The Cheat Emperor of the Culinary World

Chapter 316: Chapter 315: Excelling in Both Love and Career

Evening dinner gathering.

Nearing the end, only Fu Yu and Zhao Meng were left at the table. Others with obligations had left, while those without found excuses to go outside, claiming it was too windy.

Fu Yu, fearing Zhao Meng might feel left out and unhappy, deliberately embellished the competition process.

As expected, Zhao Meng was immediately interested when he heard Fu Yu had cooked a Three Sets Duck dish.

”You actually learned how to debone? When did you practice that?”

Fu Yu deflected, saying, ”It’s at the music restaurant over there. They have a dish where they debone roast chicken. Each order serves over a hundred tables. I learned it following Chef Yao.”

Zhao Meng nodded; the music restaurant mostly handled banquet orders, and serving dozens to hundreds of tables was common.

But deboning roast chicken, does it really relate to making Three Sets Duck?

Just as he was about to ask, he heard Fu Yu say, ”Chef Zhao, this afternoon, Chef Yao specifically came looking for you... Was there something important?”

Zhao Meng had been in a particularly good mood all afternoon. Now reminded by Fu Yu, he smiled and said, ”Oh, it was Liu Yunong from the music restaurant headquarters asking about Chef Yao. Chef Yao originally wanted to discuss your apprenticeship, but since you were busy, he talked to me.”

Fu Yu asked curiously, ”Why was she asking about Chef Yao?”

Zhao Meng said, ”She just inquired about the relationship between Chef Yao and Qianlima. Probably there’s something she wants from Chef Yao and is gathering some information first.”

Fu Yu suddenly remembered something and pulled a card out of his pocket, handing it to Zhao Meng. ”Oh, right, Liu Yunong also gave me a VIP card, saying I could use it at her store for a complimentary meal.”

Zhao Meng took the card and examined it closely: ”I don’t think there’s such a store here, right?”

Fu Yu quickly said, ”Supposedly they’re looking for a location and planning to open a branch in our city.”

Zhao Meng understood immediately: ”No wonder, Chef Yao is indeed well-connected around here.”

Zhao Meng handed the VIP card back to Fu Yu: ”I have to say, your mentor certainly treats you well!”

Fu Yu didn’t take it to heart: ”What mentor! It’s just for the show.”

Zhao Meng didn’t take it seriously either.

After all, in their line of work, apprenticing under a master is a big deal!

Once the mentorship title is assumed, the master is obliged to teach the apprentice culinary skills.

After finishing the late-night snack, it was already after midnight.

Fu Yu glanced at the time, abandoning the idea of calling home to share the good news, and instead went to bed after a quick wash.

However, early the next day, after clocking in, he quickly found a quiet spot to call home.

Fu Yu has always been eager to share any good news with his parents. Now, with such exciting news to share, he needed to let the two elders in on the joy.

His parents were ecstatic to hear that he not only participated in a chef competition but also won first prize and received a 15,000 reward.

They showered him with praise over the phone.

Fu Yu chatted with his father for quite a while, reluctantly hanging up only when he could no longer afford to keep talking.

It’s been more than half a year since he last visited his parents, and he missed home dearly.

He thought about how nice it would be to buy a house in Bei’an, so he could bring his parents over to live with him.

It was such a lovely thought!

During the short holiday of October, the restaurant business was thriving.

Luckily, Zhao Meng had mostly recovered by then; although he wasn’t flipping woks yet, he could take over steaming and boiling dishes.

With Fu Yu and Sun Qingning handling things, everything ran smoothly without a hitch.

After a busy day, by around two in the afternoon, they finally had a moment to relax.

Fu Yu was about to join the group for a meal when Zhao Meng subtly gestured for him.

Fu Yu got the message and headed towards the dormitory.

Soon after, Zhao Meng arrived and took Fu Yu to his room.

There were two plates of steaming hot dumplings on the table, along with a braised elbow dish and a pot of spicy crawfish.

Fu Yu remarked in surprise, ”Wow, where did all this delicious food come from?”

Zhao Meng chuckled, ”The 207 private room ordered these dishes, but something came up and they left before eating. Dai Li picked them out and brought them over to me. After a hard day, we deserve to treat ourselves.”

While there’s a store rule against staff eating leftover food, if not caught, no one really abides by it.

Dishes untouched by guests were never discarded.

They would usually keep the good stuff for themselves, and distribute any extras to the kitchen staff.

Fu Yu grinned, ”Sister Dai is really nice to you!”

Fu Yu was suddenly intrigued by the details of Zhao Meng’s budding romance and couldn’t resist asking, ”Chef Zhao, so you and Sister Dai, are you together now?”

Zhao Meng laughed, ”Can’t even stop you from talking while you eat!”

That was essentially acknowledging it.

Fu Yu was thrilled. Besides having a child, Dai Li was good-looking, well-shaped, and had a pleasant personality. Moreover, she was very attentive during Zhao Meng’s recent health relapse. Fu Yu observed this, and it greatly improved his impression of her.

Fu Yu sincerely hoped Zhao Meng would find someone who’d care for him and truly understand him.

Fu Yu teased, ”Chef Zhao, being in love feels amazing, doesn’t it?”

Zhao Meng laughed.

Lately, he had indeed been quite satisfied with life.

At his age, being in love was no longer about youthful romance.

It’s about being with someone who feels right, living together as companions, and taking care of each other.

What surprised Zhao Meng was that although Dai Li seemed straightforward and bold, she was caring and considerate.

Facing sudden kindness after being single for so long made life feel more hopeful.

With his own life sailing smoothly, Zhao Meng couldn’t help but worry about Fu Yu.

Zhao Meng chuckled, ”Of course it’s great! Let me tell you, being single and being in a relationship feel really different! You’re not bad looking, and you’re doing well. Even in this restaurant, we have plenty of pretty girls. Why don’t you, like Xiaosun, try striking up a conversation with them?”

”Listen, you may only be in your early twenties now, but when it comes to relationships, they last at least two or three years, right? By the time you’re ready for marriage talks, you’d be 27 or 28!”

”And love isn’t a guarantee; it’s not always the first one that works out. If you switch partners midway, it’s like starting from scratch.”

”You need to step up; you know that? Don’t just focus on making money every day. Pursue both love and career, and be strong in both!”

Fu Yu waved his right hand, ”You don’t need two hands; one is enough! Love is something that should come naturally. I’ll focus on my career first.”

Zhao Meng: ”...”