Taste the Flavor of Our Home

Looking at the table full of exquisite dishes, Xia Zhiyu froze for a moment, swallowing hard.

She had expected just two or three dishes, but instead, the table was lavishly spread with an array of gourmet fare:

Foie gras mousse, yellowfin tuna salad, seafood cheese bisque, Australian M9 Wagyu beef with black truffle, Iberian 5J black-label ham, lobster with caviar, New Zealand abalone, langoustine, French haddock, and two servings of artisanal ice cream.

Old Gao stood by the table, gesturing warmly. "President Su, Little Fish, please take your seats!"

Su Yang walked over, glanced at the spread, and nodded with a smile. "Hmm, not bad."

"Of course! Our restaurant is famous across Haicheng for this."

"Good. Oh, Old Gao, could you call Lu Yun over for me?" Su Yang said as he pulled out a chair and sat down.

"Right away!" Old Gao agreed before turning to leave.

Meanwhile, Xia Zhiyu remained standing, staring blankly at the extravagant feast before her.

Su Yang turned to her with a chuckle. "What's the matter, Little Fish? Sit down!"

"Oh, right!" Xia Zhiyu replied nervously, taking a seat beside Su Yang.

He patted her shoulder reassuringly. "Relax, Little Fish. It's just a meal—no need to be so tense."

Xia Zhiyu pressed her lips together and nodded. "Okay, Brother Su Yang."

"Dig in, don’t hold back. Try the flavors of our restaurant."

"Alright, Brother Su Yang, you should eat too."

"Sure, I’ll join you for a bit."

As he spoke, Su Yang picked up a fork and placed a slice of ham onto Xia Zhiyu’s white plate.

"Thank you, Brother Su Yang."

"No need for formalities. Go ahead and eat."

"Okay!"

Faced with delicacies she’d never tasted before, Xia Zhiyu picked up her fork and took a bite of the ham.

After a few mouthfuls, her gaze drifted to the plate of Wagyu beef, unsure how to proceed.

Noticing her hesitation, Su Yang grinned. "Go on, eat! Doesn’t it taste good? Or is it not to your liking?"

"No, no, it’s delicious! It’s just… which hand holds the fork and which holds the knife again?"

Hearing this, Su Yang chuckled lightly. "Here, let me show you."

He picked up the fork with his left hand and the knife with his right. "See, Little Fish? It’s simple—fork in the left, knife in the right. Use the fork to hold the steak steady, then cut a piece to your preferred size."

"Like this, then eat." Su Yang speared a piece of beef and popped it into his mouth. "Easy, right? It’s not some high-end ritual—you’ll get the hang of it in no time."

"Oh, okay! Let me try."

Xia Zhiyu mimicked his movements, and Su Yang tilted his head approvingly. "Yeah, just like that."

"Same goes for everything else. Eat whatever you like this way. Personally, I find chopsticks easier—if the knife and fork feel awkward, just use those instead."

With that, Su Yang set down the cutlery and picked up his chopsticks.

"Of course, when it’s just us, comfort comes first. But in formal settings, you’ll need to be more polished. I’ll have one of the senior staff here teach you the finer points of Western dining etiquette later."

Xia Zhiyu nodded with a smile. "Sounds good."

Just then, Old Gao returned with Lu Yun in tow.

"Su Yang!" Lu Yun called out the moment she entered.

Su Yang turned and waved her over. "Lu Yun, come join us!"

"Coming!" Beaming, Lu Yun approached Su Yang and Xia Zhiyu. Her eyes flickered with curiosity as she noticed the girl beside him. "And this is…?"

"Ah, let me introduce you. This is Xia Zhiyu—‘Zhi’ as in ‘branch,’ ‘Yu’ as in ‘language.’ You can call her Little Fish."

"Nice to meet you, Little Fish! I’m Lu Yun."

"Hello, Sister Lu Yun!" Xia Zhiyu quickly stood and extended her hand.

"Hello, hello!"

Lu Yun clasped Xia Zhiyu’s hands warmly. "No need to be so polite, Little Fish. Sit, please!"

"Ah, right!"

Su Yang gestured toward Lu Yun. "Sister Lu Yun here is the manager of our restaurant’s beverage department."

"Oh! Then I should call you Manager Lu."

"Don’t bother—just ‘Sister Lu Yun’ is fine," Lu Yun said with a dismissive wave.

"Okay, Sister Lu Yun."

Once the introductions were done, Su Yang motioned for Lu Yun to sit on his other side. "Take a seat, Lu Yun."

"What brings you to the restaurant today?" she asked as she settled in.

"Hold that thought."

Su Yang glanced at Old Gao, who was still standing nearby. "Old Gao, sit with us."

"Sure thing, President Su."

Once Old Gao was seated, Su Yang looked between them and continued. "Here’s the thing—Little Fish is a good friend of mine. She’s between jobs right now, so I brought her here. You get the idea."

He paused, meeting Old Gao and Lu Yun’s eyes. "Today’s visit is to arrange a position for her at the restaurant. She’s interested in the industry and has some prior experience, so she should pick things up quickly. Old Gao, I’ll leave this to you."

Old Gao nodded. "No problem, President Su. Consider it done. Any preferences for which department Little Fish should join?"

Su Yang thought for a moment. "How about starting in Lu Yun’s department? She’s been here a while and can mentor Little Fish. What do you think?"

He turned to Lu Yun for input.

Lu Yun smiled. "Sounds perfect! My team’s workload is light, and we’re short-staffed anyway. Having Little Fish around will be great company." She shot Xia Zhiyu a bright grin.

"Then it’s settled. Oh, Old Gao—is Chen Guowei around?"

"President Chen? Uh, no, he’s not here…"

"Tch, that guy’s never around when I visit. Not that it matters. After the meal, take Little Fish to handle the onboarding. Salary at ten thousand."

Old Gao immediately gave a thumbs-up. "Got it! Consider it done!"

"That’s all for now. Old Gao, check with whoever’s handling HR and brief them."

"Will do, President Su."

"Great. You can go for now—I’ll call you when we’re done."

"Take your time, President Su." Old Gao rose with a nod and left.

Once he was gone, Su Yang turned back to Xia Zhiyu. "Keep eating!"

"Okay!"

He then shifted his attention to Lu Yun. "Haven’t seen you in a few days. How’s work been?"

Lu Yun nodded. "Really good! At first, I wasn’t sure I’d adjust, but everyone here is so nice. After a week, it felt like home."

"Glad to hear it. Busy schedule?"

"Not too bad. I’ve learned a lot about Western cuisine from the team."

"Perfect. From now on, take Little Fish under your wing. Teach her what you’ve picked up when you have time."

"Absolutely!" Lu Yun flashed Su Yang a sweet smile.