Chapter 36: A Kiss

Chapter 36: A Kiss

In the general manager's office at Tuotu, Gu Hansheng flipped through Zhou Lan's profile with a blank expression. Ordinary background, ordinary education, and ordinary work experience. He'd had a girlfriend in college, but had been single since they broke up.

A man this unremarkable was more resourceful than Gu Hansheng had expected. Even after being warned last time, he hadn't given up pestering Zhao Yu. Last night they'd talked for a full hour, and that still wasn't enough for him.

That was just what Gu Hansheng could see. What about what he couldn't?

Zhou Lan wasn't much of a threat, but leaving him alone still bothered Gu Hansheng. After a moment's thought, he sent Zhou Lan's information to an email address.

Then he clicked on an account with a goofy Kirby avatar and sent a message: "Do me a favor."

...

During the afternoon break, the Yatai kitchen was unusually quiet. Those with work kept their hands busy while glancing in one direction; those without gathered near the stove to see what was going on.

Cao Xu was very strict about taking on apprentices. For someone like Zhao Yu, who hadn't even been there a month yet, to have to make a dish with such exacting standards—everyone was curious to see what he'd actually come up with.

Cao Xu stood with his arms crossed, watching Zhao Yu's every move with a look of scrutiny.

The pressure of being watched by everyone was enormous. Zhao Yu picked out a silver pomfret of moderate size from the water tank, took a deep breath, and began.

When Zhao Yu had first joined Yatai, almost everyone shared Blondie's opinion—that he was just some rookie who'd gotten in through connections. This rookie could only do odd jobs every day, working himself ragged without learning anything.

But in places no one could see, the webbing between this rookie's thumb and index finger had already developed calluses from the knife handle. He skillfully scaled the fish, gutted it, deboned it, and cut the fish into perfectly neat pieces like works of art.

His knife skills spoke to his culinary ability. Cao Xu gave a subtle nod. At that moment, even if the finished dish wasn't exactly what he wanted, he was willing to accept it.

The final step finished, Zhao Yu plated the dish and set it before Cao Xu. He wasn't as nervous as he'd imagined—there was even a hint of calm ease after giving it his all.

Cao Xu used his chopsticks to break off a piece of fish, examined the flesh, then put it in his mouth and savored it slowly, a look of surprise crossing his face.

Everyone was waiting for Cao Xu's verdict, but he just seemed pensive. At that moment, Che Shijie couldn't help but step forward to join in, smiling as he said, "Chef Cao, why aren't you saying anything? Not satisfied with the taste?"

Cao Xu pushed the plate toward him. He casually picked up half a piece and put it in his mouth, surprise also flashing across his face.

"Chef Cao, that's no fun." Che Shijie put down his chopsticks. "You gave him the sauce. Can't he just make it however he wants?"

"I didn't give him the recipe," Cao Xu said.

"No way..." Che Shijie saw how serious he looked, and the smile on his face gradually faded. He dipped his chopsticks in the sauce to taste it, then turned to look at Zhao Yu. "You seasoned it yourself?"

Zhao Yu said, "I figured out the flavor by trying to match what you make, Master."

"How many grams of yellow wine?"

"Sixty."

"What about pepper?"

"Three grams."

"Black cardamom?"

"Three grams."

Cao Xu said, "He has a great palate."

Che Shijie couldn't believe it. To figure out the exact proportions just from taste alone—that wasn't something hard work could achieve; it was innate talent. Cao Xu had really struck gold.

"Well done." Cao Xu said to Zhao Yu. "From today on, you stay by my side. Don't think you can slack off just because you passed this time."

"Thank you, Master. I'll keep working hard."

Everyone in the kitchen looked at each other in surprise. It was the first time they'd seen Cao Xu so kind and pleasant to an apprentice. Che Shijie's expression was complicated. He looked at Zhao Yu again but said nothing.

After work that evening, Zhao Yu called Zhou Lan, wanting to share how he felt about passing the assessment. But to his surprise, he couldn't get through to Zhou Lan, so he had to give up.

At that moment, outside the beach bar, Zhou Lan was dealing with a man who was looking for trouble. The man seemed drunk and had mistaken him for someone else. He'd come up and wrapped his arm around Zhou Lan's shoulder from behind.

He slurred something like "Why are you drinking alone behind my back?" and no matter how Zhou Lan tried, he couldn't shake him off—even missing Zhao Yu's call.

This bar was the one Zhou Lan had brought Zhao Yu to last time. He now came here often to drink and clear his head, but this was the first time he'd encountered such a troublesome drunk. He pulled and dragged but couldn't get the man off him, and nearly got choked in the process.

"You've got the wrong person!" Zhou Lan's clothes were a mess from the struggle, and the veins on his forehead were throbbing.

The man hung on him, leaning in close with squinted eyes, so near it looked like he might kiss him: "Hey? Don't you recognize me?!"

Zhou Lan's ears were nearly deafened by his shouting. He pushed against the man's chest to keep him away, his face turning ashen: "Give me your phone!"

"What do you want my phone for?"

"To contact your friends for you."

"You actually just want my number, don't you?" The man grinned. "Come on, don't be shy. Add me as a friend."

"Just give me your phone first."

The man pulled out his phone and showed his social media profile—his avatar was, of all things, a funny Kirby. He wouldn't give Zhou Lan the phone, but kept pestering him to add him as a friend. Zhou Lan was so worn down by him that he finally added the friend request, then asked for the phone again.

But as soon as the man added him, he put his phone away and said, "What time is it? Why are you still out? Come on, I'll take you home."

Zhou Lan was forced to walk out with him, watching him open the door of a Porsche parked on the street. "You're drunk. Either call a friend, or give me your phone and I'll call a designated driver for you."

"Why would I need a designated driver? I'm not drunk! Get in, what are you afraid of?!"

Zhou Lan couldn't shake him off, and seeing that he was really about to drive drunk, in desperation he elbowed him in the chest. The man stumbled and suddenly collapsed to the ground, curling up and clutching his chest.

Zhou Lan was stunned. Was this a setup?!

"Hey! What are you doing?!"

"Chest hurts." The man suddenly grabbed Zhou Lan's pant leg. "You take me home."

"Why would I take you home? Stop pretending. Get up."

The man refused to get up from the ground, drawing stares from passersby.

Zhou Lan glanced at the Porsche parked in front of him again. He figured this was probably some rich family's spoiled brat. He couldn't get away, and if he'd actually hurt the guy, who knew what kind of trouble that would bring. He had no choice but to accept his bad luck and say, "Get up. I'll take you home."

The man flashed a grin and got up to climb into the car.

Zhou Lan sighed. His perfectly good evening off after work had just been ruined.

...

Zhao Yu didn't get a reply from Zhou Lan until the next morning. He seemed to have run into some trouble. When Zhao Yu asked, he just said he'd been working overtime, so Zhao Yu didn't press further.

Late at night, the light was still on in Zhao Yu's room. He sat on the floor flipping through a book on food ingredients, his notebook on the nightstand. Whenever he came across something important, he'd jot it down. There were many ingredients he'd never even seen before, so he could only search for pictures and videos online.

The doorbell rang, and Zhao Yu got up to answer it. The two men at the door stumbled their way in, and when he looked closely, it turned out to be Song Wenhao supporting Gu Hansheng, both of them reeking of alcohol.

Gu Hansheng had clearly drunk too much—he couldn't even walk in a straight line. Song Wenhao had busted his ass just to get him inside, and Zhao Yu stepped forward to help, guiding Gu Hansheng to sit on the sofa.

Song Wenhao caught his breath and glared at Zhao Yu: "What are you doing here? Quite the trick, huh—even managed to worm your way into his place."

In his impression, Gu Hansheng rarely let anyone stay overnight, especially in this villa, so he naturally figured Zhao Yu had pulled some stunt to weasel his way in here. He said bluntly, "Before Gu wakes up, you better get out of here. I'll pretend I never saw you."

Zhao Yu couldn't be bothered to deal with him and headed off to make some hangover soup, but as he turned to leave, his wrist was grabbed.

"Go home," Gu Hansheng said.

Song Wenhao said, "He told you to leave, didn't you hear? Why are you still here?"

"Song Wenhao, you go back."

"...What?"

Song Wenhao pointed at himself in disbelief: "I am going home... wait, you're actually letting Little White Flower stay the night?"

After double-checking a few times, it finally clicked that Gu Hansheng meant him. He looked back and forth between Zhao Yu and Gu Hansheng in disbelief for a second before slowly getting up: "Damn, Little White Flower. Guess you've got some moves after all. Gu, I'm off—good luck to you. Don't come crying later when someone's cleaned you out!"

Song Wenhao left, glancing back every few steps, and only then did Zhao Yu look down at Gu Hansheng, trying to pull his wrist free.

"Where are you headed?" Gu Hansheng looked up at him.

"Boss Gu, I'll make you some hangover soup," Zhao Yu said.

"I don't want it."

"Then let me help you upstairs."

He struggled to hold up Gu Hansheng, whose 190cm frame was crushing him, making every step a battle. On the stairs, he missed a step and fell with a thud, almost dragging Gu Hansheng down with him. He grabbed the railing just in time, his knee cracking painfully against the step.

Gu Hansheng sat down on the stairs, tilted his head to look at Zhao Yu, and stayed quiet for a long moment.

Zhao Yu rubbed his knee and was about to help Gu Hansheng up again when he was suddenly yanked by the collar, forced to bend down, and the next moment, his breath was overwhelmed by the strong scent of wine.

He froze for a second, staring into Gu Hansheng's deep brown eyes, which were inches from his. His lips were forced open, and the faintly bitter, sour taste of wine made him dizzy, with a faint sweetness lingering at the end.

He was practically pressed against Gu Hansheng's thighs, his hair yanked at the back of his head, pinned in place, while Gu Hansheng kissed him deeply, so intensely it was suffocating.

For a second, he instinctively wanted to kiss back, but then he came to his senses. He knew Gu Hansheng was wasted and thought he was Chen Xitong. If it weren't for that, Gu Hansheng would never kiss him.

He was fine playing Chen Xitong when Gu Hansheng was sober—that was for money, pure necessity. But now that Gu Hansheng actually thought he was Chen Xitong, his heart twisted painfully. The deeper the kiss, the heavier his heart grew, sinking bit by bit into an abyss.

This was supposed to be his job, yet he felt deeply uncomfortable. So he closed his eyes, pretending the person in front of him wasn't Gu Hansheng, just anyone—whoever it might be.

He'd long stopped understanding his own feelings; it seemed Gu Hansheng always had a hold on him. He didn't want that, but it was hard to remain indifferent to everything.

When Gu Hansheng pulled back, Zhao Yu lowered his head, helped him up, and led him upstairs to the bedroom without a word.

Gu Hansheng suddenly said, "I heard Cao Xu is quite satisfied with you?"

Zhao Yu froze: "You know who I am?"

"Are you serious? Come here."

"Author's Note"

Please give me little starfish~