Wen Yin sat across from Li Xiangwei, idly stirring her coffee.
"I haven't fully decided yet, but the general direction is set," Li Xiangwei said, nodding.
She then turned to Wen Yin and offered, "If you need any help, just let me know."
Wen Yin curved her lips into a smile. "Then I'll thank you in advance," she said playfully.
Over time, the two had grown familiar with each other, and their interactions no longer felt awkward.
"Are you really going to take over your family's business?" Wen Yin asked. "Will you go back to the entertainment industry later?"
Wen Yin knew that Li Xiangwei had initially made a name for herself in the entertainment circle as a ballet beauty. But now, with all her focus on the family hotel, she clearly had no time for entertainment - related activities.
Li Xiangwei shook her head. She understood what Wen Yin meant. It was indeed difficult for her to give up ballet, which she had been learning for over a decade, because of the family hotel.
"I'm practically semi - retired from the entertainment circle now," she said. "I'm the only child in my family. As for ballet, I won't give it up. I'll dance whenever I have time."
Wen Yin nodded. She knew about Li Xiangwei's family situation. Li Xiangwei was her parents' only daughter, and they pinned all their hopes on her. No matter what, she would eventually return to inherit the family business.
"Maybe Xiang Zhou will help me share some of the workload after we get married," Li Xiangwei said.
Wen Yin smiled at her, and the two chatted about various other things.
Suddenly, a waiter rushed in. He whispered something in Li Xiangwei's ear, and her face instantly turned serious.
"What? You mean he can't eat again?" This news hit her like a thunderbolt, and she even stood up in surprise.
"It shouldn't be! He loves Chef Li's cooking the most. Why can't he eat now?" Li Xiangwei carefully checked the menu.
"So he only had the congee and didn't touch any other dishes?"
The waiter replied cautiously, "He said he had no appetite today, so..."
Li Xiangwei immediately understood. Because of his lack of appetite, he had only eaten the congee.
"So we'd like you to go and have a look," the waiter said.
Wen Yin saw Li Xiangwei's face growing more and more solemn. She stood up and asked, "What's going on? Can I help?"
But this time, it was different from before. Li Xiangwei's expression grew colder.
"It's no use. I'm afraid you can't help with this," she said. After some hesitation, she briefly explained to Wen Yin.
"This guest has a very special identity. He only eats Chef Li's cooking."
Wen Yin nodded seriously. "Anyway, let's go and have a look first."
Since Wen Yin was determined to help, Li Xiangwei didn't stop her. Chef Li had once said that Wen Yin had great culinary talent and would surely become a top - notch chef if she were willing to learn. But seeing that Wen Yin had been in the entertainment circle, Li Xiangwei had never mentioned this to her, as it was a far cry from Wen Yin's previous identity.
Wen Yin and the waiter wound their way through the corridors and finally arrived at a private room. This room looked different from the others. Both the decoration and the door design were far superior to ordinary ones.
Sure enough, Li Xiangwei knocked on the door respectfully. After hearing the old - sounding "Come in" from inside, she and Wen Yin entered.
The interior design of the private room was quite different from the outside. It had an antique charm, making dining here a unique experience.
An old man was sitting in the center of a large round table. He looked quite old, but his spirit was good.
Li Xiangwei greeted him with a faint smile and asked, "Grandpa, aren't the dishes to your taste today?" As soon as she entered, she noticed that the dishes in front of him were hardly touched. Some had only been tasted once and then left untouched.
"I remember these are your favorite dishes. Is your appetite not good today?" Li Xiangwei looked troubled.
This guest's identity was extremely special. Li Xiangwei gave Wen Yin a meaningful look. Before coming here, the old man had told them not to reveal his identity to anyone. She just hoped that Wen Yin wouldn't blame her when she learned the truth. Li Xiangwei couldn't help but feel conflicted.
The old man said with a smile, his tone without any hint of blame. "My old ailment is acting up again. Don't worry about it."
But the more he said this, the more uncomfortable Li Xiangwei felt.
"Let's see if there's a suitable side dish. We can make a new one for you," she said.
However, the old man waved his hand. "No need. You know my old problem. Once it flares up, I can't eat anything. Don't trouble Chef Li."
Li Xiangwei sighed and was about to say something when Wen Yin spoke up.
Since entering the room, she had noticed that although the other dishes on the table were untouched, a significant amount of the preserved egg and lean meat congee had been eaten. This meant that the congee was the only thing he was interested in.
"Please wait a moment. We'll add a side dish for you. You can give it a try," Wen Yin said and then turned to leave. Li Xiangwei followed her in a panic.
Li Xiangwei's face changed several times, but she held back the words she wanted to say.
"Wen Yin, this grandpa has a very special identity. You'd better not cook for him rashly," she said hesitantly. "He has many dietary taboos. You'd better not get involved."
Li Xiangwei kept dissuading her from behind, but Wen Yin just turned around and asked her a question.
"Is he allergic to soybeans?"
It was obvious who Wen Yin was referring to. Li Xiangwei was well - versed in this guest's eating habits. All the details about what he could and couldn't eat were clearly in her mind.
Almost instinctively, Li Xiangwei replied, "No."
Wen Yin nodded. "That's fine. Trust me."
After saying this, she started to call Chef Li.
"Chef Li, you should have some soaked soybeans here, right?"