Cooking in the Monster Sanctuary - Chapter 6 - Part 2

Her palm didn’t touch the cheek but remained a few millimeters away, and a faint warmth enveloping the ear, Lin Yu chuckled.

Her movement was unexpectedly swift. In the blink of an eye, she grabbed the girl’s wrist and twisted it aside.

Mino winced in pain and was about to protest when her lips were gently covered by a finger.

Lin Yu’s expression was relaxed, and her tone casual, “Coincidentally, I also like beautiful people.”

As she spoke, she took a step forward. Her fingertip moved from beneath her lip, passing by the girl’s chin and slender neck. Finally resting on the butterfly-like spread of the collarbone, leaving a tingling sensation.

What kind of move was that?

As a succubus, Mino had always been the one to tease, never had she been suppressed by a human like this. This woman’s actions and tone were just too skilled!

Oh no, she didn’t want this! She just wanted to playfully interact with this seemingly harmless new person. Why did the other person take the initiative to approach her like this? And most importantly…

She had a fear of physical contact, you see.

Being a succubus with an aversion to physical contact, these two things seemed completely incompatible. Unfortunately, Mino was the exception.

Despite her psychological barriers, she couldn’t control her innate succubus nature to tease people, often resorting to verbal flirting and targeting newbies who blushed at the slightest hint of indecency.

But why was this woman so different from what she expected? She was being playful, not flirtatious! And why was she lunging forward? Most importantly…

She had an aversion to touch!

Mino couldn’t help trembling. She was about to push Lin Yu away forcefully when she unexpectedly heard her continue, “Really cute. From the first moment I saw you, I liked you…”

Her hand continued to slide down, the previously lingering white steam in the kitchen seemed even thicker now. Wrapped in billowing heat, it scorched at the base of her ear as Lin Yu softly uttered two words.

“Your dress.”

“Huh?”

The scene froze momentarily.

Mino watched in disbelief as Lin Yu’s fingertip passed over her snowy chest and stopped on her light pink strap dress. She then eagerly asked, “It looks really nice, where did you get it?”

Pink bubbles popped, scattering on the floor.

So this woman had been eyeing her dress all along? Her succubus charm had lost to a young girl’s pink nightdress? Those ambiguous words and actions earlier were just for her amusement?

She was playing.

It seemed… she didn’t know whether to be glad or upset, what a frustrating feeling.

“Lin Yu! I’m reporting you to Ling Xi…” Dracula’s voice broke the silence as he barged in, catching sight of Mino standing still.

He immediately shouted, “Flat-chested, socially anxious perverted girl, don’t touch Lin Yu!”

Mino turned around expressionlessly.

Yes, as a succubus, not only did she have an aversion to touch, but she was also a classic case of social anxiety.

She was such a failure, she felt like crying.

“I’m discussing Mino’s dress with her,” Lin Yu took a step forward. “What’s wrong with Ling Xi?”

Mino was speechless.

So that woman did indeed quickly glance at her chest earlier and then show a sympathetic expression! She saw it, seriously! No matter how she tries to act nonchalant now, it’s useless!

Dracula had a look of grievance, “That idiot Ling Xi took advantage of my inattention and ate all the rice cakes! Don’t let him have any of the fried chicken later!”

“Eating too many sticky rice cakes like these can make you feel bloated,” Lin Yu didn’t overthink it, taking out chicken drumsticks from the fridge. “He probably won’t have an appetite for more later.”

*

As expected, Ling Xi was petite and had a small appetite. When the fried chicken was brought to the table, his belly was still round and full, and seemingly unable to accommodate anything else.

The freshly fried chicken was steaming and emitting a tantalizing aroma. Each chicken drumstick was coated with a rich amber sauce.

The sweet and spicy flavors were well blended, and tearing it apart revealed juicy chicken meat, crispy skin, and the reddish thick sauce that made one’s appetite soar.

Dracula was getting impatient, so he put on gloves and picked up a chicken drumstick. With Ling Xi watching, he slowly brought it to his mouth.

Upon tasting it, the first thing he felt was a rich sweetness, followed by a tingling sensation that spread through his body like an electric current.

The sauce had a slightly viscous sweet and spicy taste, the perfect balance of flavors that wasn’t overly spicy or cloying.

The skin covering the chicken was made from flour and egg batter, crispy and carrying a refreshing grainy fragrance.

The chicken was boneless, and each bite was filled with tender and flavorful meat. The flavors of the chicken meat and sauce merged perfectly, giving full play to each aspect of taste.

All the flavors melded in his mouth, making him widen his eyes in delight.

“Could this be the legendary… East Asian black magic that traps people?”

Ah, no, it’s just regular fried chicken.

And speaking of “East Asian black magic,” it refers to South Korean plastic surgery, Japanese makeup techniques, and Chinese photoshopping, not fried chicken. They’re completely unrelated!

Lin Yu sighed and spotted a motionless figure in her line of sight—Jiu Jiu frozen in place, staring fixedly at the plump cheeks Dracula puffed up while chewing, and his fingers curling up unnaturally.

It was a pitiful sight. She kindly asked, “Aren’t you going to eat?”

“No, it’s not allowed!” Jiu Jiu acted like he was facing a great enemy, covering his ears. “I can’t smell anything! Dewdrops are the most delicious thing in the world! Rose dewdrops, jasmine dewdrops, lavender dewdrops…”

So you’ve been surviving on different types of dewdrops all these years! Saying that just makes it even more pitiable! Please stop deceiving yourself!

Ling Xi sneered, “Idiot with an eating disorder.”

He put on his gloves with a smirk and picked up a chicken piece, but he heard Dracula shout, “Wait! Can you still eat?”

Ling Xi’s lips curved meaningfully, showing an indescribable smile.

Then he used his free hand to grab his hair and detached his entire head from his body, leaving his head hanging in the air. Simultaneously, he slowly brought the piece of chicken to his mouth.

Dracula was shocked.

Almost forgot, this guy can detach parts of his body! By separating his head from his body, he can avoid food passing through his digestive system! But using only his head, the food leaks out through his throat as he eats.

It’s indeed super gross and revolting, quick, stop!

Dracula was disgusted to the point of anger, he snatched Ling Xi’s head and covered his eyes with his hand, placing it in a corner against the wall.

After separating his head from his body, Ling Xi lost his ability to think and see in his body. It was his head controlling everything.

With his eyes covered, he faced a white wall, not knowing where he was placed. He couldn’t even control his body to put his head back in place, only able to stay in one spot and wail.

Mino looked on in horror, scanning the chaotic central square.

The body without a head was stumbling around like a blind person. He kneels on the ground, radiating a sense of insignificance from head to toe.

Dracula’s lips were stained red by the sauce, crouching in front of a sobbing person’s head. He grinned sinisterly as he took a bite of the fried chicken, then chewed leisurely in slow motion.

His expression contorted in a grotesque way, resembling facial convulsions, and he added teasingly, “Summer and hide-and-seek are a better match, Ling Xi.”

The typically dignified and graceful elf was staring at the fried chicken in her hand with a terrifying expression. Her mouth moved as if muttering something through clenched teeth, and saliva dripped from her mouth corner.

… Help! These guys are truly abnormal!

With Dracula and Mino’s efforts, more than half of the fried chicken was quickly eaten. Lin Yu paid more attention to the little boy’s head alone in the corner than to the food.

Ling Xi’s current situation was indeed pitiful. Lin Yu was easily swayed by her soft heart and couldn’t help but walk over to his head while smiling.

As a strong-willed child, he was both embarrassed and frustrated. With a red face, he struggled for a while before finally managing to squeeze out a sentence from his throat, “Are you here to laugh at me too?”

“Don’t be angry.”

She crouched down, holding his head in her palms so that his gaze met her eyes, “Taking off your head to eat isn’t good. You shouldn’t do that in the future.”

Ling Xi’s face turned even redder, and he retorted stubbornly, “I just took your fried chicken, is it that serious?”

“It’s not just about taking food.” Lin Yu smiled and patted his head, “Disregarding the food after satisfying your appetite shows a lack of respect for the food itself. When you eat, you should appreciate it from beginning to end. All the ingredients come together, and if you discard them after enjoying their taste, what’s the difference between your actions and a man who abandons his wife when she gets old?”

This was an unheard-of perspective for Ling Xi. He blinked slightly and remained silent, lips pressed together.

Lin Yu curved her eyes and placed his head back on his body, “Alright, go eat with everyone.”

Her words were gentle, and regardless of any resentment Ling Xi might have felt before, it was all dispelled now. He obediently and willingly complied.

Ling Xi touched his regained head, feeling a bit embarrassed somehow. After a while, he responded somewhat reluctantly, “Since you’ve asked like this, I’ll reluctantly eat a bit.”

Lin Yu smiled, “Thank you very much then.”