Chapter 724 Link
The smell hit Heaven like a drug the second the door opened.
Something meaty, slow-cooked, with spices that danced in the air like warm hands caressing her skin.
It wrapped around her, pulled her in like a siren's call, and this time—this time—there was no turning back.
She stood just outside the dining area, gripping the doorway as if it could anchor her to what little pride she had left.
Her heart pounded in her chest.
Her throat was dry. Her jaw was clenched so tightly she thought her teeth might crack.
People were laughing, eating, savoring each bite.
And Ross?
He was standing near the table, casually spooning something golden and fragrant onto a plate.
His back was to her, but she could feel it—he knew she was there.
Her vision tunneled.
Something inside her snapped.
She walked in with stiff, determined steps. The room quieted just slightly, sensing the tension.
She didn't care who was watching. She didn't care what anyone thought.
She crossed the distance in seconds and stopped directly in front of him.
Ross finally turned, eyes calm, lips tugged into that maddening smirk.
"Heaven," he greeted smoothly, like she hadn't just looked like she was going to explode. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
She stared at the plate in his hand, and for a moment, the only thing she could do was breathe. Or try to.
"Give me a plate," she said, her voice low, husky, cracking under the strain of her restraint. "Now."
Ross didn't answer immediately.
He tilted his head slightly, studying her like a painter might study a nearly finished work—examining the cracks, the flaws, the emotion bleeding through the surface.
"Are you sure? You know that there's a big price for a plate." he asked, his tone teasing. "You were so determined to resist me before."
"Don't push me," she whispered, eyes locked onto his like a warning—or maybe a plea.
The smirk widened just a touch.
"As you wish but… if you take this plate and eat it, you should know that you need to be my girlfriend after." he said.
And with a calm, deliberate motion, Ross placed a full plate in front of her—steaming, fragrant, utterly divine.
"I don't care." Heaven replied.
Her hands trembled as she took it, and though she didn't say a word, everyone in the room knew:
He'd won something.
And Heaven, in that moment, didn't care.
She devoured the plate of food in a flash, barely giving herself time to breathe between bites.
Each mouthful sent waves of ecstasy through her senses, overwhelming her with flavor so rich, so layered, that she was left trembling by the time she set her fork down.
Tears shimmered in her eyes—not of sadness, but of sheer, stunned delight.
"Oh my god…" she breathed, wiping at her cheeks with the napkin.
"This… this is insane. It's so good! How the hell are you making food like this?"
Ross chuckled softly as he leaned against the kitchen counter, arms crossed, watching her with amusement.
"It's a trade secret. You'll have to marry me if you want to know." he said with a smirk.
"You wish," Heaven said, shaking her head, eyes still wide.
Ross grinned. "But I do love to wish and I always get what I wish for."
She blinked at him, reeling at his arrogant words.
"As for me cooking, I learned from a master," he said at last, voice laced with a hint of nostalgia. This was of course a big lie.
"An eccentric old man who lived alone on top of a mountain far, far away. He taught me everything he knew. But he's gone now… and with him, the recipes he guarded. As far as I know, I'm the only person left who can make these dishes."
Heaven stared at him, partly moved by the story, but also completely baffled.
"You mean to tell me a guy living on some random mountain trained you to be a god in the kitchen?"
"Well," Ross said, grinning wider now, "not just any mountain. And not just any ingredients."
"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.
Ross said nothing.
He turned and began gathering the plates, walking toward the sink as though the conversation were finished.
But in truth, Heaven's instincts weren't wrong.
He had indeed used the ingredients in the house—rice, vegetables, spices—but he had also mixed in something else.
Something beyond this world.
Chunks of meat from spirit beasts that roamed the divine plains of a xianxia realm.
Herbs cultivated under the light of twin moons.
A splash of broth distilled from immortal fruits.
Every bite she had taken was infused with spiritual essence that could fortify a cultivator's soul and reshape their body from within.
And now, though Heaven didn't feel it yet, changes had already begun.
Her cells were regenerating at a faster rate. Her immune system had evolved, now impervious to common illnesses.
Her bones were denser, her skin subtly tougher—still soft to the touch but far more resistant to injury.
Even her senses had started to sharpen. A headache that had lingered in the background all day had vanished completely.
All of this, from a single meal.
Ross dried his hands on a towel and looked over his shoulder at her.
"You'll feel it soon enough," he said cryptically.
"What?"
"Nothing," he replied with a wink. "Just get ready. Next time, I'm making dessert."
Ross leaned back in his chair, patting his stomach with satisfaction.
"That hit the spot," he said, glancing at Heaven with a teasing smile. "All done. Now… since I cooked, you get to wash the dishes."
Heaven blinked, then frowned in mock annoyance. "Seriously?" she pouted.
"House rules," Ross replied with a grin, leaning back like a smug king surveying his domain.
With a dramatic sigh, she stood up and began gathering the plates.
"Fine, fine. You better make dessert next time, though," she muttered, half-joking, half-hoping.
She carried the dishes into the kitchen and walked up to the sink—only to be immediately ambushed by several housemates who were loitering nearby.
"What are you doing, Heaven?" one of them asked, clearly baffled.