"You're too kind," Xu Yanxia said modestly. "It's just something I made myself, a small effort. I'm glad you liked it."
"No, no, you're being too humble," Wen Jiajun continued praising her earnestly. "And the sandwiches last time—I ate two in one go and still wanted more. To be honest, I even tried making them your way later, but they just weren't as good as yours. That really takes skill."
Xu Yanxia, "..."
Wait, Wen Jiajun said he ate two sandwiches that day?
She remembered she only packed two that day. Which meant... President Lu didn't have any at all?
Well, well. It seems this assistant Wen really holds a special position.
President Lu, who was standing nearby, asked her, "What made you think of bringing me lunch?"
"Oh," Xu Yanxia answered truthfully, "Mrs. Lu was worried that Chairman Lu's drinking a few days ago might have upset his stomach, so she asked me to bring some homemade food for him. I thought I'd bring a portion for you as well."
Lu Jingming understood. So he was benefiting from his father's good fortune.
Fine by him.
He thanked Xu Yanxia for her trouble and walked over to the secretary's desk to pick up the insulated bag.
It was surprisingly heavy.
Behind him, Wen Jiajun started being attentive to Xu Yanxia again. "You probably haven't had lunch since you came at this hour, right? I haven't eaten either. How about we go out for a bite? I've already enjoyed your breakfast twice now, I feel a bit embarrassed."
Lu Jingming, "???"
Wasn't he eating food from the Lu family?
"Please don't stand on ceremony," Xu Yanxia politely declined. "Although I cooked the food, it was President Lu who brought it for you."
She then looked at Lu Jingming. "President Lu, please enjoy your meal. If it's convenient, I'd like to take a look at the cafeteria."
"Of course," Lu Jingming nodded. "The cafeteria is on the sixth floor, you can go straight there. I'll bring the containers home tonight."
"Alright."
Xu Yanxia bid them farewell and headed to the elevator lobby.
The elevator arrived quickly. Xu Yanxia got on, and Lu Jingming returned to his office with the insulated bag.
Wen Jiajun, completely at ease, picked up the bowls and chopsticks and followed him in. "I haven't tried Xiao Xu's proper cooking yet."
As he spoke, he proceeded to open the insulated bag Lu Jingming had placed on the desk, taking out the lunch boxes one by one.
Lu Jingming, "..."
As if he was entitled to it.
Lifting the lids of the lunch boxes one by one, a delicious aroma immediately wafted out.
"Wow!"
Wen Jiajun's eyes were practically glued to the food. "No way, President Lu, you eat this well every day?!"
Look at this: one box contained steamed fish slices, but unlike any he'd had before, these tender white fish slices were rolled around a filling, arranged in a triangular pattern garnished with green and red peppers and shredded scallions, all drizzled with a glossy red sauce.
Another box held white cut chicken, with uniformly sized, pale yellow pieces, their skin glistening with a natural sheen, looking firm and springy.
There was also a box of pork ribs, each piece coated in a thick, amber-glazed sauce. The sweet and sour scent hit his nose, carrying a hint of fruity fragrance.
Wen Jiajun couldn't resist trying a piece first and immediately got excited. "It's plum sauce ribs! A dish from my hometown! The flavor is so authentic! I haven't tasted this in ages!"
"Could it be that Xiao Xu made this especially for me?"
Lu Jingming, "..."
—Does she even know who you are, to make it especially for you?
But to be fair, today's lunch was indeed excellent. It not only smelled enticing but also looked very appealing.
Especially that steamed fish roll. Over the years, he'd attended plenty of business banquets across the country, but this was the first time he'd seen this preparation.
He picked up a piece to taste. The fish was tender and smooth, even with a slight springiness, indicating the steaming time and heat were just right. A moment less would be undercooked, a moment more would be tough.
The filling inside turned out to be made of shrimp, mixed with some crunchy crab roe, adding a subtle texture to the savory flavor. The sauce was rich with scallion aroma alongside its savory saltiness.
"This fish roll is absolutely amazing," Wen Jiajun exclaimed after taking a bite. "The knife skills, the seasoning... if this were served in any Chinese restaurant out there, it'd definitely be a signature dish! And this white cut chicken is absolutely on par with that Swan Restaurant!"
The plum sauce ribs went without saying—slightly sweet, slightly sour with a fruity fragrance, appealing to all ages.
Besides these, two other boxes contained shrimp with broccoli and tofu.
The broccoli was fresh, flavorful, and impeccable. Even Wen Jiajun, who usually didn't care much for broccoli, ate three pieces in a row.
The tofu was even more noteworthy.
It looked plain, but the aroma was incredibly rich. Lu Jingming tasted it. Before he could say anything, Wen Jiajun beside him practically jumped to the ceiling—
"This tofu is so flavorful! Scallion flavor, yes, that's it! Just like the scallion-braised sea cucumber at that famous Beijing restaurant. It's perfect with rice!"
"I could eat three bowls of white rice with just this dish!" As he said this, he scooped half the rice from Lu Jingming's lunch box.
Lu Jingming, "..."
Whose meal was this again?
Seeing that he might end up going hungry if this continued, he offered a friendly reminder. "Is that enough for you? If not, my father has some more over there."
Who would have thought Wen Jiajun wouldn't even look up, just kept shoveling food in coolly. "You should go see Chairman Lu. Leave this spread to me."
Lu Jingming, "???"
That's going too far!
Keep eating like this and you'll be working overtime tonight.
In the office, Lu Jingming was busy having his meal snatched away, unaware that he was also a hot topic in the company's gossip group.
Melon-Eating Squad No. 1 Group Chat—
Front Desk: 【Breaking news! A young girl just brought food for President Lu and the Chairman!】
Colleague A: 【Saw her in the elevator! She's quite tall, at least 5'6" I'd guess, and very pretty! Though she didn't seem to be wearing makeup?】
Colleague B: 【Oh my god! Could she be President Lu's girlfriend???】
Colleague C: 【Would President Lu's girlfriend also bring food for the Chairman?】
Colleague D: 【Her future father-in-law, of course she would! Gotta be thorough with etiquette in wealthy families!】
Colleague A: 【What's the situation in the executive office now? Is the girl still there? How did President Lu act?】
Executive Secretary: 【She left, seemed to go to the cafeteria. But the way she talked to President Lu didn't seem very intimate, like a couple...】
Executive Secretary: 【Oh, also, it seems President Lu brought food she made for Assistant Wen this morning. Assistant Wen kept praising how delicious her cooking was just now.】
Colleague B: 【Look at Assistant Wen! That's emotional intelligence for you, no wonder he's the only one who can be the chief assistant in such a big company! The ink isn't even dry on the marriage license and he's already buttering her up!】
Colleague D: 【Speaking of which, if even Assistant Wen is buttering her up, it's probably a sure thing! Waiting for the boss to get married, company holiday and red envelopes!!!】
Colleague C: 【Hold on, the future boss lady went to the cafeteria? I'm going to 'bump into' her!】
Colleague A: 【Me too!】
Colleague D: 【I just got back, wait for me, I'm going back!!!】
...
