Liu Jinfei and Lin Xiao’s team surprisingly won second place in the competition. Lin Xiao was obviously ecstatic over their win, while Liu Jinfei clapped next to him and politely thanked everyone who congratulated them. His eyes swept around the audience, trying to find Shen Lingqing and the two older chefs. However, he only found Huang Shenghao waiting on one side.

“Did Director Shen leave already?” He asked the older chef.

Huang Shenghao grinned, “Hey, now. Don’t tell me you are already attracted to our little princess.”

Liu Jinfei’s eyes widened in surprise at those words. It wasn’t something he expected to hear from Huang Shenghao.

“I—I was just curious where she went.” He cleared his throat and looked away.

“Hey, that isn’t something to be ashamed of. Our Qingqing is truly a beauty. It’s only natural that men flocked around her to get her attention.” Huang Shenghao bragged. “If I heard a man say that she isn’t beautiful and charming, then he must be blind not to see how amazing our little princess is.”

Although he and Tian Lingyu weren’t technically blood-related to the Shen Princess, they both pampered and spoiled Shen Lingqing since she was younger.

“As for your inquiry, don’t worry, Chef Liu. Qingqing is with Chef He right now, accompanying her as she looked around to find someone to recruit.” Regardless, Huang Shenghao explained Shen Lingqing’s sudden absence.

“She wants to recruit someone?” That surprised Liu Jinfei. He hadn’t heard about Shen Lingqing’s intention to recruit another chef to join their team. Was it because of him? He pondered.

“I see.” His face fell, and he remained silent. Shen Lingqing must be now aware of his personal issues and was trying to cut off her losses by recruiting another chef that could minimize the damage on her part.

Shen Lingqing also didn’t need to explain her decisions to him. If she wanted to recruit another chef, who was he to question her? She was a businesswoman after all, and it’s only natural for her to cut losses if she thought that she was at a disadvantage.

Liu Jinfei tuned out the noises around him and stood impassively next to Lin Xiao as the older chef received their prizes and thanked everyone. He didn’t even bother to mingle with the crowd and just took a seat in the corner, waiting for the ceremony to be over.

More than anything, he wanted to retire to his bed and slept through the day. His mood was obviously foul already, and not even winning second place was enough to lift it. ρꪖꪕᦔꪖꪕꪫꪣꫀ​ꪶ​

When they returned to Peach Blossom Garden, he and Lin Xiao found Shen Lingqing and He Haotian talking to a young man in his early twenties. He was working in the kitchen as if cooking for the two. Liu Jinfei spotted Shen Lingqing seated at her usual place, watching the young man attentively as he moved around the kitchen.

“What’s up?” Lin Xiao asked the butler who stood at the doorway, patiently waiting for Shen Lingqing’s order.

“Miss Qing found this young man on the road, selling what they called snowy mooncakes. It’s quite popular these days, but this man rarely sells it because of some financial difficulties,” the butler explained. He then opened the chart he was holding and read the file.

“His name is Yang Fangjin, age 22. He’s currently working as a hawker, selling mooncakes on the road for the past six months. His father was a victim of a loan shark, and he’d been trying to run from them for a year now.”

“Then, why is he here?” Lin Xiao voiced out Liu Jinfei’s curiosity. “Did Director Shen want to help him?”

After all, it wouldn’t be the first time for Lin Xiao to see their young director, extending a hand to help someone in need.

“Not really.” The butler pushed the bridge of his glasses up. “I heard the young miss is looking for a talented pastry chef to join her team at Savory Alley, and it was Chef He who suggested Mr. Yang to her.”

“Oh.” Lin Xiao was equally surprised as Liu Jinfei. So Shen Lingqing wasn’t planning to replace Liu Jinfei, but she was looking for a pastry chef that could help them in the kitchen instead.

Liu Jinfei suddenly felt bad for doubting Shen Lingqing’s decision. Yes. There should always be a logical reason for her decisions and choices. It only made him feel bad about himself. If he wasn’t so arrogant and prideful, he wouldn’t have doubted Shen Lingqing in the first place.

“Do you think he made the cut?” He asked the butler. If Shen Lingqing was taking this recruitment seriously, then she must have deemed it important for them to have their own pastry chef on the team.

“Young Miss was quite impressed with his snowy mooncakes, but she had asked him to make a different kind of dessert or sweet she could have aside from those,” the butler informed them.

“Oh, then, I hope he passes Director Shen’s test. It would be exciting to have another chef to work with back at Savory Alley,” Lin Xiao commented with excitement. This was truly a good day in his opinion.

It had only been weeks since Shen Lingqing took over the management of Savory Alley, but Lin Xiao could already tell that so many changes and improvements had been done. If it was Shen Lingqing, then he had no doubt that she would be able to win the challenge President Shen imposed on her before she could succeed him in the company.

“Ah, Chef Liu, why don’t we join them and watch?”

Liu Jinfei nodded and took a seat to watch Yang Fangjin’s performance. It wasn’t the first time he met a young chef like him, but he was also curious about Yang Fangjin’s potential… for him to be able to pique He Haotian’s eye. It was even enough for the older chef to suggest this young man to Shen Lingqing.

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