Why am I, a cook, always involved in cases?

In the light of dawn, Quan Wushuang and his entourage set out on the journey to the vast hunting ground.

Quan Wushuang covered his face with a simple piece of cloth. Even in this place far away from the hustle and bustle, he still chose to remain anonymous.

Lin Zhiruo understood that if a person as elegant as Quan Wushuang revealed his true identity, he would definitely cause unnecessary trouble.

This is not within the walls of the imperial palace, and people know very little about his true identity.

However, recalling the luxurious dinner last night, Lin Zhiruo was filled with doubts about what secrets the eunuch was hiding, but she finally decided not to delve into it further.

If Quan Wushuang reveals his true face, who knows what kind of storm it will cause?

That's why they keep the windows closed and are so cautious.

Lin Zhiruo sat in the carriage, following the sound of the hunting team's wheels.

The carriage also contained the mansion's servants, as well as a load of kitchen utensils and firewood.

The fun of hunting lies in the pleasure of catching and cooking the fish on the spot.

Lin Zhiruo leaned against the carriage window, her eyes sweeping across the sorghum fields swaying in the wind outside the window. As the carriage jolted, after about half an hour, the outline of the mountains gradually became clear.

Afterwards, everyone gave up riding and climbed the mountain trail on foot. After half an hour's trek, they finally arrived at a mountain villa with a wide view.

The lush greenery all around is refreshing, and the sound of gurgling water coming from afar is like a magnificent waterfall painting.

The servants were very skilled and quickly made a fire and cooked.

Several servants carried buckets and went to fetch water.

Lin Zhiruo wanted to step forward to help, but seeing that the other officials' entourages were all relaxed and at ease, she knew in her heart that sometimes rash intervention would only lead to criticism.

The servants naturally didn't want to make any mistakes.

Lin Zhiruo was strolling in the courtyard when she suddenly saw a dog and a familiar figure.

It turned out to be the large dog named Liu Wu.

Lin Zhiruo didn't understand why he was here, so she walked forward and squatted down.

Liu Wu was gently stroking the dog's belly and playing with it when he noticed someone approaching and narrowed his eyes in confusion.

"It's been a while, huh?"

"It's been a while."

"...Huh? This voice sounds so familiar..."

Liu Wu clapped his hands and nodded as if suddenly realizing something. "Isn't this the little girl? How come you are here? And wearing such luxurious clothes?"

I think it was because Lin Zhiruo didn't have any freckles makeup on her face and she had changed into new clothes, so he didn't recognize her for a while.

He is still so free and unrestrained.

"How did you end up in a place like this?"

"A distinguished person has asked me to accompany him."

"Oh—you've worked hard."

One of Liu Wu's strengths is that he never makes assumptions.

Lin Zhiruo greeted him on a whim, but after thinking carefully, she felt that meeting an acquaintance in such an occasion might cause unnecessary trouble.

"Actually, I am one of them. It seems that a high-ranking official has asked me to join the Guards."

There was a hint of helplessness in Liu Wu's words as he kept stroking the dog.

The dog was wearing a collar, and judging from its breed, Lin Zhiruo guessed that it might be a hunting dog.

It's a pity that today's hunt is falconry, and hunting dogs may not be useful, so we can only wait like this.

"In the end, I was actually asked to take care of the dog."

Liu Wu seemed to be the same. Although he was named, he was ostracized by other self-righteous guards.

Liu Wu's career seems to be going smoothly recently, but this has also attracted a lot of jealousy.

He pouted, but it wasn't a sign of temper. Lin Zhiruo heard him whistling awkwardly.

Apparently, he thought he played it quite well.

"Your whistle is not very pleasant."

Lin Zhiruo joked.

"Hmph, you don't have to worry about it."

Liu Wu tapped Lin Zhiruo's head gently, then took out a rope from his lapel with a thin tube tied to it, which looked like a flute.

He gave up whistling, picked up the tube and blew it at the dog.

When the hound heard this, he immediately stood up and stared at Liu Wu intently.

Liu Wu blew short and long notes repeatedly, and the hunting dog sat down or stood up accordingly.

"so smart."

"Yes, I heard it can come from miles away, depending on the situation."

After Liu Wu finished speaking, he played three short notes and four long notes on the flute.

The dog sat down obediently in front of Liu Wu, wagging its tail.

"It's so smart, and they say that's better—"

Liu Wu looked up at the sky.

Lin Zhiruo also looked over and saw a black dot gliding in the blue sky.

She felt that in this mountainous area full of obstacles, hunting with dogs might be more practical than using eagles, or perhaps it was simply because eagles looked more spectacular.

Lin Zhiruo thought that although wild rabbit tasted delicious, wild boar meat was even more mouth-watering.

It is impossible to catch wild boars with a falcon.

This is really a beautiful forest - Lin Zhiruo thought.

There are many kinds of trees here.

Places like this often have abundant food or fungi growing there.

(They probably won’t let me in.)

Lin Zhiruo felt itchy in her heart, but she didn't dare to act rashly.

She glanced at the people around her and saw Liu Wu having fun with the dog.

People around her probably won't notice her.

No, no, no, it's still not good.

Lin Zhiruo looked around like this, and when she came to her senses, it was already high in the sky.

The aroma of barbecue filled the air.

Inside the villa, everyone held a glass of wine, and the maids served roasted meat to the guests.

About ten officials were seated in attendance, and other delicacies were placed on the table.

A ventilation duct was specially arranged in the room, and a bucket full of water was placed at the feet.

There was also a group of servants holding large fans, working hard to create a cool environment for their masters to cope with the hot summer hunting activities.

Since this is a summer resort, the climate is pleasant, but perhaps because the weather is sunny today and the wind is slightly warm, it feels a little hot.