Ye Chui drove Cao Kang's luxury car, taking Lin Wei back to the residential area. Yu Yan rode a rented motorcycle with the three chickens and followed them.
Upon reaching the residential area, Yu Yan returned the motorcycle and hopped into Cao Kang's car. He still had to return this car to Cao Kang, while the one he left at the car wash centre needed to be picked up later.
"Thank Cao Kang on my behalf for the generosity. This car is quite comfortable," Ye Chui smiled and told Yu Yan.
After saying goodbye to Lin Wei, Ye Chui carried the three chickens into the residential building. He walked all the way to the roof, where no one came on a daily basis. The roof was cluttered with all sorts of things, and Ye Chui just happened to find it to be a good place to raise the three chickens.
After all, his small house was just too small, and it would be a bit awkward to keep the chickens inside.
Ye Chui also didn't want An Jing and Wang Shiyu to come into contact with the chickens, as they would eventually be killed. That would be quite cruel for the girls, considering that Ye Chui had not allowed Lin Wei to be present when he made the roast chicken earlier that day.
After settling the three chickens in, Ye Chui called Qin Feng. A short while later, Qin Feng arrived with the lamb. Ye Chui then showed him how to marinate the lamb and how to thread the lamb onto skewers. Qin Feng was naturally attentive and careful in his learning.
Yu Yan first dropped Lin Wei back at the villa in the suburbs. Then, he drove to Cao Kang's home.
In the morning, Cao Kang had been pranked by Wang Shiyu, resulting in his clothes being stained with ink. He also had his car taken by Ye Chui. Now, he was sulking at home. However, when he saw Yu Yan, he had to put on a smile, pretending to be generous, and asked, "Did something happen today? I wonder if Wei Wei is having a good time."
"She's having a great time today," Yu Yan said with a smile.
Cao Kang, who was pursuing Lin Wei, was apparent to Yu Yan. Regarding such matters, Lin Zhengdao would not interfere too much. Unlike most parents, he would not stop his child from falling in love.
It was said that when he was around the same age, he was already together with Lin Wei's mother. In early relationships, Lin Zhengdao would, at most, ask Yu Yan to secretly protect Lin Wei from being bullied. Still, he would not interfere too much.
However, during the many years Yu Yan had been with the Lin family, he had genuinely regarded Lin Wei as his younger sister. For Lin Wei's pursuers, Yu Yan would help Lin Wei keep an eye on them. For example, he had no favourable impression of Cao Kang.
Now, after handing over the car keys to Cao Kang, Yu Yan smiled earnestly, " Young Master Cao, let me thank you for your generosity. This car is quite comfortable."
Cao Kang's forehead was about to burst into blue veins. His voice trembled slightly as he said, "I did it for Wei Wei. If she follows Ye Chui on a bus, with her delicate body, she won't be able to handle the bumps."
"Yeah, Ye Chui also asked me to tell you that he's thankful to you on behalf of Wei Wei," Yu Yan continued to smile naively.
"..."
Cao Kang's forehead veins truly burst this time. Thanking him on behalf of Lin Wei? He asked tentatively, his voice trembling, "Does Lin Wei have anything to say to me?"
"Yes, she does," Yu Yan smiled innocently. "She said she also wants to thank you on behalf of Ye Chui."
"..."
Cao Kang couldn't hold back anymore. The car was his, yet it seemed like every interaction between Ye Chui and Lin Wei brought them closer, making him feel like a pitiful spare tire. His lips twitched, unable to utter a word. He turned and angrily walked into his house. At this point, he no longer had the rationality to maintain politeness.
Yu Yan wasn't upset. Watching Cao Kang walk away, his seemingly innocent face revealed a somewhat mischievous expression. This tall guy appeared simple on the surface, but in reality, he had a playful side.
***
Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, the day arrived when Ye Chui had arranged to cook for Han Lao.
Early in the morning, Fang Jun was waiting downstairs in Ye Chui's residential building, and Tian Xiaodu was also in the car, peering out through the window.
It was around seven in the morning when Fang Jun, somewhat impatient, said to Tian Xiaodu, "Master, should we go up and find him? What are we waiting for here?"
"It's okay, just wait for him to come down here," Tian Xiaodu shook his head hastily. He wouldn't tell anyone that he was afraid of encountering Wang Shiyu, that little demon.
At this moment, Tian Xiaodu's eyes lit up as he finally saw Ye Chui's figure. Ye Chui was coming down from the residential building, carrying a chicken cage and several plastic bags. Tian Xiaodu quickly got out of the car and went to compliment him.
He extended his hand to take the things from Ye Chui, all the while looking around behind Ye Chui at the residential building. Thankfully, Wang Shiyu, the little demon, didn't come out with Ye Chui. Tian Xiaodu breathed a sigh of relief.
As he received the items and examined them, he found that the plastic bags contained seasonings and vegetables that Ye Chui had collected in the market over the past two days. Another item was a chicken cage containing three chickens, two of them were dwarf broiler chickens, and the other was a black Tibetan chicken.
The black chicken, having been confined for a few days, still seemed wild, constantly struggling. Tian Xiaodu became curious and asked, "Little brother, what kind of dish are you planning to make? Why do you even have live chickens?"
Previously, when Ye Chui mentioned preparing ingredients, Tian Xiaodu thought it would be freshly slaughtered chickens. He didn't expect Ye Chui to come out carrying live chickens.
Ye Chui chuckled, "Freshly slaughtered chicken is the best. I've raised these three chickens at home for a few days; their meat quality is absolutely top-notch."
At this point, Fang Jun, who had also come down from the car, saw that Ye Chui was carrying live chickens, and his face immediately showed a bit of displeasure.
He was worried about the chickens soiling his car. However, he didn't dare to voice any complaints. He quickly opened the car door and invited Ye Chui in. Tian Xiaodu also got into the car and the car sped off towards Wan Lai Fu.
"Mr. Ye, can you still slaughter chickens?" Fang Jun couldn't help but ask while keeping an eye on the chicken cage through the rearview mirror —he was afraid the chickens would defecate in his car.
Ye Chui smiled faintly, "A qualified chef should know how to slaughter chickens and fish; it's a basic skill."
Fang Jun didn't take this statement too seriously; he didn't like Ye Chui's lecturing tone. He had been a chef for several years, but he didn't know how to slaughter chickens and fish. Did that mean he wasn't a qualified chef?
Sitting beside him, Tian Xiaodu hurriedly nodded, "That's right. As a chef, you should know how to handle these ingredients."
After hearing Tian Xiaodu say this, Fang Jun didn't say anything more. He didn't appreciate Ye Chui's lecturing style. Since encountering Ye Chui, Tian Xiaodu seemed to have completely changed, and Fang Jun's respect for his master was diminishing.
***
Meanwhile, in front of the entrance to Wan Lai Fu, Yang Yong and several exceptionally attractive waitstaff from the restaurant were respectfully standing at the door, ready to welcome Han Lao.
Yang Yong attached great importance to the reception of Han Lao, so he intentionally had Wan Lai Fu close for the day. He even notified some media reporters, planning to publicize this event extensively.
Of course, Yang Yong had some ulterior motives in this matter. When announcing the news, he did not mention that it was Wan Lai Fu hosting Han Lao. Instead, he stated that the five-star chef Tian Xiaodu would be hosting.
If the meal turned out to be a failure, it would tarnish Tian Xiaodu's reputation. However, if it succeeded, everyone would know that Tian Xiaodu was the head chef at Wan Lai Fu.
Eagerly awaiting the arrival, suddenly Yang Yong's eyes lit up. He saw a shiny black luxury car approaching. The car looked ordinary at first glance, but anyone with discerning eyes could recognize that it was customized, with excellent functionality and even strong defensive capabilities.
It was said that even if a bomb exploded nearby, the people inside the car would remain safe.
The car came to a slow stop in front of the Wan Lai Fu entrance, and the rear door opened. A frail old man with a cane emerged from inside...
***
Reach out to my Patreon for more chapters: patreon.com/NizearaOsaiyol