Chapter 18

Sizzle— The cured pork danced in the hot oil, golden fat seeping out as the aroma of green beans filled the kitchen.

Lucy White flipped her wrist with practiced ease, the spatula moving deftly in her hand. In moments, a glistening dish of cured pork with braised green beans was plated. Without pause, she stir-fried a vibrant plate of mustard greens, their glossy leaves shimmering with oil.

"That smells amazing!" Olivia Davis inhaled deeply, her stomach betraying her with an audible growl.

Lily Green stood to the side, her nails digging into her palms. Her own dishes—a fiery boiled fish and spicy chicken—sat untouched on the counter, their pools of red chili oil intimidating.

"Need any help?" Daniel Miller peeked in, his nose twitching. "That aroma’s driving everyone in the yard crazy."

Lily forced a smile. "Lucy and I just finished cooking."

"Thanks for the hard work, ladies." Daniel’s gaze flickered between two versions of Sichuan fish stew. "These are…?"

"One’s mild, the other regular spice," Lucy explained smoothly. "William and Olivia probably can’t handle too much heat."

At the dining table, William Jones was the first to try the fish. The moment it touched his tongue, his eyes lit up. "This fish is tender as tofu, and the pickled greens are perfect!"

"Really?" Robert Lee eyed him skeptically before taking a bite—then promptly couldn’t stop. "Holy—this is next-level!"

Ethan Smith picked up a slice of cured pork, its amber glaze catching the light. He chewed thoughtfully—then abruptly sped up, reaching for more.

"Save some for me!" Olivia nearly stood in her haste to grab another serving.

Lily’s dishes sat ignored at the far end of the table. Michael Johnson didn’t spare them a glance, too busy competing with Ethan for the last piece of pork.

[LMAO the way the guys are fighting over food like starved wolves]

[Lily’s face is greener than her untouched dishes]

[Is Lucy a professional chef? Look at them losing their minds]

[Who said Lucy couldn’t cook? Come take your L!]

"You’re amazing, Lucy," Lily said through gritted teeth, sweetness dripping from her voice. "City girls like me can’t even light a stove properly."

Lucy sipped her soup leisurely. "Guess I’m just naturally good at this."

"Drop the 'guess.'" Ethan’s rare smirk appeared. "You could open a restaurant with skills like this."

Lucy tilted her head. "So you’ll be a regular, Ethan?"

[OMG THE CHEMISTRY—]

[Since when does Ethan banter?? Is the sun rising in the west??]

[Lily’s face is a whole mood ring right now]

[Okay but Lucy’s charm is underrated. So genuine!]

As comments flooded the screen, Michael suddenly placed the last slice of pork on Lucy’s plate. "Eat up."

The table fell silent.

Lily’s chopsticks clattered to the floor.