Chapter 80: Where To? I’ll Drive You

Chapter 80: Where To? Let Me Give You a Ride

"Mr. Gu, the documents have been delivered to Mr. Zhao."

"What was his reaction?"

"Sorry, I didn't notice."

Gu Hansheng hadn't asked him to observe Zhao Yu's reaction in the first place, so it was only natural that he didn't pay attention.

If he wanted to gauge Zhao Yu's response, Gu Hansheng had far more sophisticated methods at his disposal, but sending that file wasn't meant to test Zhao Yu's attitude—it was because he believed Zhao Yu had the right to know.

Zhao Yu should stay away from Chen Xitong—that was what Gu Hansheng thought, but he didn't dare interfere.

In the past, before Zhao Yu had learned of Chen Xitong's deeds, he would have quietly dealt with that threat.

But now, he was beginning to consider what Zhao Yu wanted, rather than what he himself wished to give.

As Zhao Yu walked further and further away, he followed the footprints left behind, and only then did he lower his head to see what kind of traces the one he was pursuing had left.

Even having witnessed with his own eyes Zhao Yu kissing Zhuang Shubai, he still refused to accept it.

A kiss—what did it amount to?

He deceived himself with that thought, filling his life with work without pause, until he was utterly exhausted, until the scene he'd witnessed that day blurred into a haze in his mind.

When all the clamor subsided, in some single second after work ended, he would suddenly realize that he had actually lost.

Lost. Completely and utterly.

When Zhao Yu was injured, Zhuang Shubai had appeared faster than him. When Zhao Yu was hospitalized, Zhuang Shubai gave him meticulous care. Whatever he could offer, Zhuang Shubai could provide just as well.

From every perspective, Zhao Yu didn't need him.

In this relationship where he had initially held the advantage, he had fallen to such a state.

Gu Hansheng looked down at the scene below, a swirl of clinking glasses and toasts, every face wearing a hypocritical smile. The livelier it grew, the more lonely one felt.

"Mr. Gu, Mr. Wan has arrived," his secretary reminded him.

Gu Hansheng turned around, fixing an equally false mask onto his face, and walked downstairs with a smile to shake hands and exchange pleasantries with Wan Shaohui.

Wan Shaohui had been partnering with Tuotu for years and already regarded Gu Hansheng as one of his own. Now that he was at the age where he loved playing matchmaker, he said with a smile, "That's Mr. Tu over there. He has a daughter who's very taken with you—and she's a real looker. You're about the age where you should settle down. How about I play matchmaker and introduce you two?"

Gu Hansheng smiled. "You're too kind, Mr. Wan, but there's already someone I care about. I wouldn't want to stand in the way of Miss Tu's future."

Wan Shaohui pressed on: "Oh? Who's the lucky lady? Her family must be just as powerful as the Tu family."

In Wan Shaohui's view, Gu Hansheng was supposed to be a profit-driven businessman, just like the rest of them, treating marriage as nothing more than a bargaining chip to build up one's standing. So the person his "heart belonged to" had to be someone of considerable value too.

In this circle, talking about love just seemed absurd.

Gu Hansheng said, "She's not in our circle. You probably don't know her, Mr. Wan. We have no business ties."

"You're thinking about this all wrong. Dating's one thing; marriage is another. That Tu girl can be an asset to you. As for the other one—just keep her around on the side."

Gu Hansheng's eye twitched. "Mr. Wan, please don't bring up the marriage alliance thing again."

Wan Shaohui laughed heartily. "Fine, I won't mention it. But if you change your mind, I can still hook you up."

Gu Hansheng smiled and said nothing.

Even after Zhao Yu had rejected him countless times, the thought of marrying someone else never once crossed his mind.

After Wan Shaohui left, a steady stream of people came up to speak with Gu Hansheng—acquaintances and strangers alike, one face after another flashing before him.

If Zhao Yu were stuck in this world of pretense, would he smile at him? Even a fake smile would do.

Gu Hansheng downed his drink in one gulp and kept smiling at the crowd. When the banquet finally ended, his expression instantly went blank, like a lamp that had suddenly lost power.

...

Zhao Yu finally got some peace and quiet. He lay in bed flipping through a book about food ingredients. The night before, he had tucked the book under his pillow, hoping the knowledge would seep into his brain while he slept—the ultimate fantasy of every struggling student.

He was turning a page when his phone suddenly rang.

"Hello?"

"It's me, Fatty. Chef Cao and Chef Che are going at it," came Fatty's voice over the phone. "Chef Cao's about to walk."

Zhao Yu shot up in bed, wincing in pain, and asked through gritted teeth, "What happened?"

"Listen for yourself."

He could faintly hear arguing through the phone.

"...Since when do you get to boss around my people? Che Shijie, aren't you just gunning for Head Chef? Fine, you take it—I'm out!" Cao Xu said.

"Chef Cao! Don't get so riled up. The boss hasn't said anything about naming a head chef..." the manager said.

"So what, only you, Cao Xu, get to be head chef? Nobody else gets a shot? Cao Xu, who in this kitchen can put up with your temper? Even if you wanted the job, who'd actually respect you?" Che Shijie said.

Cao Xu fumed: "Before you showed up, I ran this kitchen just fine! Who greased the wheels to get you in here—I don't care! But you scheme and connive, pulling all kinds of underhanded tricks—pah! You think you deserve to be head chef?!"

Originally, Yatai had only one head chef—Cao Xu—and it was exactly because of Cao Xu's reputation that the boss had brought him in to run the kitchen when the restaurant first opened.

Che Shijie came later, using connections to get in after Yatai's name had already been established, and from day one he grabbed half the power for himself.

A kitchen should never have two people running the show. Che Shijie was slick and great at sucking up to the boss, which was how he managed to stand on equal footing with Cao Xu.

Cao Xu's outburst ripped off Che Shijie's mask. Having decided to quit, he was burning all bridges and giving no one any face.

Zhao Yu changed clothes as he asked Fatty, "How did the fight start today?"

Fatty lowered his voice: "While you've been gone these past few days, word around the kitchen is that Chef Che's going to be head chef, and even Chef Cao will have to answer to him. Chef Cao couldn't stomach that, so he confronted him directly. And that's how the fight broke out."

"Is Chef Che really going to be head chef?"

"No idea—it's just a rumor. The manager hasn't said anything."

Zhao Yu immediately sensed something was off. Rumors like that were almost certainly planted by someone behind the scenes. The kitchen was a small place—whoever stood to benefit was the one spreading the word.

Based on past experience, it was most likely Che Shijie himself spreading the rumor. It seemed that after their falling-out last time, he had held a grudge and wanted to make trouble for Cao Xu again.

He changed clothes and went downstairs. The street was bustling with traffic and pedestrians. Just as he was about to hail a taxi, someone cut in front of him and grabbed one first.

His abdomen was still wrapped in bandages, and after walking two steps in the blazing sun, he could feel himself sweating through them. He kept walking, hoping to flag down an empty cab, when suddenly a black sedan pulled up from behind him. Sunlight glanced off its side, tracing a streak of silver.

"Where to? Let me give you a ride." Gu Hansheng lowered the window.

Zhao Yu, worried Cao Xu might actually quit Yatai in a fit of anger, was pressed for time. With no taxis in sight, he had no choice but to open the door and climb into Gu Hansheng's car: "Thanks. Yatai, please."

The Maybach made a U-turn at the intersection and headed for Yatai. Gu Hansheng asked, "What happened?"

Zhao Yu didn't want to get into it, but since he was hitching a ride, he felt he had to answer: "My mentor got into a fight with someone and wants to quit."

Gu Hansheng felt a pang of jealousy—was Cao Xu just having a spat with someone, and Zhao Yu was this worked up over it?

When they pulled up to Yatai, Zhao Yu said "Thanks" and got out in a hurry.

Gu Hansheng said, "I know the owner of Yatai. Want me to put in a word?"

Zhao Yu stopped in his tracks.

Gu Hansheng added, "Just think of it as helping Cao Xu."

"Up to you."

Zhao Yu knew he was really doing it for him, but since the favor was for Cao Xu, there was no reason to turn it down on Cao Xu's behalf. Still, Zhao Yu was a bit surprised Gu Hansheng didn't use this favor to hold something over him.

Before heading into the kitchen, Zhao Yu couldn't help glancing back—the Maybach was still parked there, and their eyes locked for a split second.

Gu Hansheng watched his retreating figure, his heart fluttering.

If he hadn't been hanging around the hospital whenever he had free time, he wouldn't have been there right when Zhao Yu needed help. Lucky day.

By the time Zhao Yu got to the kitchen, things had already settled down. He didn't see Cao Xu—just Che Shijie going over the evening menu with the manager.

Che Shijie said, "...Then scrap all of Cao Xu's dishes for today and swap them for a Western-style special."

Zhao Yu stepped forward: "Why cancel them? Where's my mentor?"

Che Shijie looked up at him and suddenly smiled: "Perfect timing. You're the one in the kitchen who knows Cao Xu's style best. I'd say you're basically ready to go solo. How about you fill in for Cao Xu today?"

The manager said, "But he doesn't have his chef's license yet. Can he really fill in for Chef Cao?"

Che Shijie said, "His palate is way better than Cao Xu's. Besides, the exam's at the end of the month—he should pass it no problem. No issue with him starting early."

"I'm not replacing my mentor. Where is he?" Zhao Yu asked with a grim face.

"He's already gone," Che Shijie said. "You sure you don't want to go full-time? This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. You're the only one in all of Yatai who's trained under Cao Xu. Stick with me, and I won't shortchange you."

Che Shijie's smug demeanor made it clear he thought he'd already beaten Cao Xu, radiating self-satisfaction.

Zhao Yu asked, "You drove my mentor out. Who's going to cook his signature dishes?"

"If no one can make them, we'll cut them from the menu and swap in mine."

"So that's the game. But your dishes aren't worth a single hair on my mentor's head."

The moment Zhao Yu said that, the whole kitchen went quiet. Even the guys working stopped to stare at him. Fatty swallowed hard, silently giving him another thumbs-up for his guts.

"Zhao Yu, I'm offering you an olive branch because you've got talent. Don't bite the hand that feeds you," Che Shijie said with a fake smile. "You think you'll come out ahead after Cao Xu leaves? He's walking away with a hefty penalty fee today. What's the point of defending him? You'll end up just like him sooner or later."

"Penalty fee?" Zhao Yu looked at the manager.

The manager said, "It's in Chef Cao's contract. He took a share of Yatai's profits, so he can't leave before the contract expires. Maybe you should try to talk him out of it—that penalty is no small sum."

Zhao Yu's head ached. Cao Xu's personality was one that couldn't tolerate any dirt in his eyes—he'd probably rather pay every last cent than stay.

He turned and hurried out, hoping to persuade Cao Xu before the boss issued an ultimatum.

Gu Hansheng still hadn't left. He drove up to him again and asked, "Where to? I'll take you."

At his most desperate moment, Gu Hansheng appeared again.

If Gu Hansheng could never be there in time to help when Zhao Yu was in trouble, he would keep waiting—waiting for that moment when he was needed, just like right now.

"Author's Note"

The love interest won't change, and there won't be a sudden time skip to years later.