Chapter 276

She gave a slight nod. "Alright, thank you for your help."

The female translator washed her hands thoroughly before deftly whisking the eggs. "My name is Bianca Cardenas. Bianca as in 'white snow,' and Cardenas meaning 'jade-like radiance.'"

"Bianca," Stella Valentine repeated the name softly. "I'm Stella Valentine."

"What a beautiful name."

"Thank you. My father chose it."

"He must have adored you to give you such a lovely name."

"Yes. I was his favorite."

"Did he walk you down the aisle on your wedding day?"

Stella paused while slicing the pineapple. "He... passed away many years ago."

"My apologies..."

"It's alright," Stella smiled faintly. "What about you? Your Mandarin is flawless—you must have grown up here. How did you end up in Africa? Didn't your family object?"

Bianca shrugged. "Alexander's offer was too tempting. As for family... they never cared where I was or what I did. Should I scramble the eggs first?"

"Either way is fine."

"What about the sweet and sour pork with pineapple? Should I fry the pineapple first?"

Stella explained patiently, "This dish has multiple steps. The pork needs to be sliced, marinated, coated with starch, and double-fried for crispiness. Then we prepare the sauce and thicken it before adding the fried pork. The pineapple goes in last."

Bianca frowned. "Goodness, Chinese cuisine is so intricate."

"It becomes second nature with practice. I used to make it often."

"Regularly?"

"Yes," Stella nodded. "My husband had a sensitive stomach, so I always cooked mild dishes for him. He was picky—no ginger or garlic. Cooking Chinese food without those is practically a crime."

"How did you manage?"

"I stuck to mild recipes. He loved fish—I tried over twenty different preparations..."

Mid-sentence, she stopped. "Am I talking too much?"

Bianca chuckled. "I had my doubts earlier, but now I'm certain. You're unfamiliar with scrambled eggs and peppers, yet so skilled at this complex dish. There's only one reason a woman would master cooking like this—for the one who holds her heart."

Stella laughed softly. "So you were fishing for information."

Bianca admitted freely, "Duty calls. When TING suddenly got married, everyone who knows him was skeptical. Alexander flew in from Africa unannounced just to verify if this marriage is real."

Stella seemed puzzled. "Alexander cares that much about marital status?"

"Absolutely," Bianca said seriously. "He grew up surrounded by gemstones and believes each has a soul. If you treat them merely as profit tools, no amount of money will make him sell. He wants his gems to go to someone who understands珍惜、爱与责任."

Stella recalled her earlier conversation with Adrian Roland.

The man now... had indeed changed. His appearance remained, but his actions had grown more extreme and ruthless.

"Talking about me behind my back?" Adrian leaned against the doorframe, his gaze shifting between them.

Bianca turned to him. "TING, you're a lucky man."

"How so?"

"Your wife loves you deeply."

Adrian's expression flickered as he looked at Stella. She continued prepping ingredients, seemingly oblivious to the remark.

"What makes you say that?"

"The way she cooks for you."

"My grandfather requested it."

Bianca rolled her eyes. "The request came from your grandfather, but your wife chose this elaborate dish specifically for your sensitive stomach. Look at her technique—she's clearly done this countless times."

Adrian's eyes settled on Stella in the kitchen.

She coated pork slices with starch and slid them into the sizzling oil with practiced ease. The array of seasonings on the counter testified to the dish's complexity.

In his memory, Stella was the pampered princess of the Valentine family. During their time together, he'd been the one taking care of her.

Since when could she cook?

He'd never witnessed this before.

Presumably... she'd learned for that man.

Everything he'd yearned for but failed to obtain, that man had received effortlessly. What rose in his chest wasn't just envy—it was something sharper, more corrosive.

"TING, why don't you help your wife? I'll go assure Alexander that you two are genuinely devoted."

Adrian forced a smile as Bianca left. He watched her whisper to Alexander, the older man's skepticism gradually melting into a grin before giving him an approving thumbs-up.

"Go entertain the guests. I can handle this."

Stella used chopsticks to flip the frying pork slices. Hot oil splattered dangerously close to her hands several times.

Adrian strode over and caught her wrist. "Stop. You'll burn yourself."

"If I don't cook, what will our guests eat? I'm used to it." She withdrew her hand and continued working.

Watching her熟练的动作, Adrian's heart churned with conflicting emotions.

"This dish... did he like it?"