The intense fragrance lingered in the air above the Xunxiang Banquet.

On this day, employees in the business district felt as though they were trapped in a culinary torment.

The end of the workday is already a time when stomachs growl the loudest, and yet, as soon as people stepped out of their offices, they were hit by an overwhelmingly enticing aroma.

The fragrance spread across several streets surrounding the Xunxiang Banquet, leaving many nearly on the verge of tears from hunger.

People looked around to find the source of the smell, only to discover it came from an old courtyard—a place that had been around for years but was usually quiet and deserted.

Today, however, the place was bustling in an extraordinary way.

Not only were the parking spots out front filled with luxury cars, but there also appeared to be media present.

Several news vans had roared in from who-knows-where, and journalists with cameras and microphones crowded together, snapping endless shots of the restaurant’s entrance.

Words like “Mr. Meng” floated through their chatter—terms the passersby couldn’t make sense of. The air seemed filled with joy.

It truly was joy—inside the courtyard, the guests looked absolutely delighted.

A few white-collar workers on their way home couldn’t stop peeking in, mouths watering as they sniffed the air.

The lively sounds inside stirred their curiosity, and they began discussing amongst themselves:

“When did a restaurant like this open up in the CBD?”

“It’s always been here. Do you really not know, or are you pretending?”

“I really don’t know. It’s always so quiet here; I thought it was a government office or something. Who would’ve guessed it’s a restaurant?”

“This is one of the oldest restaurants in Linjiang. That’s why this old courtyard hasn’t been torn down, despite all these office buildings springing up. But to be honest, I hardly hear of anyone eating here. I always thought the food must not be good.”

“This smells too good, though. My gosh, their stuff must be too expensive—that’s probably why there aren’t any customers. I swear, once I get my bonus at the end of the month, I’ll come and treat myself.”

“No need to wait for the end of the month. Doesn’t our project team have a dinner coming up? This month’s performance was stellar, and the boss said he’d take us to the priciest Japanese restaurant.”

“What Japanese food? Tomorrow, we’re writing a petition to the boss!”

---

Jin Wenzhi finally arrived, albeit very late.

The third son of the Jin family, Jin Laosan, actually hadn’t wanted to come—perhaps it would be more accurate to say he didn’t dare.

The business partner he had secretly colluded with had suddenly turned on him, delivering a heavy blow to the family’s inheritance.

His guilt kept him awake at night; every time he closed his eyes, he could picture his father’s stern face berating him as an unfilial son.

He was overwhelmed with frustration, yet he had nowhere to vent.

As a shareholder of Mingde and a descendant of the Jin family, he had no choice but to suppress his guilt and show up at the company’s major event.

The other relatives, unaware of his inner torment, spent the journey pulling him into their complaints about Cheng Chen and Muhe Mansion.

They hurled every insult imaginable, and Jin Laosan, suppressing his embarrassment, was forced to agree with them. His face burned with shame; he wished he could find a hole to crawl into.

Fortunately, the family’s ranting about the Chengs was simply a way to let off steam.

Eventually, the topic shifted back to their own business.

“Sigh,” someone lamented. “Xunxiang Banquet has really been going downhill these years. Back when Dad was still around, even if Cheng Chen had the guts, he wouldn’t have dared mess with the Jin family.”

The others nodded in agreement: “I heard several of our old partners have sided with the Chengs this time. That guy from Morning Feast, for example—back when the Linjiang Gourmet Association was first established, didn’t Dad help him so much? Now look at him—completely turning his back on us.”

“The eldest brother has it hard, too. Keeping Xunxiang Banquet afloat all these years hasn’t been easy. If Dad knew his life’s work had turned into this, he’d be heartbroken.”

“Hmph.” Jin Laosan snorted, the memory of his father scolding him still vivid. “What’s there to feel bad about? The Xunxiang Banquet was so important, yet Eldest Brother handed it over to that girl Yaotiao. It’s clear he doesn’t take Dad’s legacy seriously.”

For some reason, saying this made Jin Laosan’s guilt diminish considerably.

It was as if his betrayal wasn’t so unique after all.

Sure, he had caused a loss for the Jin family, but Eldest Brother handing over Xunxiang Banquet to a mere girl wasn’t any better.

The other Jin family members were clearly shocked by this revelation. “Yaotiao? Eldest Brother’s daughter?”

“Exactly.” Jin Laosan said grimly, “He even let her organize this year’s anniversary celebration. When I heard about it, I went to try and talk him out of it, but he accused me of overstepping my bounds. Tell me—hasn’t Eldest Brother gone senile? What can a young girl accomplish? If she’s in charge, Xunxiang Banquet will shut down in no time.”

The relatives were thoroughly alarmed. It was as if they could already foresee the disastrous future of Xunxiang Banquet.

Just as the conversation grew increasingly pessimistic, the car came to a stop.

The group got out, only to look up and freeze in shock.

“……………………”

What was this festive scene that looked like a New Year celebration?

Jin Father, who had been chatting on the phone, came over to greet the relatives.

“Thank you, thank you,” he said politely into the phone.

“Chairman Chen, you’re being too kind. It’s just an anniversary banquet. I completely understand you choosing to attend Muhe Mansion.”

“There’s no need to apologize; I didn’t take it personally, so don’t overthink it.”

“Mr. Meng? Oh, yes, he’s here. To be honest, I didn’t recognize him at first. It was Editor Gao from Fragrance of the World who told me he had arrived.”

“Editor Gao? Oh, he’s sitting with Mr. Meng right now. The two of them are chatting away.”

“What? You want to come over? No need, no need! I appreciate the thought, but you really don’t need to make the trip. Besides, Xunxiang Banquet is already packed, and we wouldn’t want to risk neglecting you.”

“A headline feature? Oh, that’s far too kind.”

“Thank you for promoting Mingde. In that case, I’ll graciously accept.”

After hanging up, the smile on Jin Father’s face faded instantly.

The Jin family members standing nearby were utterly baffled by the conversation.

Someone couldn’t help but ask:

“Who was that offering to promote us?”

“Chairman Chen of ‘Morning Feast’,” Father Jin snorted disdainfully, “Two-faced and scheming. He still wants to come over here? Does he really think I’m so easy to fool?”

The Jin family exchanged puzzled looks. What was going on? The Chairman Chen, who had just visited the Muhe residence, actually called to apologize? Was their family’s reputation that significant?

Seeing their confusion, Father Jin waved his hand and explained, “He’s not apologizing for us; he wants to meet Mr. Meng.”

“Mr. Meng?” The Jin family members were initially baffled by the name.

But as they entered the banquet hall for the anniversary celebration, they caught sight of the rotund, distinguished elder being surrounded by admirers.

All of them were stunned. “Big Brother! You actually managed to invite this great figure?!”

“I don’t have that kind of influence,” Father Jin said smugly, almost showing off to his relatives. “I didn’t even recognize him at first. Who would’ve thought Mr. Meng would suddenly show up at our anniversary event? He’s here for our Yaoyao(Jin Yaotiao). Haha!”

The Jin family members were dumbfounded and instinctively glanced at their third brother, who had been dissatisfied with Jin Yaotiao throughout the evening.

Jin’s third brother turned pale, then flushed.

Forced to save face, he awkwardly changed the subject: “Big Brother, speaking of Yaotiao, I heard she broke off her engagement with General Manager Shen of Jingmao Group?”

Father Jin shot him a sharp look and replied bluntly, “You’ve never cared so much before. Have you switched careers to intelligence gathering?”

The third brother was flustered by the sarcasm but still tried to save face with a nervous laugh. “Big Brother, how could you let her behave so recklessly?”

Father Jin snorted. “She’s my daughter. If I want to spoil her, that’s my choice. If you have a problem with it, go have your own daughter and marry her off.”

But wasn’t this elder brother always the one most eager to see his daughter get married?

The third brother found his elder brother’s behavior unfamiliar, but with so many relatives watching, he couldn’t abandon his effort to pressure him. “It’s not that simple. Jingmao Group is a massive corporation, and General Manager Shen is an unmatched match. Their marriage would’ve been a tremendous benefit to the Jin family. But Yaotiao’s impulsiveness offended him greatly. That’s not good for us.”

Father Jin had indeed thought about this issue. But since it had already happened, what was the point of dwelling on the negatives?

Annoyed by his brother’s persistence, Father Jin was about to scold him when a deep, smooth voice suddenly came from behind: “Uncle Jin, why are you standing at the door?”

Startled, Father Jin turned to see who it was. “Shen… Xiao Shen? Why are you here?”

Shen Qiming replied, “I come every year.”

Father Jin: “???” But you’re no longer connected to the Jin family.

For a moment, Father Jin was at a loss for words.

His gaze shifted past Shen Qiming’s shoulder, and he was shocked again.

Outside, several florists’ delivery trucks had arrived unnoticed.

A team of workers was unloading a massive number of floral arrangements, piling them up until they nearly blocked the entrance to the banquet hall.

---

In the kitchen, Jin Yaotiao was busy working.

She was probably the last person in the restaurant to learn that the uninvited guest was Mr. Meng.

But when she found out, she wasn’t particularly surprised.

After all, during her younger years in China, she’d been preoccupied with relationships and knew little about prominent figures in the culinary world.

Later, when she became self-reliant and moved abroad, she rarely crossed paths with influential Chinese food critics like Mr. Meng, whose impact was greater within China.

While most young chefs might feel nervous or thrilled at being noticed by such a famous foodie, she had already won enough awards to no longer need external validation to feel confident.

To her, Mr. Meng was just another diner.

As such, he deserved her sincere hospitality but no special treatment above any other guest. Anything else would violate her professional ethics.

Meanwhile, the young chefs in the kitchen were abuzz with excitement over Mr. Meng’s presence.

Even Master Tu had sneaked out for a peek. Jin Yaotiao lightly patted a few overly excited youngsters on the back. “Alright, getting worked up here won’t impress Mr. Meng. Focus on making good dishes instead. The rice should be almost ready. Go fetch the clay pots for the rice casserole.”

The boys blushed at her encouragement and scurried off to work. As Jin Yaotiao turned back, she noticed her father entering the kitchen with an odd expression.

“Yaotiao…” Father Jin hesitated. “Didn’t you and Xiao Shen break up?”

Jin Yaotiao took some prepared crab paste and crab meat from the refrigerator without looking up. “Yes, why?”

Father Jin stepped aside to reveal someone standing at the doorway.

Jin Yaotiao glanced out of the corner of her eye and froze. “…”

Shen Qiming stood obediently at the door, his long eyelashes fluttering slightly as he deliberately avoided her gaze.

“…It’s nothing, Dad. Go back to work.” After a moment’s silence, Jin Yaotiao finally spoke.

Father Jin left reluctantly, looking back at every step. Jin Yaotiao stared at Shen Qiming for a while before asking, “Mr. Shen, are you just passing by?”

“Hmm, I happened to be in the area after work.” Shen Qiming replied.

“Alright then, thank you for stopping by.” Not wanting to dig deeper, Jin Yaotiao added tactfully, “But Mr. Shen, since we’ve broken up, don’t you think staying here might be…”

Since their engagement had been called off, the anniversary banquet hadn’t included a place for Shen Qiming, and no one had expected him to show up uninvited.

Jin Yaotiao wasn’t sure how to entertain him.

Shen Qiming, however, showed no intention of leaving.

His gaze swept over the kitchen, taking in the young men bustling about.

Each one looked curious, sneaking glances at him.

Apparently, Master Tu had a thing for hiring good-looking apprentices.

With a flicker of amusement in his eyes, Shen Qiming turned back to her. “Busy with the anniversary?”

Of course, she was busy. Jin Yaotiao found his question ridiculous. “Why? Are you offering to help?”

Shen Qiming glanced at her, then calmly rolled up the sleeves of his suit jacket and headed to the sink to wash his hands.

Jin Yaotiao: “?????”