My Identities Were All Exposed After I Was Pampered by Everyone at My Grandfather's House!

165 Herbal Cuisine

Qiao Yue was genuinely happy that her grandfather had returned to the country so soon.

As she had not stayed in S-country for long, she did not know what had caused him to fall into a coma. Before she left, Qiao Yue had asked Lu Ying to remind Qiao Xuan to pay attention to the people around the old man.

Seeing the old man hale and hearty, Qiao Yue deduced that Lu Ying did as she asked, passing on her message to Qiao Xuan.

Qiao Yue had returned to the Qiao family to fulfil her mother’s last wish. After meeting her grandfather in S-country, she felt she could face her mother’s request with greater sincerity.

She could tell that the old man loved her mother from the bottom of his heart; it was as if nothing her mother ever did could disappoint him. Now that the old man was back, taking care of his health was the highest of her priorities, followed by investigating the secrets surrounding her parents.

It just so happened that she could not go to school and needed to recuperate at home. She could use this opportunity to ensure the old man had enough rest.

With this plan in mind, Qiao Yue got to work. She found a recipe in her free time to treat the root of the problem. As the saying goes, food is the fundamental force that drives the body. Pairing the recipe she found with her knowledge of Chinese medicine, Qiao Yue developed a meal plan that she believed would help bolster the old man’s health.

It only took one night for Qiao Yue to devise the plan. Her grandfather was recovering from a serious illness and needed to partake in nutritious food that would aid in his recovery. However, due to his age, a delicate balance had to be struck. Too much was as bad as too little. Something mild would be best.

The next morning, Qiao Yue stopped by the kitchen and asked the chef to prepare a few herbal dishes, asking him to add certain ingredients to enhance their taste.

Qiao Xuan woke early and saw Qiao Yue following the chef into the kitchen as he was about to go on his morning run. Curious, he backtracked a little to see what was going on.

“What are you doing?”

The sudden question startled Qiao Yue. She turned around and met Qiao Xuan’s probing gaze.

“Big Brother, why are you up so early?” Qiao Yue stuttered, dazzled by Qiao Xuan’s handsome features.

Qiao Xuan was handsome in the classical sense and ticked all the right boxes in Qiao Yue’s humble appreciation of masculinity. Facing the full brunt of it in the early morning light, Qiao Yue felt like she could gobble him up.

“I usually run in the morning. I try not to miss it when I have the time,” Qiao Xuan chuckled as he answered Qiao Yue.

Qiao Yue nodded, giving Qiao Xuan a thumbs up. As a doctor, Qiao Xuan was on call 24/7. Yet, he still took the time to ensure he remained fit. Qiao Yue was impressed. Even she had relaxed from her gruelling workout sessions since returning to the Qiao family. Whether it was school or life with the Qiao family, it was all a vacation to her.

A strong herbal aroma wafted out of the kitchen, drawing Qiao Xuan’s attention back to the topic.

“You’re up early. Are you visiting the kitchen for a before-breakfast snack? What are you going to have?” Qiao Xuan asked.

Qiao Yue did not expect Qiao Xuan’s next question and found herself at a loss for words. She stared at him for what was likely longer than strictly appropriate, but eventually, her faculties returned to her. “I’m not here for a snack! Grandpa has just recovered from a serious illness, and I wanted to see if we could prepare something herbal for him.”

“Something herbal? I’m surprised you so much.” This time, it was Qiao Xuan’s turn to gape in shock, his star-lit eyes flashing with mesmerising light.

“Fifth Young Miss, the congee is ready. Would you like to try it?” Just as Qiao Xuan was about to continue, the chef interrupted.

Qiao Yue grinned cheekily at Qiao Xuan and said, “I know a little…” She pointed at the clay pot. “Would you like to try some?”

Qiao Xuan nodded with a smile. “Of course, I have to try Xiao Yue’s porridge.”

Qiao Yue’s teeth glimmered, bright and pearly. “I didn’t cook it. I just asked the chef if he could make something using my recipe.”

Qiao Yue was not so shameless as to claim someone else’s work as her own. All she had was her understanding of Chinese medicine and some of its applications in meal preparation. For instance, the herbal food she had eaten in the hospital was a recipe she had given Lu Ying. Anything she touched seemed to turn into poison when she cooked. Qiao Yue still recalled her master’s suffering as they tested the various recipes she prepared by hand.

Qiao Xuan did not refute her. Upon eating a spoonful of porridge, his eyes lit up, and he praised, “It’s smooth and fragrant. It’s really hard to make herbal cuisine palatable.”

Hearing Qiao Xuan’s compliment, Qiao Yue gave the chef her approval.

Qiao Xuan glanced at the small clay pot and sighed. “It looks like there won’t be enough for everyone to eat today.”