Su Weiwei looked at the two officers, her tone carrying just the right amount of grievance. “Actually… some comrades privately mentioned to me that the seafood was too strong-flavored, hard to get used to.”
“The dishes Wanqing makes are really tasty, it’s just that a lot gets left over every time. Throwing it away is wasteful, and keeping it means no one eats it. It’s such a waste of ingredients.”
“I even advised her before to make more common stir-fried dishes, but she didn’t listen…”
Su Hua pointed at Su Wanqing, his tone full of disdain. “Look at her! Working in the cafeteria for so long, she doesn’t even know what people like to eat. Every day it’s dishes no one touches, completely embarrassing!”
“And now this huge mess has happened. If Xiao Wu hadn’t been pushed, would he have said something like that? You’re really making our Su family look bad in the military district!”
Su Weiwei pretended to reason with him. “Second brother, don’t be angry. Wanqing herself said her seafood dishes are delicious, right? No one eats them simply because… they’re not used to it.”
Su Wanqing glared coldly at the three of them, who were in cahoots, fury burning inside her.
She had run a seafood restaurant for ten years.
What picky tastes had she not encountered?
Comrades in the military district don’t like seafood?
They simply hadn’t tasted it prepared properly.
Moreover, the original person’s seafood dishes weren’t bad at all—if it weren’t for Su Weiwei scheming behind the scenes, they wouldn’t have ended up with such a bad reputation!
Su Wanqing lifted her eyes, a smirk curling at her lips. “Su Weiwei, is it that everyone doesn’t like it, or that you deliberately spiced my dishes so people wouldn’t eat them?”
Su Weiwei’s face went pale, tears brimming. “Wanqing, I didn’t… how can you say that about me?”
Su Hua immediately flew into a rage, stepping in front of Su Weiwei and scolding, “Su Wanqing, stop slandering! You’re incapable and yet blame others!”
Su Weiwei’s eyes were red, her voice trembling. “Wanqing, I really didn’t… the everyday dishes I make, comrades scramble to eat them. I have no reason to go against your seafood dishes.”
She looked at the two officers, her gaze earnest. “If no one believes me, I’m willing to compete with Wanqing in cooking! We’ll make dishes that comrades in the military district usually eat, with the kitchen staff and dining comrades as judges.”
“If I lose, I’ll immediately resign from the cafeteria and never set foot in it again. If Wanqing loses, then please have her leave and stop wasting ingredients.”
At these words, Su Hua immediately chimed in. “Good! That’s right! Let her see how much better Weiwei is than her!”
Su Wanqing listened, but instead she laughed.
She wasn’t blind to Su Weiwei’s intentions.
Failing to frame her, and immediately coming up with a new trick.
Trying to win with a few home-style dishes to force her to resign?
Su Wanqing ignored the cooking challenge and turned to the two officers, her tone calm. “Comrades, now that Xiao Wu has confessed, the pufferfish incident has nothing to do with me, right?”
Officer Li glanced at the still-slumped Xiao Wu, then at Su Weiwei and Su Hua, nodding. “Xiao Wu admitted to bringing in the pufferfish himself and putting it in your dish. It has nothing to do with you. We will handle Xiao Wu according to military regulations.”
Having received confirmation, Su Wanqing turned to Su Hua and Su Weiwei with a pleased expression. “Since I’m cleared, it’s time to honor your promise to apologize.”
She paused, raising her voice a little. “Next Monday during the flag-raising, you two will apologize to me in front of all the comrades in the military district.”
As she spoke, she ignored the two of them turning sullen and added as she turned, “Oh, and prepare your apology in advance—don’t try to do it half-heartedly. Also, don’t skimp on the compensation~”
Su Weiwei ground her teeth in anger, her nails almost digging into her palms.
Su Wanqing didn’t give her the satisfaction of responding; she kept pressing the apology issue.
In front of the two officers, Su Weiwei couldn’t lose her temper.
Red-eyed and aggrieved, she said, “Wanqing, why do you have to insist on such a small matter? My second brother and I were just worried about you and misspoke… Are you only bringing up the apology because you’re afraid to compete with me in cooking?”
Su Hua, standing high and mighty, scolded: “Su Wanqing! Don’t take advantage! Weiwei was kindly offering to compete with you in cooking, and you don’t dare. Now you’re demanding an apology too? Who do you think you are?”
“Not just her—you also owe me an apology.” Su Wanqing’s expression was cold as she sneered.
“As for whether you’re worthy? She certainly isn’t worthy of competing with me.”
She paused, then added, “If you refuse to apologize, fine—I’ll go to Lu Yan. His wife was slandered as poisoning dishes in the cafeteria and forced into a cooking competition.”
“If word gets out, anyone who doesn’t know will think our military district cafeteria is completely chaotic.”
This struck a nerve with Su Hua and Su Weiwei.
Lu Yan?
The youngest senior officer in the military district, holding a high position and real power. Born into the military-political Lu family, as the legitimate grandson, his background was untouchable.
His position in the army was special, his prestige extremely high. Even leaders in the Military Affairs Office had to show him respect.
If he intervened, this would become a big deal, far more than just embarrassing.
Su Weiwei bit her lip, tears welling. “Wanqing, if it would make you feel better, I’m willing to apologize.”
“But Lu Yan isn’t the type to abuse power for personal gain. You…”
The wooden door of the Military Affairs Office suddenly swung open.
“Creak—”
A faint sound, yet it felt like a hammer striking everyone’s hearts.
Sunlight slanted through the doorway, first revealing a crisp line of military trousers, then a broad-shouldered, narrow-waisted, upright figure.
Lu Yan?
What’s he doing here?
Lu Yan walked in slowly, his eyebrows and eyes beneath the hat brim as deep as a midwinter sea, black eyes scanning.
He held sealed documents in his hand.
Clearly, he had come to deliver or hand over a task.
The air seemed to freeze.
Su Weiwei’s words—“Lu Yan isn’t the type to abuse power”—hung in the air.
Lu Yan’s silhouette blocked the doorway, and the room darkened slightly.
His gaze landed precisely on Su Wanqing’s face. The red, swollen finger marks were striking against her delicate skin.
Her eyes rimmed with red, lashes trembling, clear eyes full of confusion.
Su Wanqing froze for a moment, then her eyes brightened.
She ran toward Lu Yan, as if finding a pillar of support, and naturally pointed toward Su Hua.
“Husband, he hit me. They even falsely accused me of poisoning and refuse to apologize.”
Her eyes, still moist, looked up at him pitifully, like a small creature that had been wronged.
Lu Yan paused slightly, lowering his gaze. A trace of thought flickered across the depth of his dark eyes.