"Alright, stop!"
The flames cut off abruptly, and Bruce's dog mouth trembled.
He had no idea how to complain about the fact that, as a dog, his mistress had given him an order like "steadily breathe flames ten centimeters high." He Xi knew it was asking too much of a dog, but there was no helping it.
After buying that bottle of Kalatou Black Sauce at the market, he had briefly been under the illusion that he was the greatest chef in all of Fernandez. So, after purchasing some beef, garlic, peppers, and fruit vinegar, he eagerly brought Bruce back home.
Reality soon taught him a lesson, however. Though stir-fried beef with peppers was simple and delicious, its most crucial step was flash-frying it over fierce heat—and the flames of the stove here simply could not meet that requirement.
So he turned his gaze toward Bruce, who had been about to take a nap.
Fortunately, after quite a bit of fussing around, he had finally finished the dish.
Zoya looked at the glossy, fragrant dish on the plate with some hesitation. She had never seen this style of cooking before, but once it entered her mouth, the tenderness of the beef and the crisp freshness of the peppers blended together, bringing an oddly satisfying sensation.
The other plate held simple boiled shrimp.
"Um... what is this?" As Zoya ate, she curiously pointed at the small dish of liquid beside the shrimp. "Dipping sauce. Fruit vinegar with a little minced garlic and soy sauce." As He Xi spoke, he dipped the shrimp he had peeled and brought it to her lips.
Zoya opened her little mouth and gently bit down. The shrimp's sweet freshness immediately burst across her tongue, followed by a complex blend of sourness, saltiness, and savoriness that elevated