273: Seeing someone you shouldn't have seen!

Bing Lan: "???"

Li Qin: "???"

Shock! Too shocking!

A thought flashed through both women's minds simultaneously...

Is he for real?

Especially Li Qin; she had just been teasing him verbally, never expecting Ye Chen to "checkmate" her in return, and even want to take on two at once???

Her heart skipped a beat for no reason.

Half of it was panic.

The other half, surprisingly, was a bit of anticipation?

As for Bing Lan, the faint pink on her earlobes quickly spread to her cheeks, and her cold eyes glared at Ye Chen, a mix of coquettishness and anger.

This guy... he really dares to think about such things?

Ye Chen took in the expressions of both women, then suddenly "haha" laughed, breaking the atmosphere.

"What are you two thinking about?"

"The 'meat repayment' I mentioned is eating barbecue tonight!"

"You grill for me, cut for me, and pick it up for me!"

"Isn't that 'meat repayment'?"

Bing Lan: "..."

Li Qin: "..."

The two women finally realized they had been teased and were simultaneously annoyed and amused.

Bing Lan lightly pinched Ye Chen's arm.

Li Qin exaggeratedly patted her chest and let out a long sigh: "You scared me to death! Younger Male Cousin, you've learned to be bad! You actually teased us!"

She said she was scared to death, but a trace of... disappointment flashed in her eyes?

Ye Chen laughed heartily and waved his hand: "Let's go, let's go, let's go buy meat. You two are the chefs tonight, and I'll eat the meat!"

After saying that, he didn't give them a choice, wrapped his arms around both of them, and walked toward the elevator.

The two women looked at each other and tacitly agreed to this arrangement.

Come to think of it, that's fine.

After a tiring day with their nerves constantly on edge, relaxing in the evening and having a good meal was indeed nice.

The three went downstairs, drove directly to a nearby large imported fresh food supermarket.

Ye Chen pushed the shopping cart, with Bing Lan and Li Qin following on his left and right.

Li Qin quickly regained her liveliness, chattering away in the fresh food section.

"This Wagyu ribeye looks good!"

"The pork belly needs to have a good balance of fat and lean!"

"Shrimp! Big shrimp! Oysters! Younger Male Cousin, get more oysters!"

"And this abalone! I heard you are what you eat; I need a big boost!"

Ye Chen: "???"

Bing Lan: "???"

Wait... what kind of risqué language is this again!

...

In less than half an hour, the shopping cart was stuffed full.

Checked out, packed up, and drove home.

Returning to Dijing Garden, twilight was approaching.

Liu Qingluo accompanied the two elders for a walk in the park, while Ye Chen carried two large bags of ingredients into the kitchen and started getting busy.

His movements were exceptionally deft.

Cutting meat, marinating, preparing seafood, washing vegetables... smooth as flowing water.

One look and you could tell he hadn't eaten this stuff just once or twice!

Bing Lan changed into loungewear and walked into the kitchen: "Didn't we agree that I would..."

Before she could finish, Ye Chen had already smilingly pushed her out.

"How could I bear to let you work in the kitchen?"

Bing Lan smiled beautifully, but still insisted on helping.

So, Ye Chen had no choice but to let her in.

As for Li Qin, she was already holding an iPad, lying on the living room sofa, searching for "barbecue secrets" and "universal dipping sauce recipes," occasionally shouting "commands" at Ye Chen.

"Younger Male Cousin! The internet says beef should be cut against the grain!"

"Pork belly should be pan-fried until the oil comes out first!"

"Oysters need garlic vermicelli!"

...

Ye Chen, while preparing the ingredients, casually responded: "Got it, got it. Sister Qin, you just rest, don't be a hindrance."

"Hmph! You don't appreciate good intentions!"

Li Qin wrinkled her nose and continued scrolling on her tablet.

Before long, an enticing aroma wafted out of the kitchen.

The aroma of marinated meat, the pungent fragrance of garlic, and the unique scent of charcoal fire... mixed together, making one's mouth water.

Li Qin was the first to lose her patience, dropping the tablet and sneaking into the kitchen, staring longingly at the sizzling pork belly and the charred, slightly curled beef on the grill.

"Is it ready yet? Is it ready yet? I'm starving!"

"Right away, take it out." Ye Chen placed the first batch of grilled meat onto a plate and sprinkled some sesame seeds and chopped green onions on top, "By the way, call Liu Qingluo and tell them they can come back now."

"Yay!"

Li Qin cheered, picked up the plate, and ran outside, making the call while doing so.

Bing Lan also set the bowls and chopsticks and opened two bottles of chilled fruit-flavored sparkling water.

Soon, the dining table was filled with various grilled items, looking dazzling and overflowing with fragrance.

Just then, Ye Huasheng and the others returned, and the six of them sat around the table and started eating.

Ye Chen had grilled everything to perfection; the pork belly was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, the beef was succulent and juicy, the oysters were pungent with garlic, and the abalone had absorbed all the soup...

Li Qin was eating with grease all over her mouth, gasping while indistinctly praising: "Mmm... delicious! Younger Male Cousin, your skills could open a barbecue restaurant!"

Bing Lan was eating in small bites, but her speed was not slow at all, and her cold eyes appeared much softer amidst the swirling steam.

As for Liu Qingluo? She was a martial artist, after all, and didn't stand on ceremony at all.

Of everyone present, Ye Chen's father and mother ate the least.

Perhaps they weren't used to what the youngsters were eating, so Bing Lan had specially made two bowls of abalone porridge for them.

Looking at the two bowls of abalone porridge in front of them, packed with ingredients and overflowing with fragrance, Ye Huasheng and Zhuang Yufen felt both flattered and indescribably gratified.

Zhuang Yufen held Bing Lan's hand, her eyes slightly moist: "Xiao Lan, you child... you've been busy all day, yet you still worried that us two old folks wouldn't be used to this; you're truly so thoughtful."

Bing Lan shook her head gently and smiled.

"Auntie, the most important thing is that you and Uncle enjoy the meal."

Ye Huasheng also nodded with emotion, looking at the steaming scene on the table, feeling that the greatest blessing of his life was having such a filial and sensible 'future daughter-in-law.'

Just as everyone was eating happily and laughing incessantly—

"Buzz... buzz..."

Ye Chen's phone, placed on the table, suddenly vibrated, and the screen lit up.

Ye Chen was just about to put a piece of charred, fragrant beef tongue into his mouth, but paused when he heard the sound and glanced at the caller ID.

Chu Niubi? What is this guy calling for so late at night?

He answered it casually, speaking vaguely: "Hello? Spit it out, I'm eating barbecue. If it's not urgent, I'm hanging up."

From the other end of the line, Chu Niubi's signature loud voice immediately came through: "Master! Don't hang up yet! I have something huge to tell you!"

"Speak." Ye Chen took a sip of sparkling water.

"Not long ago, I sent a sharp subordinate to that Min-cuisine restaurant you mentioned to support their business!"

Chu Niubi's voice was full of exaggeration, "And guess what? My subordinate just sent me a message saying he saw someone in the shop who shouldn't be there!"

Ye Chen frowned slightly: "Who?"

"Li Mei!"

Chu Niubi was shocked, "Li Mei, Master! That Li Mei who I was a simp for for many years, and who you finally kicked into the sea! Didn't she die? How... how did she pop up again???"

Ye Chen narrowed his eyes. The atmosphere in the dining room became quiet.

Bing Lan and the others turned their gazes toward Ye Chen.

Ye Chen put down his chopsticks: "Are you sure you didn't see wrong?"

"Damn it!"

"Master, I wouldn't dare lie to you, no matter who else I lie to!"

Chu Niubi was anxious.

"My subordinate was afraid he'd misidentified her, so he secretly took a side-profile photo and sent it to me!"

"I loved her for so many years; I could recognize her even if she turned into ashes!"

"It's definitely her!"

"Although she seems a bit different, it's definitely her!"

Ye Chen was silent for two seconds.

Li Mei... that vicious-hearted woman who colluded with the Hidden Sect and was finally kicked off a cliff into the sea by him.

Elder Qin had said this afternoon that she had been saved by the Miao Sect and had become a disciple of the Miao Sect.

Unexpectedly, she returned so soon?

And she went to the shop opened by Yi Yue?

What about Night Owl?

Yi Yue and Yi Zhengtian were protected by Night Owl; if Li Mei appeared, it was impossible for Night Owl to be unaware, and even more impossible for her not to notify him.

Unless... Night Owl was training so hard she forgot to eat and sleep, and had trained herself into a faint?

Ye Chen frowned deeply: "Alright, I got it."

"Master, is... is that really her?"

Chu Niubi's voice trembled a little, not knowing if it was out of fear or excitement, "Has she... turned into a water ghost and come back to claim our lives?"

"She didn't die."

Ye Chen stood up and picked up the jacket from the back of his chair, "She was just saved by someone. I'm going over there now."

"Master! I'm coming too!"

Chu Niubi shouted on the other end of the line, "I want to see if she's human or a ghost!"

"Just don't cause trouble."

Ye Chen was concise and hung up the phone.

The atmosphere at the dining table was somewhat stagnant.

Ye Chen quickly put on his jacket and said to everyone: "I'm going out for a bit, I have some urgent business to handle. You all continue eating."

"A-Chen, be careful." Bing Lan stood up as well, but didn't ask further.

Ye Chen nodded and gave a look to Liu Qingluo.

Liu Qingluo understood and nodded slightly, indicating she would be on high alert.

Ye Chen didn't say more, turned, walked with long strides toward the entryway, opened the door, and walked out.

However, just as he stepped out of the house, he almost bumped into a figure outside who was just about to raise her hand to ring the doorbell.

Looking closer, it was actually Yan Qingwu, wearing loungewear with her hair still a bit damp, clearly having just showered.

She didn't seem to expect the door to open suddenly from the inside, her hand raised, a flash of astonishment on her face.

Ye Chen was in no mood to deal with her right now; he didn't stop, brushed past her, and walked quickly toward the elevator.

Yan Qingwu froze in place, her hand still raised in mid-air, watching Ye Chen's back disappear at the elevator entrance, the expression on her beautiful face was quite something.

Embarrassment! Annoyance! And a trace of frustration at being ignored!

She took several deep breaths, barely suppressing the anger in her heart, turned around, and looked into the open doorway.

She saw the living room and dining room were brightly lit, and the dining table was covered with mouth-watering barbecue, the aroma hitting her face.

Bing Lan was standing by the dining table, her cold eyes looking toward the door, meeting Yan Qingwu's gaze directly.

Bing Lan didn't have much expression on her face, just slightly lifted her chin, pointing toward the dining table where the aroma originated.

"Want to eat a little?"

"A-Chen grilled it."

Yan Qingwu: "?"