The Secret Realm of Time, His and Her Life Through the Changes

Chapter 159 Different thoughts

The group had different thoughts, and their conversation was somewhat scattered, with topics drifting around, but there was a uniquely relaxed atmosphere.

Just then, there was a light knock on the door of the private room. Immediately, two waiters entered gracefully, carrying trays, and presented each dish of meticulously prepared food to the guests. The two waiters worked in perfect harmony, arranging the hot and cold dishes in a pleasing and colorful manner, filling the table with their aroma.

Upon seeing this, Jian Zheng quickly stepped forward to help the waiter tidy the table. He smiled and said, "It seems that Yan Ruo knew I was coming. All the dishes she ordered were to my liking."

Zhou Yanruo smiled slightly upon hearing this and said, "You really know how to talk. Huaiyang cuisine only has a few signature dishes. I asked the head chef to arrange them. I didn't say it was specifically for anyone."

Shang Yibo joked from the side, "I think you're just being presumptuous. This steamed lion's head meatball is Zhou Yanruo's favorite. She clearly ordered it for herself." As he spoke, he turned to the waiter and instructed, "Please bring some more vinegar. President Zhou likes to add a little vinegar to this dish to enhance the flavor."

The waiter responded and left the private room with another waiter. Just as they were about to close the door, a man dressed in a white chef's uniform entered the room. He was wearing a tall chef's hat and had a slightly protruding belly. He steadily carried a large covered glass dish in both hands, which looked very ceremonial and attracted everyone's attention as soon as he entered.

He slowly placed the glass bowl in the center of the table, leaned forward slightly, and said in a respectful and warm tone, "Distinguished guests, hello. I am the head chef of Lianyi Fuyuan. Today, I would like to present our chef's recommendation—'Wine-Braised Shrimp,' a delicacy of the Huaiyang cuisine." After speaking, he deftly lifted the lid of the glass bowl, holding it steadily with one hand and elegantly gesturing to everyone with the other, "Please enjoy your meal."

The words had barely left his lips when the three at the table froze, all lost in memories of their past "shrimp-eating contests." Those vibrant, carefree days now seemed tinged with endless感慨 and sorrow. Some had become stars, forever departing this world; others had embarked on drastically different paths in life.

Shang Yibo's expression was the most restrained. He appeared calm on the surface, but his heart was in turmoil, filled with mixed emotions. Zhou Yanruo, on the other hand, could not hide her grief. Her eyes were slightly red. She gently turned her head away, took a deep breath, and tried to calm the waves in her heart.

Jian Zheng's expression was complex and ever-changing. His face turned from pale to flushed, and his eyes were fixed on the "wine-boiled shrimp" dish, as if he could see some fragments of the past through it, but he remained silent, letting his thoughts wander.

Ding Jiajia was the only one who found it intriguing. She curiously asked the head chef, "Are the shrimp in this dish raw or cooked? I remember seeing a dish called 'drunken shrimp' on TV, where the shrimp are still jumping around in the alcohol, and the guests just pick them up and eat them. It looks so scary." After saying that, she shrank her neck and shuddered.

The head chef smiled and explained, "The dish you mentioned is 'Drunken Shrimp,' which is a specialty of Shanghainese cuisine. Our 'Wine-Braised Shrimp,' as the name suggests, is carefully cooked with Shaoxing wine, and the shrimp is fully cooked, so you can enjoy it without worry."

Upon hearing this, Ding Jiajia leaned forward to smell it and nodded in satisfaction, saying, "Hmm, a rich aroma of wine, with a hint of sweetness. If it's ripe, I won't be afraid."

Seeing this, the head chef smiled and added, "These shrimp are carefully selected Cuihu shrimp, just air-freighted from the production area this morning, guaranteed fresh. Please enjoy your meal." After saying that, he politely left the private room, leaving behind a room full of intertwined thoughts and memories.

The private room quieted down, and apart from Ding Jiajia who was enjoying the most distinctive dish in the center of the table, the other three people didn't touch it at all.

It was Jian Zheng who broke the silence again, "Yibo, do you only have two days in Beijing? I was thinking of inviting you for drinks, can you spare the time?"

Shang Yibo handed the vinegar bottle that the waiter had just brought to Zhou Yanruo, saying, "Your favorite vinegar." He then turned to Jian Zheng and said, "It looks like it won't be long. My schedule is packed these days. We're at the Huizhou location, and I don't think we'll be out for at least two months."

Zhou Yanruo took it and poured some into her own soup bowl.

"Then we'll drink it when we get to Huizhou. Don't forget to let me know when you've decided to leave." Jian Zheng laughed when he saw Zhou Yanruo adding vinegar to her bowl. "I've known you for so long, how come I didn't know you added vinegar to your soup?"

Shang Yibo chimed in, "She doesn't add vinegar to all soups, only to meatball soup, saying that it enhances the flavor and cuts through the greasiness."

Zhou Yanruo stared at Shang Yibo with a surprised look, and asked suspiciously, "How did you know?"

Before Shang Yibo could speak, Jian Zheng interrupted to answer, "How could he not know about your affairs?"

Zhou Yanruo was puzzled and asked, "What do you mean?"

Shang Yibo quickly covered up by saying, "Last time we ate at Dr. Zhou's house, you added vinegar to the soup, I remember that."

Zhou Yanruo's expression was inscrutable, and she said in a low voice, "But I didn't say that adding vinegar would enhance the flavor or cut through the greasiness."

Ding Jiajia glanced at the three people, listening to their discussion about adding vinegar to soup. She silently picked up the vinegar bottle, added some vinegar to her own soup, scooped a spoonful into her mouth, swallowed it with difficulty, and frowned, saying, "You don't need to discuss this anymore. It tastes pretty bad. Why does Sister Yanru like this?"

Jian Zheng shook his head, sighed softly, and hesitated to speak.

Ding Jiajia said to Jian Zheng, "Does President Jian also like this flavor? Is it because people from southern Jiangsu have similar tastes?"

Jian Zheng said, "I don't have that hobby. It's just a little unspoken understanding between the two of them. Don't drag me into it."

Zhou Yanruo parted her thin lips slightly and asked, "What did you say?"

Shang Yibo's eyes darted around nervously as he changed the subject: "Jian Zheng, will you be staying in Beijing all the time? If it's going to be a long time, it's not convenient to always stay in hotels. Should we look for an apartment?"

Jian Zheng said, "I'll come back next time and see if there are any suitable houses then."

Shang Yibo asked, "Are you planning to go back to Singapore?"

“No, we’re going to Bangkok, but the date isn’t set yet. It depends on Yanruo’s itinerary.” Jian Zheng turned to look at Zhou Yanruo, who was still deep in thought.

Shang Yibo said, "How come your schedule was arranged by Zhou Yanruo? You're getting more and more mysterious. What exactly do you do?"

Jian Zheng said, "Mysterious? I'm not as mysterious as you." He gave Shang Yibo a sly smile as he spoke.

Then he explained, "I'm going to Bangkok with Chairman Chu of Rushang Group to inspect Rushang Group's projects there. Yan Ru is the chairman's assistant, so she's not the one who decides the itinerary."

Zhou Yanruo suddenly looked up at Jian Zheng and asked, word by word, "How did you know? I am Chairman Chu's assistant."