Hearing Lu Jingming's question, Xu Yanxia was momentarily caught off guard, thinking that this CEO might also be a fan of celebrities.
On the other end of the screen, Lu Jingxi burst into laughter. "Brother, are you really worried our Xiaoxia might be charmed by someone else? You can't possibly lack that much confidence!"
Xu Yanxia was taken aback. She saw Lu Jingming glance at her before speaking to Lu Jingxi on the screen. "Of course not. I'm just worried some people might overestimate themselves and try to flirt with her."
"She's still young, what if she gets confused by those flashy guys..."
"What are you talking about?"
Xu Yanxia couldn't help but interrupt him with a smile. "Why would anyone flirt with me?"
As she spoke, she took the phone from his hand and said to Lu Jingxi, "My schedule is flexible. Just let me know once you've finalized the date."
"Okay."
Lu Jingxi waved goodbye to her and casually added, "By the way, Xiaoxia, could you develop a low-fat version of popcorn chicken and fries? I really want to eat some!!!"
Xu Yanxia nodded with a smile. "I'll try to work on it as soon as possible."
She waved at the camera and ended the video call with the pitiful-looking Queen Xixi.
Just as she put down her phone, she heard the person in front of her say, "Let me know once she sets the date too."
"Why?"
She looked up at him.
Lu Jingming said meaningfully, "I'll go as your agent, and incidentally intercept any potential competitors."
"...What nonsense."
Blushing, Xu Yanxia lowered her eyes and took a sip of her cola.
—Was this still the aloof CEO she had first met?
It felt like he never really sobered up from last night's drunken state.
...
A while later, having finished their comfort food meal, the two got up and walked out of the restaurant.
As they passed the ordering counter near the exit, Lu Jingming suddenly asked her, "Do you want some ice cream?"
Xu Yanxia quickly nodded. "Sure, I'll go buy it."
—After all, she had already exceeded her calorie limit for the night, so a little more happiness wouldn't hurt.
But Lu Jingming stopped her, saying, "I'll get it," and went straight to place the order with the cashier.
The restaurant was getting busier now. Feeling like she was blocking the way, Xu Yanxia took a few steps outside to wait by the door.
Perhaps her dress today was quite eye-catching, and under the mall's soft lighting, passersby couldn't help but glance at her twice.
Two girls recognized her and immediately came up to ask, "Excuse me, are you 'Xuxu Xiaoxia'?"
Xu Yanxia politely nodded. "Yes, I am."
The two girls were instantly delighted. "That's great! We're your fans on Douyin! We watched your live stream with Queen Xixi the other day!"
"We just liked your latest video! You look so authoritative when you cook!"
"Thank you for your support."
Xu Yanxia smiled and thanked them again.
Then the girls asked, "Can we take a photo with you?"
"Of course."
She quickly straightened up.
One of the girls took out her phone, looking for a passerby to help take the picture.
Just then, Lu Jingming walked out of the store holding two ice cream cones and handed one to her.
The two girls recognized him immediately and became even more excited. "Ahhh! It's Queen Xixi's big brother!!!"
"Yes, yes! It's CEO Lu!"
"Hello."
Lu Jingming greeted them politely and even offered, "Want to take a photo? I can help you."
"Okay, thank you!"
The girl with the phone happily handed it to him.
He took it and took the photo for them.
After returning the phone, the two girls hurriedly said thank you and then asked them, "Can we be bold and ask... are you two really together?!"
"Yeah, you guys are so sweet!!!"
"Uh..."
Xu Yanxia paused, pondering how to answer, when she saw Lu Jingming smile and say, "I'm working hard to turn that wonderful wish into reality as soon as possible."
Xu Yanxia, "..."
The two girls grew even more excited. "Ahhh! Then you must succeed! Go for it, CEO Lu!!!"
"We'll be waiting for your good news!!!"
"Thank you."
Lu Jingming politely bid them farewell again.
Then, before Xu Yanxia could speak, he proactively asked her, "So, how about that? I made myself very clear this time, no ambiguity, right?"
Xu Yanxia, "..."
That was certainly true.
He then took a bite of his ice cream and reminded her, "It's very sweet and starting to melt. You should eat it quickly."
Xu Yanxia, "...Okay."
She also took a bite of hers.
Hmm, it was indeed sweet and very creamy.
...
When they arrived back at the Lu residence, Aunt Zhang and the others had already finished their dinner.
Xu Yanxia went to the kitchen to check the ingredients in the fridge, made some preparations for the next morning's breakfast, and then got off work.
Back at her dorm, she organized the materials from the Jiu Shan meeting that day, edited the video she planned to post tomorrow for a while, and went to sleep as the night grew late.
The next morning at six, she got up on time and returned to her post to start work.
As the fragrant aromas wafted through the kitchen, the sky gradually brightened.
A little over an hour later, when Mrs. Lu and Chairman Lu came downstairs and approached the dining table, they were immediately captivated by the breakfast spread—
Slender, distinct noodles neatly arranged in a clear, reddish broth, topped with a palm-sized piece of braised pork, perfectly balanced between lean and fat;
Steaming, delicate little soup dumplings, each with uniform pleats and exquisite shape, arranged like flowers in a bamboo steamer, their thin wrappers hinting at the golden filling inside;
In addition, on the table were smooth-as-mirror steamed egg custard with three delicacies, a colorful salad of salmon, roasted pumpkin, and vegetables, and three bowls of black and white sesame paste arranged in a yin-yang taiji symbol, emitting a rich, nutty aroma.
Mrs. Lu was quite surprised. "What a lavish breakfast today! Braised pork noodles, egg custard, salad, sesame paste, and crab roe soup dumplings?"
"Xiaoxia, what time did you get up? How did you manage to make so many things? These crab roe dumplings must have taken a lot of effort!"
Xu Yanxia hurriedly explained, "It wasn't too much trouble. The hairy crabs delivered by Wan Nong yesterday were excellent quality, and since you weren't home for dinner, I steamed them this morning while they were still fresh. Aunt Zhang helped me pick out the crab roe and meat just now, so it was quite fast."
"But why did you also make noodles?"
Mrs. Lu sighed again. "The crab roe dumplings alone would have been wonderful enough! The noodles are also labor-intensive, requiring both broth and braised pork!"
"The braised pork and stock were prepared last night,"
Xu Yanxia continued with a smile. "In the north, there's a tradition: dumplings for departure and noodles for return. You had three-delicacy dumplings when you left last week, so now that you're home, you should have a bowl of noodles. I just couldn't arrange it for the family dinner the day before yesterday, so I'm making up for it today."
"That's right,"
Chairman Lu nodded approvingly beside her. "That is indeed a custom from our hometown. It's just that after being away for so many years, we almost forgot. Xiaoxia is very thoughtful."
He then promptly sat down at the table to try the noodles.
His eyes immediately lit up. "The noodles are perfectly chewy, the broth is savory and sweet, and the braised pork is very flavorful."
Chairman Lu said to his wife, "This bowl of noodles Xiaoxia made could absolutely rival that famous place back in your hometown."
"Just looking at it, you can tell it's going to be wonderful!"
Mrs. Lu said with a smile, "But I want to eat the crab roe soup dumplings first, they're my favorite."
As she spoke, she hurriedly and carefully picked up one of the wobbling little dumplings.
As soon as she broke the skin, the incredibly savory broth immediately flooded into her mouth, making her exclaim, "That's divinely delicious! The flavor is just too good."
Right then, Lu Jingming also came downstairs.
Mrs. Lu quickly called to her son, "Jingming, hurry up. Today's breakfast is extraordinarily delicious, you have to eat it while it's hot."
Lu Jingming glanced at the table and instead asked Xu Yanxia, "So many different dishes, did you get up very early again?"
"It was alright."
Xu Yanxia explained to him, "You, the Chairman, and Mrs. Lu are very busy during the day and aren't necessarily home for meals, so I try to make breakfast as hearty as possible."
Ahem, for no other reason than it's a real shame to see so many fine ingredients left over every day!
However, Lu Jingming seemed to be irritated again by the word "you" in her sentence, giving her a meaningful look.
Xu Yanxia, "......"
Well, there was nothing she could do about it, given that his parents were right there at the table.
Just as she was about to return to the kitchen, she heard Mrs. Lu say to her, "Oh, Xiaoxia, remember we went to see Jingming's grandfather yesterday? His grandfather somehow heard that our family dinner the day before yesterday was a great success and kept saying how much he wanted to try your cooking."
After she finished speaking, Lu Jingming said, "Did Grandpa see the posts Jingxi and Jingyao put on their social media? Those two were showing off all over their feeds that night."
This came as a bit of a surprise to Xu Yanxia.
She remembered that Mrs. Lu's father, Old Master Shen, was a retired senior official, about the same age as her own grandparents. He actually browsed social media?
Then she heard Mrs. Lu call to her again, "Xiaoxia, if it's convenient today at noon, could you make a few dishes for Jingming's grandfather? I'll have Lao Li deliver them."
"Of course."
Xu Yanxia immediately asked, "I wonder if the elderly gentleman has any particular preferences in taste?"
Mrs. Lu said, "Aside from not being able to handle much spice, he doesn't have any special preferences. It's just that at his age, he inevitably has some issues with blood pressure and cholesterol, so it's best not to make the dishes too oily."
"No problem."
Xu Yanxia asked further, "Should I prepare lunch to be delivered for the Chairman and Mr. Lu today?"
Chairman Lu quickly waved his hand, "Don't make any for me. I'm going to Hong Kong in a bit to meet some old friends, I might not be back until evening."
"Alright."
She then looked at Lu Jingming and said, "What about you, Mr. Lu?"
—He didn't like "you," so calling him "Mr. Lu" should be acceptable, right?
