Seeing Dong Qingqing's eyes change, Lu Chen was smug: "How is it? Not bad, right?"
Dong Qingqing said indifferently, "It just looks good, it might not taste good."
However, once she picked up her chopsticks, she couldn't put them down.
After finishing the meal, Dong Qingqing truly hesitated. Actually, her plan was to have this guy cook a meal, and then, regardless of whether it was good or bad, she'd say it wasn't good, and then make him leave. Surely he'd give up then?
Unexpectedly, he cooked so well that she became addicted.
Moreover, it felt like she wasn't eating food, but life itself.
As for Lu Chen, he was still immersed in the wonderful experience of cooking—it was simply an unbelievable phenomenon.
The moment he picked up the knife and the potatoes, the power that had been simmering within him suddenly surged, filling his entire being.
In this state, Lu Chen felt divinely inspired. Whether chopping vegetables or stir-frying, he was completely absorbed, much like when he had reached a high level in his internal energy cultivation—a tingling, harmonious sensation throughout his body.
After preparing all the food, Lu Chen wasn't tired at all; in fact, he felt refreshed and invigorated, as if he had just finished practicing his martial arts, his body brimming with energy and spirit.
As Dong Qingqing ate, Lu Chen talked about what he would cook for her in the future. Foods that would replenish nutrients, promote digestion, be warming and nourishing, and reduce internal heat…
These were all common online remedies; anyone could name a few. But coming from Lu Chen, who had so confidently demonstrated his skills, they sounded incredibly convincing. Coupled with his vivid and expressive delivery, he was practically an expert!
This captivated Dong Qingqing. Because of her work, her meals were often irregular. Eating in the company cafeteria was unappetizing; eating out was unsafe. That's why she asked her tenant to cook; she could benefit from it.
Undoubtedly, Lu Chen was a perfect fit in every way except for being male.
"So? Will you take me in?" Lu Chen asked.
Dong Qingqing hesitated.
"I understand." Lu Chen rested his chin on his hands, elbows on the table, and smiled at Dong Qingqing. "I can tell from your eyes that you want me to stay. Okay, tell me which room I'll stay in."
Dong Qingqing was immediately exasperated. "Who said I wanted you to stay?"
Lu Chen chuckled, stood up, walked to a room door, and pointed inside. "This one?"
Dong Qingqing said irritably, "That's where my son stayed when he came."
"You have a son!" Lu Chen was slightly taken aback, but didn't ask further, pointing to the room next to it. "Then it must be this one. The last one should be yours."
Dong Qingqing went from being exasperated to irritable, and now to helpless. "Yes, that's the one."
"Yay!"
Lu Chen flashed a victory sign and cheerfully said, "Landlady, since you've decided to take me in, great! Let's talk about the rent now. I personally think 550 yuan is a bit expensive. Can we negotiate a little? I'm not good at big bargains, so give me a small discount. Look how delicious my cooking is, I'll cook for you every day from now on..."
Dong Qingqing was increasingly amused and exasperated. This kid was really taking advantage of her!
However, she didn't really care about the rent. 500 or 600 yuan was only a fraction of her salary. A little extra was better than nothing.
So, she actually let Lu Chen negotiate a little, waiving the 50 yuan, making it 500 yuan.
"Two months' deposit, one month's rent in advance, thank you!" Dong Qingqing finally spread her hands.
Lu Chen, with a pained expression, pleaded, "Sister Qingqing, I only have a little over eight hundred yuan left. Can I deposit a small amount first? I'm looking for a job, and once I find one and get paid, I'll give you my entire first month's salary!"
Dong Qingqing almost kicked Lu Chen out, but seeing his pitiful face and thinking about his cooking skills, she managed to hold back, somewhat resigned to her fate.
The housing problem was finally solved; next was finding a job.
Actually, with Lu Chen's first awakened ability—his exceptional cooking skills—finding a job shouldn't have been difficult. However, because his cooking was so delicious, while the boss wanted him, the other chefs couldn't tolerate him, leading to severe ostracization and his forced departure.
"Life is already so hard, why do they have to sabotage me!" Lu Chen sighed deeply.
Two days passed in the blink of an eye, and the job search continued.
She finally found a job in the Chinese restaurant of a four-star hotel, but because she dared to give the head chef advice on how to make the dishes taste better and complained that the chef wasn't putting his heart into it, she almost got thrown out.