Chapter 76: Fried rice with egg!

Ren Bin and Yu Xian were almost home by noon when they pushed the door open.

Inside, Shu Yao was currently sitting on Chen Boyu’s lap, reading a book to him.

The little bunny was squatting on the table.

Back home,

Chen Boyu was feeding a listless Samoyed lying beside the two of them, its tongue sticking out.

Before Ren Bin left yesterday, he had handed this Samoyed over to Shu Yao.

The little lady really liked it—it was soft, fluffy, and especially clingy.

Of course she liked it a lot.

After all, Samoyeds look adorably dumb and silly.

Shu Yao looked a bit startled: The bunny said in a surprised tone: “Chen…”

The little one was truly spoiled.

The little bunny (Tutu) looked a bit aggrieved —lying on the Samoyed’s body.

“Huh? Master!”

Chen Boyu heard the sound of the door opening behind him, and turned around.

His expression instantly turned into panic.

“M-master! I—I—I really did cultivate seriously this morning!”

“I just came out because Shu Yao was telling a story! Shu Yao can vouch for me!”

“Mm! I’ll vouch for her!”

Little Tutu (the bunny) raised her hand, mimicking Chen Boyu’s gesture.

“We didn’t say you were slacking.”

Ren Bin chuckled helplessly, rubbing Shu Yao’s head, then knocked lightly on Chen Boyu’s forehead.

“Hehe, I just didn’t want Master to misunderstand…”

Chen Boyu held his forehead, and laughed foolishly.

“I came back with your Master’s wife (Shiniang) a bit late, so we’ll just have a simple lunch.”

“Master is cooking?!”

Ren Bin had already tied on an apron.

“Of course. I can cook anything!”

Chen Boyu’s eyes lit up.

Yesterday morning and noon, she (Yu Xian) had eaten super contentedly.

“If we’re keeping it simple…then egg fried rice it is.”

“Perfect. There’s still some rice left over from yesterday.”

“Egg fried rice?”

Chen Boyu blinked his eyes.

“Egg fried rice… is?”

(It’s a kind of delicious stir-fried rice.)

A childhood without egg fried rice is definitely incomplete!

“You just wait and eat.”

A few minutes later,

Ren Bin brought out four plates of steaming, fragrant fried rice from the kitchen and placed them on the table.

“It smells so good!”

Chen Boyu and Shu Yao—

They walked over to the dining table.

“Let’s eat.”

Ren Bin brought something out from the kitchen— there was still duck left over from yesterday,
and a lot of rice too.

Even if there’s a lot left over, it’d be a waste not to eat it.

Yu Xian smelled the aroma and also walked over.

“Let’s eat. Even if there’s a lot left, we can always turn it into egg fried rice!”

“Then I’ll dig in first!”

Chen Boyu didn’t hold back at all.

The shredded egg was fluffy and didn’t stick together—each grain of rice was distinct.

He scooped it up with a spoon, light green scallion bits scattered throughout.

She took a bite, chewed slowly…

And instantly felt the burst of delicious aroma explode in her mouth.

“So good!”

Even Shu Yao praised it in surprise.

She exclaimed in surprise, then lowered her head and focused on eating.

“Don’t choke,”

Ren Bin said with a smile, handing her a cup of tea.

Then everyone buried their heads and concentrated on eating, cheeks puffed out like squirrels, shoveling food into their mouths.

“Make sure to chew the rice before swallowing.”

“Mm-hmm.”

Shu Yao nodded earnestly.

“Kids in their growth phase really do have good appetites.”

He looked at Yu Xian beside him— she was silently chewing with her eyes closed, each movement slow and elegant.

But…

Wasn’t she eating a bit too fast?

Ren Bin clearly remembered she had scooped herself a full plate of fried rice.

So why was it……barely five minutes in, and there was only half a plate left?

He scratched his head, looking at Yu Xian chewing so elegantly, but still couldn’t figure it out after thinking for quite a while.

How could someone eat so gracefully and still manage to finish a full plate of food?

Ren Bin looked down at his own plate— already empty.

The corner of his mouth twitched.

That alone was solid proof: he’d made a trip to the kitchen but didn’t even leave with a bite for himself.

Truly…

Chef Ren had cooked a feast, yet ended up hungry himself.

When Yu Xian came back, there wasn’t even a single grain of rice left on her plate.

So, who did Shu Yao inherit her impressive appetite from?

“You cooked like this?”

Yu Xian dabbed her mouth with a handkerchief.

“It’s very simple.”

Ren Bin smiled and nodded.

Then she turned to him and asked: “Hot oil in the pan, beat the eggs well, pour them in, add salt and stir-fry them loose. Then add the rice, a little more salt, turn up the heat and stir-fry everything well. Finally—” “…then add chopped green onions— and that’s it.”

Ren Bin spread out his hands.

“Simple, right?”

“But do you know,” he added with a grin, “what the soul of egg fried rice is?”

Yu Xian pondered,

“The eggs? Or…the amount of salt used?”

“Hmph,”

Ren Bin chuckled.

“Nope!”

“It’s the aroma of the rice.”

There are two key reasons behind it, he explained as Yu Xian listened intently, slightly stunned.

“The first reason is: the moisture content of the rice. Rice that’s been left overnight has slightly reduced moisture, which makes it fry up more dry and fragrant— the softness and firmness are just right, and it best brings out the flavor of the grains.”

“And—”

“In the mortal world, most households only make egg fried rice when there are leftovers from the day before.”

“So egg fried rice became what it is precisely because it embodies the everyday life of the mortal world.”

Yu Xian nodded thoughtfully.

“So that’s it…”

“It’s because it’s a dish born from the smoke and fire of ordinary life.”

She looked at Ren Bin and said: “You really seem to know how to cook mortal-world dishes. Did you study them deliberately?”

“Of course,”

Ren Bin replied with a grin.

“When I was a kid, at first I just helped out in the kitchen using all kinds of excuses— ‘Father’s not home’, ‘Mom’s tired’, or ‘Let me try, I want to learn’, and so on.”

“But eventually…I ended up really cooking.”

“At some point, I just couldn’t let myself starve anymore, so I started helping with cooking regularly. Eventually…I became the one in charge of the kitchen.”

It was during that period that he honed his skills— just an ordinary, home-style flavor.

Nothing particularly stunning or showy.

Yu Xian suddenly asked,

“Can you…teach me?”

“Huh?”

Ren Bin was briefly stunned, then smiled.

“Of course— whatever you want to learn, my lady.”

“There’s still food left in the pan. Want to try making some?”

Yu Xian looked at the plate, then looked at herself, seeming a bit hesitant.

Ren Bin added gently,

“Just a small portion is fine. Don’t take too much and end up forcing yourself to eat it.”

“Okay!”

She brought over the plate.

Just as Ren Bin was about to head back into the kitchen—

A voice suddenly called out from outside the door.

“Is Peak Master Ren here?”

Ren Bin paused slightly and opened the door.

Standing outside was a girl with a neutral expression.

He recognized her— she was one of the spirit puppets from Taiheng Sect, tasked with guarding the sect.

“Visitor at the gate,” the puppet said in a slightly stiff tone, as if relaying someone else’s words.

After finishing the message, she turned around and left swiftly— her movements fast and mechanical.

“A visitor?”

Ren Bin thought they wouldn’t be arriving until later tonight at the earliest.

He had assumed he’d still have some time to clean up and prepare.

“Could it be…Gou Hao?”

Yu Xian also stood up.

“Let’s go take a look. I can fly us there on my sword.”

“Then I’ll trouble you, my lady, to take me down the mountain a bit faster.”

Yu Xian nodded, but just as Ren Bin looked over, he saw her extending her hand toward his collar.

His expression immediately turned weak and panicked: “P-please don’t grab my collar…”

Last time, when Yu Xian forcefully flew him with her sword, he almost threw up on the spot.

Even she had gotten dizzy from the turbulence.

“Just hold my hand,” she said.

Ren Bin hurried forward and held Yu Xian’s hand.

In the next instant, a translucent long sword appeared beneath them— and the world spun violently.

That dizzy, whirling sensation was all the proof he needed: The sword flight was just way too fast.

Even though they were holding hands,

Ren Bin still hadn’t reacted in time when they had already arrived at the mountain gate.

Before he could catch his breath,

Yu Xian had let go of his hand and reached straight for his collar again.

The way she held him up— honestly, wasn’t all that different from grabbing someone by the scruff of the neck.

It just looked a bit more…gentle.

Ren Bin clutched his chest and muttered,

“Could you please stop doing that…”

Yu Xian didn’t seem to notice, just murmured under her breath with some confusion.

“Hmm…? It’s been a while since I came down the mountain…”

Just then, a voice called out from ahead: “Well, well—what a surprise to see you here again!”

As Ren Bin focused his gaze, he saw the one speaking had on a long robe of bluish-green.

Their expression was calm and eyes observant, like someone familiar with the comings and goings of the sect.

He looked…quite cheerful.

Ren Bin hadn’t forgotten that face.

He rubbed his eyes—

Just to make sure he wasn’t seeing things.

Nope, he hadn’t gotten it wrong.

Why the hell is this guy at Taiheng Sect?!

On the man’s back was a painting scroll.