Following Ji Chen’s action, the aroma of Malatang gradually overflowed from the container. The subtle fragrance slowly drifted away, and accompanied by Jiang Baiwan’s voice, filled the entire office bit by bit.

Ji Chen took apart the pair of disposable chopsticks, reached into the bowl to stir it, then picked up a piece of fish tofu. Jiang Baiwan watched Ji Chen eat and actually got a little nervous. “How is it? Is it delicious this time?”

Ji Chen swallowed the whole piece of fish tofu slowly until Jiang Baiwan was anxious, then he said, “It’s good.”

Jiang Baiwan heaved a sigh of relief. “As long as it’s good.”

Ji Chen took another sip of the soup. Thinking of Wei Dao making Malatang in Jiang Baiwan’s small kitchen with disdain on his face, Ji Chen had an inexplicable urge to laugh.

Jiang Baiwan looked at Ji Chen’s smiling face and her heart was full of sympathy—— The life of the rich was indeed good, but it’s too pitiful not to have even eaten Malatang, right?

“What’s the matter?” Ji Chen noticed Jiang Baiwan’s expression and he blinked his eyes, mistakenly thinking that Jiang Baiwan was hungry. “Have you not had lunch yet?”

Jiang Baiwan was caught off guard by Ji Chen’s question and couldn’t help freeze for a moment. Subconsciously, she reached out and touched her stomach—— Er, it seems she really didn’t have lunch? It’s just that when she was in the shop, the tip of her nose was filled with the smell of Malatang and she was almost full just from it. Now that she was reminded by Ji Chen, she remembered that she hadn’t eaten anything.

At this time, Jiang Baiwan’s stomach also made a grumbling sound. Her ears immediately turned red and she still said stiffly, “It’s okay, it’s okay, I’m not hungry.”

Ji Chen pursed his mouth and looked at Jiang Baiwan with a smile in his eyes. He pushed the steak in front of Jiang Baiwan. “Eat. It’ll be a waste if you don’t.”

Before Jiang Baiwan recovered, Ji Chen shoved a pair of knife and fork into her hands. Holding the cutleries, she looked at the steak with its lid off, and couldn’t find her tongue for a while. “This…… Can I have this?”

Just by a sniff, Jiang Baiwan could tell that the price of the steak in front of her and her own Malatang was definitely not on the same level.

“It’s just steak.” Ji Chen looked at her in surprise. “Why won’t I give it to you?”

Jiang Baiwan didn’t realize what was going on. Getting Ji Chen’s approval, she started cutting the steak. When Jiang Baiwan took the first bite, she was so moved that she almost wanted to cry.

What kind of fairy steak was this? Why was it so delicious? What were those things she used to eat?

She really couldn’t imagine the happiness of rich people. Because Ji Chen had eaten enough steak, he suddenly wanted to eat Malatang!

Jiang Baiwan chewed the steak, feeling the mixed of flavors in her heart, while Ji Chen also quietly ate Malatang. For a time, the entire office was silent and only the slight sound of two people eating could be heard.

From time to time, Ji Chen would raise his eyes to look at Jiang Baiwan, his eyes deep, but Jiang Baiwan was oblivious to it. She just concentrated on fighting the steak in front of her. The portion of the steak was generous and the sauce was thick. Jiang Baiwan’s mouth was a little dry after eating. She glanced at the glass of red wine not far from her hand. She really couldn’t help it and finally asked in a low voice, “That…… Can I drink this?”

Ji Chen originally didn’t want to let Jiang Baiwan drink, but seeing the expectant eyes of the woman in front of him, he suddenly changed his mind.

“Yes.” Ji Chen pushed the wine glass in front of Jiang Baiwan as well. “Go ahead.”

Jiang Baiwan lifted the glass and carefully took a sip. Although she didn’t know much about wine, she could basically feel that the red wine in her mouth was definitely not the same as other drinks.

Out of grief or indignation, Jiang Baiwan took another sip of wine.

When Ji Chen took notice, Jiang Baiwan had already drank almost half of the wine, and at the moment, her cheeks were visibly flushed.

Ji Chen was startled. He subconsciously stretched out his hand to stop Jiang Baiwan from continuing to drink. “You can’t drink any more, you’re drunk.”

Jiang Baiwan waved her hand, looking a little impatient. “How can I get drunk from red wine? You’re thinking too much, President Ji.”

As she spoke, Jiang Baiwan looked up at Ji Chen with a pair of watery eyes due to the alcohol. Her lips were bright red and she seemed to give off some unspeakable charm.

The rhythm of Ji Chen’s breath was messed up for a while, but Jiang Baiwan who’s in front of him, didn’t notice anything. She continued to look at him while smiling. “All right, don’t worry too much. I can still drink.”

Ji Chen raised his brows. He also looked at Jiang Baiwan and suddenly smiled. “Really? But I remember that you’re a very poor drinker and you drink as little alcohol as possible. How come you suddenly become so good at drinking?”

Jiang Baiwan was caught off guard by Ji Chen’s question, and her mind which was still a little sluggish just now, started to whirl in an instant. After realizing what she said, she couldn’t wait to slap herself—— Letting your mouth run!

But she had to cover it up. Jiang Baiwan laughed dryly. “Isn’t it because my family went bankrupt a while ago……? I’ve been drinking to drown my sorrows. That’s why my drinking capacity has developed.”

Ji Chen listened to this nonsense and didn’t show any extra reactions. He just nodded, seemingly accepting Jiang Baiwan’s statement.

Jiang Baiwan secretly sweated for herself. She regained the feeling of fear when facing Ji Chen, as if she was touching a tiger’s whiskers and was skirting around death.

Speaking of which, she really didn’t think about concealing the difference between herself and the other Jiang Baiwan. She originally thought that she would never have any contact with the people Jiang Baiwan used to know, but who would have thought…… Now it’s too late to play dumb.

Jiang Baiwan decided to settle the problem.

While she was thinking, Ji Chen suddenly spoke again, “I remember that you enjoyed steak. Is today’s steak to your liking?”

Jiang Baiwan’s shoulders shook. She said slowly, “It’s okay. After all, I’m already happy as long as I can fill my stomach. Who cares if I like it or not?”

It seemed Ji Chen wanted to say something more. In order to stop him, Jiang Baiwan immediately interrupted his words. “Look, the Malatang is getting cold. You should hurry up and eat.”

After saying that, Jiang Baiwan lowered her head and began to focus on the plate of steak in front of her again.

Fortunately, Ji Chen did not continue to insist, but went along with her and continued to eat.

After finally finishing the meal, Jiang Baiwan thanked Ji Chen hastily and without any hesitation, ran away as if there were oil on the soles of her feet. Ji Chen gentlemanly sent Jiang Baiwan to the door. Seeing that her feet were a little shaky, Ji Chen even gave her a hand. “Be careful.”

Jiang Baiwan almost jumped up. “N-n-no, it’s all right, don’t worry. Sending me here is fine. I’m going back.”

Ji Chen looked at Jiang Baiwan’s back as she left in a hurry and didn’t return to his office until Jiang Baiwan disappeared at the elevator door.

He looked at the takeout container and the plate with only the sauce left on the table. Ji Chen stretched out his hand and slowly picked up the half glass of leftover wine that Jiang Baiwan drank just now and gently took a sip.

Chateau Petrus. If he remembered correctly, Jiang Baiwan was the least fond of drinking this type of red wine.

———

Jiang Baiwan was frightened all the way and only became a little calmer once she returned to the Malatang shop. But then, Ji Chen didn’t say anything. Jiang Baiwan sat behind the counter and thought about it. Perhaps she was thinking too much.

“Boss.” As Jiang Baiwan was thinking about something, the college student waiter suddenly came to the counter and called her. “Someone’s looking for you.”

Jiang Baiwan trembled. “Who?”

“Me.” A woman’s voice sounded. There stood a graceful woman in front of the counter with a pair of big sunglasses covering almost a third of her face.

However, Jiang Baiwan still recognized her. “Tan Mi?”

“Hush!” Tan Mi nervously placed a finger on her lips, then moved a little closer to Jiang Baiwan and pulled down the sunglasses a bit. “I came out secretly. Don’t give away my whereabouts.”

Jiang Baiwan nodded her head and then gave Tan Mi a look. “Are you also here to…… eat Malatang?”

Tan Mi looked at Jiang Baiwan like she’s an idiot. “Do I have that much free time to come here just to eat Malatang?”

Jiang Baiwan didn’t think it was rude. She walked around from behind the counter. “It’s okay, it doesn’t matter if you don’t eat. Let me show you my shop!”

While the two were pushing and pulling, Wei Dao, who had been staying in the back kitchen, came out. Tan Mi turned her head and happened to see him. She froze for a moment and stopped interacting with Jiang Baiwan.

“……Jiang Baiwan.” Tan Mi kept staring at Wei Dao behind her sunglasses and her voice trembled a little. “Is that…… your Malatang shop’s cook?”

Jiang Baiwan hummed. “The cook I hired is very skilled.”

Tan Mi squeezed Jiang Baiwan’s hand, looked at Wei Dao and then at the little fool in front of her, and felt that this was really showing preferential treatment towards this naïve person. “He just makes Malatang here? How much do you pay him a month?”

Jiang Baiwan thought for a while and said, “It’s 4,000 at first, but he said he didn’t want five social insurances and one housing fund, so I converted it into salary for him.”

Tan Mi stood in place and after a long while pulled out a weird smile. “That’s great. Just a glance at your cook, one can tell that he’s capable.”

Tan Mi was too familiar with this cook. She once attended a banquet of Haochen Group as a female companion of a certain boss, and the head chef that time was now standing in Jiang Baiwan’s Malatang shop, wearing a simple apron around his waist, delivering Malatang to the counter with a cheerful face.

For a moment, Tan Mi’s mood was extremely complicated. She didn’t know whether she should be envious of Ji Chen’s partiality to Jiang Baiwan, or shed tears of sympathy for the cook in front of her.