[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-in-fairy-tail-sorry-i-really-am-the-mastermind-b":3,"chapter-in-fairy-tail-sorry-i-really-am-the-mastermind-b-in-fairy-tail-apologies-i-am-the-mastermind-chapter-574":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","In Fairy Tail: So Sorry, I Really Am the Mastermind",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},2127129,3474,"Chapter 574","in-fairy-tail-apologies-i-am-the-mastermind-chapter-574",574,"\u003Cp>What is going on here?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Lin Cheng's return immediately caught the attention of the waiter at the door, who immediately greeted him with a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\"Master Lin Cheng, you may not know, but the tea brewed from tea leaves has become a specialty of the restaurant. None of the other high-end restaurants in the city have it, so it has attracted a constant stream of customers.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\"I see. Are there still seats inside?\" Lin Cheng asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Eclair had sold the tea leaves to Lady Zhang; this was something he hadn't expected, but he did not oppose it.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>He had indeed left some tea leaves with Eclair back then, originally thinking of letting her return to her old milk tea business. Now that she was cooperating with the restaurant, it was not a bad idea.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\"Hey, what kind of talk is that? Lady Zhang said that no matter when you return, Master Lin Cheng, the best private room will always be reserved for you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\"Oh ho!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Lin Cheng had experienced the feeling of the powerful and wealthy; there was no reason, it was just VIP treatment.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\"That's quite nice. Have Eclair and the others eaten? If not, let's eat together.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\"They probably haven't. What would you like to eat today, Master? I'll have the kitchen prepare it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\"Just make something casual. I have to rush to the guild this afternoon.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\"Understood.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>He didn't wait long in the private room before Eclair brought the dishes in.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\"Lin Cheng, come and taste my cooking.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Lin Cheng's spirit was instantly lifted. He couldn't quite believe that Eclair had actually cooked a meal for him herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\"Did you make all of this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Eclair nodded shyly, quickly placing the four small dishes on the table, and looked at him with incredibly expectant eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Lin Cheng looked at the four small dishes in front of him. They were actually simple home-style dishes, looking and smelling quite good, but he wondered how they tasted.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>He picked up his chopsticks and took a bite of the vegetables. The moment it touched his taste buds, a flavor with moderate saltiness mixed with other seasonings spread out; it was unexpectedly quite good.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\"Not bad.\" After tasting a mouthful, Lin Cheng's worried heart relaxed.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>At least it wasn't dark cuisine.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\"That's good.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Eclair also let out a sigh of relief. She had been busy since she woke up in the morning and had failed I don't know how many times. Finally, under Lady Zhang's guidance, she learned to make these four dishes. She had even tasted them specifically before bringing them out, fearing the flavor would be too bland or too salty.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Lady Zhang said that if you want to keep a man's heart, you must first conquer his stomach!\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Eclair strongly agreed with this statement, so she had learned culinary knowledge from Lady Zhang very seriously.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Watching the person she loved eat the food she made, that feeling was as if she were the happiest person in the whole world.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\"Why aren't you eating?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>As Lin Cheng ate, he saw that Eclair didn't seem to be using her chopsticks.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\"I'll eat after you've finished.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Although Eclair was also a bit hungry, she held back, afraid of snatching what Lin Cheng liked to eat.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Little did she know, Lin Cheng had long been used to snatching food with Eclair; there was no other reason, because it tasted better that way.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\"Then wouldn't there be nothing left? Eat up. You worked hard cooking, you should taste your own craft.\" After Lin Cheng persuaded her a little, Eclair nodded, and the two happily finished this warm lunch.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>After the attendant took away the bowls and chopsticks, Lin Cheng leaned back in his chair and suddenly looked at Eclair. Eclair noticed Lin Cheng's gaze and subconsciously touched her face, feeling a bit confused.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\"Is there something on my face?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\"No, I was thinking, since you are learning to cook, should I give you my family's heirloom cookbook? It's full of dishes I love to eat.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\"Heirloom cookbook?\" Eclair's eyes lit up. She was just worrying that she only knew these four dishes and couldn't learn other complex ones. If she made these same four dishes tonight, would Lin Cheng think she only knew how to make these four?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\"Okay, okay, give it to me quickly. Are there any simple and delicious dishes in it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\"Of course there are, quite a few.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Upon hearing this, Eclair pounced on Lin Cheng like a hungry wolf, her hands reaching directly for his ring. Needless to say, the heirloom cookbook must be hidden in the ring.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Eclair fumbled and played around on Lin Cheng, which made the latter truly unable to bear it.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>As the saying goes, a full stomach leads to...\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Lin Cheng could only try his best to restrain himself, telling Eclair to get down while seriously taking out paper and a pen from his ring.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\"It's not in the ring; I'll write it for you now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\"Good, I want simple and delicious recipes.\" Eclair watched from the side with anticipation, wondering what kind of delicious food would be in Lin Cheng's heirloom cookbook.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\"Hmm, simple and delicious, let me think.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Lin Cheng pondered various delicacies from his past life. Simple and delicious—it seemed there were only hamburgers, fried chicken, and barbecue.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>This world didn't have hamburgers or fried chicken. As for barbecue, the flavor wasn't very well-absorbed, and more importantly, the scent of magical beasts was very strong. Even after being slaughtered into usable meat, the gamey smell was hard to remove.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>This made Lin Cheng not very fond of magical beast meat, unless it was chicken, duck, or beef, which he could accept.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\"Got it. I'll write down some recipes for fried chicken, steak, and the like for you. I hope I can eat them tonight.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>As Lin Cheng spoke, he wrote down the formulas for making various fried chicken, hamburgers, and pan-seared steaks from his memory, filling five full pages.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>From whole chicken to chicken wings, drumsticks, nuggets, and so on, he specifically wrote down how to remove the gamey smell inherent in the meat, and emphatically marked the formulas for the cheese, salad dressing, and ketchup needed for the hamburgers.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>There was also how to make the black pepper sauce for pan-seared steak, as well as various seasonings to be used for barbecue.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>After finishing, Lin Cheng carefully checked it once, and only after confirming it was error-free did he hand it to Eclair.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\"Just follow what's written on here. When making the sauces, you can ask Lady Zhang for help. I believe she will understand how to do it once she sees the formulas.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Lin Cheng didn't care at all whether these recipes would be used by Lady Zhang in her own restaurant. In fact, he hoped they would be used on the Flying Fox Restaurant's menu.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Because the restaurant's menu had too few dishes, and eating the same few things over and over, he was getting a bit tired of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>He also had the intention of hoping the Flying Fox Restaurant could recreate some recipes from his past life, so he could see the objects and think of the people.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\"Okay, I'll go give this to Lady Zhang right now.\" Eclair excitedly ran directly to the back kitchen to find Lady Zhang.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>And Lin Cheng prepared to return to his room for a nap.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>The back kitchen.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Ordinary people were not allowed to enter the back kitchen directly, but with Eclair's status, she could come and go as she pleased. She specifically found the busy Lady Zhang, hoping she could help her.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\"What's wrong, Eclair?\" Lady Zhang asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\"Lady Zhang, Lin Cheng wants to eat these dishes tonight. Can you help me?\" Eclair handed the five pages in her hand directly to Lady Zhang, hoping she could take a look.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\"I didn't expect Lin Cheng to have research into culinary arts as well.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Lady Zhang smiled and took the paper from Eclair's hand to read it slowly. The more she read, the more surprised she became. This was more than just research; it was practically a profound mastery.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Especially the detailed formulas for ketchup, salad dressing, and black pepper sauce—they were simply astonishing.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>It was the first time she had heard that tomatoes and eggs could be prepared in such a way. Regarding the method of making cheese from milk, she was surprised that milk could have such a long shelf life...\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>There were also some seasonings that, even after managing the restaurant kitchen for so many years, she had never heard of.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Now that Lin Cheng had Eclair give these formulas to her, the intention behind helping them was self-evident.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Lady Zhang really didn't know how to thank Lin Cheng enough. He hadn't just helped her reopen the restaurant; he had also given her tea leaves and these new recipes.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Lin Cheng's kindness to her was no less than a life-saving grace. Since Eclair said Lin Cheng wanted to eat these dishes tonight, she had to go all out!\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\"How is it?\" Eclair asked tentatively in a low voice from the side.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\"Hmm, these dishes can be made, but it will take some time to prepare.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>She had looked it over roughly. According to the preparation methods in the formulas, except for the cheese which took longer to make, everything else was achievable. She would need quite a few helpers, and she also needed to go to the market to find black pepper.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>She vaguely remembered there seemed to be a stall selling black pepper, and there were some other seasonings she didn't know; she should go ask if the other party knew about them.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\"Is there anything I can help with?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\"Exactly, Eclair, come with me to the market, but I need to make some arrangements first.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\"Okay, Lady Zhang.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Not long after, a new notice was posted at the restaurant entrance, roughly stating that brand-new dishes would be sold that evening, with a half-price discount.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>After waking up from his nap and heading to the guild for class, Lin Cheng also saw the notice at the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>The smile on his lips not only anticipated dinner, but his mood also improved inadvertently.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Chatting with the coachman about the big and small events in the city, the carriage soon arrived at the guild entrance, and as usual, a group of people crowded around him as he walked inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Chr\u002F>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>— Author's Notes —\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>·······Seeking flowers····· ·····\u003C\u002Fp>",1744,"2026-06-16T12:13:34.850Z","2026-06-17T08:53:56.698Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","cb72372f0f833e83d3776573db8b88f44c1811dad47da09d21b7f714ac1041b4","in-fairy-tail-apologies-i-am-the-mastermind-chapter-575","in-fairy-tail-apologies-i-am-the-mastermind-chapter-573",660,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fin-fairy-tail-apologies-i-am-the-mastermind-cover.jpg"]