Cooking Gourmet Meals in the Apocalypse

Chapter 342: Chapter 340: The Mystery of One’s Background

Xu Anguo nodded without the slightest hesitation, even offering Lu Wanrou a smile. ”That’s right! Did you think I actually loved you? Wrong. The person I love is definitely not you. I was only after the Lu Family’s Research Institute! If you must blame someone, blame yourself for being born into the Lu Family.”

”Conveniently, I also needed a woman to bear my child, and you were the perfect candidate. It’s your brother’s fault for being such an animal. He didn’t want you to take any part of his inheritance, so even though he knew I didn’t love you, he still welcomed me into the Lu Family. He saw that I had no background and would be easy to control.”

”Did you know? The reason I found you here is because he guessed that Uncle Zhong wasn’t dead and gave me the address! He knew I was coming here to deal with you, and over there, he’s probably already making a move against that unambitious little brother of yours!”

Even as strong as Lu Wanrou was, she couldn’t help but cry out in anguish upon hearing that the brother she cherished most was in danger.

She hadn’t contacted him precisely because she was afraid of dragging him into her troubles.

’To think... her own brother would make a move against their younger brother?’

She didn’t know the extent of Lu Bingtian’s ambition, but she had always felt a sense of distance from her older brother. That was why she never even considered relying on him when danger struck.

”Xu Anguo, for the sake of our marriage, can you please spare our daughter?” Her tears gave way to deepening despair. Lu Wanrou suddenly walked toward Xu Anguo, pleading.

Li Zhong seemed to have guessed what Lu Wanru was about to do and was just about to stop her.

But Lu Wanrou paid him no mind, thrusting the knife in her hand toward Xu Anguo.

Xu Anguo was already on guard. He countered by twisting her wrist, breaking it, and simultaneously plunging the knife into her body. ”You think you can pull that on me? I said you all have to die, and you will!”

Lu Wanrou slowly collapsed to the ground, but her hands gripped his legs tightly. ”Uncle Zhong, run!”

Uncle Zhong knew she was using the last of her strength to help him escape. Even though tears blurred his vision, he still turned and fled into a room.

Countless times, Lu Wanrou had told him that if they ever faced danger, he was to save himself no matter what and stay alive.

All so that Shanshan might one day escape from Xu Anguo’s grasp.

At the very least, someone had to tell her that her mother had no choice but to leave her.

Just that morning, Lu Wanrou had brought it up again. ”Uncle Zhong, I have a bad feeling... Sooner or later, Xu Anguo will find this place. If there’s danger...”

”I’ll make sure I get out alive!” Li Zhong, sensing Lu Wanrou’s unease, had feigned agreement.

’He never thought that when the moment of danger truly came, he would actually choose to save himself.’

He despised himself, but he clung to his determination to find Shanshan as he escaped through the secret passage.

It was an escape route they had prepared for just such an occasion.

”Shanshan... I’ve failed you!” As he spoke, Uncle Zhong fell to his knees.

This self-blame and guilt had weighed on him for many years.

Chen Xing suppressed the pain welling in her chest and pulled Uncle Zhong up. ”Uncle Zhong, please get up!”

’That was my mother’s wish. What right do I have to blame Uncle Zhong?’

’Besides, in that situation, staying behind would have meant certain death. Choosing to live was clearly the wise decision.’

Uncle Zhong’s heart was filled with guilt. ”All these years, I’ve traveled all over the world, but I could never find you. I never imagined...”

He was in the United States when he heard that a pair of emerald earrings had fallen into the hands of a woman named Chen Xing. He even saw her photograph.

She looked so much like Lu Wanrou that he rushed here without a moment’s hesitation.

Although a long time had passed, he felt he hadn’t failed Lu Wanrou in the end.

Chen Xing didn’t doubt Uncle Zhong’s words in the slightest. A person’s eyes can’t lie.

”Uncle Zhong, thank you!” Chen Xing felt she owed Uncle Zhong her gratitude.

To fulfill a promise, he had searched for so many years without ever giving up. Not everyone was capable of such persistence.

Uncle Zhong’s eyes were already brimming with tears.

His persistence hadn’t been in vain after all. He could finally face his young miss.

”Oh, right! Your younger uncle heard that I might have found you and wanted to come along, but I talked him out of it. I told him to take care of the family business over there first before coming to find you!” Uncle Zhong had almost forgotten the most important thing.

”My younger uncle?” Chen Xing recalled the young man in the family portrait she had seen at Lu Bingtian’s villa.

”Your mother’s biological younger brother, Lu Yutian. He’s also been searching for you all these years, non-stop!”

A wave of uncertainty suddenly washed over Chen Xing.

She didn’t know how she was supposed to face this sole remaining blood relative.

And so, Uncle Zhong told Chen Xing everything he knew.

The two then started talking about the emerald earrings.

”The emerald earrings are a Lu Family heirloom. Originally, it was a four-piece set. When your grandfather was head of the family, they fell on hard times, so he sold three of the pieces, leaving only an emerald ring. He intended to buy them back once they had money again, but he was never able to find them. The emerald ring... the young miss gave it to you for your sixteenth birthday. I imagine it’s long gone by now, isn’t it?”

Chen Xing: ”...”

’She couldn’t very well show Uncle Zhong the tattoo engraved on her finger, could she?’

”My ring was stolen, but... I remembered what it looked like, so I got a matching tattoo!” As she spoke, she actually showed the tattoo on her finger to Uncle Zhong.

”Forget it! It must be fate. As long as you remember your mother’s love, that’s what matters!” Uncle Zhong reminded her, ”Since you’ve found the earrings, be sure to keep them safe from now on!”

It wasn’t that he hadn’t heard the wondrous legends about the earrings. And he himself had suddenly been transported from a moment of extreme peril to a safe place—it must have been related to the earrings.

Since his own young miss had obtained them by a fortunate coincidence, it was for the best.

He was selfish in that way, wanting the young miss he cared for most to have the very best.

”I will, Uncle Zhong!” Chen Xing could feel the old man’s sincerity and felt at ease.

It was as if they had been given just enough time to talk about the past. As soon as they finished the important parts, Xiao Li pushed the door open from outside. ”Uncle Zhong, someone’s coming up!” He then closed the door and stood guard.

Chen Xing had already heard them. And there were quite a few.

Not wanting Uncle Zhong to be in danger, she said to him, ”This might be a little uncomfortable, Uncle Zhong!” With that, she pulled him directly into the Black Cat Space.

People couldn’t enter her other spaces.

’Otherwise, wouldn’t it have been much better to let Uncle Zhong relax comfortably in the house space?’

She walked over to the kitchen, stored away a few important items, and then opened the door and walked out.

When Xiao Li and Little Chen didn’t see Uncle Zhong, they guessed that Chen Xing was worried about the old man’s safety and had put him somewhere safe first.

’That’s for the best!’

”When we charge down, don’t leave the ten-meter radius around me!” As she spoke, Chen Xing’s Defense Shield was already active.

Actually, she could have put the two of them into her space as well and gone to fight alone.

’But... that would create a dependency. In the future, if she wasn’t around to help, they would be in even more danger.’

’It’s better to let them fight and improve their abilities as they usually do.’

Before heading down, Chen Xing had the two of them drink some spring water.

Chen Xing had no intention of leaving just yet; she didn’t want the hotel to be endangered.

After descending four floors, they came face-to-face with the opposing group.