Chapter 104: The Heart of the Forest

By the time they left Licorne and returned home, it was already ten in the evening.

Wang Bei naturally returned to her own place, while Bai Renzong and Han Jiayi each freshened up. By nearly eleven, Bai Renzong was in his room replying to viewers’ questions about the game “Doomsday Scavenger.”

Because this game was incredibly hardcore and difficult to get into, yet seemed very fun from the videos, the comments mostly consisted of inquiries about gameplay and strategies.

Bai Renzong wasn’t an expert in these matters, so as usual, he recommended some other creators to direct viewers toward, playing the role of a “traffic guide.”

At that moment, Han Jiayi peeked at Bai Renzong through the doorway.

“Hmm…” she murmured softly, slightly dissatisfied. She wanted to join him to play but hesitated, not wanting to disturb him while he was busy. So she stood idly by the door, lost in thought, recalling the final words from Laurent, the chef at Licorne.

In fact, before they left, Laurent Bichard had said, “You two are such an adorable couple. Be sure to invite me to your wedding.”

“How could I possibly translate that out loud!” Han Jiayi muttered, covering her face and shaking her head.

“What are you doing standing there?” Bai Renzong suddenly came up beside her and asked.

“Ah!” Han Jiayi squealed in shock, nearly stumbling down the stairs.

Quickly, Bai Renzong caught her slender wrist to steady her, grumbling, “What’s with you? You look like you lost your soul! If you want to play, just come in!”

“I-I was just watching you work,” she pouted, feeling a bit wronged. “Why are you being mean?”

“It’s mine,” Bai Renzong softened his tone. “Be careful, okay? Even though the second floor isn’t high, falling down could be dangerous.”

“Mm…” Han Jiayi replied pitifully, glancing behind him. “Are you done now?”

“Yes,” Bai Renzong nodded. “It’s pretty late. Do you still want to play?”

“Hmm…” Han Jiayi counted her fingers, then tentatively asked, “Just a little? I feel like not checking in every day makes me miss something… We collected tons of supplies yesterday and haven’t put them away yet. At least today, let’s get home first.”

“Alright then,” Bai Renzong smiled faintly. “But be careful, okay? Don’t stand by the stairs spacing out.”

“Y-You shouldn’t suddenly talk when I’m standing by the stairs zoning out…” Han Jiayi stammered.

Once they started playing, the atmosphere relaxed. They chatted about their recent visit to the restaurant.

“Honestly, I think your Cloud Veil and Rainbow dishes, along with Yang Hua’s Prairie Heart, are far better than those classic French dishes,” Bai Renzong rambled. “You don’t need to belittle yourselves. In my eyes, you new-generation chefs are just as good as those old-school masters.”

“Is that really okay to say? They helped you so much, and you call them old-school,” Han Jiayi raised an eyebrow.

“Hmm… not really. My bad,” Bai Renzong tapped his lips and added, “What I mean is, sometimes you should be more confident and not be easily intimidated, even by chefs with decades of experience.”

“Mm…” Han Jiayi nodded obediently. “I wasn’t really scared…”

“From now on, be bolder,” Bai Renzong gave her a side glance. “You’ve got me, haven’t you?”

Han Jiayi suddenly widened her eyes, biting her lip to suppress a smile as she glanced at him before laughing happily. “Alright then.”

They quietly continued playing. After a moment, Han Jiayi chuckled: “Hehe, the mod will be ready tomorrow. I’m so excited… Shall we raise a cat and a dog then?”

“I think just a dog will do,” Bai Renzong replied emotionlessly. “We already have a cat.”

“?” Han Jiayi looked at him curiously. “Where do we have a cat? The mod isn’t even done.”

There’s a little silly cat here, Bai Renzong thought silently.

Since it was late when they returned, they didn’t play for long before resting.

Han Jiayi tossed and turned in bed, recalling Bai Renzong’s demeanor from a few hours earlier, unable to stop her heart from fluttering.

What truly moved her wasn’t his calm confrontation with Laurent, but the way he said “You’ve got me” — that feeling was like hearing Bai Renzong’s snoring after a scary movie.

It was comforting.

Though she’d always been excellent since stepping into society—running restaurants, making games, acting in films—holding herself to strict standards, never appearing weak before others,

no matter how strong and independent she was, having someone to rely on felt wonderful…

Especially since she wasn’t good with words, Bai Renzong could fill that gap, stepping up when it mattered, just like when they faced off with Yang Hua at Lanwa.

“Ugh, I’m smitten!” Han Jiayi hugged her teddy bear and rolled on the bed, excited yet worried, wondering, “I wonder if this troll feels the same way about me?”

Meanwhile, Bai Renzong was already asleep in bed: “zzzz…”

The next morning,

Bai Renzong yawned as he headed downstairs.

“Morning…” he greeted Han Jiayi lazily. “Let’s do our best today. I’ll come over at noon.”

“Mm!” Han Jiayi smiled, sneaking a glance at Bai Renzong — he looked so dazed just waking up, suddenly kind of adorable…

After freshening up, Bai Renzong sat in the living room. “What’s for breakfast?”

“Zhajiang noodles,” Han Jiayi replied cheerfully. “I got some good minced meat at the market today and made the sauce.”

After a pause, she asked anxiously, “Do you like Zhajiang noodles?”

Bai Renzong nodded. “Yeah, I quite like them.”

“That’s good,” Han Jiayi smiled brightly. At that moment, she suddenly understood what the owner of Yangliuzhai meant when he said, “Think about what you want to make; only the people you like will eat happily, and inspiration will keep flowing.”

What people I like! I don’t like him at all… Han Jiayi quickly shook her head, covering her mouth, thinking to herself.

“Ding ding ding…” Suddenly, a WeChat video call notification sounded. Bai Renzong lazily grabbed his phone and saw it was Yang Hua!

Seeing that name, Bai Renzong already knew this guy must have thought of a new dish.

When the video connected, Yang Hua was spinning around as if dancing solo, laughing: “Ah! My dear friend, please allow me to offer my blessings on this scorching morning…”

Bai Renzong immediately cut the call, while Han Jiayi turned her head and glared at him.

“He kept spinning, and it made me a little dizzy,” Bai Renzong explained. “Honestly, I have mild 3D motion sickness, so I rarely play first-person games.”

After a while, Yang Hua sent another video request. This time, he looked more composed.

“Ever since watching your review of ‘Prairie Heart,’ my passion as a chef has been fully ignited. I’ve been researching diligently these past few days, and just last night, I finally developed the second dish of my ultimate set,” Yang Hua said, pressing his forehead with a dramatic smile. “It was late last night, so I didn’t want to disturb your rest, and waited until this morning to share the news…”

“So you just woke up?” Bai Renzong asked curiously. “Your hair’s still messy.”

“There was no time for that!” Yang Hua laughed proudly, waving his hand. “The moment I woke, I contacted you to share this joy! Oh, friend, don’t you want to taste this soul-infused dish!?”

“That’s kind of gross,” Bai Renzong replied. “But… I do want to see it.”

Han Jiayi secretly pinched him, making Bai Renzong gasp. He looked at her, puzzled. “What’s wrong?”

“Hmph…” Han Jiayi turned away, unhappy, and didn’t explain.

“Well then, I’ll have Lanwa notify your assistant right away!” Yang Hua said cheerfully. “We can start the business collaboration tonight!”

“No, no business collaboration needed,” Bai Renzong declined politely. “We’re friends now, and I’m personally interested in your ultimate set, so just consider it a regular restaurant visit.”

Bai Renzong sighed inwardly: Still too shy.

To be honest, every time he visited Yang Hua’s place, he got excellent material.

Because Yang Hua’s style perfectly suited videos and reviews, and he was quite famous in the circle, Bai Renzong always gained a lot of exposure.

Taking his content for videos, riding his popularity, and charging for business cooperation fees…

Too brazen; Bai Renzong just couldn’t do that.

“I knew you felt the same!” Yang Hua laughed excitedly. “Then tonight at Lanwa, I await your arrival! Me, and my appetizer… Forest Heart.”

At that moment, Bai Renzong and Han Jiayi both felt a jolt: An appetizer!

“What a coincidence, huh?” After cutting the video, Bai Renzong looked at Han Jiayi. “Both appetizers.”

Coincidentally, Han Jiayi had recently developed “Rainbow,” which was also an appetizer…

“No problem,” Han Jiayi snorted confidently, though her voice was a bit nervous. “I have full confidence in my ‘Rainbow’! This time, I’ll make him admit defeat!”

It was good that Han Jiayi was confident, but Bai Renzong hoped to see a balanced “duel.”

Both chefs were highly skilled; setting aside the French cuisine label, from a pure culinary perspective, Bai Renzong even felt their skills surpassed Laurent Bichard’s.

During the day, as usual, Bai Renzong edited the Licorne video from last night and sent it to He Guang for post-production. Then he and Wang Bei handled various messages. At noon, they went to Yijiaxuan for lunch as usual.

“Don’t forget tonight,” Bai Renzong reminded as they scanned to pay.

“I know! I’ll go home, shower, and change, then we’ll start,” Han Jiayi smiled.

Everyone raised their eyebrows: Go home, shower, change clothes, and then start?

Sensing the stares around them, Han Jiayi whispered, “Why are they looking at us like that?”

“I don’t know,” Bai Renzong shrugged. “Anyway, you better perform well.”

“Mm!” Han Jiayi replied happily. “Tonight, I’ll impress you so much you won’t have words!”

Everyone else: Let it be, they’re a couple; what’s strange about that?

That evening, after freshening up, they went to Lanwa.

“Welcome, my soul friend! I’ve been waiting a long time!” Yang Hua greeted Bai Renzong, reaching out for a big hug. Bai Renzong shook his hand instead and smiled faintly, “Good evening.”

“Hmph… tsundere,” Yang Hua teased, wrapping an arm around Bai Renzong’s shoulder as they walked inside. “Come, I’ve prepared a special seat for you tonight! I’m sure the Forest Heart will satisfy you…”

Wang Bei and Han Jiayi exchanged glances and shrugged helplessly before following.

They passed through the hall and reached a VIP room on the second floor.

Each room had two dedicated servers—one serving dishes and explaining how to eat them, the other pouring drinks.

Naturally, the service fee was doubled.

“Please wait a moment,” Yang Hua said with a smile, then turned away proudly. Before leaving, he shot Han Jiayi a victorious glance.

Han Jiayi still smiled but her breathing quickened. Through gritted teeth, she muttered, “This effeminate guy…”

“Don’t worry,” Bai Renzong sipped lemon water to calm her. “You have your secret weapon, right?”

“Mm!” Han Jiayi nodded confidently. “I’m looking forward to the expression on his face…”

About twenty-five minutes later, Yang Hua returned pushing a cart with four covered plates.

“Thank you for waiting,” Yang Hua smiled as he placed the tray before them. “Please enjoy, Forest Heart.”

With that, he lifted the lids, revealing the dishes.

Bai Renzong studied them, raising an eyebrow: utterly beautiful…

In a tiny teacup, pale orange sauce soaked a half-bloomed red flower. The bloom was perfectly poised as if about to fully open, vivid and alluring.

Though it looked like a real flower at first glance, a closer look revealed it was carved from some vegetable.

Above it floated a thin, dark brown caramel crisp shaped like a tree branch, its tip resting on the cup’s rim, not touching the flower below. The crisp was sprinkled with verdant oxalis leaves for garnish, resembling a freshly picked branch laid atop the red flower.

It was as stunning as a work of art.

“This visual impact… truly Yang Hua’s style,” Bai Renzong sighed.

“Hmph…” Han Jiayi grumbled unhappily and sneaked a pinch on Bai Renzong’s leg.

“You’re no worse than him,” Bai Renzong quickly added.

“Mm!” Han Jiayi nodded, satisfied. “Let’s eat first; taste is what truly matters.”

“Please use your spoon to crush the caramel crisp on top, then eat it together with the flower beneath,” Yang Hua instructed gracefully.

Bai Renzong complied. The caramel crisp was so thin that a light tap shattered it into flakes, like snowflakes drifting to the bottom.

Then came the tasting moment. Bai Renzong glanced at Han Jiayi and nodded.

They each took a spoonful, savoring the dish carefully.

“This flower is carved from loofah, dyed red with plum syrup. The loofah’s unique fresh aroma blends with the plum’s fragrance, evoking a strong summer vibe,” Bai Renzong remarked. “The caramel crisp on top is also made from concentrated plum juice, preserving the overall aroma without overpowering it, adding a crisp texture.”

He tasted the sauce below and continued, “The sauce is made from celery. Even the oxalis garnish’s tartness doesn’t affect the dish’s flavor or texture. This pairing is brilliant; even seemingly useless decorations are integrated, serving as a perfect appetizer.”

He frowned slightly. “But… how to put it… it feels like something’s missing. Not quite perfect…”

Though this appetizer was excellent, visually striking with Yang Hua’s distinctive style and complementing the previous Prairie Heart, it wasn’t flawless; it could be improved.

Though named “Forest Heart,” compared to Prairie Heart, this appetizer lacked a certain grandeur.

“Honestly, very good, but…” Bai Renzong said, patting Han Jiayi’s head, “I think Mu Mu’s newly developed appetizer is even better…”

“Hmph! Of course it is,” Han Jiayi boasted, brushing his hand away and lowering her voice, “Don’t call me Mu Mu in front of so many people!”

“Then it’s fine if not so many are around?” Bai Renzong teased.

“No, no way!” Han Jiayi blushed furiously.

“Ah, my dear friend, you must have sensed it by now,” Yang Hua wasn’t surprised by Han Jiayi’s appetizer. “That’s because this dish isn’t complete—it’s just its ‘summer’ form.”

He lifted another tray from the cart and placed it on the table.

“Forest Heart changes with the seasons. What you just tasted is the summer limited edition. In autumn, it looks like this…” Yang Hua explained, unveiling the second tray.

The shape was the same, with a caramel crisp branch on top, but the green oxalis was replaced by red petals resembling maple leaves turning color. The red flower below had changed to a fully bloomed orange, full of autumnal feeling, contrasting sharply with the summer version.

“There’s also a winter and spring version,” Yang Hua smiled, not holding back and showing the remaining two trays.

The spring Forest Heart’s flower was pale green, less fully bloomed, with an overall tender green tone evoking nature’s awakening; the winter version’s flower was dark brown, the sauce also deep brown, but the dish was dusted with white powder, like a snow-covered scene.

Each seasonal Forest Heart used different ingredients: bamboo shoots for spring flowers, cherry syrup for the crisp; carrot for autumn flowers, pear syrup for the crisp; lotus root for winter flowers, kumquat syrup for the crisp. Each emitted a strong seasonal aura.

“And all are combinations of fruits and vegetables…” Bai Renzong marveled. “Truly deserving of the name Forest Heart! Adding the four seasons’ variation makes it nearly perfect! Such a clever concept! And this exquisite design… definitely a match for Prairie Heart!”

He recalled something. “They even adjusted the content to pair with Prairie Heart… making Prairie Heart into a crisp cracker so the fruit could be reserved for this appetizer, avoiding repetition. Brilliant.”

“Ah… exactly,” Yang Hua closed his eyes in delight. “Do you feel my soul, friend?”

“Hmph!” Han Jiayi stamped her foot in displeasure, but she knew deep down it was an excellent appetizer, especially the seasonal changes—few could handle such details.

Each season’s ingredients matched the time of year—like eating loofah to cool off in summer, lotus root in winter.

“Hmph…” Yang Hua sneered and turned to Han Jiayi. “What did you say earlier? About whose appetizer is better?”

“Hmm!” Han Jiayi’s eyes widened, her cheeks flushing.

Bai Renzong patted Han Jiayi’s head with a crisp “pat.” “Her appetizer is also very good. Personally, even compared to the complete Forest Heart, her Rainbow is no less impressive. Besides, you can’t taste all four versions at once.”

Hearing this, Han Jiayi beamed, crossing her arms with a proud hum. “Did you hear that?”

“Tch, this girl’s appetizer can compare to my Forest Heart!?” Yang Hua blushed, but from anger. “Impossible! Friend, you’re blinded by love!”

Bai Renzong looked at Han Jiayi with a slight smile. “Want to show him?”

“Mm!” Han Jiayi nodded happily. “I even brought the mold! Just for this moment!”

(Thanks to wwh, Yu Zi, Shi~Bian, Yi Xin Yi Yi, Emperor Prince for 2 monthly tickets, and to Xuemeng, Fusheng Ruomeng1208, Kong Tan for their monthly tickets.)

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