Сhaptеr 7: Неr Fаithful Аudience
Тhе restaurаnt Wan Tаng hаd bооkеd wаs “Tаnсhiju,” lосated аbout twenty minutes’ drivе frоm the Grаnd Тhеаtеr.
It was а рrivаte gardеn-stуle rеstaurant, with laуerеd rockeriеs, murmuring streаms, and lush grееnery аll around.
Thе sеmi-еnсlosed bооths оn thе first floor wеre sеparаted by Сhinese-stуle screеns, аnd thе walls wеrе adorned with vivid аnd intricаtе murals.
Thе uniquely dеsigned раlаcе-style сhandeliеr оvеrhead cast a soft, warm light, crеаting a serene аnd еlegant atmоsрhere.
Yin En Yu preferred lighter flavors, and this restaurant happened to specialize in delicate and refreshing dishes.
“It seems like this place hasn’t changed at all.”
“Right?” Wan Tang shared some information she had heard. “But I heard the owner changed about a year ago.”
To verify this, she asked the server leading the way, “Is that true?”
The server shook her head apologetically. “I’m sorry, I just started working here last month, so I’m not sure.”
She didn’t even know who the owner was and had never seen them.
Wan Tang: “Alright then.”
Yin En Yu didn’t care whether the owner had changed or not. She only hoped the taste of the dishes remained the same.
There weren’t many restaurants outside that suited her palate.
After settling into the private room, Yin En Yu took the menu and flipped through it. It had been two years since her last visit here.
She hadn’t returned to the country since her breakup with He Yu Zhou.
Apart from a few new additions, the dishes on the menu seemed unchanged.
As she lowered her head, engrossed in the menu, she didn’t notice three people passing by the entrance of their private room.
The man on the far left glanced inside.
His gaze passed over the others and lingered only on her.
Outside, Cheng Ziyan’s voice echoed in the corridor. “No wonder you were being so nice—it turns out we’re eating at your restaurant.”
He Yu Zhou pushed open the door to the adjacent private room. “If you don’t want to eat, you can leave.”
“Since we’re already here, I have to at least take a few bites before leaving.” Cheng Ziyan pulled out a chair and remarked, “You might not be much of a person, but the food at your restaurant is pretty good.”
Lu Jun voiced his curiosity. “Why did you decide to buy this restaurant?”
A year ago, after relocating his company from the United States, the first thing he did was purchase this restaurant.
Although the restaurant was profitable, the earnings were nothing more than a drop in the ocean in their eyes, utterly insignificant.
He Yu Zhou glanced at his phone, his tone arrogant and brash. “Too much money, nowhere to spend it.”
Cheng Ziyan shamelessly replied, “You could share some with me.”
“If you want to dream, go home and sleep.” He Yu Zhou said calmly.
He then called over the manager nearby and gave him a few quiet instructions.
The manager nodded in acknowledgment. “Understood, Mr. He. I’ll take care of it right away.”
In the adjacent private room, separated by just a wall, servers began bringing in the dishes one after another.
Yin En Yu picked up her spoon and took a sip of the matsutake soup in front of her. The broth was savory with a hint of natural sweetness.
It was still the familiar taste she remembered, and she couldn’t help but take a few more sips.
Seeing this, Wan Tang concluded, “It seems the chef hasn’t changed.”
“Delicious.” Yu Yu, who had been focused on her meal, exclaimed in delight. “These dishes might look plain, but they taste amazing.”
Her taste preferences were vastly different from her boss’s—she practically couldn’t enjoy a meal without spice.
Yin En Yu: “I’ll bring you here often from now on.”
Yu Yu looked up and grinned at her. “Thank you, boss.””Little Fish, why don’t you take some time off and let me be the assistant for a few days?” Wan Tang joked with her.
Yu Yu quickly shook her head, “That won’t do. I’ll follow the boss to the death.”
If the boss were to abandon her, where would she find another job with such generous benefits?
As an assistant, it’s rare to encounter a boss with a stable temper who doesn’t shout at subordinates.
Midway through the meal, the door of the private room was knocked, and a middle-aged man in a well-fitted suit walked in, holding a tray.
“Apologies for interrupting your dining pleasure,” he said with a smile, slightly bowing. “I am the manager of this restaurant, surnamed Liu.”
He walked to Yin En Yu’s left side, bent down, and placed a white porcelain bowl from the tray onto the table. “Miss Yin, this is for you.”
Yin En Yu was taken aback. “For me? Why?”
Manager: “Our boss instructed it.”
“Who is your boss?” Wan Tang asked on her behalf.
The manager recalled what the boss had said in the neighboring private room over ten minutes earlier and relayed it truthfully—
“He is a loyal listener of Miss Yin. Wishing you a pleasant dinner.”
Yin En Yu replied gently and politely, “Thank you.”
But she still felt puzzled. When she had visited before, she had never heard that their boss was one of her listeners.
However, judging by the manager’s earlier response, it seemed inconvenient for him to reveal the boss’s name.
With his task completed, the manager no longer disturbed their meal. “I’ll take my leave now. If you need anything, just call for me anytime.”
Yin En Yu: “Alright.”
Once the manager left, Wan Tang immediately leaned in curiously. “En En, quickly open the lid and see what the boss sent you!”
Yin En Yu, however, seemed less enthusiastic, her voice soft. “If you like it, you can have it.”
Wan Tang: “That won’t do. This was sent for you.”
But she could help her open it.
As the lid was lifted, Yin En Yu’s pupils focused, and she froze.
A bowl of enticingly colored lemon aiyu jelly, with the aiyu jelly cut into small cubes, crystal clear with a faint yellow hue, adorned with a few thin slices of lemon.
It emitted a light fruity fragrance.
Not only Yin En Yu, but even Wan Tang beside her couldn’t help but exclaim, “Lemon aiyu jelly, your favorite dessert.”
“How did the boss of this restaurant know?”
Dietary preferences are part of one’s privacy, known only to those who live closely with her and share an intimate bond.
Yin En Yu shrugged blankly. “I don’t know either.”
Her doubts were no fewer than Wan Tang’s.
As if thinking of something, Wan Tang’s expression turned worried, and her tone suddenly became tense. “Could the boss of this restaurant be your obsessive fan?”
“I didn’t see this dessert on the menu earlier.”
Although her best friend wasn’t a celebrity or idol in the entertainment industry, she was still an internationally renowned pianist, and her fame was not to be underestimated.
“Probably not.”
But her words still stirred a wave of unease in Yin En Yu, making her hesitant to eat the dessert before her.
To think that someone she didn’t know at all, whom she had never met, could understand her preferences so thoroughly—upon careful consideration, it was somewhat chilling.
Yin En Yu pushed the dessert aside and continued with her meal.