At precisely 8 p.m., Liu Dan arrived at Have a Seat—the name of the bar. The place was already bustling, packed with patrons, most of them young and fashionably dressed. Liu Dan recognized many of them as students from Xinhua University.
Since it was his first day at work, he headed straight to Fengqin's office. She was wearing a bright yellow suit that evening. Paired with her tall, curvaceous figure, the outfit gave her a look that was both alluringly feminine and sharply professional. Though this wasn't Liu Dan's first time seeing her, he still found himself slightly dazed. But unlike yesterday, he managed to snap out of it quickly.
Feng Qin noticed how composed he was and felt a touch of satisfaction—clearly, she hadn't misjudged him. But oddly, there was also a faint sense of disappointment. So, my charm really isn't that formidable after all?
Seeing that Liu Dan was still in his everyday clothes, she broke the silence."Come with me and pick up your uniform," she said, leading him to a small supply room and handing him a blue suit—the kind typically worn by servers in upscale Western restaurants.
When Liu Dan emerged in uniform, Fengqin's eyes lit up. He'd always struck her as a warm, clean-cut boy, but dressed professionally, he radiated confidence and poise. Even in a server's outfit, he carried himself with presence.
"What do you think, Sister Qin? Pretty handsome, right?" Liu Dan grinned, striking a playful pose.
"Oh, knock it off," Fengqin laughed, though inwardly she couldn't deny he looked quite good.
"Ai, sounds like in your eyes I'm just a total troll," Liu Dan pouted dramatically.
"Troll, my foot—fix your collar, it's flipped inside out."
Fengqin hadn't teased like this in years. Ever since starting her career, she'd kept a tight grip on her demeanor. But something about Liu Dan made her feel at ease, even playful. Maybe it was that natural sense of familiarity he gave off.
"Alright, I'm off to work. Catch you later."Straightening his collar, Liu Dan stepped into his new role.
Watching him leave, Fengqin was momentarily dazed. There was something about this boy—a presence she couldn't quite define. But rather than overthink it, she shook it off and returned to her paperwork.
That night, the bar was especially busy. When Liu Dan reached the open-air patio in the back, half the stone tables were already taken.
At the grilling station, he spotted the head chef—a man in his forties, dressed in a white chef's uniform and tall hat. The kind of presence that immediately marked him as a seasoned professional. According to Fengqin, Chef Liu was a South American barbecue expert who had once spent several years traveling through the region to perfect his craft.
The chef was manning five or six grills simultaneously, working at a near-frantic pace. Liu Dan quickly approached.
"Chef Liu, let me help you with that."
Chef Liu glanced up. "You're the new part-time cook?"
"Yes. Looking forward to learning from you," Liu Dan said, already reaching for the skewers.
"You're a polite one," the chef remarked, flipping a skewer deftly. As soon as a tray was finished, a server whisked it away to the crowd.
By now, Liu Dan had completed a batch of his own.
"Not bad, kid. That squid smells amazing."Chef Liu nodded with approval.
"Thank you, Chef. I'm Liu Dan—just call me Dan."
"You're a Liu too? We're practically family," the chef chuckled. "To be honest, I thought you were a student. But after seeing how you handled that grill, I figured you'd been cooking for years."
"I am a student," Liu Dan replied with a hint of confusion.
"You're still in school?" That surprised Chef Liu even more. He'd already pegged Liu Dan as a veteran, based on his fluid movements and confident technique.
"Yeah. Freshman at Xinhua. Took this job to help with some stuff back home."
"Ah, makes sense," Chef Liu nodded thoughtfully. Kids from tough situations grow up fast. Getting a head start in the real world isn't such a bad thing.
Though in truth, Liu Dan had learned to cook out of love for the craft. It was only after losing his parents that he began relying on it for survival.
As they worked, Liu Dan noticed something: all the grilled offerings had a distinctly South American twist. There were fruits like grilled bananas, pears, pineapples, and corn, as well as meats—grilled squid, pork legs, lamb legs, chicken wings, hearts, and steaks. Grilling fruit was easy: just warm it evenly and avoid burning. But the large cuts of meat? They took hours, and even then, the flavor was often uneven. In a busy bar setting, that wasn't ideal. Customers wanted bold, fast, flavorful food to pair with their drinks.
Liu Dan remembered a trip he once took with his parents to the north, where they'd had spicy, aromatic lamb skewers—quick to grill and rich in flavor. It would be perfect here.
He shared the idea with Chef Liu, who let out a hearty laugh."Now that's thinking! Smart lad. You Xinhua students really are something. Quicker on the draw than this old-timer."
"Who's a smart lad?" came a familiar voice from behind.
It was Fengqin. Chef Liu turned with a grin."Your new hire here. Not only can he cook, turns out he's from Xinhua too!"
She looked at Liu Dan with surprise. She had suspected he was inexperienced, but hadn't imagined he was from Xinhua.
"What? Is there something on my face?" Liu Dan asked.
"I just didn't expect you to be from Xinhua."
"You too?" His eyes widened.
Caught, Fengqin laughed. "Yeah. Graduated last year."
Huh. A Xinhua alum running a bar? Liu Dan thought. But everyone has their own path. They'd only known each other two days, so he didn't ask.
"Haha, look at that—two alumni!" Chef Liu laughed, clearly enjoying the coincidence.
By now, it was nearly midnight and the crowd had thinned. The three of them gathered around one of the stone tables to chat.
The conversation drifted to Liu Dan's background. When Chef Liu asked how he'd learned to cook so well while still in school, Liu Dan shared everything—from shadowing his mother in the kitchen as a child to his parents' sudden passing, to grinding it out in a Western restaurant just to survive.
He didn't see being an orphan as something to be pitied. His goal was self-reliance and personal growth. Compared to those who had never known family, he considered himself lucky. Beneath his gentle demeanor lay a resilient soul. If not for that strength, he wouldn't have made it this far.
Fengqin listened quietly. She pictured the clumsy little boy in the kitchen and smiled. She felt sorrow as he described his loss, and admiration as he detailed his hard work and perseverance. She hadn't expected someone with such a calm, refined exterior to carry a story so full of pain—and strength. A warm sense of compassion blossomed in her heart.
When Liu Dan finished, Chef Liu nodded solemnly."Xiao Dan, you have my respect. Anyone who's made it through all that and still stands tall—that's someone destined to go far. Keep going. You'll make it."
It was the first time Liu Dan had opened up about his past since leaving home. Chef Liu's words filled him with quiet comfort.
Just then, a commotion erupted inside the bar—raised voices, then a loud crash, like a table being overturned.
Liu Dan and Fengqin exchanged a glance—and rushed inside.