Chapter 972: Female Lord Su Qin (2)

Inside the kitchen, the smell of meat filled the air.

Zhao Chi stepped closer to them: "Does the meat taste different when you roast it with your own flames?"

Gu Qing nodded: "It does. Just now we weren't sure if it was edible, so we tasted it first — the flavor really is excellent."

Zhuang Ya grinned: "Yeah, I didn't expect it to turn out this well either. And there's none of that smoky smell you get from firewood — it's pure meat aroma."

Gu Qing praised: "Ever since Zhuang Ya arrived, my lord, you've been in for a treat."

Zhuang Ya waved a hand: "Not at all, I still need to practice. Here, it's a bit hot, try it."

Zhuang Ya cut off a small piece of freshly roasted meat, blew on it gently, and held it up to Zhao Chi's mouth.

Zhao Chi took a bite.

It was a bit hot.

Flavor aside, the texture was genuinely excellent.

Zhao Chi liked his meat a little charred, but didn't care for it dry and tough.

Yet the piece Zhuang Ya had roasted truly achieved that texture — slightly charred outside, tender and soft inside.

It was different from meat roasted over an ordinary fire.

Zhuang Ya stared at Zhao Chi full of anticipation: "How is it?"

Zhao Chi unhesitatingly gave a thumbs-up.

"Very good — exactly the texture I like. But how did you roast it like this?"

Zhuang Ya laughed:

"It's hard to fully control the heat with firewood, but with this spirit fire I can do whatever I want.

"Gu Qing and Qi Yue both like it tender, so I keep the flame a little smaller.

"Tang Ruan likes it charred, so I make the fire fiercer.

"And you like it crispy outside and tender inside, so I let the fire pass through — bigger flame outside, smaller flame inside.

"I can control it however I want, and adjust it at any time."

Zhao Chi couldn't help but praise: "You even know all their tastes? That's amazing. And from what you're saying, you've been able to control the fire this well in just a few days — you really do have talent."

Zhuang Ya felt a little giddy: "Of course, haha~ But I also have to thank you for the pajamas. After sleeping one night, I gained more than what I comprehended in a whole day. It was my first time knowing the experience from sleeping could exceed the daytime."

Gu Qing said: "It's mainly because you worked hard enough during the day, but you also need a balance of work and rest. Our days are still long — you don't have to push yourself so hard every single day."

Zhuang Ya waved a hand: "It's nothing, not worth mentioning."

Gu Qing laughed: "Didn't you say this was the power of a role model?"

"Role model?" Zhao Chi was puzzled.

Gu Qing nodded: "These past few days, while you and Qi Yue were crafting together, Zhuang Ya asked me what you were doing, so I told her about your situation when crafting. After hearing it, she was full of admiration."

Zhuang Ya quickly added: "It's not that exaggerated, just a tiny bit of admiration."

Gu Qing laughed: "Zhuang Ya, don't deny everything. Expressing feelings doesn't need to be hidden — only then can the other person feel all of you, otherwise it's always incomplete."

Zhuang Ya was taken aback, feeling this reasoning truly made sense.

So she nodded: "That's right! Lord Zhao Chi, I really do admire you greatly. Inside Qi Yue's body, you have to craft continuously for 60 hours each time?"

Put that way, it wasn't wrong.

Using 6 Swift-Craft Talismans in a row was equivalent to crafting continuously for 60 hours.

Zhao Chi nodded: "Mm, yes."

Zhuang Ya asked again: "Inside Tang Ruan's body, you can work continuously for 150 hours?"

Zhao Chi laughed: "Inside Tang Ruan's body it's fine — because of her talent, I don't feel too uncomfortable. Inside Qi Yue's body it's a bit harder to bear, but Qi Yue's crafting efficiency is higher, so that's not bad either."

Zhuang Ya sighed in admiration: "Either way it's very hard work. Even you have it like this, so I must push myself harder too."

Zhao Chi laughed: "Your thinking isn't wrong, but what Gu Qing said is also right — taking it slow is the way to go the distance. You're rather sensitive, so if you feel your fighting spirit flagging, come find me and I'll help recharge your morale."

Zhuang Ya waved a hand: "Nothing like that. My morale is full — I won't trouble you."

Zhao Chi shook his head: "No. If you have any problem or situation, you must come find me — that's an order. I don't want anything to happen to you."

Zhuang Ya felt a warm glow in her heart.

Yet she still said: "Alright then, I really can't do anything about you — you're quite the domineering little brother."

Zhao Chi felt it sounded a little odd.

But he didn't say anything.

Next, they ate their fill.

Zhuang Ya grilled and served the meat to Zhao Chi fresh on the spot.

Moreover, she deliberately wanted to show off, using her palm directly as a griddle.

Holding the meat on her palm, she heated it with a gentle flame — half-roasting, half-pan-frying,

and the meat chunks instantly gave off a charred, fragrant aroma.

If it were someone else's hand, Zhao Chi might have felt a bit repulsed.

But Zhuang Ya's hands were washed very clean, and her nails were trimmed very neatly.

Combined with the fair skin unique to the Taoyuan people, and her rosy, soft palm, Zhao Chi truly didn't mind.

Zhuang Ya sat in front of Zhao Chi and Gu Qing, pan-frying meat with one hand and roasting with the other.

It was very strange, yet also perfectly reasonable.