I'm Done with the Elite Marriage - Chapter 25
From the front hall to the kitchen, Zhou Youling traversed nearly the entire restaurant, giving her a full view of its layout.
As she looked around at the restaurant that now belonged to her, Zhou Youling couldn’t help but see it as her own child. Her mind was already brimming with ideas on how to nurture and care for this “child” moving forward.
Confident that her Candied Sweet Potato would taste far superior, she nevertheless drew skeptical glances with her ethereal, almost otherworldly appearance.
She wore high heels that clicked against the tiled floor, a form-fitting dress accentuating her S-shaped curves. Her long, wavy hair cascaded down like a waterfall, exuding an air of elegance and allure. To the onlookers, she seemed worlds apart from the image of a woman who could whip up dishes in the kitchen.
In most people’s minds, a woman skilled in cooking often conjured the image of a tired, worn-out housewife. Zhou Youling had once feared this stereotype herself, worrying that such an image might make Fu Xunzhou lose interest in her. That fear had driven her to spend extra time on self-care and dressing up.
The kitchen staff, a group of burly men ranging from seasoned chefs in their forties to apprentices barely in their twenties, couldn’t take their eyes off her. None of them cared about her culinary skills; they were simply curious about how her delicate, slender hands would handle a kitchen knife.
The kitchen itself wasn’t quite what Zhou Youling had imagined-it was her first time seeing it. While the space was well-equipped and neatly organized, the hygiene standards left much to be desired.
The ingredients were all prepped and ready, and the process for making Candied Sweet Potato was straightforward. Zhou Youling didn’t need to showcase any elaborate knife skills; she simply had to peel the sweet potatoes clean and cut them into chunks.
The Kitchen Supervisor stood with his arms crossed, watching Zhou Youling. He hadn’t intended to let her into the kitchen, but the Front Hall Manager’s amused expression had goaded him into a moment of impulsiveness.
The Front Hall Manager followed them into the kitchen, pulling out his phone to record the scene, clearly enjoying the spectacle.
In the video, Zhou Youling suddenly handed the kitchen knife to the Kitchen Supervisor, startling the burly man into taking a step back. “W-What are you doing?” he stammered.
“Join me,” Zhou Youling said, her tone calm but firm. “I’m not doing this alone. You’ll cook too.”
The Kitchen Supervisor hesitated. He had only wanted to watch her show off and make a fool of herself; he had no intention of getting involved.
The Front Hall Manager, still filming, turned the camera to the Kitchen Supervisor and teased, “What’s the matter? Scared to compete? Afraid you’ll embarrass yourself?”
The Kitchen Supervisor shot the Front Hall Manager a glare before reluctantly taking the knife. “Who’s scared?” he retorted.
…
Fu Xunzhou didn’t return to the private room. Instead, he found a seat in the main hall and sat down, his gaze fixed on the kitchen door.
After a while, Zhou Youling emerged from the kitchen, accompanied by the Kitchen Supervisor and the Front Hall Manager. This time, they carried two plates of Candied Sweet Potato.
The dishes were placed on a dining table, their glossy, syrup-coated surfaces gleaming under the lights. The sweet potatoes looked as if they had been enhanced by a beauty filter, their colors vibrant and inviting.
This restaurant clearly paid attention to presentation. The tableware was unique and creative; instead of the usual ceramic bowls, the Candied Sweet Potato was served in intricately woven bamboo containers, adding a touch of rustic charm.
The Front Hall Manager, always eager to stir up some excitement, suggested having the two plates of Candied Sweet Potato sampled by customers, who would then vote for their favorite. Zhou Youling found the idea intriguing and readily agreed, while the Kitchen Supervisor stood to the side, his face darkened with displeasure, choosing to remain silent.
The restaurant was bustling with patrons, making it easy to go table by table and invite them to participate in the tasting.
As luck would have it, Fu Xunzhou ended up being one of the tasters.
A waiter placed the two plates of Candied Sweet Potato in front of him and said, “Sir, please sample both dishes and choose the one you find more satisfying.”
Fu Xunzhou cast a calm glance at the two plates before him. With just one look, he could already tell which one was made by Zhou Youling. After three years of eating her cooking, his body had developed an almost instinctive reaction-his chopsticks automatically gravitated toward her dish.
He couldn’t help but recall the time when Zhou Youling had made Candied Sweet Potato for him every day for an entire week. By the end of it, just the sight of the dish had been enough to make him want to avoid it altogether.
Now, after nearly two months without her cooking, his longing for her culinary skills took over. Without much thought, he picked up his chopsticks.
Visually, Zhou Youling’s Candied Sweet Potato was far more appetizing. Its golden hue and the delicate sugar threads wrapping each piece were enough to make anyone’s mouth water.
The other plate, however, was lackluster in comparison. The clumps of hardened sugar alone were enough to detract from its appeal.
In terms of taste, Zhou Youling’s dish was a triumph. The sweet potatoes were crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, with a perfect balance of sweetness. Each bite was a delightful blend of crunch and flavor, leaving a lingering sweetness on the palate.
The other dish, however, fell short. The sweet potatoes had been over-fried, resulting in a slightly burnt taste, and the texture was nowhere near as satisfying.
The difference was stark, and the winner was clear.
Fu Xunzhou, known for his discerning palate, had already made up his mind-Zhou Youling’s dish was undoubtedly superior.
As he reached for another piece from her plate, the waiter gently stopped him. “I’m sorry, sir, but you’ve already sampled this dish.”
Not far away, Zhou Youling noticed Fu Xunzhou sitting in the dining area. She knew he had tasted both dishes and felt a faint sense of anticipation. She assumed he would cast his vote for her dish-after all, he had always loved her Candied Sweet Potato in the past.
Fu Xunzhou set his chopsticks down gracefully. Almost as if he could sense her gaze, he looked in her direction.
Their eyes met across the room, but it was Zhou Youling who looked away first.
Perhaps out of spite, Fu Xunzhou hesitated for a brief moment before deliberately casting his vote for the other dish.
Zhou Youling watched in disbelief as Fu Xunzhou voted for her competitor. Her heart sank like a deflated balloon.
The enthusiasm she had felt while cooking earlier dissipated. A bitter thought crept into her mind: So, in Fu Xunzhou’s eyes, her cooking had never been good enough.
The Front Hall Manager approached Zhou Youling and said, “All nine customers have finished tasting. It’s time to reveal the results.”
The outcome was announced swiftly.
The final score between Zhou Youling and the Kitchen Supervisor was eight to one.
Zhou Youling received eight votes, while the Kitchen Supervisor, with his perpetually sour expression, managed to secure only one-and that sole vote had come from Fu Xunzhou.
Fu Xunzhou, upon seeing the results, awkwardly rubbed his nose. A complicated mix of emotions swirled within him. Almost instinctively, his eyes drifted toward Zhou Youling, who stood not far away.
Zhou Youling’s gaze accidentally locked with Fu Xunzhou’s. She curled her lips in disdain.
Now that the winner had been decided, it was time to fulfill the promise.
The Front Hall Manager, who had been eagerly awaiting this moment, turned to the Kitchen Supervisor. “So? A bet’s a bet. Isn’t it time for you to step down?”
The Kitchen Supervisor’s face darkened, clearly unwilling to concede. He immediately invoked the restaurant boss as leverage. “If you really want to replace me, then bring the boss here. Firing someone requires proper procedures. First, compensate me with three months’ salary, and then we’ll talk.”
“Hey, hold on a second. You were the one who agreed to this just now. I even recorded it,” the Front Hall Manager retorted, pulling out his phone to show the video evidence to the Kitchen Supervisor.
Panicking, the Kitchen Supervisor slapped the phone out of the manager’s hand, sending it crashing to the floor. “Record, record, record-what are you recording for? This is an invasion of my privacy! You should be glad I’m not suing you!”
The Kitchen Supervisor was a towering man, thirty-nine years old, with a dragon tattoo that stretched over his shoulder beneath his white chef uniform-a relic of his days running with a rough crowd. His weight alone was intimidating, and the force of his slap shattered the phone screen upon impact.
But the Front Hall Manager wasn’t one to back down either. At twenty-eight, fresh out of a professional management program, he was brimming with youthful defiance.
Enraged, the Front Hall Manager shouted, “Zhang Quanguang, you son of a-! You owe me a new phone!”
The Kitchen Supervisor shot back without hesitation, “Zhou Xiaoming, who do you think you are? Stop acting like you’re all that!”
The Front Hall Manager sneered, “With your lousy cooking skills, you’ve got the nerve to call yourself a Kitchen Supervisor? You should’ve retired ages ago.”
The Kitchen Supervisor retorted, “Sorry to disappoint you, but whether I stay or go isn’t up to you. If you’ve got the guts, go ahead and hit me.”
The Front Hall Manager snapped, “Hit you? You’re not worth dirtying my hands over!”
The Kitchen Supervisor smirked, “If you don’t have the guts to fight, then shut your trap. Stop whining like a little girl.”
…
As the two men hurled insults back and forth, Zhou Youling stood to the side, practically invisible.
“Enough!” she finally shouted.
“The customers are leaving!”
“Are you even listening to me?”
Desperate to assert her authority, Zhou Youling grabbed a plate and smashed it onto the floor with a loud “crash.” Her voice thundered through the restaurant. “Both of you, shut the hell up!”
Instantly, the entire restaurant fell silent.
She pointed at the Kitchen Supervisor. “You! You broke his phone. Pay for it!”
The Kitchen Supervisor opened his mouth to argue, but Zhou Youling cut him off sharply. “Don’t even start! If you’ve got time to argue, use it to clean up the kitchen’s hygiene standards first.”
The Front Hall Manager, seeing the Kitchen Supervisor getting scolded, stifled a laugh behind his hand. But Zhou Youling turned to him next. “What are you laughing at? The front hall is a mess, and you’re standing there smirking?”
The Front Hall Manager immediately wiped the grin off his face, adopting a serious expression.
At this moment, all eyes in the restaurant were on Zhou Youling.
She exuded a captivating mix of charm and authority, commanding respect and admiration in equal measure.
But in Zhou Youling’s mind, she was thinking about how crucial it was for the front hall and kitchen staff to maintain a harmonious relationship in a restaurant.
Not far away, Fu Xunzhou sat at his table, his face as cold as ever.
At a neighboring table, a few diners whispered among themselves.
“That woman is so badass.”
“I noticed her earlier while we were eating. She’s absolutely stunning.”
“Man, I wonder what kind of guy could be worthy of her.”
“Definitely not some trashy guy!”
Every word reached Fu Xunzhou’s ears, loud and clear.
