Chapter 123: Culinary Preferences

Fu Jinghan brimmed with unwavering confidence. He turned his head to glance at the woman holding a pen, who had yet to sketch on the paper, a triumphant smile curling at the corners of his mouth.

"Never before has anyone dared to provoke me so recklessly..."

"Su Wanwan, I will make you lose so badly!"

"I will strip you of all dignity, so you never dare show your face in this company again!"

Sensing the repressed intensity within Fu Jinghan, Su Wanwan cast a sideways glance. Stray strands of hair, softly cascading past her delicate, pale pink ear, drifted onto the paper, accentuating her fair complexion. Her slender fingers twirled the pen before abruptly halting.

"Why do you keep staring at me? Planning to copy my design?"

Fu Jinghan abruptly withdrew his gaze. Copy her shabby sketches? Even if they were laid out before him, he wouldn't waste a glance!

Su Wanwan propped her chin with one hand as her pen casually grazed the paper, swiftly beginning to draw.

Fu Laoye and the others sat together, unable to see clearly but wildly speculating.

"Her drawing speed is absurdly fast..."

"Does she not need to think first?"

"She's just doodling nonsense! No way she can come up with anything worthwhile."

Yan Wenhua curled his lips disdainfully.

"Probably given up on trying."

He then couldn't help but grumble about Fu Liangmu.

"Xiao Liang, why did you bring your wife here for no reason? You're just making things harder for the company... Wah!"

Before he could finish, Fu Laoye firmly clamped his mouth shut. Fu Liangmu's cold, sharp gaze followed suit. Fu Laoye freed one hand from his cane to twist Fu Liangmu's face back.

"Don't look at us, look at your wife!"

Yan Wenhua wriggled free, clearly displeased.

"Old Fu, you're getting more outrageous by the day!"

"I'm just speaking the truth, do you have to take it like this?"

Bang! The tightly closed door was suddenly flung open. Fu Ziyang, his hair disheveled, appeared in their sight.

"Sorry, sorry... I'm late..." He trudged to a corner and sat down, looking thoroughly dejected.

He had walked for nearly an hour on the way back, stopping seven or eight cars before someone finally agreed to give him a ride. Upon alighting, he was scammed out of two hundred yuan.

The long wait dragged on, and to avoid disturbing the two designers, the others remained silent. Yan Wenhua even dozed off at the table.

When he awoke, his head was foggy.

"Is it dark already?"

Fu Laoye leisurely reminded him,

"You've only slept twenty minutes. The competition started just under two hours ago."

Yan Wenhua rubbed his face in frustration, pinning all hope on Fu Jinghan.

"I recall Fu Jinghan taking at least five or six hours to finish a design."

"Depends on his mood. Once he took three whole days to submit a single drawing..."

"So we're going to be waiting here all day?"

Fu Liangmu said flatly,

"You all can wait for Wanwan to finish first."

Silence fell. Wait for her? Forget it... A woman whose résumé was as blank as fresh paper and who had never formally studied design—if she could really produce anything, that would be a miracle!

Yan Wenhua, impatient and unrestrained, blurted without hesitation,

"If she finishes before Fu Jinghan and her work is better, I'll publicly acknowledge her as my master!"

His voice boomed across the conference room, drawing everyone's attention.

Su Wanwan's hand trembled slightly as she completed the final stroke. A faint, enigmatic smile lifted her almond-shaped eyes, emotions half-veiled like the moon concealed behind drifting clouds.

"I wouldn't dare accept you as my master."

Yan Wenhua's eyelid twitched fiercely.

Su Wanwan stood calmly.

"I'm done."

"Done?" Fu Jinghan, not far from her, narrowed his eyes in disbelief, instantly suspecting cheating. He pointed at her, shouting,

"Stay away from Fu Liangmu! Get out! Out!"

Su Wanwan spread her hands innocently,

"I'm a contestant, you know."

Fu Laoye frowned,

"Su Wanwan, you'll sit quietly in the back and wait."

"Alright." Su Wanwan obediently sat down.

Yet, Fu Jinghan's mind was restless. Why had she finished so quickly? What kind of design had she produced? Reason told him even if she had finished, it could never surpass his own. But... he had to admit, her lightning speed unsettled him greatly.

"Calm down, calm down..." Fu Jinghan closed his eyes, exhaled deeply, and steadied himself to continue designing.

Suddenly, a stomach growled.

Fu Liangmu glanced at his watch and decisively stood.

"I'm going out to buy food."

Fu Laoye instantly said without a second thought,

"Send an employee instead. You just stay here."

To prevent Fu Jinghan's paranoid overthinking.

"I'm not buying for you all. I'm buying for Wanwan." Fu Liangmu's tone was cold.

Fu Laoye cleared his throat,

"Well then... Wanwan, tell the staff what you want."

He pressed the intercom, and soon a staff member entered. Everyone named their orders.

Su Wanwan pondered seriously,

"I'll have a serving of cold shredded chicken noodles."

The staff nodded and looked at Fu Liangmu, who handed over a sheet of paper. The staff member was dumbfounded upon reading it.

Fu Liangmu's appetite was enormous! But he said nothing and went to buy the food.

When he returned, the dishes Fu Liangmu had brought filled an entire table.

Fu Laoye chuckled,

"I knew you cared about the old man, so I won't be polite..."

"Wanwan." Fu Liangmu called to the girl clutching her cold noodles,

"Come eat."

Su Wanwan paused,

"Huh?"

Fu Liangmu stood up and decisively took her cold noodles.

"Go eat."

"But my noodles..."

Su Wanwan met his gaze, the seriousness in his eyes brooked no refusal. She pressed her lips into a gentle line and obediently sat down.

Only then did she notice the table was laden with all her favorite dishes: two meat dishes, two vegetable dishes, one egg dish with soup, along with vegetable and fruit salads and a cup of warm milk tea.

As Fu Laoye watched with envy, Su Wanwan reached for her meal, discovering a note hidden beneath the food.

Fu Liangmu hadn't touched the box and hadn't even seen it.

She picked it up and read Fu Liangmu's bold, flowing handwriting:

\[Sweet and rich flavor for the sweet and sour ribs; remove the used ginger from the steamed fish to eliminate any fishy taste; no cilantro in the soup; shredded potatoes made non-spicy; vegetables steamed gently before salad preparation, not too cold...]

Su Wanwan stared at the note in stunned silence for a long moment.

Fu Liangmu was so thoughtful, remembering her dietary preferences... She disliked ginger and cilantro and feared her relatives visiting soon, so all spicy and cold foods were strictly avoided.

She lifted her eyes to meet Fu Liangmu's cool, composed expression as he stirred the noodles.

An indescribable warmth surged quietly within her heart.