Chapter 483 - 382: Eating

Chapter 483: Chapter 382: Eating

Fang Hongbo silently flipped him off with both hands.

’I despise you!!’

Du Qin smiled faintly. "See? I just directly ordered him to have a meal with me. I’ve got way more backbone than you, right?"

"Heh," Fang Hongbo sneered.

Jun Xinghe replied to Du Qin’s message:

"Forget it, forget it. How could I have room for your meal? My son-in-law sent me over twenty Four-Happiness Meatballs and five pounds of mu-shu pork for lunch today. Tonight, I have to go eat a private dinner with him. My meals are all booked up. Sorry, Xiao Du."

?

’Good lord.’

’Before, it was Head Chef Du.’

’Now it’s Xiao Du??’

’Is he really that fickle?’

The smile on Du Qin’s face stiffened.

"What did he reply?" Fang Hongbo asked, his face full of curiosity.

Du Qin turned the screen toward him.

Fang Hongbo’s face darkened after reading it.

’Damn it.’

’This guy is so infuriating.’

He still couldn’t stop thinking about the Four-Happiness Meatballs and mu-shu pork from lunch.

’And Jun Xinghe gets to eat dozens in one go?’

’Pah!’

’So infuriating.’

"Du Qin, you can stand for this? Hurry up and curse him out! Give him a piece of your mind!" Fang Hongbo goaded.

"No problem."

Du Qin pressed the voice message button, held the phone in front of Fang Hongbo, and gestured for him to go ahead.

Fang Hongbo looked toward the neon nightscape in the distance and exclaimed in admiration, "The atmosphere on Yangzhai Street is really great. Look, as far as the eye can see, it’s a bustling scene of traffic and crowds, with vendors and pedestrians everywhere."

"This place will definitely become a must-visit spot in South City in the future. Master Jiang’s influence is incredible~"

He sighed in admiration.

??

Du Qin shot him a contemptuous glance, then reactivated the voice message and said in a fawning tone, "President Jun, I want to eat the Four-Happiness Meatballs too. If you can’t finish them, please don’t let them go to waste. Could you save some for Xiao Du? And the mu-shu pork too."

"You’re right, having dinner with your son-in-law is more important. Don’t worry about me. Whenever you need Xiao Du, just say the word, and I’ll be there in a flash."

Jun Xinghe replied: "Let me see. How about this, find a day to come over for lunch, and I’ll treat you to a taste."

Jun Xinghe’s relationship with Du Qin was actually quite good.

He wasn’t so stingy as to not treat him to a meal made by his son-in-law.

Du Qin was stunned for a moment, then his face broke into a wide, surprised smile. "Alright, President Jun! I’m free anytime recently. Just let me know in advance when it’s convenient for you, and I’ll head over immediately."

He put down his phone.

He looked rather smug.

"You damn suck-up! I can’t believe you’re this kind of person!"

Fang Hongbo was furious, cursing him with a look of bitter disappointment.

By now, the jealousy in his gut had reached its peak.

’Damn it.’

He wanted to eat it too!

Boss Jiang’s Four-Happiness Meatballs, mu-shu pork, candied potatoes... he hadn’t managed to get a single bite.

Every day he watched others show off on their social media feeds, and it left a complicated mix of feelings in his heart.

Du Qin chuckled, in high spirits now. "That’s right, I’m President Jun’s suck-up. Others wish they had the chance to suck up to him, but they can’t."

He was already starting to speak up for Jun Xinghe.

"I would never suck up to someone just for a meal. From now on, I’ll rely on my own ability to wait in line!"

"How about this: you praise me a little, and I’ll bring you back a couple of Four-Happiness Meatballs."

Fang Hongbo: ???

’Woof woof woof.’

*

「Yangzhai Street, 8:05 PM.」

The restaurant gradually quieted down.

Jiang Liu looked at the once-again scraped-clean chili oil and shook his head, speechless.

Ever since he started putting out chili oil in the restaurant, there had never been any left over.

"Daddy~"

"Hm? What is it, little treasure?"

"Hungry again." Jiang Tongtong pointed at her tummy.

As if to say it wasn’t her fault, but her tummy’s fault.

"Just wait. What do you two want to eat?" Jiang Liu walked over with a cheerful laugh and patted their heads.

Tongtong was so hungry she didn’t want to move.

She curled up in Jun Qingmeng’s arms, looking pitiful.

The little bitter melon had been exhausted just now, and she’d had to watch helplessly as customers devoured delicious food mouthful after mouthful.

"Hubby, I’ll eat whatever you make. I’m not a picky eater." Jun Qingmeng looked at Jiang Liu, her beautiful eyes filled with a smile.

"Daddy! Me too, me too! Um, can I have ’candeed’ potatoes?"

"It’s *candied* potatoes!"

"I know, ’candeed’ potatoes!"

Jiang Liu was exasperated, giving her a slightly annoyed but fond eye-roll.

He had originally wanted his daughter to eat something first.

But she had insisted on helping him with work, wanting to eat with him after he was finished.

"Just wait, I’ll get you something to eat!"

"Okay~ Daddy, can I have a hug?"

The moment Tongtong saw Jiang Liu take off his apron, she couldn’t hold back any longer.

She missed her daddy so much.

The little bitter melon wanted to cry.

"Come here."

Jiang Liu opened his arms.

Jiang Tongtong left Jun Qingmeng’s embrace, took a couple of steps, and hugged Jiang Liu’s leg, rubbing her chubby, pretty face against it with all her might.

Snuggling hard against her daddy.

She clung to him and wouldn’t let go.

"Alright now, if you hug me any longer, your mom is going to faint from hunger."

"Okay, okay. You can go, Daddy. Mommy and I will wait for you."

Tongtong and Jun Qingmeng sat down obediently.

They rested their arms on the table, like two little kids waiting for their meal.

’Wait, the little cutie *is* a little kid!’

A little while later.

Jun Xinghe walked in.

He was wearing a navy blue suit with the silver tie Jiang Liu had given him. His beard was freshly shaved, and he was about six feet tall.

He had a scholarly air, looking like a calligrapher.

"Grandpa~"

"Ah, Tongtong, did you miss Grandpa?"

"A little bit, but not as much as I missed Daddy," Jiang Tongtong said honestly.

"Haha."

Jun Xinghe chuckled.

"Uncle, you’re here? Have a seat. There’ll be candied potatoes in a bit." Jiang Liu busily poked his head out to greet him.

’Candied potatoes?!’

Jun Xinghe’s Adam’s apple bobbed.

On his way over, he had seen someone post a picture of candied potatoes and sweet potatoes, and they had even tagged him, asking if he’d eaten any yet.

"Grandpa, sit, quick!"

Jiang Tongtong scampered over to help her daddy greet the guest.

She pulled over a chair and gestured politely with her small hand, offering the seat.

"Thank you, Tongtong. You’re such a well-behaved, good girl."

Jun Xinghe gave an awkward compliment, sitting down in a great mood.

He felt comfortable all over.

It was just like coming home after a long, busy day.

He sat down next to Jun Qingmeng.

Jun Qingmeng frowned, hesitating for a moment before deciding not to tell him to move.

Outside, the sky grew deeper, like an ink-dipped brush sweeping across light blue cloth.

The three of them didn’t speak.

Tongtong kept peering toward the kitchen, her expression so obviously greedy that anyone could see the word "glutton" written all over her face.

She was even drooling!

Jun Xinghe hesitated for a moment, then asked casually, "How have things been between you and Xiao Jiang recently?"

"Mm, the two of us have always been fine," Jun Qingmeng replied coolly with a slight nod.

If it had been any other question, she wouldn’t have wanted to answer, but when it came to her relationship with Jiang Liu, she was willing to reply.

"That’s good..."

The three of them fell silent again.

From outside the door came the cry of an old man hawking his wares: "Last bracelet! Selling it cheap, take it for half price!"

Unconsciously, the stiff relationship between Jun Qingmeng and Jun Xinghe had eased just a tiny bit.

「Ten minutes later.」

Jiang Liu brought out the dishes he had prepared: boiled fish in chili oil, candied potatoes and sweet potatoes, mu-shu pork, and twice-cooked pork.

The freshly cooked dishes were still steaming with a delicious fragrance.

The moment he came out, the tense atmosphere immediately relaxed.

"Don’t just sit there. Everyone go to the kitchen and get some rice."

"Alright. Thank you for your trouble, Xiao Jiang."

"It’s nothing."

The three of them obediently went to the kitchen to line up and get their rice.