"It's not that exaggerated, is it?"
Xu Yanxia was amused by him. Eating her food, she said, "Actually, as long as you know enough about the ingredients, seasonings, and various cooking methods, it's quite easy to figure these things out."
"After all, compared to our complex and ever-changing Chinese cuisine, Western food is really quite simple."
"No,"
Lu Jingming shook his head and said, "This isn't just a matter of Chinese versus Western cuisine. It's about the person."
"A talent like you is truly hard to come by."
Xu Yanxia laughed again and said, "I'll take that as a compliment."
With that said, seeing the waiter bring over another dish of Portuguese-style stir-fried clams, she started eating again.
As she ate, she shared her thoughts with him, "The clams are very fresh. The quality of this place is indeed quite good, totally worthy of being on the Michelin guide."
"Xiao Xia,"
Lu Jingming suddenly called her name.
"Hmm?"
Xu Yanxia looked up at him.
She saw him looking very serious as he said, "I want to ask you, compared to being a family chef, do you prefer your current work as a director?"
Xu Yanxia paused in surprise.
He added, "You don't need to worry about anything, just tell me the truth."
Well.
She thought for a moment and said, "If we're talking about the workload, being a family chef is definitely easier."
"But you're not someone who just seeks an easy life,"
Lu Jingming said. "From the perspective of career prospects, the quality director position offers much more room to grow."
"Yes, that's true."
Xu Yanxia didn't deny it, but simply asked him, "So, do you have something in mind?"
Lu Jingming smiled and said, "I don't mean anything else. I just saw your condition over the past few days and knew you were fully dedicating yourself to what you love doing. But if you keep going like this, you won't be able to handle it."
"Besides, you know how things are at our house. For at least half the month, no one is home to eat. Rather than letting the job of a family chef tie you down, it would be better for you to focus entirely on the work you truly love."
He then added, "Of course, you don't need to worry about the salary. Since you originally signed on for this position part-time, if you go full-time, the salary will definitely be at least doubled. Furthermore, if the company does well in the future, I'd like to offer you an even higher position, like investment director or something similar."
"I'm not worried about the salary."
Xu Yanxia hurriedly said, "It's just that the Madam, the Chairman, and everyone else have been so good to me, and I haven't been doing this job for very long. If I resign now just for my own sake, wouldn't that be... a bit selfish?"
Especially right after receiving such a generous bonus from the Chairman and his wife.
Her upbringing from two lifetimes told her she couldn't be an ungrateful and heartless person.
But Lu Jingming said, "Even if you aren't our family chef, your bond with our family will always remain. Just like you told my grandfather, as long as he wants to eat your cooking, you'll still cook for him, right?"
"I imagine that if our family ever needs your help with something like that family banquet again, you would still help, wouldn't you?"
He then added jokingly, "Of course, you can absolutely charge for it. As far as I know, famous private chefs in the country command very high prices."
"How could I?"
Xu Yanxia immediately said. "Talking about money would make us seem like strangers. As long as the Madam and the Chairman need me, I will definitely do my best to help."
"I believe you."
Lu Jingming smiled, then added, "Of course, Jingxi and Jingyao are exceptions. If they come looking for you just because they're craving something, you can absolutely turn them down."
Xu Yanxia was immediately amused by him again and said, "They don't need to treat me like a stranger either, because we are friends."
As soon as she finished speaking, she saw Lu Jingming ask her, "What about me?"
Xu Yanxia paused.
She said, "You are a very important friend."
Lu Jingming's heart skipped a beat.
He immediately asked, "How important?"
Xu Yanxia's face felt a little hot.
Just then, the waiter brought two desserts to the table and smiled, "Serradura pudding and Portuguese sweet rice, please enjoy."
Xu Yanxia quickly followed up, "Time for dessert."
She started tasting them.
Mmm, the Serradura pudding was sweet and rich. The refreshing sweetness of the coconut milk intertwined with the crispiness of the crushed biscuits, creating a dense yet not overly cloying texture.
The Portuguese sweet rice had a sweet milky aroma and a hint of fresh lemon, along with a warm touch of cinnamon. Its sticky, chewy texture was especially to her liking.
She smiled and sighed in admiration, "They are both so delicious. These are the flavors I love."
"Is that so?"
Lu Jingming also took a taste, then smiled and nodded, saying, "Sweet."
He finally got to taste some sweetness.
It was truly perfect.
...
After finishing the black tea to wrap things up, a wonderful dinner was coming to an end.
Lu Jingming checked the time on his watch and asked Xu Yanxia, "Do you want to go anywhere else for fun?"
Xu Yanxia said, "I'll pass on the fun. We're heading home tomorrow, so I want to go buy some souvenirs for my grandparents and aunt, and I also want to buy a gift for my sister-in-law."
"Sure."
Lu Jingming took out his phone to send a message while saying, "Then I'll tell Uncle Li to wait for us for another half an hour."
Xu Yanxia was a little surprised. "Is Uncle Li here?"
"Yes,"
He said, "He's waiting at the port. Since you get seasick, we'll take a car back later. It might take about half an hour longer, but it'll make you more comfortable."
Xu Yanxia felt a bit guilty. "That's too much trouble for Uncle Li."
Lu Jingming just smiled and said, "It's fine. Once we leave tomorrow, Uncle Li will also be on vacation. I can give him an extra day off as compensation."
With that, he called the waiter for the bill and led her out of the restaurant.
Half an hour later, Xu Yanxia got into Uncle Li's car, loaded with souvenirs.
Being a holiday, there were quite a few cars on the road, but fortunately, the journey wasn't too long.
After less than two hours of driving, they finally arrived back in Rong City.
Because Xu Yanxia had bought quite a lot of things, Lu Jingming helped her carry them all the way back to her dorm on the first floor.
He put the things down and was about to leave when he heard Xu Yanxia call out to him.
"Wait a minute, I have something for you."
Hmm?
Lu Jingming stopped in his tracks and watched as she pulled out a smaller shopping bag from the pile and handed it to him.
Lu Jingming was a bit surprised. He took it and asked, "This is for me?"
"Yeah," Xu Yanxia nodded generously. "I don't know if you'll like it."
"What is it?" he asked curiously.
She just said, "You'll find out when you go back and look."
A faint smile graced her face.
For a moment, a secret joy spread through his heart. Lu Jingming asked her again, "What made you think of buying me something?"
Xu Yanxia simply said, "I saw it in the store just now and thought it suited you, so I bought it for you."
"Besides, you planned everything today and treated me to a big meal. It's only right that I return the favor."
Her face was a little red, looking as pretty as an apple under the gentle, warm glow of the room's lights.
Lu Jingming nodded. "Thank you."
He looked at her again and said with deep meaning, "This gift means a lot to me. I will definitely treasure it."
"Up to you," she just said. "It's getting late, and we have a flight to catch tomorrow. Get some rest early."
"Yeah," he nodded and said gently, "Good night."
He walked out of her room and closed the door behind him.
The corners of his mouth remained turned up in a smile until he returned to his own room on the third floor.
Closing the door, he took the exquisite packaging box out of the bag and carefully opened it, finally seeing the token of her affection—
It was a tie clip.
Made of stainless steel, with smooth lines, it was simple yet modern.
The tail of the clip was engraved with a logo—it was the brand he usually wore.
So, she had been observing carefully.
For a moment, the joy in his heart was truly beyond words.
He simply took out his phone and posted a status update.
Just two words—
"So happy."
