The female anchor turned into the dean of an ancient academy

Cen Jiexiao slowly opened her eyes, and what came into view was the familiar patterns on the carved wooden bedtop. A faint floral scent lingered at the tip of her nose. This fragrance did not come from precious spices, but from the flowers she had planted in the backyard of Zhaoyin Academy.

"Dean, you're finally awake!" Yu Lan's familiar voice came to her ears, with a hint of joy and unconcealable worry.

"Jiexiao, you scared me to death!" Xiaozhi's voice was filled with tears. Jiexiao Cen turned her head and saw Xiaozhi looking at her with red eyes, obviously she had just cried.

"I'm fine, just a little tired." Cen Jiexiao tried hard to force a smile, signaling them to rest assured.

"You said you were fine, but Master Liu from Puji Hall said you were frightened and fainted because of the blood rushing to your heart!" Yu Lan gently patted the back of Cen Jiexiao's hand, her tone filled with concern and a hint of blame.

Cen Jiexiao knew that Yu Lan was concerned about her, so she didn't refute him. She just asked, "By the way, where are the senior brother and the students in the martial arts class?"

"After the eldest senior brother sent you back, he took the younger brothers from the martial arts class away, saying that he had important matters to deal with." Xiaozhi answered quickly, as if he was afraid that if he answered slowly, Cen Jiexiao would disappear.

Cen Jiexiao nodded, her gratitude towards Chen Zigui deepening. If he hadn't appeared in time, she, Yu Lan, and the other members of the Qiming Group would have been in grave danger.

"By the way, Xiaozhi, go to the Dyeing and Weaving Bureau and tell them that I want to customize a set of summer school uniforms for each student in the military science class. Let them measure the style and size themselves, and make sure it is a fit and comfortable one." Cen Jiexiao said as she struggled to get up.

"Dean, what are you going to do? You are not well yet, so just tell me to do anything." Yu Lan hurriedly held Cen Jiexiao's shoulders to prevent her from getting up.

"I'm fine. I just want to cook a meal for my senior brother to thank him for saving my life." Cen Jiexiao shook her head and insisted on getting up.

"Cooking for the eldest senior brother? Dean, you wouldn't..." Yu Lan widened her eyes and showed an ambiguous smile on her face.

Cen Jiexiao naturally understood what Yu Lan meant. Her pretty face flushed slightly, and she pretended to be calm and said, "Don't talk nonsense. I just want to express my gratitude."

Yu Lan and Xiao Zhi looked at each other and saw the gossipy glint in each other's eyes.

With the help of Yu Lan and Xiao Zhi, Cen Jiexiao finished washing up and went to the kitchen.

The kitchen was already stocked with fresh ingredients, so she rolled up her sleeves and began to get busy.

Cen Jiexiao has been interested in culinary arts since childhood. After arriving in this world, she combined modern cooking techniques with ancient ingredients to create many novel and delicious dishes. She also encouraged teachers and students in the agricultural and engineering departments to exchange and trade seeds of various grains and vegetables with foreign countries as much as possible, and then cultivate and improve them.

While she was cooking, she was thinking about Chen Zigui.

The man who was always silent but stood up for her when she needed him most, his eyes, his voice, and his every move were engraved in her heart like a brand.

Unconsciously, a blush appeared on Cen Jiexiao's face.

"Sister Cen, do you need my help?" Chen Zigui's low voice suddenly sounded behind him, scaring Sister Cen Xiao.

"Big Brother, when did you come? Why didn't you make a sound? You scared me." Cen Jiexiao patted her chest and said calmly.

"I just arrived a while ago. Seeing that you were working seriously, I didn't disturb you." Chen Zigui's eyes fell on Cen Jiexiao's red earlobe, and a barely perceptible smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"Then... then you go sit in the front hall for a while, I'll be there soon." Cen Jiexiao turned around in a panic, not daring to look Chen Zigui in the eye.

"Okay." Chen Zigui responded and turned to leave. When he reached the door, he suddenly stopped and turned back and said, "The dishes you cook are very unique."

After saying that, he walked straight to the front hall.

Cen Jiexiao stood there in a daze, her heart beating like a drum and her face burning.

After a while, she came back to her senses and a sweet smile unconsciously appeared on the corner of her mouth.

……

At dinner time, Cen Jiexiao and Chen Zigui sat opposite each other, and the table was filled with delicious dishes.

Cen Jiexiao raised her wine glass and toasted Chen Zigui: "Big Brother, this time it's really thanks to you. If you hadn't arrived in time, Yu Lan, I, and the members of the Qiming Group would have been..."

"Sister Cen, you don't have to be polite. It's my duty to protect you." Chen Zigui picked up the wine glass and drank it all, but his eyes never left Cen Jiexiao.

"But..." Cen Jiexiao wanted to say something, but was interrupted by Chen Zigui.

"Sister Cen, before Master died, he told me that all that matters is your safety. Nothing else matters. Protecting you in this life is my vow!" Chen Zigui put down his wine glass, looked at Sister Cen with burning eyes, and spoke word by word.

Cen Jiexiao was stunned, and the wine glass in her hand almost slipped. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but found that she couldn't say anything.

"I……"

"Sister Cen, I..."

They both spoke at the same time, but stopped at the same time.

When their eyes met, it seemed as if something in the air was quietly changing.

"Big Brother, try this dish. I named it 'Fish-Fragrant Shredded Pork'. Actually, there is no fish in it..." Cen Jiexiao picked up a piece of shredded pork with chopsticks and put it into Chen Zigui's bowl, with a hint of mocking in her tone.

Chen Zigui looked at the shredded pork in the bowl, then looked at Cen Jiexiao, a smile flashing in his eyes. He naturally understood that Cen Jiexiao was deliberately changing the subject. This girl, everything is good, but she is too shy.

"Oh? This is strange. Why is it called Fish-flavored Shredded Pork but there is no fish?" Chen Zigui asked in feigned confusion, cooperating with Cen Jiexiao to change the subject.

"Although this dish doesn't use fish, it uses pickled chili peppers, ginger, garlic, sugar, and vinegar, stir-fried together. The taste is fresh, sweet, sour, and especially delicious with rice!" Seeing that Chen Zigui didn't ask about what happened just now, Cen Jiexiao secretly breathed a sigh of relief and began to introduce her "new dish" enthusiastically.

"And there's this 'Fuqi Feipian'. Actually, it has nothing to do with the lungs! This dish was originally called 'Feipian'..." Cen Jiexiao suddenly stopped talking halfway, realizing that she seemed to have let something slip. This word didn't exist in this era.

"Waste film? This name is a bit random." Chen Zigui indeed showed a puzzled expression.

Cen Jiexiao's eyes rolled, and she quickly covered up the lie, "Ahaha, I mean, this dish was originally made with some leftover ingredients, and then it was improved and became what it is now. It's spicy and numbing, and it's really delicious!"

Chen Zigui looked at Cen Jiexiao's quirky appearance, his eyes full of doting. This girl has been completely different since she ran away from home and had an accident. She is now full of strange ideas and can always come up with some strange things to surprise everyone.

Chen Zigui nodded as he listened, occasionally asking a question or two. Cen Jiexiao then seemed to open up and pour out all the modern dishes and cooking techniques she knew.

"Speaking of which, has my uncle been doing anything recently?" Cen Jiexiao suddenly asked, with a hint of tentativeness in her tone.

Chen Zigui put down his chopsticks, his expression becoming serious. "Steward Li has been behaving quite a bit lately, but according to the Qiming Team's investigation, there are a few suspicious individuals around him. They seem to have been sent by the Queen Mother."

"The Queen Mother? What does she want to do?" Cen Jiexiao's heart skipped a beat, and a bad premonition came to her mind.

"Empress Li will soon go to Chongzhou and other places to take up the post of inspector of three important cities in the prefectures. He will hold military power, and his sister is close to the empress dowager. Now the court is in a state of flux, Sister Cen, you must be more careful in the future." There was a hint of worry in Chen Zigui's tone.

"I understand, Senior Brother." Cen Jiexiao nodded, but her heart was a little confused.

"If it really doesn't work, select two students with good skills from the martial arts class and keep them by your side as guards so that you can take care of them." Chen Zigui added.

"Big Brother, are you really worried about me?" Cen Jiexiao suddenly raised her head, looked straight into Chen Zigui's eyes, and asked.

Chen Zigui was stunned for a moment, then avoided Cen Jiexiao's gaze.

"I am your senior brother, and also the dean of Zhaoyin Academy. Naturally, I am responsible for the safety of the hundreds of people in Zhaoyin Academy."

In order to dispel the awkward atmosphere, the two of them had to eat their own food.