That said, Ling Shuyu hadn’t been bored at all being at the office by herself during the week the Delicious team was away on their team-building trip.
She had just gotten back to the 19th floor and hadn’t even had a chance to sit down when someone came running in.
"Are they back today? That’s right, they’re supposed to be back today!" Brother Fang Chang was just outside the door, poking his head in to look around. "Not back yet?"
Ling Shuyu glanced at him but didn’t bother to reply.
At first, Brother Fang Chang and that Zhan Yang fellow would show up every other morning. Even with no food to eat, they would just hole up in the office and play video games.
Though their visits became less frequent, Brother Fang Chang still popped over from time to time to ask the same old questions.
Ling Shuyu couldn’t be bothered with them, so Aunt Fang had gradually become friendly with the two.
"Oh, Xiaofang, you’re here! Is your girlfriend not with you today?" Aunt Fang emerged from the kitchen carrying a large bowl of wok-fried noodles. "Xiaoling, time to eat!"
"Okay!"
’Although Aunt Fang’s cooking skills were no match for Boss Su’s, these wok-fried noodles were actually pretty tasty!’
’Ling Shuyu could always polish off two bowls!’
Brother Fang Chang shook his head. "I won’t eat. I’m just here to see if Boss Su is back. My girlfriend’s been mad at me for the past few days."
"Oh? What’s going on?" Aunt Fang’s inner gossip flared to life.
The two of them had chatted for a whole afternoon once she discovered that his surname was also Fang.
"Sigh! It’s all because of what happened the other night. My girlfriend got two eggs to-go, but I got hungry later and ate both of them. She’s been giving me the cold shoulder ever since!"
"Over two eggs?" Aunt Fang said, holding her bowl of noodles, finding the situation completely baffling.
"But they were Boss Su’s eggs!"
Aunt Fang’s eyes widened in understanding. "Oh, no wonder. You should have at least left one for her."
’If they were Boss Su’s eggs, then getting angry was perfectly understandable.’ Aunt Fang had seen plenty of people from the building across the street looking listless and full of complaints recently, all because they couldn’t get Boss Su’s tea eggs in the morning.
Thinking about it just made Brother Fang Chang madder. "Well, that same night, while I stepped away to talk to someone, she finished off both dishes by herself!"
Aunt Fang smiled, pressing her lips together. "Ah, to be young. You complain about your girlfriend, but here you are, running over to buy eggs for her. You rascal!"
Called out, Brother Fang Chang gave a sheepish laugh. "Heh heh. I seem to recall Boss Su is coming back today?"
"Mhm." Aunt Fang nodded. "Don’t you worry, this won’t interfere with you treating your future father-in-law!"
"That’s great!" Brother Fang Chang shot to his feet, then rubbed his head in embarrassment. "Well, he’s not officially my father-in-law yet."
Aunt Fang’s guess was pretty good. About ten minutes later, Su Chen came bursting out of the elevator alone, a whirlwind of motion.
"Bo—"
"Su—"
Ling Shuyu and Brother Fang Chang raised their hands to greet him, but Su Chen just gave a quick nod before rushing into his office, leaving them unable to even get a word out.
"What’s with Boss Su?" Brother Fang Chang asked, staring at the closed door. "Seems like something’s wrong, doesn’t it?"
Ling Shuyu frowned and returned to her own office (the conference room), then took out her phone to call Zhang Li.
「Meanwhile...」
After getting back to his office, the first thing Su Chen did was make a phone call.
To none other than the office director, Li Mingtao!
"Director Li?"
"Boss..." Li Mingtao had only just returned to his own company when he got the sudden call from Su Chen. ’Is he calling to give me grief?’
"Director Li, can you come to the office right now? There’s something I need to discuss with you in person," Su Chen said, his tone serious.
Li Mingtao thought for a moment before finally agreeing.
’As the old saying goes, you can’t hide from what’s coming, for better or for worse.’
’This whole thing has to come to a head sooner or later. Instead of torturing myself every day, I might as well just lay my cards on the table with Boss Su!’
Li Mingtao had done a lot of thinking recently and had come to a clear conclusion.
’If Boss Su isn’t hung up on the fact that I was about to start working at Xinghui, I’m willing to give up that job and come back to Delicious!’
After all...
...seeing the establishment of the Delicious cafeteria, and the photo of Su Chen with a National Banquet Master, Li Mingtao felt that Delicious might have a promising future after all.
As for Su Chen, after hanging up, he stood by the window, lost in thought.
’Right now, he couldn’t think of anyone else he could possibly discuss this with besides Li Mingtao.’
’Cui Yufen’s birthday banquet wasn’t as simple as a single custom catering job.’
Cui Yufen had been very clear that afternoon back in Capital City.
She had even mentioned her own master and apprentices. On the trip back, Su Chen had spent a long time researching her on his phone.
First off, Cui Yufen’s standing in Capital City’s culinary world was immense. She wasn’t just a regular at the National Guest House; even after retiring from the Lu Cuisine Restaurant at the Capital City International Hotel, she hadn’t slowed down one bit.
She frequently traveled at home and abroad for culinary exchanges and demonstrations, and she had been inducted into the *National Chef* registry a decade ago.
For a person of her stature to come all the way to Jingzhou to celebrate her birthday, bringing more than twenty of her own apprentices with her...
’...could she really just be coming for a birthday party?’
Su Chen felt uncertain about how to handle this on his own. After mulling it over, he concluded that only someone as shrewd as Li Mingtao could help him think it through.
Before long, Li Mingtao arrived, heading straight for Su Chen’s office.
"Boss, I..." Li Mingtao was prepared to confess everything he’d been up to recently, and then explain how his heart was, in fact, still with the company.
’He hoped that Su Chen would see the small contributions he’d made to the company and agree to renew his contract!’
But before he could get the words out, Su Chen interrupted him.