An hour later.
Ye Ming let out a long sigh of relief as he looked at Qin Shuang lying on the bed.
Finally, he had cleared all the implanted memories from Qin Shuang's mind. Although the process was extremely dangerous, it had ultimately succeeded.
Ye Ming wiped the sweat from his forehead, his clothes already soaked. For the past hour, to ensure not a single implanted memory remained, his mind had been constantly on edge, guarding against any unforeseen events.
Now that the task was complete, an overwhelming sense of fatigue washed over him.
"This is just too mentally draining!"
Ye Ming let out a wry smile, then took a cold shower to wash away the exhaustion.
By the time he returned downstairs, it was nearly seven in the evening. He glanced around the main hall and found it empty, which puzzled him.
However, a series of clattering sounds from the kitchen soon reached his ears.
"What are they up to?"
Ye Ming walked towards the kitchen, a sense of unease inexplicably growing in his heart.
As he approached the kitchen door, he smelled a peculiar aroma mixed with various scents.
"Great! It's a success!"
At that moment, Nan Gong Qian Yu's excited voice came from inside.
"I'm done too!"
This time, it was Du Li Sha's voice. She added, "Young Master will definitely like it."
"Heh heh! Sister Du Li Sha, don't celebrate too early! We don't know who will win in the end!"
Nan Gong Qian Yu covered her masterpiece with a silver cloche, adding a touch of mystery.
"What… what are you doing?"
Ye Ming entered the kitchen from outside, scanning the area from left to right as he asked.
His gaze eventually settled on four covered plates. The strange scent he had detected earlier originated from them.
Ye Ming's sudden appearance startled the women.
"Ye Ming, why are you down here?"
Nan Gong Qian Yu instinctively moved to shield the four dishes they had meticulously prepared.
It wasn't time to reveal the surprise yet.
"What do you mean, why am I down here?"
Ye Ming looked at the women, their secretive demeanor fueling his curiosity.
"Ah! Yes… yes! Since you're down, what about Miss Qin Shuang…"
Nan Gong Qian Yu quickly changed the subject.
Mentioning Qin Shuang, Ji Hong Ying rushed to Ye Ming's side, her beautiful eyes brimming with eagerness and concern.
Seeing this, Ye Ming took her hand and said with a smile, "Don't worry! She's fine now!"
"Really… really?"
Ji Hong Ying could hardly believe her ears and asked again, emphasizing her question.
"Really!"
Ye Ming nodded emphatically.
"That's wonderful!"
Ji Hong Ying cried tears of joy and rushed into Ye Ming's embrace, her overwhelming gratitude pouring out: "Thank you! Thank you!"
The others also smiled in relief.
At last, they received this good news.
"Alright! Do we still need to be so formal between us?" Ye Ming patted her shoulder and said gently, "Miss Qin Shuang is still a bit weak and needs to rest. You can go up and keep her company later!"
"Mmm!"
Ji Hong Ying looked up slightly, her slightly reddened eyes shimmering with a touching light.
Then, she lightly hopped, and her warm lips met Ye Ming's, a gentle warmth washing over him.
Ji Hong Ying's kiss held all her emotions at that moment: gratitude and excitement, and more than anything, the love she had long since surrendered to.
"Hey! Sister Hong Ying! There are so many of us watching!"
Nan Gong Qian Yu couldn't help but tease as she watched Ji Hong Ying's forwardness.
Hearing this, Ji Hong Ying didn't seem to mind at all. Her actions were driven by pure emotion.
After the kiss, she gazed at the man before her with deep affection, her pretty face flushed, radiating a captivating charm.
Ji Hong Ying's demeanor made Ye Ming a little flustered. If the setting were different, things might have progressed further.
"Sister Hong Ying! Don't be in such a hurry! If you win later, he's all yours for the night," Du Li Sha said with a smile.
"Huh?"
Ye Ming, hearing this, was a bit confused. "What winning or losing? How does that involve me?"
"Oh, don't worry about it!"
Nan Gong Qian Yu walked over and gently pushed Ye Ming out of the kitchen, saying with a smile, "Just know that we've prepared a surprise for you!"
"A surprise?"
As Nan Gong Qian Yu pushed him forward, Ye Ming felt as though he was being shoved into a fire pit.
He then sat up straight at the dining table, looking at the four women each holding a plate, a sense of unease creeping into his heart.
"Ahem! Let me explain!"
Finally, Fang Jun Xue stepped forward to ease his apprehension. "Simply put, we sisters saw how hard you've been working lately and thought we'd each contribute something to make you a delicious meal."
"At the same time…" Fang Jun Xue's voice faltered slightly at the end, "You'll also need to give us your feedback!"
"Feed… feedback?"
Ye Ming noticed Fang Jun Xue's evasive gaze and suspected something was amiss.
However, it was their kind gesture, and he couldn't refuse.
So, he gritted his teeth and steeled himself, "Alright then!"
He had to admit, this was the first time Ye Ming would be tasting dishes made by someone other than Fang Jun Xue, and he was somewhat looking forward to it.
Such an opportunity was truly rare.
"I'll go first!"
Ji Hong Ying stepped forward and placed her plate in front of Ye Ming, introducing, "This is my braised pork!"
With that, she lifted the lid.
"Hmm?"
But the sight that greeted him made Ye Ming's eyes widen, and the scent that reached his nostrils seemed to warn him to be careful.
"This braised pork… is quite… red!"
Ye Ming didn't know what else to say, so he commented on the color of Ji Hong Ying's dish.
Indeed!
The braised pork made by Ji Hong Ying was noticeably "redder" than usual.
"Try it quickly!"
Ji Hong Ying stared at him expectantly, her eyes full of anticipation.
"Okay… okay!"
Ye Ming picked up his chopsticks, took a piece, and put it in his mouth. The moment it touched his tongue, a sour and refreshing sensation assaulted his taste buds, his saliva secretion surged, and even his teeth felt a little numb.
"This… is this braised pork?"
Ye Ming chewed with his jaw, asking.
"Yes!" Ji Hong Ying confidently replied, "I recreated it 1:1 according to the recipe."
"1:1 recreated?"
Ye Ming forced a smile and asked, "Is this a new way of making braised pork? Why is there so much ketchup on the surface?"
Ketchup?
Hearing Ye Ming mention ketchup, Ji Hong Ying suddenly lowered her head, her previous confidence vanishing without a trace.
"I felt it looked a little different from the recipe, so… so I used ketchup to color it."