a secret that can’t be revealed.”

In truth, his master had told him this recipe dated back to Lu Yuan of the Qing Dynasty, once a dish in the grand banquet of Manchu and Han cuisine, loved by the common people. When Lin Fan first saw his master make this dish, he was just as awestruck as Feifei and the others. He’d begged and pleaded until his master finally taught him.

“Hmph, forget it then. I didn’t want to know anyway.” Lin Fan had planned to show off a bit, but Feifei’s retort cut him off before he had the chance, all because of their earlier skepticism about his cooking.

The three women quickly focused on their own plates. Feifei, who hadn’t eaten breakfast yet, devoured her serving with gusto. Soon her plate was spotless. Smacking her lips, she reached for Lin Yan’s, but Lin Yan quickly snatched it away, holding it protectively.

“Rui, dear sister?” Feifei said with a mischievous grin, eyeing Tang Rui’s plate.

“Don’t even think about it! I’m tired of the food at home—I haven’t tasted anything this good in ages,” Tang Rui said, clutching her plate. As the only granddaughter in the Tang family, she was used to private chefs and homegrown ingredients, but fried rice was never on the menu.

“Brother, could you make some more?” Feifei pleaded, trying her best to curry favor. After all, she hadn’t given Lin Fan any credit earlier, and this request now seemed a bit much.

“No way,” Lin Fan replied, a toothpick dangling from his mouth and an air of smug satisfaction about him. “Now you know it’s good, don’t you? Too late. Not happening.”

P.S.: Please add this to your bookshelf! Trust Wu Xie—this book will only get better the longer it gets, and it absolutely won’t disappoint!