Douluo: This Legend of the Dragon King is not quite right

Chapter 916 The Snow Empress Cooks Personally
"It doesn't have to be so troublesome."

A clear, cold sound, like the flowing of an icy spring, rang out, interrupting Tang Wutong's actions.

Xue Di looked calmly at Lu Jun.

"I'll make lunch."

Her tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable certainty.

"Perfect timing, you should try my cooking too. See how it compares to what you get in restaurants."

Upon hearing this, Lu Jun raised an eyebrow, a hint of genuine surprise and interest flashing in his eyes.

The Snow Empress, the leader of the three great kings of the far north and the one who controls the ultimate ice, actually offered to cook.
"Oh?" He leaned forward slightly, a smile of interest on his face. "You want to cook for me, Snow Empress? I'm really looking forward to it. No problem, then I'll trouble you."

At that moment, Hyotei also walked over from the direction of the bedroom.

She had changed into a light lake-blue loungewear dress, her long hair flowing smoothly over her shoulders, and a blush of satisfaction still lingered on her face, making her look radiant.

Upon hearing Xue Di's words, a hint of curiosity and anticipation flashed in her eyes.

"Snow Empress, are you going to cook?"

Hyotei walked over to the sofa next to Riku and sat down, naturally sitting next to him.

"Speaking of which, she did mention to me a while ago that she wanted to learn how to cook in the human world. She even dragged me to try it several times... Ugh, the first taste was absolutely terrible."

She didn't hold back in pointing out his shortcomings, but her beautiful eyes held a smile.

"But she got better and better at it later on. Since she made it especially for you this time... she must have used all her best skills."

Snow Empress didn't take Ice Empress's teasing to heart, and simply gave a soft "hmm" in acquiescence.

She put the vegetables aside and turned to walk towards the central area of ​​the open kitchen.

Morning light streamed through the villa's large French windows, gilding her figure with a soft, pale golden hue.

As she moved, her plain-colored loungewear outlined her breathtaking yet smooth and natural body curves. Her shoulders were straight, her waist was slender and delicate, and her long legs were straight. Every proportion was almost perfect. She was like a goddess sculpted from ice and snow who had accidentally stepped into the mortal world, touched by the atmosphere of everyday life, but with an added unique charm.

The kitchen has an open-plan design, connecting to the living room and offering a wide view.

The white custom cabinets are spotless and equipped with a full range of advanced Soul-Guided Kitchenware.

On the large worktable, several clean and fresh-looking ingredients were already laid out.

A certain type of deep-sea fish with translucent flesh is processed into uniform thin slices, emitting a faint chill.

The tender, juicy vegetables were still glistening with water droplets.

Several kinds of brightly colored, vibrant mushrooms.

And a small bowl of spirit rice, each grain plump like a pearl, soaking in a pale golden liquid.

Snow Empress rolled up her slightly long sleeves, revealing a slender, fair wrist that was as white as snow.

With a slight movement of her fingertips, several strands of pale blue, extremely condensed and gentle ice-attribute soul power flowed out like living threads, lightly enveloping some of the ingredients.

She didn't use any knives; under her exquisite control, the threads of soul power sometimes transformed into the sharpest ice blades, slicing the fish meat as thin as cicada wings, with distinct textures.

Sometimes it transforms into a gentle icy mist, penetrating the vegetable fibers, carrying away the last trace of impurities and locking in its freshness.
At times, it transforms into a stable low-temperature force field, maintaining certain ingredients in their optimal state for processing. The entire process is fluid and seamless, devoid of any smoky or greasy elements, resembling instead a meticulously crafted art performance.

Her expression was focused, her cool and aloof eyes were lowered, and her long eyelashes cast a light shadow under her eyes. Every flow of her soul power was just right, with a rhythm and control that was completely different from forging, yet equally pleasing to the eye.

Lu Jun leaned back in the comfortable sofa, his gaze involuntarily following the busy figure in the kitchen.

On ordinary days, the Snow Emperor is the cold moon hanging high in the far north sky, the ice and snow ruler who looks down on all living beings, distant and aloof.

At this moment, she was standing in front of the stove, busily preparing lunch. Her focus and meticulousness inexplicably filled the villa with the warmth and comfort of home.

Hyotei sat down next to him, nudging his arm lightly with her elbow, a mischievous glint in her beautiful eyes, and said in a low voice:
"What are you looking at? Your eyes are practically glued to her. Have you been bewitched?"

Lu Jun withdrew his gaze, glanced at Hyotei, smiled, and did not deny it. Instead, he said frankly:

"It is indeed a rare sight. A goddess born from the far north, who wields the power of ice and snow, is willing to cook for me personally, even for the sake of her appetite... Isn't this scene worth watching a little longer?"

Hyotei raised an eyebrow and turned to look at the kitchen, his tone tinged with a mix of reminiscence and teasing:
"She used to live in the far north, she never needed to do these things."

"Later, I came to the human world with you. After seeing more of the world, I don't know why I became interested. I secretly studied for a while and even used me as a taste tester."

She changed the subject, her eyes sparkling with anticipation:

"But she did make rapid progress later and figured it out. This time... judging from the materials she prepared and her posture, she must have brought out her best skills to show off in front of you."

Lu Jun nodded, said nothing more, and just watched quietly.

Tang Wutong quietly sat down on the other side of the sofa, looking at Xue Di busy in the kitchen with complicated feelings, and then secretly glancing at Lu Jun and Bing Di who looked relaxed next to her.

Is this the kind of atmosphere they have between them?

Like...family?
Not long after, perhaps because Xue Di's exquisite control over soul power greatly shortened the waiting time required in traditional cooking, or perhaps because her specialty was inherently efficient.

A delicate, non-cloying, and richly layered aroma began to waft from the direction of the kitchen.

It wasn't a heavy, oily, or greasy scent, but rather a fresher, more sophisticated, complex fragrance.

It has the ultimate sweetness of deep-sea fish after being processed with low-temperature soul power, the natural purity of spiritual vegetables brought out just right, the unique mellow and rich aroma of mushrooms, and the comforting warmth of grains emanating from steamed spiritual rice.

The aroma grew stronger and stronger, tantalizing the taste buds.

Finally, Xue Di came out of the kitchen carrying a tray.

On the tray were several small dishes, but the presentation was extremely elegant and thoughtful.

The steamed fish slices are as thin as snow, almost transparent, drizzled with a pale golden clear sauce, and garnished with finely chopped emerald green herbs.

Brightly colored and crisp and delicious.

That small bowl of spirit rice was filled with plump, glistening grains that shone with a pearly luster and exuded a faint, refreshing herbal fragrance.

There are no fancy dishes or complicated cooking methods, but every detail reveals meticulous care and the utmost respect for the original flavor of the ingredients.

"Try it."

Xue Di placed the dishes one by one on the dining table in the center of the living room. Her voice remained cold, but when her icy blue eyes looked at Lu Jun, there was a hint of barely perceptible tension and anticipation.

(End of this chapter)