The Cheat Emperor of the Culinary World

After all, in her eyes, Zhao Meng is the head chef at Qianlima, with a good position and high salary.

Whereas Dai Li is just a food runner, and in her view, Dai Li is completely marrying above her status.

Especially since Dai Li is divorced and has a child; aside from being a bit young and pretty, she has nothing particularly special.

As for Zhao Meng, although he’s a bit older, he is upright and has a house, a car, and savings, so even if he’s divorced, he doesn’t worry about relationship matters.

Moreover, Zhao Meng is not only successful in his career, but his private life is also very clean; he’s not the type of frivolous, insincere person.

So, she thinks Dai Li is nice to Zhao Meng because she’s afraid Zhao Meng might leave her.

In her mind, Zhao Meng’s conditions are much better than Dai Li’s.

Liu Junrong is quite sharp-minded, but he really hadn’t thought in this direction.

He simply wanted to please Zhao Meng, so he deliberately said: ”Love is mutual, Sister Dai is good to Chef Zhao, and that’s because Chef Zhao truly reciprocates.”

Zhao Meng is a rather reserved person and seldom mentions his relationships to outsiders.

Upon hearing this, he couldn’t help but add a couple of sentences: ”Actually, compared to her, my contributions and sacrifices for the family are far less.”

Hearing this, Wang Yuxuan was immediately intrigued and couldn’t help but ask, ”Hey, Chef Zhao, I’ve never heard you or Sister Dai talk about your relationship. When we found out, you were already together. How come there wasn’t even a hint before?”

Zhao Meng usually doesn’t like talking about his matters, especially family affairs. He always avoids these topics and seldom discusses other people’s gossip.

However, when it comes to this, he is quite open.

”Between Xiaodai and me, it was a natural progression to be together. We’ve worked together for several years, seeing each other every day, so we know each other well.”

”Actually, I’ve always thought she was a good person, and I quite like her. But she had too many concerns, worried she’d burden me, so we didn’t confirm our relationship until my birthday this year.”

Speaking of their relationship, a warm smile naturally appeared on Zhao Meng’s face, and he felt quite emotional.

If not for her quietly gifting him a pair of wristbands she knitted herself on his birthday, he might not have decisively made up his mind to be with Dai Li, no matter how much she refused.

That night, Zhao Meng saw the bag on his bed after returning to the dormitory from work.

He opened it and found a pair of black knitted wristbands, along with a card signed ”Xiaodai.”

The card had simple blessings, the style of casual friends, with a formulaic birthday message.

Just two sentences, but Zhao Meng stared at the card for ten minutes, eyes fixed on the words, suddenly feeling touched, thinking this girl is quite lovely and endearing...

At that time, he tried on the wristbands and found them tight and comfortable, just right since he’d been having a bit of tendonitis those days and wore them the next day.

He even rolled up his sleeves, showing the wristbands in front of others deliberately.

Zhao Meng didn’t know what he was thinking at that time; perhaps it was getting older, feeling lonely and vulnerable, yearning for someone to care about him, wanting to see someone be good to him.

Wanting to know he meant something different to someone.

Zhao Meng felt he didn’t use to be like this; he didn’t care about anyone in the past. Now, getting old with nothing worth boasting or squandering, he seemed to become a bit childish.

As the head chef, Zhao Meng’s cooking station was right next to the food delivery station and closest to the back kitchen entrance, providing a great view.

Previously, he used to find food delivery annoying and always plated the dishes for Sun Qingning, his assistant chef at the time, to take over.

Later on, from a certain day onward, he started personally bringing the dishes to the food delivery station after plating them, ignoring Sun Qingning’s anxious gaze...

From his cooking position, with a slight turn of his head, he could see the corridor connecting the front hall to the back kitchen entrance.

Whenever Dai Li quickly walked in from the front hall, Zhao Meng could immediately sense it.

He unobtrusively observed, initially noting how many dishes she carried and if she walked steadily.

Later, it wasn’t about the dishes and walking but watching her makeup, seeing if she changed her lipstick color, eyes tracing the curve of her neck when she accidentally looked up, and the posture with which she lifted the tray.

Sometimes, when Dai Li was in a good mood and feeling energetic, she would leave with such a light, lively step.

Her steps made her bottom look very attractive as she walked.

Zhao Meng watched her walk out of the back kitchen and out of sight.

His head subconsciously turned, moving... following her silhouette, and suddenly found himself making eye contact with Sun Qingning, waiting for instructions beside him.

Sun Qingning: ”!... Chef Zhao? Wh-what’s wrong?”

Zhao Meng’s expression suddenly changed, and he said faintly, ”Nothing.”

Sun Qingning, fearful, didn’t dare to make a sound anymore, with a hint of confusion in his eyes.

On the third day after the birthday, Zhao Meng was surprised to find while washing the wristbands at night that letters were embroidered inside: Z-M

Only then did he realize, the wristbands were hand-sewn by Dai Li.

It was also because of this revelation that he made up his mind that if he were ever to marry again, the bride would definitely be Dai Li.

Listening to Zhao Meng’s gentle voice recounting how they got together.

Wang Yuxuan and Liu Junrong were both deeply moved.

Thinking about it, Dai Li’s journey was truly incredible, divorced, raising her daughter alone, with elderly parents at home to care for.

She had the old and the young, the whole family relying solely on her for support.

Even Zhao Meng, recalling these things, couldn’t help but feel emotional.

”Xiaodai is actually in her twenties, and she’s very beautiful, but... even using makeup is a requirement for the job. Otherwise, she wouldn’t bother dressing up at all.”

”She can’t bring herself to spend money on pretty clothes, but when it comes to spending on me, the child, and the elderly, she spares no expense.”

”Even after a full day’s work, no matter how tired she is, she’ll clean everyone’s clothes. Whenever she’s off, she cleans the house spotlessly inside and out, refusing to let me handle the chores. She knows I have tendonitis and fears I might hurt my hands working.”

”She’s always reminding me of how hard I work in the kitchen, insisting that I rest at home, almost setting up a pedestal for me.”

At this point, Zhao Meng couldn’t help but feel his nose tingle, deeply moved.

”She always says I’m good to her, but in reality, I really haven’t contributed as much as she has to our household.”

”In her view, being able to be with me is marrying above her status. But in my mind, meeting her is the most fortunate thing in my life.”

”I’m already in my forties, much older than her. She doesn’t mind my age, and despite my bad temper, she accommodates me.”

”Honestly, although we haven’t been together very long, I feel like as long as I’m alive, we’ll stay together forever.”

These words deeply moved Wang Yuxuan and Liu Junrong.

This kind of love, where they unconditionally support each other, weathering storms together, focusing solely on living well, is enviable anytime.

In one’s lifetime, encountering someone truly fond of you and willing to be good to you is exceptionally rare.

In this materialistic society, how many genuine feelings are quietly being given?

At this moment, Wang Yuxuan no longer had any prior contempt for Dai Li.

She couldn’t help but recall when Dai Li first started working at the restaurant; back then, Dai Li was a simply dressed, cheerful, and very young single mother.

And now, in a blink, she’s raised her daughter so well.

With this realization, Wang Yuxuan suddenly felt that Dai Li was truly remarkable.

Reflecting on her previous thoughts, Wang Yuxuan felt a bit ashamed and couldn’t help silently wishing in her heart: Such a person deserves happiness!