Ye Qiu’s culinary skills were known to be extraordinary, understood only by Liu Lingxiu and Xiaomai, because they were aware that the chefs at the Imperial Cuisine Restaurant were trained by Ye Qiu.

Of course, besides preparing palace cuisine, Ye Qiu was also proficient in the other eight major Huaxia cuisines. However, he seldom cooked personally.

Upon hearing that Ye Qiu was going to cook personally, the women naturally had different thoughts.

Liu Lingxiu assumed Ye Qiu was cooking personally to reward Cao Ling.

After all, last night Cao Ling served Ye Qiu exceedingly well.

When Ye Qiu brought the seafood to the kitchen, he found all the necessary utensils already there.

As Liu Lingxiu and Xiaomai entered to help, even Cao Ling and Lin Xiang, who had never been in a kitchen before, wanted to assist.

For someone like Cao Ling, who was always attended by nannies, cooking personally was unheard of.

And some of the seafood had sharp edges and hadn’t been properly handled, making it easy to injure oneself, especially with no gloves available.

They wanted to help, but Ye Qiu didn’t see the need to say much.

Ye Qiu primarily opted for steamed dishes.

Such as steamed abalone, steamed sea snails, steamed lobsters, etc.

Ye Qiu helped clean up and then started cooking.

From nine in the morning until around eleven, over twenty dishes were prepared, filling up the table.

When he had Cao Ling call Cao Long and the others over, they hadn’t anticipated Ye Qiu would personally cook.

When they arrived and saw the table full of dishes, they found it astonishing.

"Dr. Ye, did you really make all this?"

Cao Long asked in disbelief.

"It’s nothing."

If Cao Long knew that Ye Qiu’s Imperial Cuisine chain had many branches in The East Ocean, he might not have thought that way.

They ate and chatted while Ye Qiu bought two to three thousand worth of seafood, more than enough for them.

Previously, they had tasted dishes made by Imperial Chefs in Capital City, often during significant festivals they had the chance to eat at the auditorium with their elders.

Yet, while those dishes looked pleasing, they weren’t as delicious as what Ye Qiu prepared now.

Indeed, Ye Qiu’s culinary skills surpassed those of the Imperial Chefs.

"I heard that Ye Feng is almost done for."

Cao Long said.

Though Cao Long and Young Master Zhou weren’t in Capital City now, but over two hundred kilometers away in Qinhuangdao, they were well-aware of the situation there.

Almost done for?

It meant that he was close to dying.

Only a few days had passed, and considering the spread of the cancer cells, it wasn’t all too quick.

Ye Qiu didn’t wish for Ye Feng to die swiftly, but rather to slowly experience the torment of dying from disease.

If he died easily, it would be too cheap for him.

"I heard the cancer cells have spread throughout his body, and he’s beyond saving. Yesterday, it was said that the Ye Family began preparations for his funeral."

In truth, Ye Feng was only in his twenties, and dying young was definitely no joyous affair. The Ye Family wouldn’t make a big show of it but would likely set up a mourning hall at home for relatives and friends to pay their last respects before sending him to the crematorium.

"Isn’t that too easy for him?"

Ye Qiu asked.

When Ye Qiu uttered those words, Cao Long and Young Master Zhou didn’t quite understand what he meant.

"He attempted to assassinate me multiple times, and dying like that is indeed too easy for him."

Ye Qiu said.

"I heard that he’s in great pain now, almost always in a coma, struggling to stay conscious, and doctors can only give him painkillers."

"It truly is too easy for him."

Ye Qiu said again.

Still, Young Master Zhou and the others didn’t grasp the relationship between Ye Qiu and the Ye Family.

While continuing to eat, Ye Qiu asked, "Did Ye Feng ever marry?"

"Not yet, though he has a suitable fiancée in Capital City; Ye Feng has been reluctant to marry, so it’s been postponed."

Nowadays, many of the younger generation from the eighties and nineties, especially those from wealthy families, aren’t keen on rushing into marriage, unlike those from the sixties and seventies who adhered to family arrangements and married early.

For Cao Long and Young Master Zhou, getting married after thirty wasn’t considered late, as they prioritized enjoyment, fun, entertainment, and leisure.

Their families typically planned for them to enter the military, government, or business, but these individuals preferred to enjoy their familial benefits rather than expend great effort.

Those genuinely capable and diligent, like Ye Feng and the head of the Crown Prince’s Faction, were the ones who gravitated towards politics and worked hard, earning favor from their elders.

Unexpectedly, Ye Feng was on the verge of dying now.

Thus, Young Master Zhou and the others found it meaningless for Ye Feng, who had worked so hard, only for his life to end prematurely.

He didn’t really enjoy life, squandering his time in the world.

Once dead, who knows which family he might be reborn into in the next life, nor whether there will be another family for him to relish.

"His death is of no consequence."

Ye Qiu coldly remarked again.

Ye Qiu knew he had indeed benefited because had Ye Feng not sent someone to assassinate his predecessor, the predecessor wouldn’t have died in the car accident, leaving him without the chance to inherit this body, nor the life he leads now.

But this had nothing to do with what Ye Feng did; the opponent must perish, and perish miserably.

Otherwise, Ye Qiu couldn’t settle accounts with the predecessor, nor give himself closure.

If it were a mere ant who hadn’t provoked him, Ye Qiu wouldn’t have troubled him unnecessarily; hence Ye Feng brought this upon himself.

In essence, life and death are fate, wealth, and honor lie in the heavens.

Indeed, the saying held true.

"Dr. Ye, I heard that the painting you gifted my third great-grandfather that got stolen, now there’s a lead."

"Did they find it?" Cao Ling asked quickly.

"It’s nearly solved, and indeed as Dr. Ye said, it was done by one of our own."

By one of our own?

No need to mention, it was certainly done by someone within the Cao Family.

The Cao Family consisted of over a hundred members, many of whom harbored greed.

However, this didn’t concern Cao Long much, and he wasn’t eager to return home quickly, intending to go back once the theft case of the painting was resolved.

"As they say, guarding against thieves is easier said than done when it comes to family."

"This is likely a Cao Family scandal, unlikely to reveal who’s responsible, but I’ll find out soon."

Which member of the Cao Family was responsible? While the family might not disclose it, Cao Long would likely discern it from changes within.

Moreover, even if he didn’t ask, someone would surely talk about it eventually.