Back in the kitchen, he checked his watch. An hour had passed, and the beef was almost stewed. He sliced the onions and carrots, added seasonings, poured in a little red wine, and the beef stew was ready.
He had originally intended to make rice, but unfortunately, he couldn't find any. He could only use the electric griddle to make three pancakes. Finally, he washed the green peppers; he was going to make stir-fried beef tenderloin with green peppers, simple and fragrant. He sighed, realizing how many days it had been since he had eaten Chinese food. Just thinking about it made his mouth water.
As William was stir-frying the beef tenderloin, he felt Alexandra tiptoe behind him, gently leaning on his shoulder and kissing him. She said, "My dear, I didn't know you could cook! You're amazing, here's a reward!" She then gave William another kiss on the cheek.
William turned and gently said to Alexandra, "Alright, be careful of the oil fumes. You can take this pot of beef stew and the pancakes to the dining room first. I'll finish this green pepper beef and then make some broccoli, and we'll be all set. You can set the table with the tableware."
"No problem," Alexandra replied with a beaming smile.
After William finished the broccoli, he carried the two dishes to the dining table. Alexandra had already prepared the cutlery and dishes. Seeing William approach with the food, Alexandra happily stood up and kissed him.
Pouring red wine, they clinked glasses. Alexandra spooned a bowl of beef stew for William, then one for herself. She eagerly tasted it and was immediately captivated by the flavor, praising it repeatedly: "It's delicious, thank you, my dear. This is the first time someone has specially cooked for me besides my parents. I love you!"
This little enchantress was sometimes very cute when she acted spoiled or adorable. "I'm glad you like it. I used to eat at Chinese restaurants and thought it was great, so I asked some Chinese restaurant chefs for tips. This is my first time cooking Chinese dishes."
William tasted it himself. It was alright, just a bit lacking in flavor in the broth, as it hadn't been simmered with beef bones, so the taste was still a bit off.
William put some stir-fried green pepper beef tenderloin on Alexandra's plate. Alexandra kept saying it was delicious, but she didn't eat much. She put down her cutlery, drank red wine, and watched William eat, occasionally serving him dishes.
After enjoying a delicious Chinese meal, Alexandra quickly got up to wash the dishes. The two of them playfully and happily washed the dishes and cutlery together.
As dusk approached, Alexandra excitedly pulled William onto the balcony to look at Mount Titlis. There were only William's three villas around, quiet and peaceful.
Alexandra happily hugged William's arm, resting her head on his shoulder. They sat on the balcony, drinking red wine and whispering. When Alexandra started to feel cold, she reluctantly went inside with William. They sat by the fireplace, lying on the sofa, facing each other, hugging and chatting about this and that until midnight, eventually falling asleep on the sofa covered with a blanket.
The next morning at 9 o'clock, a well-rested Alexandra felt that William was no longer behind her. She put on her pajamas, searched the villa, and finally saw William outside on the balcony.
After watching for a short while, Alexandra was surprised to see William and Brian Mills sparring in the snow. She knew how skilled Brian was, and she hadn't expected William to be able to practice with him.
Although Brian Mills was very experienced and skilled, he was, after all, getting older. After about ten minutes, his footwork visibly slowed down. A few more minutes later, the two stopped, embraced, and then started chatting cheerfully.
William found Brian's close-quarters combat techniques to be very practical, simple, and direct, targeting the body's weak points like joints and the throat. They shared commonalities with many of the combat techniques he had seen in the system.
Other than for sports, hand-to-hand combat is meant to be a single, fatal strike, using the least amount of effort to take down an enemy.
William benefited greatly from his first real combat experience.
While the two sparred, Sam and the others watched William with wide eyes.
They knew how formidable Bryan Mills was; in a fight, all four of them combined couldn't beat Bryan Mills.
Yet, their team's strongest member, Bryan Mills, was completely outmatched by William in the last few minutes.
They were all experienced individuals and knew William wasn't going all out; otherwise, Bryan Mills would have collapsed much sooner.
Sam, astonished, turned to the others and said, "Is this the difference between centuries-old nobility and us common folk?"
How old is boss? How did he train? In the later stages, Bryan was no match for him at all.
And where did boss learn these combat skills? I feel like many of those techniques are specifically designed for killing."
Bernie, who had considerable knowledge of combat, said, "Those are indeed techniques specifically for killing; they're more effective than the combat techniques currently popular in the military.
Did you notice that boss's dagger skills must also be very strong? He used his palm to simulate a dagger in many moves earlier; that's a technique assassins use.
Also, boss is very familiar with the combat skills of various special forces; he can use them effortlessly.
God, how much more do these centuries-old noble families know that we ordinary people don't?
Sigh, just thinking about it makes me lose heart.
University of London, self-made, billionaire, inventor, archery master, and now even his fighting skills are so impressive.
What else can't boss do?
If my child had even half of boss's abilities, I wouldn't have to work so hard at this age."
"So, what boss said on TV about his excellent shooting skills was true then?" Clarence asked.
"It must be true," Bernie said.
"Shooting and archery have many similarities.
If he can master archery so well, guns would be even easier, especially since boss is so wealthy and can get his hands on any gun."
"I still find it hard to believe; how can one person have so much energy to learn everything?" Cathy shook her head and said.
"Why don't you try asking the boss, then you'll know," Clarence said.
"You go if you want to; I'm not looking for trouble.
What if the boss gets upset and docks my pay?" Cathy shook her head and said.
William saw Alexander standing on the balcony, greeted Bryan and the others, and then walked towards the villa.
After having breakfast with Alexander, William took everyone in two hotel-provided VIP vehicles to the ski resort.
After changing into ski suits and gear, William and Alexander took the cable car to the beginner's ski slope.
Alexander, being from Brazil and currently a small model, had never skied before.
William, in his previous life, was from Xijiang in the Great Celestial Dynasty and had also never skied.
The two hired an instructor and learned for a whole morning.
By noon, William was already speeding down the slopes by himself.
Alexander saw William skiing so well after learning for only a short time, and she stubbornly insisted that William teach her, refusing to let him go off and enjoy himself alone.
Seeing William's reluctance to teach her, Alexander hugged him, pouted, and even deliberately pushed him down, then pounced on him and refused to get up, laughing heartily at her own antics.