75. A Dinner with Clear Intentions

"I'm not sure about your preferences for Chinese cuisine, so I ordered a dish from each of the fourteen traditional culinary styles. Try them and see if you like any. If none suit your taste, that's alright; I'll have them remake everything."

Gao Tang gestured toward the table but didn't spare so much as a glance for the array of exquisite dishes before them.

His tone sounded light and casual, but the dozen chefs peeking anxiously at the table wore troubled expressions.

A few days ago, Young Master Gao had personally warned them: today, a distinguished guest would be dining, and they were to show off their very best skills. If the guest was dissatisfied in any way, losing bonuses or even their high-paying jobs would be the least of their worries.

But after seeing this so-called "distinguished guest"...

It was yet another attempt to woo a woman!

Gao Tang had courted more women than these chefs had cooked meals. Why go to such lengths this time?

Gao Tang picked up a piece of fish with the communal chopsticks and placed it in Chen Ruowen's bowl, introducing it.

"West Lake Sweet and Sour Fish is easy to learn but hard to master. It demands much from both the fish and the chef. Most restaurants can't do it authentically. A few years ago, I had it at the Mountain and Lake Restaurant in River City and was impressed, so I brought their Head Chef Lu here to the Grand Banquet."

With the benefit of her previous dining experiences with Gao Tang, Chen Ruowen had grown to trust his recommendations. She tasted the fish; it was indeed perfectly balanced between sweet and sour, with none of the earthy aftertaste common in fish. She nodded faintly.

"Not bad."

Backstage, Head Chef Lu patted his chest in relief, exhaling quickly. The other chefs, whose dishes had yet to be judged, shot him envious glances.

For each subsequent dish, Gao Tang placed a small portion into Chen Ruowen’s bowl, always offering a brief introduction to the flavor and recounting his curious connections with each chef.

Any chef working at the Grand Banquet—the most luxurious restaurant in the International Pavilion—was certainly top-notch, so Chen Ruowen’s assessments were mostly "acceptable," except when she frowned at the Walnut Chicken in Milk Soup, a rather plain dish, and remarked, "Too greasy."

The head chef backstage instantly broke out in goosebumps.

"Old Zheng..." Chef Ma beside him patted his shoulder sympathetically. "My condolences."

Unperturbed, Gao Tang quietly removed the half piece of chicken that Chen Ruowen had set aside and replaced it with a slice of braised lamb.

"Spicy and tender—it should cut the grease nicely."

This time, Chen Ruowen didn’t even lift her chopsticks and asked with a hint of impatience, "Why is it all meat?"

The same Chef Ma who had just been comforting someone now wore a miserable expression.

"She didn’t even taste it—does that count as dissatisfaction?" he whispered.

Chef Zheng patted Ma’s shoulder in return, sympathy etched on his face.

"Old Ma, my condolences..."

This reaction was clearly worse than before!

Fortunately, they still had a Plan B.

Gao Tang paused, but quickly recovered and smiled. "My apologies, I overlooked that. I’ll have them bring out some vegetable dishes."

He signaled to the waiting staff, and within minutes, several plates of assorted vegetarian dishes appeared on the table. The offending Walnut Chicken and untouched Braised Lamb were whisked away at once.

Having learned his lesson, Gao Tang now offered Chen Ruowen two bites of lighter vegetable dishes first, then followed with a taste of something entirely different in flavor. With this variety, Chen Ruowen had no further complaints.

Impatient, unpredictable, and averse to repetition...

By all logic, she didn't seem like someone prone to deep, lasting affections.

Then why was she so attentive when it came to Bai Jinyan?

Was she simply in the mood, or was there some quality he had yet to discover?

While Gao Tang diligently served her, at the other end of the table, Guo Jingyuan began to wonder if she even existed. For a while, she half-suspected she'd turned invisible—otherwise, how could she be so thoroughly ignored?

Not that she craved attention, exactly...

But the purpose of this meal was blatantly obvious! Gao Tang might as well have "seeking favor" written across his forehead, while Chen Ruowen seemed perfectly accustomed to it, as if nothing was amiss.

Her idle musings ended when Chen Ruowen placed a small piece of meat into her bowl.

"Why aren’t you eating?" Chen Ruowen asked.

Guo Jingyuan suddenly felt alive again.

"I don’t know..."

She wasn’t sure if she should—no, if she even could—use her chopsticks.

This whole meal was clearly tailored for Chen Ruowen. If she ate something, would both sides be displeased?

"You don’t even know why you aren’t eating? How can you be so dense?" Chen Ruowen chided, then added several more pieces to Guo Jingyuan's bowl. "You’re so frail—shouldn’t you eat more?"

Obediently, Guo Jingyuan began to eat, taking small bites, all the while feeling the hostile gaze from across the table. She quickly lowered her head and shoveled down a few more mouthfuls.

All she’d done was take a few bites—why did a sudden murderous aura fill the air?

Gao Tang stared for a long while at the quiet woman opposite him, who nonetheless commanded half of Chen Ruowen’s attention. He then smiled and beckoned the server.

"Please serve Miss Guo as well."

As for Bai Jinyan, that was one thing—but to lose face to another woman was simply unacceptable.

For the rest of the lunch, Gao Tang was especially attentive. Noticing that Chen Ruowen would check on Guo Jingyuan every so often, he took to placing food into Guo Jingyuan’s bowl every five minutes, asking with a smile, "Are you satisfied with the dishes?" "Do they suit your taste?" "Would you like something else?" The atmosphere became almost harmonious.

After the meal, Gao Tang offered to drive them home, only to be flatly and unceremoniously refused by Chen Ruowen.

Once they were finally out of his sight, Guo Jingyuan ventured cautiously, "Ruowen, don’t you think Gao Tang was... a bit too enthusiastic?"

"Shouldn't he be?" Chen Ruowen replied, puzzled. She had always been surrounded by enthusiastic hospitality and couldn’t understand Guo Jingyuan’s concern. "It would be odd if he weren’t."

Guo Jingyuan was at a loss for words.

After a moment, she gently asked, "Did Bai Jinyan know you were coming out today?"

Chen Ruowen rolled her eyes and touched Guo Jingyuan’s forehead. "Did my mother possess you? Why are your questions exactly the same? Am I going to be subjected to the Deadly Quartet of Interrogation every time I go out from now on?"

"Deadly... Quartet of Interrogation?"

Chen Ruowen nodded, counting off on her fingers for Guo Jingyuan.

"My father, my mother, Bai Jinyan, and you." She shook her head. "Each of you asks in turn—it’s exhausting!"

"So... he knows you were with Gao Tang today..." Guo Jingyuan hesitated, leaving the word "date" unspoken.

"Of course he does. He wanted me to study with him, but I’d already promised Gao Tang this meal. I couldn’t break my word."

"Won’t he be upset?"

"Why would he be upset?" Chen Ruowen gave Guo Jingyuan a puzzled glance.

As the words left her mouth, her phone rang. She pulled it out, and the caller ID flashed three bold characters.

Bai Jinyan.

Chen Ruowen’s face darkened, while Guo Jingyuan covered her mouth, stifling her laughter.