Chapter 89: Female Master, Male Disciple?

Chapter 89: Chapter 89: Female Master, Male Disciple?

Once the "Nan Family’s Small Restaurant" sign was hung, the whole shop’s energy seemed to change!

In Fu Chao’s words—

"It feels like we suddenly have a goal! We have to work together to make our Nan Family’s Small Restaurant bigger and stronger!"

Everyone nodded in serious agreement.

"Lunchtime is almost here."

Nan Zhi reminded them, then called over to Xie Yu,

"Let’s go to the back kitchen and start prepping."

Xie Yu nodded and, slowly and deliberately rolling up his sleeves, was about to follow Nan Zhi into the kitchen.

His steps suddenly paused, and he turned to remind his daughter:

"An’an, be careful."

It was clear that although Xie Yu’s interactions with his daughter were somewhat strained, the care for his daughter hidden beneath his cool exterior was no less than anyone else’s.

Xie An’an clutched the hem of her dress, looking wistfully at Xie Yu.

"Dad, can I stay in the kitchen with you?"

Xie Yu refused decisively.

"No, it’s too dangerous."

Xie An’an hung her little head in disappointment.

Seeing this, Nan Zhi didn’t interject.

’This is between father and daughter. I’m just an outsider.’

However, Nan Yi, who was beside her, took the initiative to say:

"Mom, don’t worry, I’ll be good."

The way he looked up at Nan Zhi with his little face was like a puppy begging for praise.

As expected, Nan Zhi stroked his head and praised him, "Such a well-behaved boy."

Only after seeing Nan Yi smile did Nan Zhi relax and head to the kitchen with Xie Yu.

Unlike the lively chaos of the morning, there were only the two of them in the kitchen now.

In terms of height, Xie Yu, who was over 1.85 meters tall, looked to be more than half a head taller than Nan Zhi.

Coupled with his natural model’s proportions—broad shoulders and a narrow waist—he was quite imposing.

At first glance, it seemed as if his figure could completely envelop Nan Zhi’s.

Even though she was 1.7 meters tall, her exceedingly slender frame made her appear petite next to Xie Yu.

...But her aura was another matter.

The moment the two of them stood before the stove, it was clear at a glance who was in charge and who was the assistant!

Nan Zhi propped one hand on the stove, standing there lazily.

"Start by slicing a potato."

She commanded with utter naturalness.

Xie Yu was quiet for two seconds before asking:

"Why?"

Nan Zhi looked up, her gaze calm as she met his.

"I have to at least assess your skill level to determine whether you’ll be the sous chef or just a helper."

"...Alright."

In this exchange, their roles had completely reversed.

Xie Yu was by no means some good-tempered softie. He was just quiet and reserved, disliking excessive conversation. In reality, he was cold and hard on the inside, with a rebellious streak in his bones!

But now, he had unexpectedly bowed his head to Nan Zhi, following her every command.

She wanted him to julienne potatoes? Fine, he’d julienne.

Stir-fry some greens? Of course, no problem.

Was one dish enough? Should he add some meat?

[I just noticed, our Director Xie is exceptionally obedient in front of Nan Zhi.]

[Whoa, the vibe between them is so subtle. Xie Yu is so much taller and looks more intimidating, but the moment Nan Zhi speaks, he voluntarily lowers his head... It’s like a female-master-male-disciple novel coming to life!]

[Hmph, I got here early. I noticed this morning right after they opened, Director Xie stood at the door without moving and just stared at Nan Zhi for a full ten seconds!]

[What? Is a new ship sailing? Let me at it!]

[...You guys have some serious imagination, forcing a ship between these two.]

[Exactly. Director Xie is clearly just being respectful to a woman. I doubt he ever imagined it would be interpreted this way.]

[Ooh, ooh, someone’s salty!]

[So what if I want to ship them! Don’t interfere with the noble behavior of an internet viewer!]

...

Nan Zhi had no idea that the bullet chat was already erupting in a ship war over her and Xie Yu.

If she knew, she would have just had a giant question mark floating in her mind.

She folded her arms and watched Xie Yu chop vegetables intently.

She observed his posture, his grip on the knife, and his cutting speed.

After a moment, Nan Zhi nodded in satisfaction.

"Your fundamentals are good. Did you really just work part-time in a restaurant?"

Xie Yu glanced at her and actually answered the question.

"No. The head chef at the time said I had a talent for it and wanted to take me on as an apprentice. I hesitated, but still decided to make movies."

He said it so casually, but one could imagine the difficulties involved.

And that one different choice could have nearly cost the film world a rising star.

’...And the Food world would have gained a future master chef with limitless potential?’

’That doesn’t sound too bad, either, does it?’

Nan Zhi amused herself with the thought.

Xie Yu’s movements paused, and he looked at Nan Zhi silently.

Nan Zhi had no choice but to voice her thoughts.

After some serious consideration, Xie Yu said:

"That does sound pretty good."

[Is-is-is this... Are they opening up to each other?]

[We’ve been filming this parenting show for over half a month, and this is the first time I’ve seen Director Xie voluntarily talk about this stuff with someone.]

[And they have such great chemistry! They know what the other is thinking with just a look.]

[This strangely harmonious vibe is just so damn sweet!]

[Isn’t what Xie Yu said a bit fake, though? How can a chef compare to a director? Their social statuses are completely different!]

[Heh, what century are we in? I can’t believe I’m still hearing this kind of disgusting talk. Who’s nobler than whom? If you’re so great, then never eat a dish made by a chef again!]

[People who look down on chefs are just ignorant. Even running a small, popular restaurant in a county town can easily make you millions a year, not to mention amazing chefs at top restaurants who work on commission and have a stable eight-figure annual salary!]

...

Somehow, the bullet chat had gone from shipping the couple to a debate on the career pecking order.

It was as if a stick of dynamite had been lit, and an explosive argument broke out in an instant!

Fortunately, Nan Zhi and Xie Yu were unaffected.

Even while they talked, the work that needed to be done wasn’t delayed.

Soon, Xie Yu had completed a whole series of tasks under Nan Zhi’s direction.

Nan Zhi pondered for a moment.

"Your knife skills still need more practice. For today, you can be in charge of washing the vegetables."

Without asking any questions, Xie Yu nodded in agreement.

Nan Zhi thought for a moment, then added,

"You can watch how I do it."

As she needed to prep ingredients for the upcoming service, Nan Zhi began to demonstrate herself.

She held a large, gleaming, sharp kitchen knife. With her long, slender fingers, it seemed as if she could barely grip the blade.

In reality, however, the knife was as docile as a kitten in her palm, completely under her control.

She raised the knife, and a highly rhythmic chopping sound immediately followed.

She barely even spared it a glance, the entire cutting board within her command.

She said:

"Your fundamentals are good, but your cutting posture is wrong. At the rate you’re going, you’ll get tired quickly. The first principle of knife work is learning how to grip and move the knife, and then adapting your technique based on the characteristics of the ingredients."

"For example, when chopping chunks, bone-in pieces should be smaller than boneless ones. When slicing, softer ingredients should be cut thicker than hard ones. When julienning, you slice pork diagonally, chicken with the grain, and beef against the grain. Remember these key points."

"The basic knife techniques are slicing, sheeting, mincing, scoring..."

Nan Zhi spoke casually as she worked.

But Xie Yu was listening intently.

Even the bullet chat stopped arguing.