It was something Lu Zhengming deliberately tried to hide.
Most likely, it had to do with Lu Yan.
She stood in place for a moment, thinking, but couldn’t find any clue.
Su Wanqing shook her head and slowly headed toward the cafeteria.
She would find another chance to figure it out later…
The sky was just starting to lighten.
In the back kitchen of the military district cafeteria, the scent of cooking floated in the air.
By the time Su Wanqing arrived, Uncle Zhang was squatting by the stove, tending the fire.
The old man’s skin was dark and rough, a sign of years spent dealing with the sea breeze. Seeing her come in, he immediately put down the fire tongs and stood up.
“Wanqing, it’s good to see you!” Uncle Zhang’s voice was loud. “Yesterday, with the fugu poisoning in the cafeteria, Xiao Wu got punished. I heard it also involved you?”
Uncle Zhang was a native of the island and grew up in a fishing village. Knowing the original girl grew up by the sea, he treated her especially well.
Su Wanqing smiled and waved her hand. “Don’t worry, Uncle Zhang. It’s been sorted out—it had nothing to do with me.”
As she spoke, she rolled up her sleeves, revealing her slender wrists, ready to take over the work on the cutting board.
While they were talking, others gradually arrived in the back kitchen.
Several female workers glanced at Su Wanqing and immediately lowered their voices, whispering with disdain.
“Hmph, thought she’d be kicked out of the kitchen. Of course, having a high-ranking husband backing her makes a difference.”
“The seafood dishes she makes are awful. Always hogging the workstation. I don’t know why the manager still keeps her around.”
Their words were just loud enough to drift into Su Wanqing’s ears.
She ignored them, focusing on cleaning the freshly delivered seafood, her movements quick and precise.
Hmph, as long as she was here, Su Weiwei wouldn’t even dare touch a single finger of her dishes.
She was going to show them what real seafood flavor meant.
At that moment, the cafeteria manager, Director Li, walked in with his hands behind his back, his gaze immediately locking onto Su Wanqing.
He called her by name: “Su Wanqing, the cafeteria is doing an extra dish today. I’ve assigned you to make garlic steamed grouper. Don’t ruin the cafeteria’s reputation.”
Grouper meat is firm; if the steaming is off, it becomes dry, and if not handled properly, the whole dish smells fishy.
In short, it was a difficult dish that really tested one’s skills.
Director Li’s expression was unfriendly, clearly deliberately making things difficult.
The female workers around immediately looked on with anticipation.
Su Wanqing, however, didn’t even look up and replied confidently, “Don’t worry, Director Li. I’ll complete the task.”
No seafood dish could defeat her.
She had been looking for an opportunity to showcase her culinary skills.
In a corner not far away, Su Weiwei’s eyes were slightly red, with a few female workers comforting her.
The next moment, upon hearing Su Wanqing respond without hesitation, Su Weiwei almost couldn’t suppress a laugh.
Su Wanqing was crazy—did she really think her cooking was the best in the world?
Any observant person knew how tough this dish was, yet she dared to take it on.
Even with her own two lives of cooking experience, Su Weiwei didn’t have full confidence she could handle it perfectly.
It seemed that even if she didn’t intervene, Su Wanqing would stumble this time.
A trace of cruelty flashed in Su Weiwei’s eyes, and a plan formed:
A perfect scheme to force Su Wanqing into a culinary competition and have her legally swept out of the kitchen.
Su Wanqing had no idea Su Weiwei was plotting something malicious.
All her focus was on the large basin of grouper in front of her.
She painstakingly cleaned it, cutting diagonal patterns into the fish, sprinkling a little fine salt and cooking wine to remove the fishy smell.
She deliberately controlled the saltiness.
It retained the freshness of the fish without overpowering the flavor.
Then she laid ginger strips on top and poured over freshly made garlic sauce.
The sauce was made from fresh garlic mashed into a paste, mixed with a bit of rendered pork fat, fragrant but not greasy.
When steaming, she timed it precisely: after high heat produced steam, she turned to low heat for exactly eight minutes—no more, no less.
When she opened the lid, the rich aroma of garlic mixed with the fish’s freshness, instantly filling the back kitchen.
Uncle Zhang leaned over to take a look and couldn’t help but praise her: “Wow, the presentation and aroma—smells even more authentic than the state-run restaurants in town!”
During a quiet moment at the stove, Su Wanqing secretly prepared another meal.
She cooked a small pot of millet pumpkin porridge, soft and thick.
She also steamed a shrimp custard, silky like tofu, served with a small plate of refreshing seaweed strips sprinkled with a little sesame for aroma.
All light, nourishing foods—just right for Lu Yan’s stomach.
When the lunch bell rang, Su Wanqing carefully packed the lunch into an enamel lunchbox, said goodbye to Uncle Zhang, and headed to the front hall.
The third floor was the dining area for cadre leaders, much quieter than the first floor.
Just as she reached the stairwell, she ran into Zhao Lei, Section Leader Zhao.
Zhao Lei was holding an empty tray and immediately noticed her lunchbox, smiling and shouting: “Hey, Madam Lu, coming all the way to deliver lunch for Chief Lu?”
Zhao Lei’s voice carried, and everyone else who had been eating curiously turned their gaze toward her.
Su Wanqing’s cheeks flushed slightly; she shyly smiled, the faint redness at the corners of her eyes making them sparkle.
She scanned the room and quickly spotted Lu Yan.
He sat by the window, posture straight, back not leaning on the chair, shoulders broad and firm, exuding an aura of detachment that made him stand out in the noisy room.
He hadn’t touched much of his meal, only a few bites. The shadow from his cap emphasized his sharp jawline, and his black eyes, emotionless, were strikingly captivating.
“Madam Lu, come on, I’ll take you over!” Zhao Lei winked, voice warm and insistent.
He naturally stepped aside to lead the way, joking with those around him: “Look, Chief Lu is lucky—this isn’t something everyone gets!”
Several cadres sitting across from Lu Yan also looked up.
As Zhao Lei led her closer, several pairs of eyes landed on Su Wanqing, curious and teasing.
Su Wanqing walked toward Lu Yan with eyes curved in a smile and said cheerfully, “Hubby, I brought you lunch. Want to try it?”
Lu Yan had already put down his chopsticks.
From the moment she appeared at the stairwell, his gaze had not left her.
Watching her walk over led by Zhao Lei, her ponytail swaying behind her, her steps lively, the coldness in his eyes quietly softened a bit.
Now, hearing her speak, the shadowed black of his eyes lingered on the lunchbox in her hands, then on her face, showing a faint trace of subtle confusion, yet he made no move to refuse.
Seeing this, Su Wanqing sat down in the empty chair next to him and placed the lunchbox on the table.
“Can I open it?” she asked, her eyes showing a cautious expectancy.
Lu Yan nodded, his fingers unconsciously brushing over his knuckles.
The comrades across from him couldn’t help but tease: “Chief Lu is lucky! Madam Lu is so thoughtful, even bringing lunch herself!”
“Yeah, look at that lunchbox—it smells amazing!”
Zhao Lei exaggeratedly sniffed the air: “Wow, this aroma beats our cafeteria’s big pot dishes by far! Chief Lu, you usually can barely eat any extra meals here. Today, with this love-filled lunch, you better eat more!”
Lu Yan glanced at him, giving a slight look.
Zhao Lei immediately knew to shut up, though the smile on his face remained, and he winked at Su Wanqing.
Su Wanqing sat beside him, watching eagerly.
Lu Yan finally opened the lunchbox. The sweet aroma of millet pumpkin porridge and the fresh scent of steamed egg immediately wafted out.
He scooped a spoonful of porridge into his mouth.
The warm, soft texture slid down his throat, easing the long-standing discomfort in his stomach.
Su Wanqing watched him with a bright smile, her eyes sparkling like they held stars.
Not wanting to disturb their conversation, she softly said, “You all continue talking; I’ll go first.”
As she stood, her wrist was suddenly gently grabbed.
The fingertips were cool, the grip light but with an undeniable presence.
Su Wanqing froze and turned to see Lu Yan holding her wrist, his fingertips cool, eyes deep and intent on her.
With his other hand, he quickly wrote two words on her palm: “Wait for me.”
The next second, laughter and teasing came from across the table, deliberately subdued but unable to hide their amusement.
Su Wanqing’s cheeks flushed; she whispered, “After work, should I wait and go back together with you?”
Lu Yan nodded, not letting go of her wrist.
Su Wanqing couldn’t help smiling: “Okay, then I’ll wait.”
Seeing the light in her eyes, Lu Yan slowly released her wrist, though his fingertips seemed to retain the warmth of her skin.
He looked up at her leaving figure, her steps light with visible excitement, the sway of her dress signaling her joy.
Meanwhile, as Su Wanqing hurried down the stairs, leaning against the stairwell wall, she covered her flushed cheeks, heart racing.
That silent “wait for me” had made her immensely happy.
It meant the first step in bringing them closer had worked.
However, her good mood didn’t last long, abruptly interrupted by the crowd on the first floor of the cafeteria…