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Chapter 605: Even the Way of Addressing Has Changed

Chapter 605: Chapter 605: Even the Way of Addressing Has Changed

After getting out of the car, before she could make her way to the rear to lend a hand, a familiar voice resounded beside her.

"Ah Jing!"

Chen Jing turned around in surprise to find Luo Yifan in person outside of the store, not just a man who bore a resemblance to him from behind that she saw yesterday.

"Boss Luo, good morning!"

Her words made Luo Yifan’s expression stall slightly.

A mirthless smile crossed his lips. "A few days of not seeing each other, and even the way you address me has changed?"

Chen Jing feigned ignorance at his questioning as she followed the driver to unpack the ingredients they had just purchased from the trunk.

Chen Jing did not intentionally change her way of addressing Luo Yifan to pique him. Rather, she had spent half the day with those two head chefs a few days back, and it seemed like they were ardent fans of Luo Yifan.

The continuous "Boss Luo, Boss Luo" ringing in Chen Jing’s ears had branded itself into her mind, hence when she set her eyes on him in a brief moment, the words just slipped out.

"Aunt Jing, I’ve got this. Go back inside and take a rest, you’ve been out half the day," the driver stopped her and declined her offer to help.

But Chen Jing was used to doing work. Regardless of the driver’s insistence, she took a few large bags and carried them over anyway.

Luo Yifan reached out to take the bags from her - after all, he had assisted her with this sort of task before and Chen Jing had never declined his help.

But this time, Chen Jing sidestepped him, "It’s not heavy! I can handle it."

Luo Yifan’s face masked defeat as he helplessly followed her into the store.

After entering, Chen Jing headed directly towards the kitchen, then called out to the driver behind her, "Xiao Wang, help me get a glass of water for Boss Luo."

After making the title official twice, Chen Jing found it fitting. It served as a constant reminder to her that their relationship was merely a partnership born out of a food exhibition.

Stepping into the store, Luo Yifan felt an unease he’d never experienced before.

Even his first time here was not as awkward as his current inability to decide whether to sit or stand.

Moreover, he used to move freely within these walls, and the kind of task like pouring tea was long since done by himself. But now, everything seemed to revert to where it all started, or perhaps, it was worse than before.

At this moment, Luo Yifan grasped the reason why "courtesy" was indicative of distant relations.

That’s because, at this moment, he was on the receiving end of courteous treatment.

And Chen Jing, evidently, had begun to regard him as a "guest".

Eventually, he decided against waiting for the driver’s tea in the storefront and pushed open the kitchen door, looking at the woman who was busily organising the ingredients in front of the refrigerator. After a while, he finally managed to call out, "Ah Jing..."

Without even turning her head around, Chen Jing simply said, "Boss Luo, please wait outside. Once I’ve organised these, I’ll prepare some dishes for you to try."

It was apparent that she was taking an all-business approach again.

Left with no choice, Luo Yifan exited the kitchen, poured himself a glass of water, and sat down in the spot closest to the kitchen.

After a while, Chen Jing emerged from the kitchen, asking Xiao Wang who was still helping out in the store, "Xiao Wang, could you pop over to the breakfast store at the corner of the street and get me a cup of soymilk and a fried dough stick?"

Having said that, she turned her attention back to her work.

Luo Yifan sat without any significant reaction, assuming that Chen Jing had finally cooled down and sent the driver to fetch his breakfast.

Who knew that after the driver returned with the soymilk and fried dough stick and handed them over to Chen Jing in the kitchen, only the sounds of chopping up vegetables and pots being opened could be heard. It seemed like she forgot to pass him the breakfast?

All the way until the pleasant fragrance drifted out of the kitchen, Luo Yifan still had not received the breakfast which he thought belonged to him.

Right when he was wracked with hunger, the kitchen door swung open again. Chen Jing, dressed in chef’s attire and donning a chef’s cap, came out with a steaming dish and placed it in the middle of a four-seater table.

She then turned her head towards Luo Yifan, who was still seated next to the kitchen door, at the two-seater table.

"Boss Luo, come and taste this and let me know how it is!"

Only then did Luo Yifan get up and walk over. He took the chopsticks from Chen Jing’s hand, picked up a bit of the dish, and put it into his mouth.

Originally, he wasn’t paying much attention to the dish, but just as he tasted it, a look of surprise found its way to his face.

"Hm, it’s really good, this is the taste I’m looking for!"

At this point, he had totally forgotten about the dismal mood he had earlier. He raised his thumb at Chen Jing in approval, sat down, and enjoyed the meal with great detail.

"So, this broth is prepared using soymilk and soup?"

Chen Jing nodded.

Luo Yifan then pointed at the shredded food sprinkled upon the dish. "These are fried dough sticks?"

Chen Jing nodded again.

"Remarkable. It’s very creative and the taste is unique and refreshing," Luo Yifan couldn’t help but praise once more.

In contrast to Luo Yifan’s obvious delight, the joy on Chen Jing’s face was faint. Perhaps the majority of her happiness had been expressed yesterday and now, she felt more at ease.

"Thank you", Chen Jing said quietly, before turning back into the kitchen.

Luo Yifan was momentarily taken aback, unsure as to what he had said to upset her.

As Luo Yifan was contemplating, he once again saw Chen Jing, this time coming out of the kitchen carrying a Tupperware container.

"Try this!"

Speaking, she lifted the lid of the Tupperware and placed it in front of Luo Yifan.

Luo Yifan quickly glanced at the contents of the container, almost identical to the dishes on the plate, "Are these the same?"

"Just give it a try...", Chen Jing didn’t answer his question, but instead pointed at the food in the Tupperware with her chin.

Luo Yifan took a bite and tasted it, his face lighting up once again in delight.

"This is amazing! Although it’s the same dish, it has a different flavor when served cold."

Luo Yifan took another bite of the cold dish and chewed carefully. "Both ways of serving are excellent, it’s hard to make a choice! What should I do?"

Luo Yifan lifted his head and looked at Chen Jing hesitantly.

Chen Jing was about to say, "I don’t know either," but a bright idea flashed across her mind. She quickly turned and went back into the kitchen, soon emerging with a double ceramic plate.

The moment Luo Yifan saw the plate, he immediately understood what she was hinting at.

Chen Jing bent to pour the hot and cold dishes into their respective compartments on the plate, pushed it towards Luo Yifan and said, "How about this?"

This time, Luo Yifan didn’t need to taste it before he made an OK sign to Chen Jing. The final vegetarian dish had finally been decided upon.

Only then, did Chen Jing remember something, "Why didn’t Zheng Ge and Sheng Ge come with you?"

The smile initially present on Luo Yifan’s face slowly faded.

"Isn’t it up to me to make those decisions?"

Chen Jing, not fearing any repercussions, said, "In theory, you’re correct, but since I’m the one who will be participating in the competition with them, their opinions should be more professional, more insightful, and more valuable."

Fortunately for Luo Yifan, he had good self-control and was not quick-tempered, or else he would have flipped the table and left immediately!