Huo Yao was looking at the ingredients when Old Mr. Yi suddenly asked about her relationship with Old Mr. Pei. Her expression froze briefly before she replied without raising her head. “Aren’t I friends with you as well?”
Old Mr. Yi choked. She clearly knew what he was driving at, and it certainly was not this.
Huo Yao walked up to Yi Lianfan and looked at the clay pot that was stewing over the flame. A light medicinal scent wafted in the air. She paused for two seconds and said, “Lianfan, I suggest using a little rhizome.”
Yi Lianfan turned to glance at Huo Yao. “Rhizome?”
Huo Yao nodded.
Yi Lianfan went to the side and took some rhizome from a box. “Is this enough?”
Huo Yao glanced at him. Sure enough, he descended from a family of Chinese medicinal dish chefs. She raised her brow and said, “That’s about right.”
Yi Lianfan washed the rhizome and placed it in the clay pot.
He did not raise any doubts towards Huo Yao’s suggestion as though he trusted her completely.
Well, she was simply a genius.
Old Mr. Yi suddenly felt hopeful about his chances of taking Huo Yao in as his disciple when he saw Huo Yao chatting with Yi Lianfan.
He stepped back and stood next to Old Mr. Pei with his arms crossed and asked softly. “Doesn’t she make a great chef… I mean, medicinal cuisine chef?”
Old Mr. Pei turned to narrow his eyes at Old Mr. Yi. “I don’t know what you are thinking.”
She was an excellent apothecary and well-versed in medicine. Why should she be a chef?
He was clearly dreaming.
Did he not hear him calling her ‘Little Master Huo’?
Old Mr. Yi felt puzzled by Old Mr. Pei’s attitude. “Why are you looking at me that way?”
Old Mr. Pei veered his eyes and stroked his beard. “Nothing. I suggest that you use an extra pillow when you sleep.”
Old Mr. Yi was at a complete loss.
“Why did you call her ‘Little Master Huo’?” asked Old Mr. Yi finally.
Old Mr. Pei smiled mysteriously. “I’m not telling you.”
Old Mr. Yi was at a loss.
The biggest mistake of his life was to be friends with this old geezer.
Old Mr. Pei’s phone rang in his pocket, so he stepped aside to answer it.
Huo Yao and Yi Lianfan started talking about Chinese medicinal cuisine. One of them spoke while the other one listened, so neither of them paid any attention to the old men’s conversation.
Huo Yao left the kitchen before long to stay out of Yi Lianfan’s way.
The moment she stepped out of the kitchen, Huo Yao caught sight of Old Mr. Yi looking at her sadly. Huo Yao felt perplexed.
Old Mr. Yi glanced at Old Mr. Pei, who was on the phone and kept thinking about the way he greeted Huo Yao. He contemplated for two seconds before he asked Huo Yao candidly. “Was he calling you his master?”
Huo Yao was at a loss. She realized belatedly that he was talking about Old Mr. Pei. After a brief silence, she replied. “I don’t want any disciples.”
Old Mr. Yi went quiet.
What did she mean by saying she did not want any disciples?
Old Mr. Yi choked before he probed her. “Does he want you to be his master?”
Huo Yao recalled the way Old Mr. Pei kept asking her if she wanted any disciples. He ended up calling her ‘Little Master Huo’ when she refused him.
Huo Yao hesitated for two seconds before she glanced at Old Mr. Yi. In order to avoid situations like this from happening in the future, she nodded. “Yup. I don’t want any disciples.”
She contemplated before she added. “I don’t want a master either.”
Old Mr. Yi ought to have reacted miserably when he heard that Huo Yao did not want a master. Instead, he kept thinking about how Old Mr. Pei wanted Huo Yao to take him as her disciple.
He was entirely dumbstruck!
