### Chapter 386: Ivanka’s Culinary Skills

“You’re back. Dinner will be ready soon. Go wash your hands and change your clothes.”

In the afternoon, after finishing filming and returning home, Ivanka stepped out of the kitchen, smiled at him, and went back to continue working. The aroma of the food wafted through the kitchen.

Link looked at her back and couldn’t help but rub his forehead.

Even though Ivanka had been here for over ten days and had cooked seven or eight meals for him, he still couldn’t believe that she had moved from New York, traded her high-end dresses for an apron, and started cooking.

This all happened in the second week after he left Taylor’s house.

One time, after coming home from the set, he suddenly noticed someone in the villa, and the smell of food was coming from the dining room. He initially thought Katherine or Mandy had arrived.

When he entered the dining room, there were several well-presented dishes on the table.

Ivanka, holding a plate, walked out of the kitchen, wearing a fitted apron. She greeted him with a smile and asked him to sit down and eat.

Link was stunned at the time, unsure when she had arrived or why she suddenly started cooking.

He couldn’t believe it and followed her into the kitchen to take a look. It was indeed Ivanka. She wore a long apron that wrapped around her tall, curvaceous figure, making her look even more sensual and elegant.

Though her movements with the knife were somewhat clumsy as she chopped vegetables, she was meticulous and earnest. The dishes she made looked quite presentable, with well-coordinated colors, almost like flower arrangements.

At the time, Link asked her what she was doing, and Ivanka said she was cooking.

Link asked why she had come over to cook since she usually just ordered takeout.

Ivanka said she had read a book that said cooking at home helps strengthen a couple’s bond, so she decided to try it.

Link asked her what would happen to the chefs and servants who would lose their jobs because of this and if it would make them seem heartless as capitalists.

Ivanka laughed and said it was okay; they could always create more job opportunities.

Link then asked if she was still in contact with Taylor and what Taylor had told her.

Ivanka didn’t admit anything; she just urged him to wash up and eat.

“Why are you still standing there? I heard from Katherine that you like Chinese stir-fried dishes, so I made a plate of spicy and sour chicken. Try it and let me know what you think.”

Ivanka placed a dish on the dining table as she spoke.

Link glanced at her, went to the bathroom to wash his hands, changed into loose sportswear, and returned to the dining room. The table was set with six dishes—four main courses and two soups. The aroma was quite enticing and noticeably better than what she had made ten days ago.

Link sat down to eat, deliberately tasting the Kung Pao Chicken she made. The flavor was average, leaning towards the sweet side, but considering it was her first attempt, he ate a few more bites.

“How is it?”

Across the table, Ivanka interlaced her fingers, her beautiful face full of anticipation.

“It’s pretty good. I’d give it an 8.5 out of 10.”

Link nodded.

“Thank you! I suddenly realized that cooking can be meaningful too. Like right now, I’ve finished cooking, you’re satisfied with the meal, and you’re praising my culinary skills. It’s a great reward for me, even more meaningful than closing a $50 million deal.”

Ivanka smiled as she twirled a lock of hair.

To make cooking easier, she had tied her golden-brown hair into a ponytail, and she wasn’t wearing any makeup.

Although she still looked beautiful, Link felt the kitchen wasn’t where she belonged. She was a talented manager doing important work, and her time shouldn’t be wasted on daily meals.

Also, cooking could hurt her hands, damage the skin on her face, and the cooking fumes could ruin her hair.

That wasn’t what he wanted.

“You did a great job, but I suggest you leave the cooking to the servants. If you’re interested in cooking, you can do it on holidays.”

Link said.

“Why? Don’t you like it?”

Ivanka asked.

“I don’t know what Taylor told you or what suggestions she made, but I want to say that you don’t need to do this or change anything for me. You are who you are—more outstanding and charming than any other woman. I’ve always been captivated by you. After you changed, I’m not sure if I’ll be even more attracted to you, but I think you were perfect as you were.”

As he spoke, Link suddenly recalled a song, one of Bruno Mars’s famous hits.

It wasn’t as well-known as “Uptown Funk,” but he was surprised to realize that the song hadn’t been released yet. Could it be that he had influenced this?

“What’s the matter?”

Ivanka was seriously pondering his words when she noticed he had frozen, not moving even when a green bean fell from his fork onto the table.

“I just remembered a song. I think I heard it in a recording studio. The lyrics express exactly what I want to say to you.”

“Really? Sing it for me.”

Ivanka smiled.

Link shrugged, walked over to the grand piano in the living room, wiped his fingers, and placed them on the keys, playing and singing.

---

*Oh, her eyes, her eyes*

*Her eyes*

*Make the stars look like they're not shining*

*Make the stars look dull*

*Her hair, her hair*

*Her hair*

*Falls perfectly without her trying*

*Falls naturally*

*She's so beautiful*

*She's so beautiful*

*And I tell her every day*

*Ivanka crossed her arms, listening quietly to his singing, the corners of her lips slightly curling up, the curve growing bigger and bigger.*

*But every time she asks me do I look okay*

*Whenever she asks if she looks good*

*I say*

*I always say*

*When I see your face*

*When I see your face*

*There's not a thing that I would change*

*It's perfect, nothing needs to change*

*Cause you're amazing*

*Because you're amazing*

*Just the way you are*

*Just be yourself*

*And when you smile*

*When you smile*

*The whole world stops and stares for a while*

*The whole world pauses to admire you*

*Cause girl you're amazing*

*Girl, you're amazing*

*Just the way you are*

*Just be yourself*

*Hearing the beginning of the song, Ivanka wasn’t too surprised. But as she listened further, she couldn’t help covering her red lips, blinking her beautiful eyes, and gazing at Link’s serious expression, a blush spreading from her earlobes to her cheeks.*

*Ding ding dong!*

*Link finished the song, raised his hands, and stood up from the piano.*

*Clap clap clap!*

*Ivanka couldn’t help clapping vigorously, like a little fangirl.*

*"Did you just write this? It's a really good song, I bet it will definitely be a number one single."*

*Ivanka smiled.*

*"I don't know, it feels like I've heard it before, but I can't remember where. I'll call Graham later and ask."*

*Link said, leading her back to the dining table.*

*"So, what you want to tell me is that I should just be myself?"*

*At the table, Ivanka smiled at him.*

*"Yes, you’re already perfect, no need to change anything for me."*

*Link replied.*

*"But what if next time you run to Taylor and complain, giving her the chance to mock me for not being a good girlfriend, what should I do then?"*

*Ivanka asked.*

*"Did Taylor really tell you about the cooking? Are you two that close?"*

*Link asked, surprised.*

*Ivanka lifted her lips slightly, "Taylor and I don't get along, but we have a lot to talk about when it comes to you. When we have free time, we chat about you. As for what we talk about, that's our secret. I can't tell you."*

*Link felt a bit uneasy. Normally, an ex-girlfriend and a current girlfriend should be rivals, not maintaining contact and discussing him together. This made him feel like his ex and current girlfriend were teaming up against him.*

*Link thought that he should be more careful with Taylor in the future, not treating her as a confidant and saying everything. Besides, Taylor telling Ivanka this was probably her way of using Ivanka to deal with him, making sure he wouldn’t bother her.*

*Thinking of this, he remained silent. It had been half a year since their breakup, and their contact had decreased, their relationship becoming more distant. It might be better and fairer not to disturb Taylor anymore.*

*"Alright, I won't talk to her about those strange things anymore. In the future, I’ll just go to see the kids, okay? You can come along if you have time."*

*Link said.*

*"That's settled then. But lately, while learning to cook, I've found some enjoyment in it. Serving others, especially your loved one, is quite a nice thing."*

*Ivanka smiled.*

*"You can cook on holidays; leave the weekdays to the servants."*

*"Okay!"*

*Ivanka poured a glass of white wine and insisted on clinking glasses with him, saying it made the agreement more official.*

*After dinner, Ivanka returned to the study to focus on work, while Link recorded a short clip of “Just the Way You Are” and sent it to Bruno Mars and the Mars team, asking what they thought.*

*A little while later, Mars replied, saying it was really good and asked if it was his new song?*

*Link was surprised. This song was originally written by Mars for his girlfriend, but he hadn’t heard it before? Could it be that he switched companies and never met that girlfriend, so he never wrote the song?*

*Graham also said it was great and asked if he had finished it.*

*Link sent the demo and lyrics to Graham, asking the Mars team to re-arrange the song and have Mars sing it again.*

*Mars happened to be in the studio preparing his second album, and it only took an hour for him to finish recording the song. He sent it back, asking for Link's opinion.*

*Link listened to it, but it didn’t quite capture the original vibe. The main issue was that Mars didn’t convey the song's emotions powerfully enough, and the arrangement had some flaws.*

*He replied saying it wasn’t good enough, pointing out a few harmony and accompaniment issues, asking them to keep refining it. If Mars could perform it well, he would give the song to him.*

*Mars quickly called to thank him, promising to sing it well.*

*“Just the Way You Are” was Bruno Mars' breakout hit, reaching number one on music charts in the United States, Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and more than ten other countries. It also helped Mars win the Grammy for Best Male Vocalist.*

*This song is of high quality, widely popular, and a wedding essential. It’s also frequently played on the Chinese show “Day Day Up.”*

*Link thought about keeping the song for himself, but ultimately decided it was better to return it to its rightful owner.*

*First, Mars' unique voice suited the song better.*

*Additionally, Link was already at the top of the music industry, and another good song wouldn’t add much to his fame. But for Mars, having a song like this would significantly boost his popularity, increase album sales, and accelerate his rise to stardom.*

*From the perspective of Link’s music development, it was more beneficial to have Mars sing the song.*

*"Are you done? How about we go play tennis?"*

*Ivanka came down the stairs with a tennis racket, wearing a white crop top that showed off her flat, fair abdomen, and olive-colored leggings that highlighted her full hips and toned, long legs. Her legs were over a meter long, not too thick or thin, with a bit of muscle definition.*

*She also wore a green headband and wristbands, exuding health and energy.*

*"I remember you said you didn't like playing tennis because you were worried about building muscle. Why the sudden suggestion to play?"*

*Link put down his pen and stood up.*

*"I think you’re right. We used to have very different lives, from daily food preferences to living habits to sports. But now that we’re together, we need to learn to get closer to each other. If we continue living as we did before, we wouldn’t feel happy or satisfied even if we stayed together."*

*Ivanka said.*

*Link smiled lightly, "There's no need for that. As long as you let me into bed at night, there’s no more distance between us."*

*Ivanka paused, looking at him, "If you want to get into bed with me, you can do it now."*

*"Really? What should I do, just throw you down?"*

*Link joked.*

*"No, just propose to me, and I'll immediately give you 80 points, even 100 if you want. Do you dare?"*

*Ivanka said, fluttering her long eyelashes.*

*Propose?*

*Link was stunned, a bit surprised. He’d never thought about marriage, mainly because he was too young, only 21 years old. At this age, it’s considered too early to marry in any country.*

*Once married, his identity would change, no longer a golden bachelor but a married man, maybe even with kids. The thought alone was scary.*

*"Do I have to get married to get into bed?"*

*Link felt that conquering her seemed even more challenging than with Taylor.*

*Ivanka looked at his face, hesitated for a few seconds, then said, "Because my mom is Czech, and she lived in a very conservative area, she insisted that I must be engaged to my boyfriend before I can sleep with him. Otherwise, I won’t be happy in life, and I promised her."*

*"Is that really true? Your mom is just looking out for you... Wait! Have you been engaged before?"*

*"Of course not!"*

*Ivanka rolled her eyes at him, grabbed her racket, pushed him aside, and walked out of the villa.*

*Link froze. If she’s telling the truth, then she’s... No way! With her hourglass figure, explosive curves, and seductive expressions, how could she possibly be inexperienced with men? Not even Jesus would believe that.*

*So what’s her real motive for lying? To trick me into getting married?*

"Hey, what are you thinking about? Are we still going to play?"

Ivanka called out from the lawn.

Link snapped out of his thoughts and joined her on the tennis court.

Playing tennis with Ivanka was always a delightful experience. Watching her run around the court, the way her chest moved with every step, her slender, flexible waist, and her long, straight legs were mesmerizing.

Thud!

It wasn't until a tennis ball hit his forehead that he snapped back to reality and focused on the game.

They played best of five sets, with five points per set. Link won the first three sets cleanly, securing the match.

Ivanka, unwilling to accept defeat, insisted on playing again.

In the second match, he once again won with a significant margin.

Ivanka still refused to give up. Despite being drenched in sweat, her strapless top soaked through, and her leg muscles trembling slightly, she demanded to continue.

Seeing that she could barely hold her racket, Link advised her to stop and practice another time.

Ivanka insisted on playing, saying she would win this time.

Link, feeling helpless, decided to let her win a set.

In the end, Ivanka smiled and claimed victory.

Link didn't argue, but as he watched her walk away, his mind drifted back to the idea of earning extra points. Would proposing be an easy way to gain eighty points, or was it a trap?

(End of the chapter)