Shen Lingqing stopped in her tracks and looked over her shoulder with a blank expression on her face. She didn’t respond to Liu Jinfei’s question for a few moments, making him nervous from her pointed stare.
“Let’s talk about it tonight. I need some time to rest,” she said, leaving the man confused more than ever.
Liu Jinfei couldn’t figure out what she was even thinking at that moment, more when she wasn’t saying anything at all.
The Shen princess rarely attended festivities as she easily grew tired by keeping up with the high energy everyone had around her. She knew recruiting Yang Fangjin made Liu Jinfei uncomfortable, but he was overthinking things if he thought that she was going to get rid of him even before the opening of Savory Alley took place.
“Is there something wrong, Chef Liu?” Lin Xiao asked, noticing the awkwardness between Liu Jinfei and their boss.
“It’s nothing.” Liu Jinfei gave him a reassuring smile. “It was something I wanted to discuss with Director Shen for some time now.”
Meanwhile, He Haotian was aware of what the younger chef wanted to discuss with his granddaughter, but he chose not to make a comment on it. He trusted Shen Lingqing’s judgment anyway.
“If that’s all, Yang Fangjin, I suggest you see and meet your sister now. Just like Qingqing said, it’s better for your sister to be transferred away from here as soon as possible,” he said as he regarded the youngest chef in the kitchen.
“Ah! Right! Right! I should tell her this good news right away! Please excuse me!” Yang Fangjin said before giving a curt bow to the three chefs and rushing outside, leaving them in the kitchen.
“Such a young, energetic man. I hope he will be able to get along with us back in the capital.” Lin Xiao laughed at Yang Fangjin’s eagerness.
Unlike Lin Xiao, Liu Jinfei wasn’t sure if it was for Yang Fangjin to join them. However, since he trusted Shen Lingqing’s judgment, he could only keep his opinion to himself.
Liu Jinfei stayed in his room, waiting for Shen Lingqing’s summon to see him; while Lin Xiao took the rest of the day to visit the town and the night market and buy some souvenirs for his daughter and colleagues at Savory Alley.
‘What’s taking her so long?’ Liu Jinfei thought as he lay on his bed, staring at the high ceiling of the room. He was tired from the long hours of competing since morning, but his mind wouldn’t allow him to rest properly.
Perhaps he was worrying too much. He needed to calm down before he met with Shen Lingqing later, but what would he tell her? It wasn’t easy to admit his flaws, not when Shen Lingqing had just hired him.
He hoped that she wouldn’t think that he had purposely deceived her by not disclosing his inability to properly taste the dishes he was making. Still, Liu Jinfei knew that he couldn’t blame Shen Lingqing if she decided to end his contract prematurely.
Three hours later, a knock on his door woke Liu Jinfei up from his nap. He didn’t even realize that he had fallen asleep while waiting for Shen Lingqing to see him. He dragged himself out of bed and opened the door, only to see the same butler that he met yesterday. ρꪖꪕᦔꪖꪕꪫꪣꫀꪶ
“Mr. Liu, Miss Qing wanted to meet you at her suite. Please follow me,” the butler said respectfully.
It was only then did Liu Jinfei become conscious of what he looked like at the moment. He couldn’t possibly meet Shen Lingqing looking like this.
“Can you give me a minute? I need to wash up,” he requested.
The butler checked his watch and nodded. He understood that his visit had come unexpectedly, but he really couldn’t do anything about it as he was only following Shen Lingqing’s orders.
“Would five minutes be enough, Mr. Liu? We can’t let Miss Qing wait for too long.”
“That’s more than enough. Thank you.” Liu Jinfei nodded before closing the door. He hurriedly went to the restroom and washed his face. He then changed his clothes into a fresh one and double-checked his reflection in the mirror, making sure he looked presentable at least.
“Alright, I’m ready. Please lead the way,” he told the butler once he stepped out of the room. Since Shen Lingqing was waiting for him, he could not delay their meeting any longer.
The butler nodded and walked past Liu Jinfei. His steps were so silent that even Liu Jinfei couldn’t hear it. Perhaps it was because they were making sure not to disturb the stay of the guests of the resort, Liu Jinfei thought.
The butler led him to the highest floor of the building. The decor was obviously grander than the lower floors where the guests were staying. It had a minimalist Nordic design, reminding him of the interior designs he had seen during their stay overseas.
The Shen family surely knew how to impress others with the simplicity of the place without losing its grandeur. By keeping the style in a minimalist way, they were able to present simplicity whilst staying functional and comfortable.
It didn’t take too long before they reached the largest suite of the resort. The butler opened the door and let Liu Jinfei in before excusing himself.
“Wait…” However, even before Liu Jinfei could ask him where Shen Lingqing was, the butler had already left and gone out of sight.
Sighing to himself, Liu Jinfei scratched his head and entered the room on his own. How could that butler leave his young miss alone with a man like him? Wasn’t he worried about Shen Lingqing’s safety?
“Director Shen? I’m here,” he announced, hoping that Shen Lingqing could hear him because he wouldn’t dare to walk any further than he already had.
“Here.” Thankfully, Shen Lingqing responded, “Join me here.”
Liu Jinfei entered the sitting area and found Shen Lingqing seated on a couch.
