Chapter 57: Keep Pretending

"Mr. Wang, please don’t grieve too much," Chen Yun said, gazing at the ashen-faced old man. His heart ached. He didn’t need to think long to know that it was surely a family member who had acted out of greed and ambition, and nothing in life brought more pain than betrayal by one's kin.

"Chen, since you could smell that Old Wang was poisoned, is there any way to cure it?" Jiang Shan, who had been silent for a while, suddenly asked.

"I can—" Chen Yun was just about to speak when the door opened. The young man pushed in a meal cart.

"Grandpa, the head chef says this time the snake soup was made with a new recipe and new ingredients, so it took a bit longer," the young man said, placing four bowls of snake soup on the table. He then picked up the bowl with noticeably more soup and set it in front of the elderly man, taking his seat. "Everyone, drink up. This stuff isn’t as good once it’s cold."

Chen Yun glanced at the three bowls labeled "Secret Millennium Snake Soup" on the table, then at the bowl before the old man, which bore the label "Poisoned Secret Millennium Snake Soup (Poison Neutralized)." A cold smile flickered across his face; he had already identified the culprit.

"Indeed, this is a delicacy. Let’s drink before it cools," Chen Yun said, patting Old Wang’s leg under the table. When Old Wang looked at him, Chen Yun gave a subtle nod, then lifted the soup and drank half in one gulp. "Delicious!"

"Player Chen Yun has used 'Secret Millennium Snake Soup.' Poison Resistance +10%."

Ye Ming was stunned by the system prompt. Only a 10% increase in poison resistance? Wasn’t it supposed to be 50%?

Could it be that the Millennium Snake Pill was split, reducing its effect?

Damn, the system really pinches every penny.

Seeing Chen Yun drink, Wang Hong calmly picked up his spoon and took a sip. This snake soup was unlike any he’d had before. Previously, it merely warmed him and filled his belly, but this time he felt an unmistakable lightness.

Yes, a feeling of lightness, as if a man bearing hundreds of pounds had suddenly cast off his burden. His entire body felt inexplicably free.

Wang Hong quickly drank again, and the sensation intensified. He even felt a trace of strength returning to his limbs.

One sip, two, three—in no time, Wang Hong had downed half a bowl, never pausing or coughing. This astonished his grandson, Wang Jiong.

What was going on?

Under the effects of the Heart-Eating Poison, Grandpa always struggled with food, no matter what it was. It took ages for him to swallow a single bite, and he’d cough incessantly. How could he take so many sips now without any trouble? Could the chef’s new ingredients counteract the poison?

As soon as this thought crossed his mind, Wang Jiong sneered inwardly. Impossible. The Heart-Eating Poison was incurable, not even immortals could undo it!

"This snake soup is truly superb. Drinking it makes me feel so much lighter, with newfound strength throughout my body. This is medicinal cuisine," Jiang Shan exclaimed after finishing his bowl. "No wonder it’s the signature dish of Azure Blue Hotel—it truly lives up to its reputation."

"Indeed, it’s the first time I’ve tasted such wonderful snake soup. But at fifty-eight purple coins per bowl, it’s a bit pricey," Chen Yun agreed.

"Heh, my friend, you’re mistaken. Fifty-eight purple coins is just the price for the ordinary snake soup here. What we’re enjoying now is the special secret recipe, at one hundred eighty-eight purple coins a bowl. It’s a whole different thing," Wang Jiong said with a smug smile.

"Oh? What makes it different?" Chen Yun feigned ignorance.

"The snake soup we drink is made exclusively from wild king cobra meat aged over fifty years. Only those of high status can savor it. The common folk outside can never compare, and the effects—and price—are accordingly greater," Wang Jiong replied with an air of superiority.

"Oh my, then I must be a commoner. Does that mean I’m not qualified to drink this? Good heavens, does a single sip cost me eighteen purple coins?" Chen Yun exclaimed, mouth agape in exaggerated shock.

Country bumpkin. Even if you become a master chef, you’re still a bumpkin, Wang Jiong thought with contempt, though he maintained a facade of disapproval. "Chef Chen, you’re mistaken. You’re now a master chef, destined for greatness. Your status can’t be compared to the masses—you’re perfectly entitled to enjoy such delicacies."

"Enough!" Wang Hong suddenly slammed the table. "What nonsense is that? Always talking about commoners—who do you think you are? If Chef Chen is a commoner, so am I. Just because life improves, we shouldn’t forget where we came from. Why am I even telling you this?" He lifted his bowl and drained the rest of the soup in one gulp.

Wang Jiong was dumbfounded. Damn, the old man actually picked up the bowl and finished it in one go. Could the snake soup really cure the poison?

How could this be?

"Grandpa, how do you feel now?" Wang Jiong asked tentatively.

Chen Yun’s right hand remained on Wang Hong’s leg. As Wang Jiong spoke, Chen Yun quickly traced the words, "Feign illness," on his leg.

Understanding, Wang Hong suddenly erupted into a fit of coughing, speaking between hacks. "How do I feel? Cough, cough. I’m about to be angered to death by your last comment, cough, cough. Old Jiang and Chef Chen traveled so far to visit, cough, cough, and you—cough, cough..."

Seeing his grandfather so breathless from coughing, Wang Jiong felt reassured. The old man must be having a surge of energy. As he thought, there is no antidote for Heart-Eating Poison in this world!

"Since it’s rare for me to visit, I’d like another bowl. Brother Wang, could you please get me one more?" Chen Yun said, eyes gleaming.

"Of course, you can have as much as you want. Wait here, I’ll go buy it for you," Wang Jiong replied cheerfully, heading out. Earlier, he had added another slow-acting poison to his grandfather’s bowl, meant to intensify the effects of the Heart-Eating Poison. The thought that Grandpa wouldn’t last much longer thrilled him; once the old man passed, with his and his father’s methods, the entire Wang Group would be theirs for the taking.

Once Wang Jiong was out of earshot, Chen Yun whispered, "Don’t startle the snake. Mr. Wang, you must keep up the appearance of being gravely ill, even on the verge of death, so that those hidden enemies still lurking will be forced to show themselves. Once they do, you’ll know how to deal with them."

Wang Hong nodded, startled by the young man's meticulous mind. Everything he’d considered, Chen Yun had already articulated perfectly. Wang Hong couldn’t help but marvel—was this truly an eighteen-year-old youth?

"Chen, when you went to the kitchen earlier, did you—" Jiang Shan began, suddenly struck by a thought.