Chapter 18: Cooking Together

No, that girl is too young. If anything were to happen, Jiang Zhiyun would devour him alive.

Hiring a temporary nanny? Too troublesome, and he wouldn’t feel at ease.

After much thought, there was only one solution.

“Hey, little bookworm,” Chen Yu said as he approached her and tapped on the table.

“Hm?” Nian Nian looked up with her small face.

“Stop drawing, pack up your things, and come out with me.”

Nian Nian’s eyes brightened for a moment. “Going out to play?”

“No,” Chen Yu crushed her hope mercilessly, “going to work.”

“Oh...” The light in the little girl’s eyes dimmed instantly, but she obediently slid off her chair and ran off to put on her little jacket and shoes.

Chen Yu looked at her with satisfaction. Although this girl was sometimes a bit slow, she was obedient and quiet. Taking her out was worry-free.

He took her small hand and left the villa.

In the Jiang family’s garage, a row of luxury cars sat, enough to drive any car enthusiast wild.

Chen Yu’s gaze swept over the flashy Lamborghinis and Ferraris, finally settling on a low-key but extremely expensive black Rolls-Royce Cullinan.

Yes, this one.

Driving this car fit his status as a "millionaire chef."

He started the engine skillfully and smoothly drove out of the garage.

The huge SUV rolled along the city streets, drawing countless envious glances from passersby.

Inside the car, Nian Nian sat quietly in her child safety seat, watching the rapidly passing street scenery and softly asked, “Daddy, where are we going?”

Chen Yu held the steering wheel with one hand and pulled out a lollipop from the storage compartment with the other, handing it to her casually.

“Going to cook.”

The vehicle gradually left the city center filled with towering buildings, and the surroundings became more open.

Following the address Jiang Zhiyun had given him, Chen Yu drove into a more secluded tree-lined avenue.

After about five minutes, a magnificent traditional Chinese manor appeared at the end of the road.

Two guards dressed in black uniforms, standing tall, immediately came out from the guard booth beside the gate as the Cullinan approached.

Anyone who could drive such a car here was either extremely wealthy or noble.

Chen Yu smoothly parked the car in front of the gate and rolled down the window.

One of the guards stepped forward and bowed slightly, his tone respectful but still vigilant: “Sir, do you have an appointment?”

“Chen Yu,” Chen Yu replied calmly, “here to cook.”

“To cook?”

The two guards exchanged a glance, each seeing a hint of astonishment in the other’s eyes.

Driving a Cullinan to work as a chef? What a novel way to experience life.

However, their professionalism quickly erased any surprise.

One of them picked up the walkie-talkie and quietly confirmed something.

Soon he put it down, his expression becoming even more respectful.

“Ah, Mr. Chen, sorry to keep you waiting. The butler has been informed. Please come in.”

With a heavy thud, the thick vermilion gate slowly opened to both sides.

Chen Yu raised the car window expressionlessly, stepped on the accelerator, and drove into the estate known as the Lin family manor.

The wheels rolled over the bluestone pavement with a faint “clack.”

Nian Nian’s small mouth opened slightly.

“Daddy, this place is so big,” she whispered in awe.

Chen Yu hummed in response, his gaze scanning the surroundings while he secretly calculated.

It seemed this client was even wealthier than that woman Jiang Zhiyun.

Well, it made sense. Jiang Zhiyun personally called to arrange this and offered a million in payment—this was no ordinary gig.

The vehicle stopped in front of a three-story annex beside the main house.

This seemed to be where the servants, drivers, and kitchen staff lived and worked.

As soon as the car came to a halt, a middle-aged man in a gray Zhongshan suit, his hair meticulously combed, about fifty years old, hurried over.

“Are you Mr. Chen Yu?” He opened the car door and bowed slightly. “I am the Lin family butler. You can call me Uncle Zhong.”

Chen Yu got out and casually tossed the car keys to him. “Find a place to park.”

Uncle Zhong caught the keys steadily, feeling the cold metal in his palm. His peripheral vision caught the prestigious double-R emblem on the keychain, and a barely perceptible flicker of surprise crossed his eyes. Still, his face maintained a perfect smile.

“Understood, Mr. Chen.”

Chen Yu walked around to the other side, opened the rear door, and lifted Nian Nian out of her safety seat.

The little girl, feeling shy, glanced at this unfamiliar “Uncle Zhong” and instinctively shrank into Chen Yu’s arms.

Uncle Zhong’s gaze fell on Nian Nian, and his smile softened slightly.

“And this young lady is...?”

“My daughter,” Chen Yu answered simply, with no further explanation.

He set Nian Nian down and took her small hand. “Where’s the kitchen?”

“Please follow me, Mr. Chen.” Uncle Zhong led the way, subtly observing the father and daughter behind him as they walked.

Young, strikingly handsome, driving a multi-million luxury car, and accompanied by a doll-like beautiful daughter—yet his occupation was... a chef?

This combination was simply too strange.

Having worked for the Lin family for over twenty years, Uncle Zhong considered himself well-experienced, having served all sorts of dignitaries and celebrities, but someone like Chen Yu was a first.

There was an indescribable contradiction about him.

As Uncle Zhong pondered silently, Chen Yu’s phone rang.

He glanced at the caller ID: Jiang Zhiyun.

He swiped to answer, his tone flat: “Hello?”

“Chen Yu, I have an urgent multinational video conference and can’t leave. I won’t be able to come see you.”

“After you finish, take the Lin family’s car back directly, or have their driver drive your car back for you. Either is fine.”

“Got it.”

Jiang Zhiyun on the other end seemed momentarily choked, probably surprised by his indifferent response.

She paused, then added, “I’ve already had my assistant transfer the money to you. You should have received it.”

“Yeah, got it.” Only then did a faint smile curve Chen Yu’s lips.

One million, received.

That was what truly mattered to him.

As for whether Jiang Zhiyun came or how she returned, he couldn’t care less.

“That’s good. Do your best. The Lin family is important,” Jiang Zhiyun said in a businesslike tone before hanging up decisively.

Chen Yu put away his phone, and the faint smile on his face disappeared.

He looked up just as Uncle Zhong led him to a pair of heavy double doors.

“Mr. Chen, this is the kitchen,” Uncle Zhong said respectfully.

Chen Yu didn’t enter right away. He stood at the doorway, his nose twitching slightly, and his brows involuntarily furrowed.