Lillian wasn't surprised when the Chen family left her locked in her room, even after not noticing her presence on the dinner table.
In their house, discipline was everything—rules were rules, and there was no room for bending them. That especially applied to food. Therefore, growing up, they kept a strict control over their children's diet.
However, Lillian had rebelliousness embedded into her blood from a young age.
The snacks, which were remarked as dirty and unhealthy by Chen family, were sneaked in by her, and she hid them in her room.
Every time her secret stash was discovered, she would get badly punished and have her pocket money confisticated. But the more they did this, the more she would find better places to hide her snacks.
Now, sitting at the edge of bed with empty packet of chips in her hand, her hunger was far from being satiated, but beggars can't be choosers.
In her streak of pleasing the Chen family in her last life, she gave up her taste and stuck with the Chen family's preference.
Lillian turned off the lights to her room and was about to head to bed when she heard the subtle movements outside her door. All this while, she thought hard on how to get out the room, and these fools provided her with an opportunity to do so.
With hurried and quiet footsteps, Lillian hid behind the door. Then, when she heard the sound of door being unlocked, the corner of her lips curled up. The door pushed open next, and footsteps of two people followed.
As they entered, Lillian immediately slipped out of the room and shut the door behind her. Before the people in her room could notice, she locked the doors behind and walked away. In her hand was a packet of instant noodles which she repeatedly tossed in the air and caught with practiced ease.
Humming softly to herself, she made her way to the kitchen.
The heavily sound-proofed walls and somewhat isolated location of the room will keep those fools intact for now while she enjoyed her meals. Only after her stomach is full will she be able to conjure ideas to keep the family in place.
The entire mansion was shrouded in quietness. Lillian turned on the lights of the kitchen and boiled a pot of water.
Meanwhile, she prepared rest of the ingredients.
Another skill she pick up while trying to win Chen family's heart was cooking.
Her older brother Jason had always been a picky eater. As a child, he'd refuse anything that tasted even slightly off from what he expected. That habit only worsened with age. Eventually, he was diagnosed with a gastrointestinal disorder that left him hospitalized more than once making Lillian worried.
Lillian never liked the kitchen- the greasy fumes, sharp smells, and constant clatters. However, her concern for Jason powered her determination to master cooking.
Without telling her family, she signed up for secret cooking classes and practiced on her own late into the night. Growing up, Lillian was the closest to Jason and most family with his hard to please taste buds.
One evening, her mentor smiled and mentioned, "Whoever you are learning this hard to cook for, they are really lucky."
Lillian smiled and responded, "It's for my older brother. This is nothing. I am the lucky one."
Learning how to cook wasn't an easy feat for Lillian, especially when it was for a picky eater like Jason. There were many trials and errors. She cut and burned herself a couple times, leaving behind scars. However, she wasn't willing to present him with anything half-baked.
And then, after a month of effort, she knocked on his door. Jason had just returned from the hospital, weak and recovering after a serious flare-up that caused internal bleeding. Upon receiving his permission, she entered his office, and in her was the bowl of congee she cooked for him.
"You better be here for something good," he muttered.
His visibly annoyed tone did not faze her enthusiasm when she presented the bowl in front of him. She saw the doubts in his eyes and gently said, "I made it, Jason."
"You did it?" His eyebrow lifted.
Lillian nodded. "I tasted it a few times. I think... it should be just right for you."
The man scooped up some congee with spoon and brought it to his lips.
Nervousness gripped her chest when her eyes remained locked on his face. Jason closed his eyes for a second before slamming the spoon in the bowl with a sharp clatter. Lillian flinched at the impact.
"This is disgusting," he commented.
The small smile she'd been wearing froze in place. She stepped forward, brows furrowed, reaching for the bowl. "That can't be right. Let me taste it—"
"Take this crap and get out of here," Jason snapped, cutting her off. "It was a mistake to expect anything from you. Don't go messing around in the kitchen and bothering others. You ought to be more self-aware by now."
Her throat tightened, and her eyes stung at his sharp words. But she couldn't let herself cry.
She quietly picked up the bowl and stepped out of the room. Her head hung low. Once she stepped out the room, she closed the door behind her and leaned against it, her fingers trembling against the warm porcelain. finally tasting the congee in her hand.
She lifted a spoonful to her lips. The congee was simple—light, warm, with a familiar, subtle flavor.
It tasted exactly the same from her memory.
Lillian stood still in the hallway, swallowing it down slowly. Then she shook her head.
It must be her fault. Maybe she had misremembered the taste.
But days later, she learned that one of Jason's medications altered his taste perception, making everything taste bitter and metallic.
However, Lillian was not discouraged. She continued to improve her cooking skills.
On his birthday, Lillian worked hard in the kitchen to freshly prepare hand-pulled longevity noodles for him. When she was finally done, she took it over to him. Jason, who was busy with work, had her settle the bowl on the table. That's when, Eva came over with her bowl of noodles and presented it to Jason.
The noodles were clumped together, the soup too rich and red, and worse—cilantro floated on top. Jason hated cilantro. It even smelled off.
However, instead of rejecting, Jason accepted the bowl of noodles and took a bite. Under Eva's bright eyes, his expression did not flinch when he took a bite.
Eva carefully said, "Jason, you don't have to eat it. I know I am not that good at cooking, and you have a weak stomach."
Jason shook his head. "It is your thought that counts. My stomach isn't that fragile."
"You are really nice, Jason," Eva said, her eyes misting. "There was no one to teach me how to cook. I was alone at home most of the times. So, I just ate raw food or whatever I could heat up. No one cared for me this much. I will learn to cook better for you."
Then, Jason noticed her bandaged thumb and expressed distress for her. Holding her hand, he softly chided, "Silly girl, you don't need to learn how to cook for me. What are all these servants for then? It will make everyone sad. Be obedient, alright?"
Lillian silently watched them share affection. Her abandoned bowl of noodles sat on the table, steam slowly fading.
She recalled when she presented the congee to Jason, her hand was all wounded and bandaged up. It was more serious than the injury Eva had on her thumb.
She looked down at her hands—faint scars still marked her fingers.
But Jason never noticed.
Thump!
The knife in Lillian's hand fell down heavily on the sausage on the chopping card, slicing it instantly.
"No, Lillian, you can't treat the food in your hand as Jason Chen or else it will be too disgusting to eat."