Indeed, Chef Chu

Back at Chu Miaomiao's house.

The interior was quiet. Xie Yuling peeked her head around, looking left and right, but didn't see any sign of Chu Lintian. Her tense shoulders instantly slumped.

"Whew, looks like Auntie Chu isn't home."

After all, they were preparing a surprise behind the person's back. Getting caught red-handed would ruin the surprise completely.

"Mom has been busy with company matters recently, she's rarely home," Chu Miaomiao said while taking two pairs of slippers from the shoe cabinet.

They were specifically prepared for Lin Mo and Xie Yuling, as Chu Miaomiao didn't have many friends.

Not much emotion could be heard in the girl's tone, but a faint, hard-to-detect trace of loneliness was hidden in her dark, bright eyes.

Of course, even though Chu Lintian was very busy, she still insisted on driving Chu Miaomiao to and from school.

However, the affairs of Dajiang Group were numerous and complicated, so Chu Lintian was still handling all that.

As for Jiang Beihe, he was still under control. Once Chu Lintian had completely separated the group from Jiang Beihe, Lin Mo would have Jiang Beihe turn himself in.

Lin Mo casually placed the heavy piece of raw jade material in a corner of the living room, where it landed with a dull thud. There would be plenty of time to deal with it later.

Chu Miaomiao, familiar with the routine, led the two into the study. She pulled out a large stack of brand-new A4 paper from a drawer and then rummaged out a tin box containing pencils sharpened to neat points.

Xie Yuling picked up a pencil and twirled it between her fingers. The cool wooden shaft and the slight gleam of the graphite made her feel somewhat dazed.

She used to love drawing very much, filling notebooks and scratch paper with all sorts of whimsical ideas.

It was just that later, after everything that happened, those colorful fantasies faded as well. Drawing became a meaningless pastime; it was better to focus all her energy on her studies.

But actually, Xie Yuling would still doodle something when she was zoning out at home by herself.

So she felt her foundational skills should still be there.

"Lin Mo, what exactly are we supposed to draw?"

Xie Yuling stared at the blank paper before her, momentarily at a loss, her mind completely empty.

Even though they had already discussed making a bracelet and a jade pendant, the girl was still somewhat unsure how to begin.

Lin Mo walked around to the back of her chair, leaned one hand on the chairback, and with the other took out his phone, directly opening Baidu to search.

"Like they say, men wear Guanyin and women wear Buddha. The pendant is for Auntie Zheng, so we'll draw a Buddha, kind-faced and benevolent, to protect her peace."

Lin Mo searched for some fantasy-style jade bracelet illustrations.

"As for the bracelet, a plain, smooth circle is too boring, it wouldn't match Sister Chu's presence.

Look at these, let's add some flair."

An ordinary jade bracelet is naturally just a ring.

On the screen, one fantasy-style bracelet illustration after another flashed by—some entwined with vines, others inlaid with stars, each more gorgeous and cool than the last.

Xie Yuling's eyes lit up. She pointed at one bracelet carved with phoenix tail feathers:

"This one's pretty good! Can't we just copy it directly?"

"Copy it directly?" Lin Mo raised an eyebrow, pulling his phone back. "Then what's the point of the three of us putting in all this effort together? Wouldn't buying a finished product be easier?"

Actually, Lin Mo could also carve directly based on the picture, but he felt that designing it themselves would carry more heartfelt sincerity.

That one sentence made Xie Yuling freeze.

Yes, what makes a gift precious isn't the price, but that unique, heartfelt intention.

This was something the three of them were preparing together for Chu Lintian.

She suddenly felt the pencil in her hand grow much heavier.

"Give me the phone!"

Xie Yuling snatched Lin Mo's phone, her small face etched with seriousness. "This is for reference! Yes, to draw design inspiration, to help broaden my thinking!"

She spoke righteously, but her fingers flew across the screen, zooming in and out on picture after picture, her eyes glued to them.

"How can using pictures for drawing be considered copying?"

Chu Miaomiao also leaned in, looking at the dazzling designs on the screen.

"Yuling, my mom likes the moon. How about we use the moon as the main theme?"

Xie Yuling looked into Chu Miaomiao's expectant eyes and nodded firmly.

"Okay, then let's make the moon the theme."

She picked up the pencil. This time, the tip touched the white paper without the slightest hesitation.

With an idea in mind, Xie Yuling began her design.

The morning sunlight slanted into the living room, coating the wooden floor in a warm, golden hue.

Chu Miaomiao, wearing a pink cat-patterned apron, popped her head out from the kitchen. Her clear voice broke the quiet inside the house.

"What do you guys want to eat?"

In the study, Xie Yuling didn't even look up, shouting directly, "Whatever's fine!"

Lin Mo, with his hands behind his back, ambled leisurely into the kitchen.

The kitchen was spotlessly clean, various utensils gleaming on their racks.

He leaned against the doorframe, looking with interest at this energetic girl before him.

"Little Miao Miao, what can you make?"

Chu Miaomiao giggled proudly, then turned around, stood on tiptoe like a nimble cat, and retrieved a hefty baking book from the highest shelf on the wall.

"After my dedicated cultivation, I can make everything in this book."

She slapped the book onto the table with a thump, lifted her chin, her face clearly saying, "Praise me now."

Lin Mo casually flipped it open.

His fingers traced over the beautiful color photos—apple pie, soufflé, opera cake...

Finally, his finger stopped on one page.

"Croissants!"

Lin Mo looked at it. "Then let's have these croissant butter breads."

Although Lin Mo had never made them himself, he was no stranger to them.

Those distinct, shatteringly flaky layers required repeatedly folding butter and dough together. Temperature, humidity, proofing time—if any step went wrong, it would become just an ordinary crescent roll, not a true croissant.

After all, a single croissant could sell for quite a few dozen, especially in fancier shops where they were even more expensive.

Yet, Chu Miaomiao just took one look and nodded emphatically, her eyes full of burning fighting spirit.

"No problem! Leave it to me with confidence!"

To show her determination, she even gave a forceful little hop.

With that hop, the rather substantial burden on her chest also leaped dramatically, tracing a breathtaking arc.

Lin Mo's gaze inadvertently swept past it. His Adam's apple subconsciously bobbed, and he immediately jerked his head away to look at the ceiling.

Do not look at what is improper! Observe with spiritual sense.

"Just eating croissants is too plain," Chu Miaomiao, completely unaware of someone's minor reaction, had already started planning. "Anyway, the dough needs time to proof. I'll just casually whip up something else to go with it, how about that?"

Lin Mo withdrew his wandering spiritual sense, cleared his throat lightly, and commented with a straight face.

“Hmm, the plan is very thorough. No wonder it's our chef Chu. It seems we're in for a treat today.”