CHAPTER 628: CHAPTER 617: VICIOUS VILLAIN

It is now the peak of summer, and on such hot days, people either stay at home or inside shopping malls. The few wandering on the streets look listless and uninspired. Ye Qiu feels like she’s about to burst into flames too, but with no money in hand, she has no choice but to walk after getting off the bus.

Moreover, she is looking for a job. With no specific target, she could only walk and look around, which made her feel even hotter.

After walking through two streets and finding that the only available summer jobs were for waitresses or distributing flyers, she recommended herself and walked into a rather upscale Chinese restaurant.

"Are you dining alone? Please come inside." Despite Ye Qiu dressing quite ordinarily today, to the point of looking shabby, the waiter did not show any scornful expression, which proved that the restaurant was very well-managed.

"I’m looking for your boss and the head chef."

The waiter was startled for a moment, then realized and said, "Is there something specific? Could I perhaps assist you first?"

"My ancestors were chefs, and my grandfather said my skills have basically passed muster, so he advised me to come out and hone them. That’s why I want to challenge your head chef," Ye Qiu fabricated a reason without blushing or skipping a beat.

The waiter probably thought Ye Qiu was young and didn’t want to argue with her, slightly amused and helpless, said, "Little sister, we don’t hold cooking contests here. You should just go home!"

"Why not have a contest? Are you afraid of losing?" After saying this, Ye Qiu muttered an apology internally.

The waiter indeed frowned but still patiently responded, "Our head chef is very busy and doesn’t have time to entertain you."

"Then I will wait for him." Saying this, Ye Qiu sat down on a chair outside the restaurant and picked up a brochure from their shop to read.

There was no air conditioning outside the restaurant, and with the heat spewing out from inside, it was even more unbearably hot, soon causing Ye Qiu’s cheeks to be covered with sweat and turning them quite red.

Seeing how stubborn Ye Qiu was, and fearing she might suffer from heatstroke if she continued sitting there, the waiter decided to report the situation to their boss.

The owner of the shop also served as the head chef, and upon hearing the waiter’s report, he put down his spatula and said, "Did I hear you right? The little girl wants to challenge me in cooking? And she’s refusing to leave from outside?"

"Yes, boss. I’m afraid she might run into issues if she continues to wait."

"Ah De, watch the stove for me, I’ll go take a look."

"Yes, boss."

The door opened from inside, and as Ye Qiu stood up, she saw the person in front of her; he was tall with handsome features, and although he was dressed in a chef’s uniform, he didn’t quite look like a chef, rather more like a teacher.

"Is it you who was looking for me? Little sister, come in and let’s talk." He then led Ye Qiu to a table near the wall.

The restaurant was decorated elegantly, with themes of flowing water and lotus flowers dominating, giving off a very fresh and comfortable vibe.

"Hello, my name is Ye Qiu," she said with a smile, greeting him and also extending her thin, pale hand that had been whitened with some effort using Spiritual Spring Water over the last two days.

Looking at her hands, He Jiangnan was somewhat bemused. These hands can’t possibly lift a pot, can they? However, out of politeness and not wanting to hurt a young girl’s pride, he shook her hand and replied, "Hello, I’m He Jiangnan."

"Is there any place called Jiangnan?" Ye Qiu blurted out instinctively.

The man’s eyes gleamed with deeper amusement: "It’s this one, what do you think, does my name match my restaurant well?"

"It matches well." Ye Qiu nodded earnestly, then said seriously, "Are you hiring chefs? I’m very good at cooking."

He Jiangnan looked at the earnest young girl, trying to reason with her, "Our place is a very formal restaurant, and all the dishes are personally crafted by me to match the style of the restaurant, so even if you are a good chef, I’m not hiring. Besides, you must be under eighteen, right? It’s illegal to hire minors, so, Ye Qiu, how about I treat you to a meal and then you go home?"

"But how will you know I’m not capable if you don’t give me a try? My cooking skills are really good, how about we have a competition? Let’s see whose dishes are more popular with the customers?"

Seeing her still so persistent, the previous waiter couldn’t help but speak up: "Little sister, our boss is being nice and not bothering with you, this is not a place for fooling around."

"Just try me, just one dish, if you think I’m not good, I’ll leave immediately." Ye Qiu insisted, looking at He Jiangnan.

"Fine, come with me, but let me make it clear, this is just this once, and don’t come back causing trouble again, otherwise, no matter your age, I’ll have to call the police." He Jiangnan said sternly, but his very handsome face, even with a look of annoyance, did not seem intimidating.

"Thank you!" Ye Qiu stood up and bowed to him.

Seeing her so polite, He Jiangnan couldn’t stay mad at her and helplessly took her to the kitchen.

"Boss, who is this! Why did you bring back a little sister after going out?" The apprentice named Ah De said with a laugh.

"Little sister, be careful where you step, I just mopped the floor, it’s a bit slippery." Another young man preparing side dishes also laughed.

"What’s going on, Jiangnan?" Apart from them, there was a middle-aged man cooking, who looked a bit like He Jiangnan.

"Dad, this little sister insists on having a cooking competition with me, so I brought her here," He Jiangnan said helplessly, then asked Ye Qiu, "All the ingredients are here, what would you like to make?"

"To not waste your time, I’ll make a simple Stir-fried Lotus Pond," Ye Qiu said, eyeing the lotus root and snow peas.

Upon hearing Ye Qiu say this, the apprentice named Ah De laughed even harder: "Little sister, you probably don’t know, but this is my master’s specialty dish, and he even adds lotus seeds to it, making it even more refreshing and tasty. Don’t cry if you lose!"

"Cut it out," He Jiangnan glared at his apprentice, then turned to Ye Qiu, "Since you’ve decided, let’s get started!"

"Can I cut the vegetables myself?" she asked, pointing at the tender white lotus roots.

"Of course," He Jiangnan said, and another apprentice named Jin stepped aside.

He Jiangnan and his father initially thought Ye Qiu was just a whimsical child causing trouble, but when she picked up the knife, they turned their gaze towards her.

Although her wrists were slim and her hands small, she held the knife very steady, quickly removing the joints at both ends of the lotus root pieces.

"Thump, thump, thump..." The sound of chopping rang out, the rhythm seemed preset, and the slices of lotus root, each piece nearly identical.

"Impressive!" Jin’s eyes lit up. He and Ah De were both He Jiangnan’s apprentices. Ah De was more gifted and had started to take charge of some dishes, but Jin was still practicing his knife skills. He thought his skills were not bad, but he knew he was outmatched today.