Chapter 31 - The Queen of Enigma

Shao Ai knew that Madam Xie Changying was coming to the Qing's house. She woke up early and prepared Madam Xie's favorite tea and gathered small flowers from the garden to put as centerpiece on the table.

It did not take long when she heard that the couple upstairs were already awake. She could hear the other bedroom door opening as Feng Xuan preferred to take her baths there. Just as the two were in the bathroom, a soft knock came to the huge wooden door, almost inaudible.

Shao Ai bowed immediately, "Good morning, Madam Xie."

"Good morning, Shao Ai. Is my tea ready?"

"Yes, madam," she answered reaching for the other lady's red handbag. Madam Xie was wearing an emerald green dress that reached half her leg. "Qing Chen and Feng Xuan are still in the bath. Please have a seat in the kitchen."

Xie Changying walked slowly as if she was inspecting every inch of the house. Ms. Shao did the same while cleaning, but there was barely anything to clean. "The couple certainly had not yet gotten around putting their own touches in the house.

Finally, after a few minutes, Xie Changying was already seated at the table. She sighed deeply, Ms. Shao was not sure if it was because of disappointment. "I have to be honest with you, Shao Ai, I am terrified."

Shao Ai only remained silent and standing at the side of the madam who began sipping the tea.

"I have been hearing things from Qing Lok about Qing Chen. He seemed really happy." The madam's face contorted and Ms. Shao worried if she poured too hot water that it tasted bitter. But she realized, it was just the madam's distate with everything that was happening around her. "That was why I decided not to prolong this."

Shao Ai knew this would happen. Even though she had remained cold and unwelcoming to Feng Xuan, she had to admit that the girl was nice and kind to her. The couple were trying to make it not so obvious that they were still trying to get to know each other, but Shao Ai appreciated the effort of the two.

Even Shao Ai could not really see the point of these 'trials' Xie Changying wanted to do to Feng Xuan. Maybe it was just that she doted on her grandchildren that she couldn't take it that they were being taken care of by someone else. For Xie Changying's old age, Ms. Shao honestly expected more.

Both of the old women stopped in motion when they heard a door closing from upstairs and the chatter that followed it.

"Yimin broke tha lamp's neck!" Feng Xuan recounted what happened during her day out with her cousin yesterday. Qing Chen laughed beside her as they walk towards the kitchen. "To think that she thought about just putting it back and not paying for it! The nerve of that girl!"

"You did pay for it, right?" he asked.

"Of course, I did!" she answered, laughing. Then her laughter died down when she saw Qing Chen's grandmother on their table.

Even Qing Chen took a second before he reacted. "Grandma, what a pleasant surprise," though it did not sound like it really was. He bent down to give her kiss on the cheek.

Feng Xuan's voice had gone quiet. "Good morning, grandmother," she said and kissed on the cheek of the old woman.

Feng Xuan's face burned as Xie Changying's eyes raked down from her head to toe. She looked down at her loose ripped jeans and shirt. That was an acceptable house outfit, right?

Xie Changying rose from her seat, her shoulders squared as her gaze transferred from Feng Xuan and Qing Chen. "We shall have breakfast."

"Of course," Qing Chen answered and pulled a seat for Feng Xuan to sit in. Food was already prepared on the dining table. There were dim sum and dumplings. Feng Xuan's stomach grumbled for a pancake as she was craving for something sweet that morning. She grabbed a steamed bun and took a bite.

"What made you drop by?" Qing Chen asked.

"Oh, I just want to get to know Feng Xuan a little more."

Feng Xuan's throat closed up as she pushed a smile to her lips. Good thing, she was chewing because she did not know how to answer that.

Qing Chen's eyebrows raised as he started on a dumpling. "Are you going to spend the day with her?"

"No."

Feng Xuan's head raised to see that the old woman was already looking at her.

"I am going to get to know her in a language that every wife should be fluent to."

Feng Xuan felt horror like a lightning struck. How many languages did she know?! Not very many!! Then the old woman smiled.

"Cooking," Xie Changying said. "I heard that you went to a cooking school overseas. I hope you are familiar with the Eastern Cuisine."

Feng Xuan swallowed and nodded. "I had taken a few courses with it."

"Good to know, then you probably know what you're going to cook today based on the ingredients." Xie Changying gestured to the kitchen counter filled with bottles and jars of condiments and spices. She found a whole chicken in the middle.

From her view, she inspected and took a guess of what was inside the glasses, listing off and recounting the recipes she had learned. But everything was crossed out when she reached the end of the pile, she saw clay on a huge ziplock bag. Her jaw tightened. "Beggar's Chicken."

"It's Qing Chen's favorite."

Feng Xuan pursed her lips. She actually cooked this before in the academy. But she was closely monitored and they were in groups of threes. It was something she was familiar with but not an expert of. But that was better than nothing.

Feng Xuan nodded. "I'll do my best."

So this was her test, to make her worthy to be Qing Chen's wife. After breakfast, Qing Chen was steered away from the kitchen by Xie Changying. He worryingly looked over his shoulder at Feng Xuan but she just smiled at him as if to say that he had nothing to worry about.

While Ms. Shao was busy putting away the dishes they used, she quickly scanned through three different recipes of the chicken. She just wanted to know how other people did it and what their methods were so she could try something different.

She took a look at the ingredients on the counter as she pulled her hair up in a bun. It was a good thing that Feng Xuan did not have classes today. Or maybe Qing Chen's grandmother knew her schedule that was why she decided to drop in now, Feng Xuan was not even surprised if that would be the case.

She grabbed an apron and tied it to her waist.

"I called your secretary," Xie Changying told Qing Chen. "I told her to cancel all your appointments for the day. You wouldn't want to miss the first beggar's chicken of your wife, would you?"

Qing Chen did not answer as he sat on the sofa. He lowered his emotions because he didn't want to let it show in his words. "How long are you going to make this last?"

"Oh, don't fret, child. This will only last for today."

There was relief in Qing Chen's chest, but he also felt something else. Because if that was the case, then Feng Xuan would only have one chance to impress his grandmother. "And Ms. Shao?"

"I'll take her with me after lunch. I already told her to pack last night."

Qing Chen lightly rubbed his forehead, just look at how many people his grandmother was inconveniencing. "What made you change your mind?"

"I just don't think it's worth it," Xie Changying answered. "Besides, you're already married to her. The least I could do was annoy her for a little while."

It was Qing Chen she was annoying, but he couldn't help but laugh at that one. He remembered how strongly his grandmother objected when the news broke that he was going to marry Feng Xuan.

His grandmother pulled a magazine from under the glass table and flipped through it. "Does she know?"

It was about the mafia, of course. "No."

"She should know," she said. "She has the right to know. Oh, the relief I felt when your grandfather finally told me the truth behind his late nights and unusual working hours. I thought he was cheating on me!"

Qing Chen eyed the threshold, as if Feng Xuan would suddenly show up and learn all about their conversation.

"I was terrified," her grandmother continued. "I feared for our lives, I feared for my sons' lives. But it was not like Enigma was a small organization. It was one of the biggest. It's an impenetrable fortress. After about a couple of years of always looking back over my shoulder, I had suddenly come to realize how secure this all is. It's just good business."

Qing Chen knew what her grandmother did for Enigma. Sure, there were times that things got rough and people died and got injured, but most of the time, all was well. It was with her support that they were able to start expanding outside of Chengshi. They got more routes and more properties and more people in the palm of their hands.

"Your wife will come to understand," she said. "Her father is also in this business. She would know about this one way or the other. It would be better if it would come from you. You're her husband. She would understand it better than learning it from another way."

Qing Chen sighed and slouched against the sofa. "I think it's not my place to tell her," he admitted. "It's still her father's right. It was not just me that's in this secret. I don't want to jeopardize their relationship."

"True," she answered. "That somehow made things complicated. But what would you do when a deal fell through with the mafia and your wife was chosen as the target? Don't you think she would wish she had known about the mafia in better circ.u.mstances, not when she was clinging for dear life? Or maybe she would not know. Maybe if she were the target, she'd just wind up dead."

Qing Chen closed his eyes, not wanting to envision anything that involved Feng Xuan getting hurt. "I'll make sure everything will be okay. I'll protect her."

"I've been hearing about what you've been doing with the mafia, Chen. How you're shaking things up. Just imagine the danger you're putting us all in. You can't protect her forever. Just as how your father couldn't shelter you under his wings forever. You might be new to your position, but you will hold it for a very long time. And you can't keep that from your wife." Xie Changying flipped the magazine close. "You better get some work done here from home. I am going to check on your wife."

Feng Xuan was busy in the kitchen and she could feel Xie Changying's stare at her as she worked on the chicken. The grandmother had repeatedly checked on her but she was too focused to spare any attention. After she stuffed the chicken, she wrapped it in leaves and then in foil. Then came the clay.

Once the chicken was safely in the oven, she looked up the clock. She still has three hours to spare. A lot of hours to prepare for side dishes. She scanned through their pantry and found eggplants and peppers. She was cutting these up when Qing Chen entered the kitchen.

"Do you need any help?" he asked. "Grandmother dozed off in the sofa."

Feng Xuan smiled. No matter how formidable she was, she had to keep up with her age. "I'm doing fine." Actually, Feng Xuan prefered working alone in the kitchen. That way she was free to move around and her thoughts were organized in her mind.

Qing Chen watched with terror just as how precise and perfect Feng Xuan's cuts were in the kitchen. He had seen videos of such things online. But this was Feng Xuan… just how her hand was poised to cut and just the right amount of pressure… he didn't want to think too much about it, but he still swallowed non-existent saliva in his mouth.

"Go away," Feng Xuan said with a laugh. "Please, I can't work with you watching me."

"I'll see you in a while."

Feng Xuan also cooked rice and cut up vegetables before putting them nicely on a plate. Just in time, the oven signalled that it was already finished cooking. She prepared the plate where she would put the chicken.

Qing Chen and his grandmother were already in their seats, Feng Xuan remained standing with a small mallet. Qing Chen was just about to offer to do it for her but before he could say anything, Feng Xuan brought down the mallet to the clay and it cracked all the way.

Surely that smile on Feng Xuan's face was just satisfaction and far from crazy, right?

But his thoughts were taken somewhere else as the smell of the food touched his nose. His stomach grumbled. He didn't get too eat much at breakfast due to the unannounced visit of his grandmother. But he could just eat that whole chicken now.

After removing the layers, the chicken was already safe on the plate. They didn't even need a knife to pull it apart. Feng Xuan sat anxiously as the two people took their first bite.

The chicken hasn't even reached Qing Chen's mouth but he already knew it would be delicious just from the way it smelled. He smiled at Feng Xuan when he felt the tenderness and the taste of the chicken.

Feng Xuan was in relief that Qing Chen liked it, she turned her attention to the grandmother who just continued eating, not offering anything. At least she did not spit it back out, she thought. She must've liked it. With that thought in her mind, she began to eat.

"Thank you so much for the meal," the grandmother told her when they were done. "We are leaving."

Feng Xuan looked at Qing Chen who just smiled back at her with raised eyebrows. "Thank you so much for the visit," Feng Xuan said.

In a few minutes, Shao Ai and Xie Changying were inside the car on their way back to the Qing household. "Was it good?" Shao Ai asked. She saw the chicken earlier and she knew that it was perfect. Feng Xuan even insisted that she take a part with her back for her to taste. It was in a paper bag on her lap.

Xie Changying waved at the smiling couple by the door. "It was delicious. Everything on that table is delicious." Then she began to laugh. It was rare that she got surprised. She thought that Feng Xuan was a mediocre cook just like some of the ones she had fired and rejected from their house.

"That's it, then?" Shao Ai asked. "You're going to let Qing Chen go because Feng Xuan is a great cook."

"When their mother died, I took over raising those boys and I had raised them well. I know when they are happy and when they were not. He was worried about her, he was happy with her. Genuinely. Maybe not yet as a lover. But Qing Chen likes Feng Xuan as a person. And you know how that boy is."

Shao Ai looked out of the window, remembering Qing Chen as a boy. He didn't have many friends. He had only stuck by his father's side and Qing Lok's. Then his grandmother's. He was always with his family. It must really count for something, then.

Xie Changying's final evaluation of Feng Xuan: "She would be a good wife if Qing Chen would let her. Another thing, I heard about something about this girl's history… maybe she would be a great addition to Enigma."