Chapter 170: A Really Good Match
Chapter 170: Chapter 170: A Really Good Match
After a moment of hesitation, Lu Shixu sat back down after all.
"What did you want to say, Uncle Fu?"
Fu Yunfeng dodged the question, instead asking with great interest:
"How did you two meet? So, is this a case of unrequited love for Boss Nan, and she doesn’t know? Or does she know but has already rejected you?"
Rather than trying to help him strategize, Fu Yunfeng looked like he was gloating.
He seemed eager to dig up every last bit of dirt on Lu Shixu!
How could Lu Shixu not see it?
His expression grew even colder.
Like a block of thousand-year-old ice, he radiated a constant, chilling aura.
Behind him, Tao An was shivering from the cold, desperately wishing he could beg Chairman Fu to stop talking.
But in a situation like this, Tao An didn’t dare even twitch, let alone speak up.
To Tao An’s surprise, Lu Shixu actually managed to keep his temper in check.
He just said coldly:
"If this is what you wanted to talk about, Uncle Fu, then we have nothing to discuss."
What amazed Tao An even more was Fu Yunfeng.
Experience really does count. The man’s expression didn’t change in the slightest.
Fu Yunfeng waved his hand dismissively.
"Alright, I know you don’t like hearing it, so I’ll stop asking."
Just then, the dishes Fu Yunfeng had ordered in advance began to arrive one by one.
Fu Yunfeng invited Lu Shixu to eat.
Lu Shixu didn’t even lift a finger.
Fu Yunfeng sighed.
"What, are you thinking of rushing over there right now to ask Boss Nan if the rumors are true?"
Lu Shixu didn’t answer, but his eyes flickered.
Fu Yunfeng couldn’t help but smile, but it was a smile that hid a dagger.
"And in what capacity would you be asking? As her boyfriend? Or as a suitor?"
Lu Shixu’s lips tightened, but he remained silent.
Fu Yunfeng raised an eyebrow.
"When you’re pursuing someone, the worst thing you can do is misunderstand your own position! Figure out where you stand, and think about what you should and shouldn’t do!"
Lu Shixu rarely heard such elder-like advice.
Before, there was no one to give it; now, no one dared to.
But he had to admit, Fu Yunfeng’s words hit upon the very things he was worried about.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t be sitting here, listening to Fu Yunfeng’s nonsense.
"I know."
He understood even without Fu Yunfeng saying it.
But Fu Yunfeng said meaningfully:
"But it’s hard to see clearly when you’re in the thick of it, isn’t it? If you could really stay calm and composed, it wouldn’t be love."
"Were you like this back in the day, Uncle Fu?"
Lu Shixu’s sudden question struck Fu Yunfeng like a sharp arrow.
After a long moment, Fu Yunfeng recovered from the impact.
He shot Lu Shixu a helpless glance.
"You really refuse to lose even a single exchange, don’t you."
Lu Shixu raised his hand slightly.
The feeling’s mutual.
Fu Yunfeng was struck speechless for a moment, then chuckled and added:
"But I have to say, you and Boss Nan are quite a good match. A perfect pair, and the timing is just right!"
Lu Shixu’s expression finally softened slightly.
"Thank you."
He finally deigned to pick up his chopsticks and take a bite of the food on the table.
Fu Yunfeng asked curiously:
"How is it?"
"Bad."
Lu Shixu’s reply was blunt and decisive.
For a moment, Fu Yunfeng wondered if there was something wrong with his own sense of taste.
"It tastes pretty good to me. How could it be... Wait, don’t tell me you’re comparing it to Boss Nan’s cooking?"
Lu Shixu nodded, admitting it.
Fu Yunfeng fell silent.
Not because he was speechless, but because after thinking it over, he found that Lu Shixu actually had a point.
This private kitchen, which he had always liked, wasn’t terrible by any means, but compared to dishes Nan Zhi made, like her cured pork and bamboo soup and Texas Roasted Chicken, it was a clear step down.
And that was despite this restaurant having a huge advantage when it came to ingredients!
’If Nan Zhi were to cook with these top-tier ingredients, how amazing would it taste?’
-
Nan Zhi rubbed her nose, which felt a little itchy.
Seeing this, Boss Yang, Yang Jie, who sat across from her, quickly asked with concern:
"Are you not feeling well? Do you have a cold? Or is there something wrong with the food?"
He was being incredibly attentive!
Boss Yang had no ulterior motives, though; he was just genuinely worried about his personal god of wealth!
The two of them were currently sitting in one of the restaurants from Boss Yang’s chain.
It was a standard fast-food place that focused on value for money, so the environment could hardly be called high-end, but it was clean, tidy, well-lit, and well-ventilated.
Of course, the food on the table was even better.
Especially the few fried rice dishes that Nan Zhi had developed in collaboration with Boss Yang. Just having them on the table was enough to fill the air with a constant, fragrant aroma.
The restaurant was nearly full, and over eighty percent of the customers had a dish from the Nan Zhi collaboration fried rice series in front of them.
The aroma of the dishes wafted through the air, and a smile of joy, born from great Food, was on everyone’s face!
When Boss Yang saw the happy customers, he too felt a deep, genuine sense of joy!
Because satisfied customers meant they would come back once, twice, three times...
...until they became loyal patrons, bringing in ever-increasing revenue!
Even now, more than half of the diners were here specifically for this fried rice.
This was why Boss Yang treated Nan Zhi like his own personal god of wealth!
A true god of wealth!
The kind that radiates a golden glow!
"It’s all thanks to you, Nan Zhi, for agreeing to work with us. This is absolutely the best decision I’ve made in the last half of my life!"
Boss Yang laid the flattery on thick, stopping just short of calling her the hope of his life!
’There’s no need for such exaggeration.’
"As long as the public likes it, that’s what matters. If there are any shortcomings, please point them out, and I’ll make improvements when appropriate."
Nan Zhi was proud, but not complacent.
She believed she hadn’t yet reached the pinnacle of her culinary skills, so she naturally had to seize every opportunity to improve herself.
Boss Yang launched into another round of sighs and praises, lauding Nan Zhi as if she were one of a kind in all of heaven and earth.
It went on until Nan Zhi couldn’t take it anymore and actively changed the subject.
Only then did Boss Yang cautiously bring something up:
"But regarding our collaboration, I actually have a new idea. How about you use your recipes and techniques as a capital investment for a stake in the company? I mean, as a shareholder in the entire company, not just taking a percentage from the fried rice category."
’It sounds good.’
Nan Zhi believed Boss Yang was being one hundred percent sincere.
However, Nan Zhi also felt that if she went along with Boss Yang’s proposal, the two of them would be too deeply tied together.
If she really became a shareholder, she couldn’t just be a hands-off partner. She would inevitably have to get involved in management, and that would be far more troublesome than simply collecting a dividend!
So, Nan Zhi politely declined Boss Yang’s offer, only saying that there might be opportunities to work together in the future.
Boss Yang sighed with regret, then steered the conversation back to the fried rice itself.
Nan Zhi was wearing a baseball cap, sitting discreetly in a corner with Boss Yang.
The restaurant was noisy, and she had subconsciously tuned out the other sounds.
Just then, the conversation of two girls at the next table suddenly broke through into her hearing—
"Hey! Did you see the exposé?"
"Of course I did! My ship is finally sailing, I’m so happy I could cry!"
"Last night, I saw Da Juzi post a teaser saying they were going to expose a huge relationship scoop today. I thought they were just trolling again, but I can’t believe it’s actually real this time! I’m so happy!"
"Nan Zhi and Xie Yu are a perfect match! The handsome guy and beautiful girl in the photos look so good together!"
"I know, right!"
"..."
As for Nan Zhi herself, the very person they were talking about? She was completely lost.
’What?’
’She and Xie Yu were in a romance rumor?’