Chapter 40: All Misunderstood

While eating, Li Qingying nodded to herself in secret. It seemed He Haoxuan hadn’t been boasting after all—this time, the French cuisine was even better than what she’d had at the sky restaurant, so delicious it nearly made her tongue dance with delight.

“He Haoxuan, if you make me gain weight, you’ll have to take responsibility,” Li Qingying grumbled, touching her belly.

“I’m already taking responsibility. No matter how fat or ugly you become, you’re still my wife,” He Haoxuan teased.

He Wei watched the two exchanging playful banter and felt secretly pleased. He quietly collected the plates and utensils, carrying them into the kitchen so as not to disturb their private world.

Li Qingying took out some fruit, washed it clean, sliced it, and arranged it neatly on a plate.

Meanwhile, Xiao Qiang and his crew stood under a tree at the street corner, their stomachs rumbling with hunger.

“Boss, it’s already one o’clock in the afternoon. What are we supposed to do now?” the two chefs asked Xiao Qiang miserably.

They’d been waiting all morning. Xiao Qiang was dressed in a short-sleeved shirt, but the chefs were in long-sleeved uniforms with white hats on their heads, sweating profusely.

“What are you in a rush for? Mr. He will definitely call for me. He can’t cook French food himself,” Xiao Qiang shot them a look.

He guessed that Mr. He was probably making a mess of things inside but still trying to save face. But it was already one in the afternoon—he couldn’t hold out much longer. Even Xiao Qiang himself was so hungry after waiting so long.

The hungrier Mr. He became, the more awkward he’d feel, and the more grateful he’d be to Xiao Qiang in the end.

Before long, the chubby chef on the right spotted He Haoxuan and Li Qingying coming out the door. “Boss, Mr. He is coming out.”

“Haha, see? Didn’t I tell you? Mr. He would definitely come looking for me in the end. When that happens, make sure you show your best. If Mr. He praises me, I’ll give you both a hefty bonus,” Xiao Qiang said, growing more excited.

“Thank you, Boss.” The two chefs perked up as well. Standing on the roadside all morning had been exhausting, but now it seemed worthwhile.

After all, Xiao Qiang was the boss. If he promised a big bonus, it wouldn’t be small.

“Huh? That’s odd—why is Mr. He coming out with Miss Li? Doesn’t he know that these things should be kept secret? He can’t let Miss Li know you’ll be cooking French food, or how will he show off?” Xiao Qiang muttered in confusion.

He Haoxuan, noticing Xiao Qiang still lingering outside, walked over and asked, puzzled, “What are you still doing here? Why haven’t you left?”

“Mr. He, I thought if you needed my men to help cook French food, we could start right away. So, how about it? Ready for us to get started?” Xiao Qiang asked, grinning ingratiatingly.

Suddenly, he saw the two chefs still standing there like statues, not hurrying to get the stove and supplies from the van. He grew annoyed and kicked one of them. “Hey, are you dead on your feet? Get moving! Mr. He needs your help with the French food!”

“Forget it. We’ve already eaten. You don’t need to stay here—just go,” He Haoxuan said, waving them away impatiently.

Xiao Qiang realized what had happened. Mr. He, unable to make French food, must have thrown together something else and eaten with Miss Li, then decided to leave.

Oh, Mr. He, didn’t I warn you earlier? That’s French cuisine—if you don’t know how, don’t force it. You could have let my men handle it; they’re top-notch. Not as good as the sky restaurant’s French chefs, perhaps, but respectable enough not to embarrass you.

Xiao Qiang thought it a pity that He Haoxuan had missed his chance to shine. Still, with the situation as it was, there was nothing more to say. He could only slink away with his chefs.

He Haoxuan returned to Li Qingying’s side. She looked at him and asked, “He Haoxuan, I think I heard that man mention ‘chefs’ just now. What was that about?”

“Nothing. Let’s go home,” He Haoxuan replied, shaking his head, and got into the BMW with her.

Li Qingying understood everything. He Haoxuan hadn’t cooked any French food at all; the delicious dishes they’d just enjoyed were made by those two chefs. She’d noticed how angry he’d been when talking to them and how quickly he’d shooed them away—he must have been afraid she’d discover his little ruse.

Oh, He Haoxuan, even if you can’t cook French cuisine, I wouldn’t blame you. Was it really necessary to go to such lengths, spending money to secretly hire someone just to impress me?

She recalled that the small kitchen at the He family home had a window facing the street. If the chefs needed to pass the finished dishes into the kitchen, it would’ve been simple.

Still, Li Qingying had no intention of exposing him. She knew he meant well and only wanted to make her happy.

Thinking of how much money He Haoxuan must have spent, she felt a pang of guilt.

As their car passed an ATM, Li Qingying called out, “Stop the car.”

He Haoxuan pulled over, and she got out, withdrawing ten thousand yuan in cash from her bank card.

Back in the car, she handed the cash to He Haoxuan. “Here’s ten thousand yuan. Use it to pay for the ingredients and the chefs. Whatever’s left, you keep.”

“Ten thousand…” He Haoxuan was rendered speechless. The ingredients had been even better than those at the sky restaurant, all specially air-freighted from France. With shipping, the cost was at least a hundred thousand.

But he didn’t want to tell Li Qingying that—he didn’t want her to feel pressured knowing how much a single meal had cost.

“I have money. Just keep it,” He Haoxuan replied with a smile.

“Hmph, He Haoxuan, I’m the head of this household, aren’t I? Does my word mean nothing?” Li Qingying pretended to glare at him.

“Of course, of course. I’ll take this money and go live it up,” He Haoxuan joked.

Li Qingying warned, “If I ever catch you using my money to chase other women, I’ll break your third leg.”

He Haoxuan silently broke out in a sweat. When had Li Qingying become so fierce? Wasn’t she supposed to be refined, gentle, and considerate?

Back at the Li house, Li Qingying hummed a little tune as she went upstairs.

Meanwhile, in the first-floor living room, Li Dong and his wife were brimming with excitement. “Who would’ve thought that the Starlight membership card was real? There’s actually ten million in it!”

“Yes, and the receptionist told us our card has no minimum spending limit. Today at lunch, even though we only ordered two steaks and two dishes—just a few thousand yuan—we still got a private room,” Song Li said, biting into an apple from the table. “I’ve decided to invite my girlfriends out tonight to have some fun.”

Li Dong cautioned, “Honey, that card is for our daughter from Fang Yongsheng. Don’t overdo it. Spending five million should be enough.”

He was planning to take his own friends to the Starlight Club the next day as well. With that, his popularity among his circle would soar, and no one would look down on him again.