Chapter 324: The Third Story?
"Fu Ya, Fu Ya!" Before long, Ying Shuang once again tugged at Fu Ya, pulling her aside to speak in a hushed voice. "Can you do me a favor?"
Fu Ya couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Is it something to do with Ye Lingqing again?"
"Mhm, mhm!" Ying Shuang's eyes sparkled with anticipation. "Can you help me find out if that bouquet of flowers is for me?"
"Flowers?" It was only then that Fu Ya recalled Ye Lingqing had walked in with a bouquet.
However...
Her expression turned a little strange as she looked at the hopeful young girl before her. She couldn't bear to shatter her dreams.
The two of them weren't even familiar yet. How could that boy be giving flowers to Ying Shuang?
"Alright, I'll ask him for you."
"Don't tell him I asked, okay?"
"Don't worry."
…
Ye Lingqing's appetite wasn't particularly large, but maybe it was because it was his first time tasting such delicious egg fried rice—or maybe it was just because he'd skipped breakfast that morning—when he finally set down his empty plate, he still felt slightly unsatisfied.
Fu Ya came over, glanced at his empty plate, and asked, "Hi there, would you like me to clear this for you?"
"Yes, thank you. But…" Ye Lingqing picked up the bouquet from the table, a little nervous. "Is it alright if I stay here for a while? I'd like to wait for Boss Qi after the lunch service ends."
"Of course," Fu Ya replied with a warm smile, then asked casually,
"That bouquet in your hand…?"
"Oh, it's for Boss Qi. His promotion helped me a lot, so I wanted to give him this bunch of flowers that I picked myself. It's how we express gratitude in my hometown." As he spoke, Ye Lingqing's voice became slightly uncertain.
Would Boss Qi even like the flowers…?
Ah, so that's how it is.
Fu Ya nodded thoughtfully, then smiled again.
"I think the boss will definitely like it."
Hearing that, Ye Lingqing felt a little more confident. He looked gratefully at Fu Ya.
"Thank you."
"No need. I'm not the one you should be thanking."
Leaving behind those vague words, Fu Ya turned and walked away.
"So? Is it—"
Seeing Fu Ya coming over, Ying Shuang rushed forward eagerly to ask.
Before she could finish, Fu Ya reached out and gently tapped her head, interrupting,
"The flowers are for the boss, as a thank-you gift."
"Oh… alright." Ying Shuang pouted slightly, clearly a bit disappointed.
"You silly girl. He only just learned your name—how could he already be giving you flowers? What, you thought he fell in love with you at first sight?" Fu Ya said, exasperated.
"Well… now that you mention it…" Ying Shuang scratched her head, realizing she had probably overthought things.
She chuckled to herself, feeling cheerful again.
Seeing her like this, Fu Ya shook her head and sighed lightly.
Ying Shuang had always been a bit silly. Now that she had a crush, she was even more scatterbrained.
Love really does make people lose IQ.
…
Soon enough, Han Shi's lunch service officially ended. Aside from Ye Lingqing, who was still waiting for Qi Han, the rest of the customers had already finished and left.
After wiping his hands and taking off his apron, Qi Han stepped out of the kitchen.
"Boss!"
Fu Ya was the first to approach and gave a quick summary of Ye Lingqing's reason for staying behind.
Qi Han looked a little surprised as he glanced at Ye Lingqing, who had now stood up nervously and was glancing over with a shy expression. Then a slight smile formed on Qi Han's face.
"Ye Lingqing, go ahead and sit down for a moment. I'll be with you shortly."
After saying this, Qi Han looked at the seven employees in front of him, and his gaze quickly settled on the three who had come from Star Luo City.
"You three are sure you want to stay here for a few more days?"
Qin Yao spoke gently, "Boss, the three of us have already discussed it. The food festival buzz will probably last a few more days. We'd like to stay here and help you until things return to normal. After that, we'll head back."
"Alright," Qi Han nodded. Then a strange expression flickered across his face.
"It's just… the customers back in Star Luo City are probably going to start complaining."
"Pfft." Beside Qin Yao, Qin Yue let out a soft giggle.
"When you came to Star Luo City, didn't the Shrek City store close for a whole month too?"
—That's true.
With a brief moment of silent sympathy for the Star Luo customers, Qi Han heartlessly pushed the thought aside.
"Okay then, you all head back."
"Mm!"
Everyone stood up and headed for the door—except for Ying Shuang, who gave a worried glance at Ye Lingqing before being pulled along quickly by Fu Ya.
Qi Han happened to notice Ying Shuang's little gesture, and something stirred in his mind.
Was there something going on between those two that he didn't know about?
—Forget it, not his business.
"You've waited long," Qi Han walked over to Ye Lingqing, a small smile on his face.
Ye Lingqing took a deep breath, held the bouquet with both hands, and gave a slight bow, raising the flowers above his head.
"Boss Qi, thank you so much!"
Already aware of Ye Lingqing's intentions from Fu Ya, Qi Han wasn't surprised.
"I'll accept the flowers. You can sit back down."
It wasn't anything particularly valuable—just a bouquet of flowers, and one that Ye Lingqing had apparently picked himself. Naturally, Qi Han felt it was only right to accept it as a sign of respect for the young man's sincere gesture.
As he accepted the carefully wrapped bouquet, Qi Han found himself a bit moved. It was the first time he had received such a gift.
Once the flowers changed hands, an awkward silence settled between them. Ye Lingqing looked hesitant and conflicted but didn't say anything right away.
"Will you be returning to your hometown now?"
Qi Han took the initiative to break the silence.
He remembered Ye Lingqing had come from a village called Zhilán Village. His whole reason for coming here to sell Mo Wu Tuan was to help his village's food gain recognition. Now that the food festival was over, it would make sense for him to go back, right?
Qi Han felt a small twinge of regret. Han Shi still needed more staff—once the Qin sisters and Ke Ke left in a few days, they'd be even shorter. He had a good impression of this sincere young man. If Ye Lingqing wasn't planning to return home… maybe he could recruit him?
Qi Han had never been shy about poaching talent.
"No, I don't think I'll go back."
"Oh?" Qi Han raised an eyebrow, now intrigued.
"Why not?"
Ye Lingqing's face flushed slightly.
"Because… I've always loved studying food. I love the feeling of making something delicious and having customers enjoy it. Their praise gives me a huge sense of accomplishment."
"That's very true," Qi Han nodded in agreement. He felt the same way himself.
"After coming to Shrek City, I discovered so many new and amazing dishes—far more than anything we had back in Zhilán Village."
Ye Lingqing's eyes sparkled.
"So, I've decided to stay here. I want to earn enough money through my cooking to eventually bring Grandpa Village Chief to live here in Shrek City!"
Hearing that, Qi Han raised his brows again.
This felt… familiar.
Was the third story about to begin?
"You sit tight," Qi Han said with a serious expression.
"I'll go get you a glass of water—we can take our time talking."
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