Old Gao, sitting at the table, glanced toward the door and sighed: “The foot traffic in this place is really getting less and less. We’ve been here half a day, and only one table from the room next door has come in.”

Old Wang, sitting across from him, laughed and said: “Mr. Jin has been gone for many years, and this place is still open—that’s already impressive. Besides, Mingde’s other restaurants are doing well. Old Jin is willing to put effort into keeping Xunxiang Banquet running. What more could you want?”

Old Gao smiled faintly: “I know, but I can’t help but feel sorry about it.”

He took a sip of wine, staring at the delicious but not astonishing food on the table, then leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes and shaking his head: “When Old Jin was still around, how old were we? Every time we heard that our parents were coming to Xunxiang Banquet for business, that guy would rush home right after class, not even stopping at the arcade, just to tag along and get a bite to eat.”

Old Wang also grew nostalgic and took a drink with him: “Yeah, that taste…”

He vaguely caught a strong, appetizing smell in the air and nodded: “Mmm, it’s this taste.”

The room fell silent for ten seconds.

Old Wang opened his eyes in confusion and saw that Old Gao had already leaned forward, extending his neck like a goose. “What’s that smell?”

A waiter walked in holding a shiny copper pot, like it was a treasure, and carefully placed it in the center of the round table: “Hello, the Eight-Treasure Mountain Delicacy you ordered, please enjoy.”

As the lid was lifted, the rich fragrance filled the room, so intense that even the waiter, as he backed out, couldn’t help but swallow. Inside, the group of gourmets exchanged glances.

After a moment, Old Gao was the first to grab a spoon and scoop a bowl for himself.

“How’s it?”

The others asked.

Old Gao squinted and savored it for a moment, then shouted, “Quick, quick, get the waiter to bring some rice! My god, I’m having this soup with rice today!”

As he spoke, several people from the neighboring room had already gathered by the door.

They looked over and saw it was the guests from the next room.

One of them raised his chin toward the table, with an expression that all the food enthusiasts understood: “Hey, what dish did you order? It smells so good. Is it tasty?”

Old Gao, craving rice, was beside himself: “Eight-Treasure Mountain Delicacy, it’s amazing! The taste, I’m telling you, is incredible!”

“Really?” The guest from the next room looked confused. “We’ve ordered Eight-Treasure Mountain Delicacy before, but it didn’t smell this good.”

Old Gao replied excitedly: “I saw Mr. Jin just came to the main store, maybe he made this dish himself. My god, this was worth coming here today! After all these years, Old Jin was always a little off, but now he’s finally gotten it right.”

Upon hearing this, the people from the next room quickly called for more dishes, and soon they saw Jin’s Father walking out from the kitchen with a stunningly beautiful woman.

Jin’s Father mind was still lingering on the sci-fi scene where his famous stubborn chef was made to lose his temper by his own daughter in just a few minutes.

When he noticed the old customers’ attention, he absentmindedly said, “Everyone, is the Eight-Treasure Mountain Delicacy my daughter made okay? She’ll be helping out during this year’s anniversary banquet at Xunxiang Banquet. She’s young, so if anything’s not up to standard, please bear with us.”

“What? She made this?”

Old Gao nearly dropped his spoon, staring at Jin’s Father daughter, Jin Yaotiao, who was smiling behind him. He couldn’t help but exclaim, “Old Jin, you’re really lucky to have such a capable successor. Jin’s skills are finally being passed down. If you don’t save me a seat for the anniversary banquet, I’ll go to Mingde and cause trouble for you.”

“Successor?”

Mr. Jin froze at the word, and turned around blankly.

His daughter smiled and raised an eyebrow at him, her calm demeanor making him feel as though he had just opened a door that had always been in front of him but he never noticed.

When he left Xunxiang Banquet, he remained silent until he entered his office, deep in thought.

After a long time, he suddenly opened a drawer, pulled out a golden-embossed invitation card, and turned to his daughter, who was admiring the honors his father had earned, and said: “Yaotiao, in a few days, there’s a banquet for the Chamber of Commerce in Linjiang. I’ll take you with me.”

---

The invitation was formal and serious, unlike the usual parties of high society.

The cover had bold and powerful writing: “Mr. Jin Wencheng, Chairman of Mingde Catering Management Co., Ltd. Personal Invitation.”

Luna’s eyes widened, not daring to breathe: “Oh my god, oh my god! Your dad really wants you to go to such an important event for him?! What about him?”

Jin Yaotiao, freshly showered with a hint of redness on her face and the faint scent of essential oils in her damp hair, pressed the elevator button and shook her head: “I’m not working out to lose weight.”

Luna: “Then why?”

Jin Yaotiao’s gaze flickered: “For work.”

Being a master chef wasn’t easy. Unlike her usual cooking in the kitchen at home, relying on her previous diet and frail body wouldn’t last more than three days before she’d fall ill.

In the elevator, Luna followed Jin Yaotiao and kept talking: “Yaotiao, you’re already so thin. Why bother exercising? If I had legs as slim as yours, I’d lie in bed eating chips every day without a care.”

After her workout, Jin Yaotiao’s face was still slightly flushed, and she smiled faintly: “I’m not exercising to lose weight.”

Luna responded: “Then why?”

Jin Yaotiao’s eyes gleamed: “For work.”

Becoming a celebrity chef wasn’t as easy as it seemed, and she knew her body wouldn’t hold up without discipline.

---

As they reached the gym, they were approached by a tall figure in the elevator. His face was masked, almost completely obscured.

As soon as he noticed the presence of others, he paused. When he realized who was there, he lifted his mask, revealing a sharp, delicate lower half of his face.

“Jin… Yaotiao.” He met her piercing gaze, hesitated, then walked into the elevator.

Luna, shocked, took several steps back: “Ning Ning Ning Shun! Oh my god, how are you here in the Hyatt?!”

Ning Shun paused, noticing Jin Yaotiao wasn’t alone: “I’m here for a shoot. The crew arranged for me to stay here. You’re… Yaotiao’s friend? How did you end up here?”

“Ahhh, we came to work out! I’m a fan of yours! Can you sign something for me?” Luna began searching for something to be signed, realizing the content of his words a moment later, her face turning red: “You… you two know each other?”

Jin YaoTiao remained silent, while Ning Shun glanced at her with a complicated look, as if she didn’t want to acknowledge him. “YaoTiao helped me out last time; that’s how we met. I didn’t expect to run into her again.”

Jin YaoTiao chuckled lightly, “Yeah, what a coincidence.”

The chubby man behind Ning Shun gave her a suspicious glance, seemingly astonished by her attitude.

Ning Shun furrowed his brows. “Yao…”

Jin YaoTiao turned her head to look at him. He paused for a moment, and his eyes behind his sunglasses flickered briefly. “Sister.”

The elevator reached the ground floor, the doors opened, and Jin YaoTiao stepped out without hesitation. Luna, who had come to get an autograph, hesitated for a moment but still followed her friend out, stumbling slightly.

The group in the elevator fell silent, and after a long pause, the chubby manager spoke in surprise, “Wait, that woman is Jin YaoTiao? The one Mrs. Shen that Qiao Yusi mentioned? She doesn’t look like how she described her, she’s even more stunning than expected.”

He quickly realized what he said and looked at Ning Shun warily. “Ning Shun, listen to me, you should stop getting involved with her. This woman obviously isn’t interested in your tricks. Be careful, she might end up swallowing you whole.”

Ning Shun remained silent for a moment, then suddenly became slightly irritated. “She’s not Mrs. Shen. Shen Qiming hasn’t married her yet.”

Realizing what his manager had been warning about, he scoffed. “How could that be? I have no interest in romance.”

He put on his mask but suddenly wondered what Jin YaoTiao had been talking about with her friend earlier in the elevator.

A business event? A dress for an event?

With her long legs and fair skin, she would definitely look stunning in a red gown.

---

At the Jingmao headquarters in the Liming City business district, the towering building stood in a prime location.

After work, employees streamed out of the building, and several black business cars slowly approached, drawing their attention.

The car doors opened, and Shen Qiming stepped out, followed by Jiang Sen and several assistants.

He was tall and handsome, his features so striking that it was hard to look away, but his aura was sharp, almost frosty.

While his photo looked fine, seeing him in person made people hesitant to look too long.

A slight stir spread through the crowd, then quieted, parting like the Red Sea as he stepped into the elevator.

Only then did the hushed discussions erupt.

“Is that Mr. Shen? He’s back in the country!”

“Oh my, did he burn incense today? We rarely see him.”

“Wow, his suit looks amazing today.”

“Mr. Shen looks good in anything, not just suits. Ugh, he’s such a handsome guy. I wonder which woman will end up with him. Does he have a girlfriend?”

“Didn’t they say he’s already engaged? He’s always wearing a ring.”

“What’s the big deal with the ring? How do you know it’s an engagement ring? He hasn’t officially announced anything. Also, didn’t they say his assistant, Ning Meng, has some ambiguous relationship with him? Last time, Mr. Shen even took her to a charity gala. The company’s guessing she might get promoted.”

“Cut it out, do you really believe that? A friend from my assistant department told me that Ning Meng is working her butt off, barely sleeping, just to grab jobs close to Mr. Shen. As for Mr. Shen, well, he only deals with her on work stuff.”

At the top floor, the elevator opened, and Ning Meng was already waiting by the door. She looked a bit pale but was composed, following Shen Qiming and the others without hesitation.

She handed him an invitation. “Mr. Shen, this is an invitation from the Liming City Chamber of Commerce. Please make sure to attend.”

Shen Qiming’s father was the honorary president of the Chamber, so the responsibility had naturally fallen to him as the head of Jingmao.

He took the invitation with a nod, and Ning Meng cautiously asked, “So… should I prepare?”

Shen Qiming was focused on his work, barely acknowledging her.

Jiang Sen, stunned, opened his mouth in front of Ning Meng. “Wait, you’re still taking Ning Meng? Are you not upset with YaoTiao anymore?”

Shen Qiming paused and agreed, “Let’s switch it up. The assistant department will arrange it.”

Ning Meng bit her lip as she tried to hold her composure.

The assistants shot her amused looks, but Shen Qiming didn’t notice and walked straight into the office.

Jiang Sen was baffled. “So who are you taking instead? Why not take YaoTiao?”

Shen Qiming looked at him, confused. “Why would I take YaoTiao?”

Jiang Sen was incredulous. “You’re not planning to take her out?”

Shen Qiming replied coolly, “I’ll take her to Old Mrs. Zheng’s birthday next month.”

Jiang Sen was dumbfounded. “You’ve got to be kidding. Why wait until next month? You could just take her now!”

Shen Qiming explained, “This is a business event. Why would I take her?”

Jiang Sen was speechless. “Why not take her? Besides, last time you took her to a charity gala, and it went smoothly.”

Shen Qiming explained, “These are social events where we drink.”

Jiang Sen was still confused. “So?”

Shen Qiming clarified, “YaoTiao doesn’t drink.”

Jiang Sen was speechless, unable to keep up with his reasoning. Shen Qiming gave him a look that seemed to say, “How can you not understand?” and grabbed a jewelry box from his assistant. “Get ready, we have a meeting in thirty minutes.”

Jiang Sen was left dizzy. “Where are you going?”

Shen Qiming answered, “YaoTiao said she’s meeting me at a coffee shop nearby. I’ll explain things to her and come back.”

At the coffee shop near the Jingmao building, Jin YaoTiao entered and immediately noticed the person she was looking for.

Shen Qiming was sitting by the window, gazing out at the street. He was impeccably dressed, his suit sharp and without a wrinkle.

His face was expressionless, but his mere presence exuded an aristocratic aura, making the otherwise ordinary café seem out of reach.

Jin YaoTiao raised an eyebrow, admiring the familiar face.

Shen Qiming’s handsomeness was beyond dispute.

He had always been the center of attention in any crowd.

Even though Jin YaoTiao had seen many handsome men, she couldn’t help but admit that he was one of the most handsome she had ever seen.

She walked over and said, “Sorry to keep you waiting.”

Shen Qiming turned around, stunned for a moment when he recognized her. “YaoTiao?”

Jin YaoTiao sat down, smiling as she ordered an iced Americano from the waiter and asked, “Didn’t recognize me?”

Shen Qiming shook his head. “No.”

Jin YaoTiao raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you think I look better now?”

Shen Qiming paused, then calmly replied, “You look good. You looked good before too.”

Jin YaoTiao chuckled.

It was nothing new; after all, when she used to ask him about her appearance, he always gave similar responses.

She sighed internally, thinking that despite everything, at least she had dated such a handsome man. Even if they broke up, she would still be the subject of admiration in Liming.

She took a sip of her iced coffee and was about to speak when the waiter suddenly bent down to pick something up and placed it on the table. “Sir, you dropped something.”

Shen Qiming thanked him and placed the object on the table.

Jin YaoTiao glanced at the familiar invitation cover and raised an eyebrow.

Shen Qiming, however, didn’t seem interested in talking about the event.

He casually pulled out a box and placed it on the table. “For you.”

She was stunned for a moment, opened the box, and her eyes lingered on the dazzling pink diamond inside.

This diamond seemed to have mysteriously appeared in her wardrobe.

She often found pink items there, like large pink pearls, and thought she was just forgetful, but it turned out Shen Qiming had bought them?

He bought it and didn’t give it to her in person, nor did he mention it later.

What was this, a paycheck?

Jin YaoTiao raised her chin, inspecting the extravagant “pigeon egg” diamond, and closed the box with a laugh. “Thanks, but no thanks. I don’t like pink.”

Shen Qiming seemed puzzled, and Jin Yaotiao met his gaze, speaking business-like. “Mr. Shen, let’s not talk about this. I have something important to discuss with you today.”

Shen Qiming frowned slightly at her formal tone. “Important? Are you angry? Because of Ning Meng?”

Jin YaoTiao shook her head. “I’m not angry, and this has nothing to do with Ning Meng.”

Jiang Sen had indeed been talking nonsense.

With that thought, Shen Qiming watched as his fiancée casually took out a ring from her pocket and pushed it toward him. “Let’s call off the engagement, Mr. Shen.”