[Genshin Impact]: I can become stronger by cooking.

"Why...why me? Why did I have to be the one with these cat ears...whether it was being treated as an oddball by my peers when I was little, or bringing this undeserved disaster upon myself now..."

The suffocating darkness seemed to engulf Lynette at that moment.

"Pfft!"

A sharp sound rang out, followed by the sound of liquid dripping onto the floor.

Lynette's cat ears twitched slightly, and the sounds of her surroundings automatically gathered in her mind.

"What's happening outside? What's going on?"

Lynette didn't dare open the cabinet door, but instead put her ear close to the crack in the door, listening intently to the sounds outside.

"Stop hiding, being timid is useless."

A voice, along with the moonlight, pierced the darkness.

"Come out, the person who wanted to harm you is already dead."

The voice was cold and menacing, yet it possessed a reassuring magic.

Lynette pushed open the cabinet door and cautiously looked at Arecino.

Arecino came over and rubbed Lynette's ear.

"You have good ears; they can be used for eavesdropping. From now on, learn to use them."

Arecino's kneading technique was not gentle, her words were not mild, and her demeanor was as cold as the moonlight of the night.

Like moonlight, it illuminates a corner of darkness.

...

On the first floor of the mansion, a group of guards and butlers were lying sprawled out.

Chao Ke stretched his wrists, which he hadn't quite finished using, and stared at Lin Ni, who had just sneaked through the gate.

Faced with this incredibly impactful scene, even the meticulous Linni was momentarily stunned.

"If you're looking for your sister, go upstairs."

Chao Ke pointed out the direction to Linni, then carried the butler, whose head had been beaten into a pig's head, towards the basement of the mansion.

Concerned for her sister's safety, Linni didn't have time to think much and ran towards the second floor following Chao Ke's directions.

Finally, Linni, panting heavily, ran into the important man's room.

Inside the room, the filthy man paid the price for his actions, while his sister stood unharmed behind a woman.

"elder brother!"

The brother and sister, who had survived the ordeal, embraced each other, while Arecino turned her gaze to Linni.

I've been keeping an eye on this child for a while now. He's thoughtful, values ​​family, and is definitely a promising prospect.

Arecino stepped forward and extended an invitation to the brother and sister.

“You are in our best interests, and the House of Hearths welcomes you. We will never betray you here, and betrayal will never be tolerated here.”

Linni, who had been invited, quickly analyzed the pros and cons in her mind.

So, it's the power of Zhi Dong... No wonder their actions were so ruthless and decisive...

After this incident, it's unlikely that Linette and I can survive independently in Fontaine... and the noble family we used to serve will offer Linette as a gift to curry favor with a powerful figure. Linette now only wants to kill him, let alone rely on him.

At this moment, it seems that only the Hearth House option remains... and... "Betrayal will never be tolerated"...

After only a moment's thought, Linnie agreed to Arecino's invitation, while Linette said nothing, simply standing silently behind her brother.

"Wise choice."

Arecino said softly, quite satisfied with Linni's performance.

With her brother and sister by her side, Arecino went down to the first floor and ran into Asako, who had just come out of the basement.

"How was the harvest?"

"It's a waste to kill that scumbag directly; he should have been cut in half."

As Chao Ke spoke, he handed a notebook to Arecino and said, "According to this log, there are a total of 26 girls being held in the basement. More than a dozen of them are children of Fontaine residents, two are orphans from the Grey River District, and the rest are playthings specially raised for important people."

Arecino didn't speak, but Chao Ke understood the anger and murderous intent in her eyes.

"Take the brother and sister back first, I'll take care of things here."

Chao Ke nodded to indicate that he understood, and then left the scene first with Lin Ni and his sister.

Although he wasn't there, Chao Ke roughly understood his older sister's next steps.

First, loot the mansion to gather intelligence and large sums of money, then contact the Fontaine police to clean up the mess and deal with the dead and the imprisoned children.

The assassination of such a prominent figure, which also led to the discovery of child imprisonment, will likely give the Fontainebleau police a headache for some time.

Since it was already late at night, Chao Ke didn't go to the mansion to disturb the children's rest, but instead took the two siblings to his own home.

We'll settle them in the guest room for the night, and then my older sister will take them to the mansion to check in tomorrow.

Inside the guest room, after comforting her slightly uneasy sister to sleep, Linni looked at the moonlight outside the window, her heart filled with confusion.

I wonder if tonight's choice was right. Will this mansion turn out to be another trap...?

After thinking for a long time, Linni sighed, looked at her sister's sleeping face, and also fell into a light sleep.

The next morning.

As soon as Chao Ke's footsteps sounded at the door, the two siblings on the bed were both awakened.

Clearly, both of them were on guard and dared not fall into a deep sleep.

Sensing the slight movement coming from inside, Chao Ke didn't knock on the door again. "If you're awake, get up. I'll take you to get something to eat."

Linnie and Lynette exchanged a glance, then quickly got out of bed. One of them folded the blankets, while the other tidied the sheets.

When the two left, the entire guest room was exceptionally clean, as if no one had stayed there the night before.

Chao Ke glanced at the tidy room but said nothing. Trust and affection take time to build; this matter cannot be rushed.

Chapter 29 Lynette: It's so...so hard!

In the early morning, Chao Ke and Arecino walked side by side in front, with Linni and Linette following behind.

As the group walked down the street, they had the illusion of being a family of four.

Since it was still early, Chao Ke took the three of them to Jia Zi Wei Restaurant, intending to have breakfast together.

Inside the restaurant, Louise had arrived early and was currently in the kitchen processing the chicken that had been marinated the night before.

Ashley and Butrei, however, had not yet arrived at the restaurant because their residence was far away.

After washing his hands, Chao Ke also went into the kitchen to help.

Looking at the properly prepared ingredients on the counter, Chao Ke pondered for a moment and decided to take full responsibility for making the Crispy Pork Leg Burger, while entrusting Louise with the entire process of making the Giant Golden Finger-Licking Chicken.

"Huh? You're leaving it to me?"

Louise was clearly a little timid. Although Li Chaoke had taught her the method in detail yesterday and helped her make several batches of finished products, she was still a little hesitant to cook them herself.

In particular, this batch of dishes is also intended to be served to others for tasting.

"Go ahead and do it. I'll oversee the final product."

Chao Ke's words dispelled Louise's worries, and after taking a deep breath, she began to try.

Louise looked at the prepared coating batter and carefully placed the chicken pieces into it, making it according to the method taught by Chao Ke.

Although her technique was still rather clumsy and her speed was slow, the results she produced looked quite decent.

The outer powder is evenly coated, and the subcutaneous area is properly supplemented.

Just by standing behind Louise and glancing at her a few times, Chao Ke could tell that there wouldn't be any major problems with the quality of the fried chicken.

It should score at least 70 or 80 points, reaching the level of "delicious XXX".

He then stopped watching and began to focus all his energy on making the crispy pork ham burger.

A dozen minutes later, the aroma emanating from the pressure fryer confirmed Chao Ke's idea.

[Delicious Golden Finger-Licking Chicken]

[Rating: 82 points]

[Description: The golden-brown skin locks in the juicy meat, making each bite incredibly satisfying. Even if only the bones remain, the lingering aroma will stay with you forever.]

[Food Spirit Power +26 (When the host prepares a dish that the chef has mastered, the host will gain 20% Food Spirit Power)]

With Louise's work finished, Chao Ke had also almost finished his own work.

Gently slice open the plump bread dough with a kitchen knife, then stuff it with fried chicken thigh cutlet and other side dishes, and the Crispy Chicken Leg Burger is ready.

After filling four plates with the finished product, Chao Ke and Louise carried them out of the kitchen.

Inside the restaurant, Ashley and Butler seemed to have just arrived and were chatting with her older sister.

Upon seeing the plates in Chao Ke and Louise's hands, they quickly stood up, took the plates, and neatly arranged the food on the table.

"You two have come at the perfect time, let's have breakfast together," Chao Ke invited the two of them.

Ashley and Butler quickly waved their hands, indicating that they had already eaten at home.

But Butrei's body did not cooperate with her master's lie; a growl came from her lower abdomen.

Seeing everyone's gaze, Ashley and Butler felt a little embarrassed, especially Butler, whose face flushed red.

"Sit down and have some more to eat, let's welcome the new member of the family together."

Arecino calmly defused the situation and steered the conversation to another matter.

Then everyone turned their attention to Linnie and Lynette.

After realizing she was the center of attention, Linnie acted naturally, greeting everyone and introducing herself and her sister. Linette, on the other hand, seemed a little uncomfortable, replying briefly before lowering her head and even curling her tail slightly, revealing her unease.

"What an adorable little girl! May I touch your ears?" Louise's gaze was fixed on Lynette's cat ears, her eyes sparkling with hope.

"Huh? Is...okay?"

After obtaining Lynette's consent, Louise couldn't wait to reach out and gently knead Lynette's cat ears.