That night, lying in bed, Ji Rongxia told Gu Tangjin, “I can practice my cooking skills in the system space for longer now—two whole hours. You should go to sleep early. No need to wait up for me.”

He patted the spot beside him, gesturing for Gu Tangjin to lie down.

Staying up this late would make the day unbearable.

Gu Tangjin felt uneasy, but he lay down anyway. Turning to face Ji Rongxia, he said, “If anything happens after you return, just wake me up.”

Ji Rongxia slid his index finger lightly across Gu Tangjin’s high, straight nose twice. “I know. Don’t worry. If I get anything good, I’ll definitely tell you!”

“You said it yourself—remember to wake me. And even though you’re not really working, you’ll still get tired. So be careful not to practice too long.“ Gu Tangjin firmly grasped Ji Rongxia’s slender fingers as he cautioned him.

”Don’t worry, I promise. I swear on the little ghost inside me. If I lie, may it abandon me.“ Ji Rongxia’s eyes sparkled with mischief as he stuck out his tongue.

Gu Tangjin: ”…”

The semi-dormant yet perceptive Cooking God System: “…”

“Sleep now.” Gu Tangjin rose to extinguish the oil lamp by the bedside before lying down beside Ji Rongxia once more.

“Then you should close your eyes first?” Ji Rongxia asked, his large eyes wide open.

Gu Tangjin shut his eyes: ” Is this okay?“

”Alright, alright.” Ji Rongxia placed his right arm under his neck, gazed contentedly at Gu Tangjin’s handsome face several times, then finally closed his own eyes.

Soon, his body slipped into sleep.

He appeared in the familiar eatery, and Ji Rongxia stretched lazily.

“Host, welcome back to the System Space. Shall I activate a mission?” The Cooking God System floated beside Ji Rongxia.

“Hold on. Since you can stay awake during the day now, Tangjin and I can’t keep calling you ‘little ghost’ all the time—it sounds awkward. Do you have a name?” Anyway, there’s plenty of time. Ji Rongxia wasn’t in a rush to start the mission.

The Cooking God System stuttered for two seconds: ”I’ve had them. Xiao Yun, Xiao Tong. Most hosts just call me ‘System’. Would you like to name me, Host?“

”Not really. It’s just that calling you ‘little ghost’ all the time doesn’t feel right. “ Ji Rongxia pondered. ”You’ve already been called Xiao Yun, and everyone calls that Diao family girl Xiao Yun, too. So, how about I call you Little Master? What do you think? It’s fine, even if someone overhears, they won’t know what we’re talking about! Besides, you are teaching me cooking. Father is my Grand Master, so you can be my Little Master.”

“Hmm, even though you’re a bit more skilled, things should follow a proper order of precedence, right?”

The Cooking God System’s data was a bit jumbled, and it couldn’t respond immediately.

“What’s up? Why aren’t you saying anything? Tell me what you think.” Ji Rongxia asked when the system remained silent.

“Very… very good, Host. I like it.” The Cooking God System hurriedly replied.

“Then that’s what we’ll call it. Come on, little master, assign a task. Just the fundamentals module—don’t keep picking knife skills. I’ve been practicing my knife skills pretty well lately. Let’s work on something else.” Ji Rongxia hinted quite openly.

Cooking God System: “Understood.”

【Host has selected the Fundamentals Module.】

【Ding! Fundamentals Module Beginner Task: Season twenty classic dishes based on your intuition. (Perfect versions provided for tasting)】

【Task Requirement: Seasoning pass rate must exceed fifty percent.】

【Reward: Ten spins on the Seasoning Prize Wheel.】

“Twenty?!” Ji Rongxia repeated, “Little Chef, that’s a lot of dishes!”

The Cooking God System explained, “Though I haven’t cataloged this minor world’s unique culinary culture yet, I’ve visited countless similar minor worlds. I can easily filter out tens of thousands of distinct classic dishes.”

“Hold up—you said classic. What about less impressive dishes?” Ji Rongxia zeroed in on the key point.

“Millions more.”

Ji Rongxia stared blankly. “I can’t even wrap my head around how many dishes that is.”

“Never mind. No matter how many, I have to start with this task. Come on, I’m not afraid.” Ji Rongxia rolled up his sleeves and strode toward the kitchen, his steps unwavering.

The moment he reached the stove, dozens of bowls filled with various seasonings appeared to her left. Among them were simple ground spices, assorted sauces, and diverse marinades. while his right side was lined with shredded meat, wood ear mushrooms, chili peppers, and other ingredients.

【First Dish: Fish-Fragrant Shredded Pork.】

【Tip: Simplified recipe follows: Marinate shredded pork with salt, sugar, cooking wine, starch, and oil. Prepare a thickening sauce beforehand with salt, soy sauce, starch, and broth. Heat oil in a wok, stir-fry pork until white. Push pork to the side. Add red chili peppers, chili flakes, scallions, ginger, and garlic. Once fragrant, mix with pork strips. Add shredded carrots and other vegetables, stir-fry briefly.】

【Host, please sample the finished dish.】

As the system’s prompt faded, a small bowl of Fish-Fragrant Shredded Pork appeared before Ji Rongxia, and a pair of chopsticks materialized inexplicably in his hand.

“This is Fish-Fragrant Shredded Pork? Why such a name? Does the meat taste fishy?” Ji Rongxia picked up the chopsticks curiously, took a bite, and placed them in his mouth.

Ji Rongxia chewed the meat slowly.

It smelled spicy, but the actual spiciness wasn’t pronounced. Instead, it genuinely had the fresh, savory flavor of fish.

“Delicious,” Ji Rongxia nodded as he ate. Just as he reached for another bite, the fish-flavored shredded pork and the chopsticks in his hand vanished!!!

The little chef was being stingy, only letting him have one bite.

The Cooking God System explained before the host could ask: “Host, I didn’t mean to. It’s just the mission requirement—you could only taste one bite.”

Ji Rongxia: “Alright, alright.”

【Begin seasoning according to the recipe prompts. (Host may sample ingredients and seasonings provided by the system, then adjust quantities as deemed appropriate based on the recipe.)】

“Already starting?” Ji Rongxia picked up a bowl.

He first walked over to the ingredients.

To catch the thief, catch the king first—he needed to determine how much shredded pork one serving of fish-flavored shredded pork required before pairing it with other ingredients and seasonings.

He thought for a moment, scooped up two handfuls of pork strips, then selected what he thought was the right amount of shredded carrots, wood ear mushrooms, and other ingredients.

Since tasting wouldn’t make him sick, Ji Rongxia didn’t hold back. He sampled every ingredient and seasoning, not even skipping the raw pork strips.

After sampling all the ingredients, he suddenly realized the fishy aroma didn’t come from the seasonings at all—it came from the chili paste!!!

“Did they actually add fish to this pickled chili paste?” Ji Rongxia exclaimed in surprise.

“Congratulations, Host, you’re correct. Its full name is Fish Chili Paste, made with bright red chili peppers, pickled vegetable brine, and crucian carp.”

“You can do that? Impressive.” Ji Rongxia took a couple more bites. These peppers weren’t as fiery as Millet chili, and the flavor was actually quite good. They’d probably make a decent side dish on their own.

After finishing the fish-flavored chili peppers, Ji Rongxia began marinating the meat.

“This starch tastes different from flour,” Ji Rongxia remarked after a few bites. It was slippery and slightly cloying.

“It’s extracted from high-starch foods. In this world, wheat, sorghum, cassava, taro, peas, mung beans, and red beans can all be processed into starch. Depending on its consistency, it’s suitable for different dishes and pastries. Using starch to marinate meat makes it tender and smooth.”

“What am I eating now?” Ji Rongxia swallowed the starch in her mouth and asked.

Cooking God System: “Cornstarch.”

“Cornstarch? Another thing I’ve never heard of.” Ji Rongxia shook his head and began marinating the shredded meat.

Once he finished marinating the meat and prepared the thickening sauce, it felt like invisible hands had taken over the stir-frying!

Ji Rongxia instinctively took a step back.

“This feels like a ghost is cooking,” Ji Rongxia remarked.

Of course, he wasn’t the least bit scared. Instead, he watched intently—noting the oil temperature for adding pork strips, observing the technique for releasing aromas, and so on.

Every bit of knowledge counted.

Not only did he watch closely, but he also continued sampling the seasonings he hadn’t tasted earlier while preparing the dish.

Cooking God System: “…”

The host sure is calm.

Soon, a plate of fish-flavored shredded pork was served by that invisible hand. Ji Rongxia felt a bit nervous. It looked okay, but wouldn’t it be awful?

Ji Rongxia heard the familiar notification sound again.

【Ding! Detection confirms Fish-Fragrant Pork Seasoning completion at 63%. Qualified!】

【Proceed to season next dish.】

“Wow, sixty-three is way better than fifty!” Ji Rongxia instantly felt more confident.

【Host, please taste.】

A pair of chopsticks appeared in Ji Rongxia’s hand.

Ji Rongxia hadn’t expected to actually eat his own seasoned shredded pork. Delighted, he picked up a forkful and popped it into his mouth.

Hmm, too much chili—a bit too spicy.

Also slightly too salty.

Too much starch was added, making it sticky and glutinous. Not refreshing to eat.

Even after just one bite, Ji Rongxia clearly tasted the difference between his seasoned shredded pork and a perfectly finished dish.

“Host, shall you continue with the shredded pork or move on to the next dish?” the Cooking God System inquired.

“Hmm, continue with the fish-flavored shredded pork. I think sixty-three is still too low. It’s far from a hundred. I should at least get it to over seventy.” Ji Rongxia’s stubborn streak kicked in instantly. If not perfect, it couldn’t be too far off either.

Cooking God System: “Understood, Host.”

The finished fish-flavored shredded pork vanished, and the various seasonings and ingredients returned to their places.

Ji Rongxia rolled up his sleeves and began seasoning anew.

But this whole score-boosting thing was addictive. After hitting the 70s, he thought, “Seventy-something is still a bit low. Might as well aim for the 80s.”

Once he reached the 80s, he felt it still wasn’t enough. At least the 90s were necessary.

After all, he was the Culinary God.

Wasn’t a higher score only natural?

He toiled away for nearly two hours.

The Cooking God System watched its host gradually lose himself in the process, shifting from “good enough” to an obsession with perfection.

As the latest batch of fish-flavored shredded pork was served, Ji Rongxia heard the system’s notification.

【Ding! Detection confirms Fish-Fragrant Shredded Pork seasoning completion at 98%. Exceeding 95% triggers a special reward.】

【Ding! Special Reward: Detailed recipes for both the host’s seasoned Fish-Fragrant Shredded Pork and the Perfect Fish-Fragrant Shredded Pork.】

Ji Rongxia: “!!”

“There’s a reward like this?” Ji Rongxia had been exhausted, but upon hearing about this reward, his fatigue vanished instantly.

They were giving him the food he’d painstakingly seasoned!

And the recipe too!

Even the Cooking God System was a bit surprised: “For this task, no host has ever solo-completed a single dish above ninety-five percent.”

While some hosts did grind scores, they typically only reached around ninety percent. Ji Rongxia’s talent was truly exceptional—he’d managed to hit ninety-five percent!

Ji Rongxia remembered it clearly: he’d adjusted the seasoning eighteen times.

That meant he could get eighteen dishes.

Ji Rongxia did the math in his head. If he could get over 90% on every dish, that would mean over three hundred dishes plus twenty recipes!

Oh my, how embarrassing.

Ji Rongxia rubbed his hands together excitedly: “Then I won’t hold back!”