Wang Yang knitted his brows, and a plan came to mind. He sighed. "If that's how it is, I won't keep hiding it. Actually, I have an extraordinary skill, but I rarely show it. It is..."
"It is..."
Wang Yang drew it out without finishing, piquing both Xie Xinghan's and Xiao Ning's curiosity.
"It's..."
"Out with it!" Xie Xinghan slapped her cushion.
"It's cooking," Wang Yang said quickly.
"Huh?"
This answer was completely beyond anything the two girls had expected!
Wang Yang lowered his voice conspiratorially.
"I once obtained an ancient scroll containing recipes that had long since been lost. Only then did I realize how vast and profound the art of cooking was. Confucius said, 'Never tire of finely prepared grain or thinly sliced meat.' Yan Zi said, 'The gentleman eats to bring peace to his heart.' Even in so small an art, the sages sought such refinement. I've spent some time studying these recipes. I wouldn't claim my cooking is particularly accomplished, but it has one strength: novelty. What's novel is that you've never seen the dishes I make, or even heard of them! Well? Would you like to try?"
The two young girls were thoroughly dazzled by Wang Yang's spiel, and the suggestion of visiting the Fragrant Snow Tower naturally slipped their minds.
The three arrived at the Xie Residence. Xie Xinghan had Xiao Ning give the kitchen's twenty-odd servants time off, then posted guards around the kitchen courtyard. No one was to enter without her permission.
For one thing, she was considering Wang Yang's dignity. As the saying went, "A gentleman keeps his distance from the kitchen." Word that a young master of the illustrious Langya Wang had cooked a meal would not sound very flattering. After all, Wang Yang was no great gourmet like Yu