After purchasing some precious medicinal herbs, Leo left the herbal shop. Meanwhile, Nicola was lying on the couch, engrossed in a TV series. Occasionally, she glanced towards the door, feeling hungry.
“Why isn’t he back yet? Does he want to starve me to death?” Nicola complained inwardly.
Soon, someone knocked on the door. Nicola hurriedly went to open it.
He’s here!
Leo entered with a bag in hand, and as Nicola caught a whiff of the unique aroma of herbs, she knew what he had bought.
In the kitchen, Leo took out the herbs from the bag one by one, while Nicola watched.
“Ginseng, Danggui, Lingzhi…” Nicola said, naming each herb.
“Leo, are you buying all these precious herbs to stew the turtle?” Nicola’s face showed a look of disbelief.
“Yes,” Leo confirmed her guess.
“These are all strong tonics! Are you going to stew the turtle and end up in the hospital?” Nicola expressed her concern.
This guy said he could cook, but he seemed to lack some basic knowledge of everyday life.
“Don’t worry; nothing will go wrong. Just wait and eat,” Leo said confidently. He had faith in his ability to create a nutritious and non-harmful delicacy, based on the cooking methods he had learned from ancient medicinal books.
“Alright, then. Do you need any help?” Nicola’s hunger couldn’t wait.
“No need. You can go back to watching TV outside. I’ll call you when it’s ready,” Leo assured her.
Nicola went back to the couch, continuing to watch her series while eagerly awaiting Leo’s culinary creation.
First, heat it with strong flame for ten minutes, then simmer with low heat for two hours. After that, it will be ready to eat.
During waiting for it, he returned to his room and sat cross-legged on the bed, focusing on cultivation. He discovered that Nicola’s place had spiritual energy, though quite sparse. Nevertheless, he wouldn’t want to waste any resource.
As the delightful aroma wafted from the kitchen, Nicola’s hunger intensified, and she couldn’t help but start munching on some cookies to ease her hunger while waiting.
Over an hour passed.
Nicola’s stomach began growling louder.
“Leo, can we eat now?” she called out from the living room.
“Wait for another half an hour,” Leo’s voice came from his room.
“Another half an hour?!” Nicola’s face fell.
She struggled internally. She wanted to check on the food, but she was afraid that the time wasn’t right and would affect the taste. After some internal struggle, she decided to restrain herself and stay out of the kitchen.
She had never smelled such a delectable aroma in her life.
Finally, the two-hour mark arrived.
“Leo, it’s time!” Nicola called out.
There was no response from Leo’s room.
“Is he sleeping?” Nicola couldn’t wait and dashed into the kitchen.
The aroma of the medicinal turtle soup filled the air even more intensely. Nicola couldn’t resist and wore heat-resistant gloves to open the lid of the pot. The scent was overwhelming, and she quickly picked up a fork.
Just as she was about to start eating, Leo walked in.
Seeing Nicola like this, he couldn’t help but tease her, “You’re in such a rush?”
“I just came to check if it was done,” Nicola argued.
“You can eat when it’s time. Sit back. I’ll serve it,” Leo said.
Leo took out two bowls and two spoons from the cupboard, then scooped out the medicinal delicacy. At the dining table in the living room, they each had a bowl and started eating.
Nicola had been starving, and with the delicious food in front of her, she paid no mind to her appearance and began devouring. The tender and succulent meat of the turtle, combined with the unique flavors of the medicinal herbs, stimulated her taste buds intensely and teased her appetite to the extreme.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that this was the most delicious thing Nicola had ever eaten in her life.
“Leo, this is absolutely amazing! You’re really wasting your talent if you don’t become a chef,” Nicola praised him, enjoying every bite.
At the dining table, the only sound that could be heard was the sound of hearty eating.
“Chef Leo, another bowl, please,” Nicola quickly finished the contents of her bowl.
Leo chuckled and served her another bowl.
“Oh no, my diet plan is going down the drain,” Nicola thought to herself, but her mouth showed no sign of stopping.
In no time, she polished off the second bowl as well.
“Do you want more?” Leo asked.
Nicola nodded, and the third bowl was placed on the table.
“Leo, I’ve eaten so much, will there be any issues?” she asked, concerned.
“Rest assured, I’ve carefully balanced and prepared this, it won’t have any negative effects on your body, and it even has beauty and nourishing benefits,” Leo assured her.
“Really?” Nicola had no resistance when it came to the idea of beauty and nourishment.
“Of course,” Leo affirmed.
After half an hour, the pot of medicinal turtle stew was emptied by the two.
Nicola gently touched her now slightly uncomfortable and bloated stomach, her eyes still longing for more. “Such a delicious meal, I’d willingly be stuffed to the brim,” she expressed with satisfaction.
Leo cleaned up the dishes and kitchen after they finished their meal. Nicola wanted to help, but Leo was used to taking care of everything on his own after the past four years.
As the medicinal turtle soup was digested, Leo felt the slight soreness in his back disappear, and his spiritual power gradually increased. The herbal concoction had been truly beneficial. He resolved to buy more good ingredients and make more medicinal delicacies in the future.
After finishing the kitchen chores, Leo’s phone rang; it was Sophia calling.
After hanging up the phone, Leo stepped out of the kitchen and said, “Miss Pater, it’s getting late, I have to leave.”
“But you just finished eating; stay a bit longer with me,” Nicola blurted out, regretting her words immediately. She didn’t understand why she suddenly said that.
“I have something to take care of. After eating the medicinal soup, it’s best for you to take a walk around for digestion,” Leo suggested.
“Alright.”
As Leo opened the door to leave, Nicola remembered something and called out to him, “Wait!”
Leo turned back.
“Your car was destroyed by Carey. You don’t have transportation now,” Nicola said.
“It’s alright; I’ll just take a cab,” Leo replied.
Nicola took out her car keys, “Until your car is fixed, you can use mine.”
Leo was taken aback. Why was she suddenly being so nice to him? Could this turtle soup have bribed her?