For the second time that day, her phone rang in her pocket, making everyone turn their heads towards her. Shen Lingqing froze in her seat for a moment as soon as she realized who was calling her so late tonight.
“Excuse me. Please continue with your business,” she said as she stood up and walked away to answer the call.
“Miss Qiao, who could it be this time?” Yang Fangjin asked curiously. However, it seemed that he wasn’t the only one who wanted to know the answer, as the others turned their attention to Qiao Lian as well.
“Hmm, based on Director Shen’s reaction, there’s only one person who could make her react like that.” Qiao Lian rubbed her chin.
“Is it her lover?” Yang Fangjin grinned before teasing. “For a woman as beautiful and as outstanding as Director Shen, it’s impossible for her not to have a boyfriend.”
Qiao Lian sighed at that. If only that was true… but she never once saw Shen Lingqing grow interested in any men she had met before. It wasn’t like she wanted her friend to get married and settle down soon, but Shen Lingqing wasn’t just into casual dating.
“No. As far as I know, she’s not seeing someone. It’s probably President Shen who is calling her now. He might want to know how the first day went,” she answered.
It might not be obvious for some people, but Shen Lingqing was more like a daddy’s girl through and through. Although she also loved her mother, Shen Lingqing had spent most of her time growing up next to her father.
So it didn’t come as a surprise to everyone around them when Shen Lingqing resembled not only President Shen’s facial expressions but also some of his mannerisms.
“Then, it’s a good thing we did well today,” Lin Xiao commented.
“We’ll continue to do so in the future. I’m sure it would be amazing if our restaurant would be recognized and given a Michelin star one day,” Liu Jinfei added.
“Right. It seems impossible at first, but if we continue to work hard and help Director Shen, maybe that dream wouldn’t be impossible at all.”
Yang Fangjin was impressed when he first heard that Shen Lingqing was given such an impossible task by her father. However, when he witnessed it himself how dedicated and efficient she was at work, it made sense to him why Shen Lingqing was willing to go to the extent of extending a hand to help him and his sister.
Although half his salary would be deducted to cover the medical expenses of his sister’s treatment, Yang Fangjin didn’t mind it all. It was just a fair exchange in his opinion. After all, Shen Lingqing might not know the gratitude he and his sister felt for extending an olive branch to help them.
When Shen Lingqing came back and returned to her seat, she finished her drink and took a sigh. While her mother’s call earlier was able to make her calm down, her father’s call was enough to make her aware of her reality.
“What’s wrong, Qingqing? Something happened?” Qiao Lian asked her. ρꪖꪕᦔꪖꪕꪫꪣꫀꪶ
“Nothing much. Dad wants me to send a detailed report in a week to see how the restaurant is performing in its first week. Another task I would need to work on soon.”
Just as Shen Lingqing thought that she was relieved from the great pressure, her father had delivered another blow to keep her grounded. Ah, she should have expected this to happen.
“It’s okay, Qingqing. You have us, so we will make sure that the report you would present to your father would be sufficient and satisfying,” her assistant consoled her, patting Shen Lingqing’s back.
“Thanks, Lian, but it’s okay. It only makes sense why Dad has asked me to do it, but yeah, let’s continue doing our best.” She agreed with Qiao Lian. It wasn’t someone she could easily mess up with, anyway.
“Director Shen, is it true that you don’t have a boyfriend? Have you gone on a date before?” Yang Fangjin shamelessly asked Shen Lingqing, much to Qiao Lian’s shock.
Qiao Lian felt her eyes stung with tears as she coughed violently behind her hand. What the hell was Yang Fangjin up to? She had never met anyone brave enough to ask Shen Lingqing such a personal question.
“No and yes,” Shen Lingqing said without batting an eyelid, aware of how Qiao Lian’s eyes widened into saucers from hearing her answer.
“Qingqing!”
“What?” The Shen princess frowned. “You think I’m that innocent, Lian?”
Well, Shen Lingqing couldn’t fault her friend. It was just that she kept this matter strictly private. She didn’t think it’s everyone’s business to know who she was seeing.
“I thought I’m your best friend. How can you not tell me about such a tea?” Qiao Lian asked, feigning the hurt coming from Shen Lingqing’s words. They knew each other since they were young, but how come she didn’t know about such a thing about Shen Lingqing?
“That’s because you kept on assuming things, Lian, and you haven’t really asked me the right questions, unlike Mr. Yang.”
“Then, tell me, did you have a boyfriend when you were abroad?” Since Shen Lingqing put it that way, Qiao Lian had to question her bluntly in front of everyone.
“No, but I went on a date with someone once.” Shen Lingqing admitted.
“So what happened, Director Shen? You weren’t compatible?” Yang Fangjin grinned, cupping his chin with one hand as he waited for their boss’s answer while glancing at Liu Jinfei who hadn’t uttered a single word in his seat.
How could he waste this chance to observe his fellow chef’s reaction? Yang Fangjin didn’t mean to probe, but since the first time he met Liu Jinfei, he always found the man sneaking a glance at his boss whenever others weren’t paying attention.
“It’s not that we aren’t compatible. We decided not to pursue a relationship to focus on our respective goals.”
