Control Freak - Chapter 19

On Sunday afternoon, the busiest period had already passed.

By 1:30 PM, the lunch guests were gradually leaving, allowing Ye Zhou and his staff to take a brief respite. Although there were still some customers, the peak dining time had ended.

After Ye Zhou finished balancing the accounts, he also helped tidy up the tables.

At that moment, the restaurant’s automatic door opened. Ye Zhou was wiping a table and, hearing the door, habitually called out, “Welcome…”

When he looked up a second later and saw who had entered, his smile immediately widened, “Welcome.”

Winter had recently begun, and the weather was getting cooler. Standing at the restaurant entrance was Guan Heng, wearing a shirt and a light trench coat. His tall stature and striking appearance instantly drew everyone’s attention. This was his second time entering the restaurant, and it wasn’t because Ye Zhou had invited him—he had come on his own.

Guan Heng followed the sound and looked at Ye Zhou, smiling at him.

Even though they were in a work setting, Ye Zhou couldn’t help but feel his heart race. He was pleasantly surprised and even a bit flattered. He walked over to Guan Heng, his face beaming with happiness, “What brings you here?”

That question was a bit silly; why else would someone come to a restaurant but to eat? Realizing his mistake, Ye Zhou quickly corrected himself, “Have you eaten yet?”

“Not yet.”

“Well then…” Ye Zhou hurriedly looked for an empty seat. Although there were fewer people around at this time, it was still a holiday, and customers were coming and going. Many of the female diners were openly staring at Guan Heng. Having delivered food numerous times, Ye Zhou had noticed that Guan Heng didn’t particularly like eating out because he always attracted so much attention. While it was something one could get used to, it still made him uncomfortable. At that moment, Ye Zhou had an inexplicable urge to hide Guan Heng away from everyone’s eyes.

Guan Heng was still waiting for Ye Zhou to find him a seat when he suddenly heard Ye Zhou say, “It looks like there aren’t enough seats. How about eating in my office instead?”

An employee passing by to deliver food overheard Ye Zhou and looked at the few freshly cleaned empty tables, puzzled: “???”

Guan Heng just smiled after hearing this. “Alright.”

The boss led him upstairs, leaving behind a group of stunned employees.

“Our seats aren’t enough?”

“You’re dumb, that was just an excuse! Didn’t you notice how the boss looked at that handsome guy? His eyes were practically glowing.”

“So… is that our future boss’s partner?”

“Wait, wasn’t the boss pursuing a student? I thought that handsome guy was a university teacher.”

“This teacher is really good-looking, pretty tall too… seems a bit taller than the boss?”

“Are you sure he’s the boss’s partner? I feel like…”

“What do you feel?”

“Reversed.”

With that statement, everyone fell silent.

Ye Zhou, unaware that his employees had started gossiping about him being the ‘teacher’s partner,’ led Guan Heng upstairs. The restaurant, converted from an old house, retained the original low-rise structure, with plenty of windows for good lighting. The second floor was not open to the public and was used as an office, employee lounge, and storage area. Ye Zhou shared an office with Fang Ji. In the center of the room were two large desks placed face-to-face. Fang Ji’s desk was against the wall, while Ye Zhou’s desk was by the window. The surrounding area consisted mostly of low-rise buildings, giving Ye Zhou’s desk a great view of the intersection of two streets.

“Have a seat.” Ye Zhou pulled out his chair for Guan Heng and leaned against the side of the desk. “What would you like to eat?”

Ye Zhou had not brought the menu upstairs when he led Guan Heng up, making it feel a bit like a private dining experience. Guan Heng, unsure of what to order, smiled and asked, “Anything is fine?”

“Sure, as long as I can make it,” Ye Zhou replied.

“Hmm?” Seated, Guan Heng could only slightly tilt his head up to look at Ye Zhou, his eyebrows raised and chin slightly lifted. Perhaps it was the angle, but Guan Heng looked different from usual. His gentle gaze carried a hint of subtle aggression, and his features were perfectly highlighted, making him look impeccably handsome.

Ye Zhou was momentarily mesmerized and, perhaps because of this, blurted out, “Uh… the lobster you had before was made by me.”

Guan Heng was not surprised. “I could tell.”

“Really?” Ye Zhou was somewhat astonished. He had always thought such things only happened in TV dramas. “How did you figure it out?”

The principle was actually simple. It boiled down to the cook’s personal preferences. For instance, someone with a sweet tooth would use more sugar, and someone who liked salty food would add more salt. The proportions of seasonings and the choice of spices all contributed to a cook’s unique flavor. But no matter how much you explained, it couldn’t surpass the simplest reason: “After eating it enough times, you just know.”

While that made sense, hearing it from Guan Heng felt like being flirted with again, leaving Ye Zhou’s heart itching.

Was Guan Heng hinting at something? Did he want to continue eating the food I make?

But Ye Zhou wouldn’t be caught off guard like the first time. He couldn’t let Guan Heng flirt without responding in kind. Leaning his head down slightly towards Guan Heng, he deliberately spoke with an ambiguous tone, “So, do you like it?”

Their eyes met, neither backing down, and the atmosphere grew even more charged with ambiguity.

Then Guan Heng smiled and calmly replied, “I really like it.”

In that moment, Ye Zhou almost felt as if Guan Heng wasn’t just talking about liking his cooking but about liking him as a person. He felt a bit overwhelmed; his heart was pounding harder than ever. On the surface, Guan Heng appeared reserved and proper, but who would have thought he was so skilled at this?

Alone in a small room with no one around, the atmosphere was just right. Ye Zhou was unsure if he should do anything, but overstepping boundaries before being in a relationship wasn’t something he would do. The noisy commotion from downstairs brought back a bit of his rationality. He took a discreet deep breath and said, “Wait here for a moment, I’ll be back soon.”

“Alright.” Guan Heng also leaned back a bit, putting some distance between them, and everything seemed to return to normal.

After calming down a bit, Ye Zhou went downstairs to prepare the food.

The kitchen staff watched as the boss entered the kitchen and took out the premium scallops, abalone, and tiger prawns from the freezer. While they were thawing in the microwave, the staff skillfully heated the pan with oil and prepared the ingredients. Once everything was ready, they stir-fried them on high heat, showcasing a series of smooth and impressive flipping techniques. Finally, they plated a dish of seafood stir-fried noodles that was not only visually appealing but also smelled and tasted delicious. The fact that the boss was cooking himself was already surprising, let alone using such expensive ingredients.

Some of the staff couldn’t help but exclaim, “This is the first time I’ve seen more seafood than noodles in seafood stir-fried noodles.”

“You know what? This is an aphrodisiac, isn’t it?”

“The boss having a boyfriend really changed things.”

“Now the evidence is clear. The one upstairs isn’t the boss’s partner; it’s our boss turning into the ‘teacher’s partner.'”

Ye Zhou might have been focused on cooking, but that didn’t mean he was deaf to the staff’s discussions. He didn’t mind though; he just chuckled and scolded, “Are you guys too idle? Do you really think I can’t hear you?”

The staff laughed and quickly found excuses to leave.

Ye Zhou only spent about fifteen minutes in total to prepare a main dish and soup. It wasn’t that he was lazy, but it was already nearly two in the afternoon, and Guan Heng hadn’t eaten yet. This time, Ye Zhou didn’t think Guan Heng was just passing by or coming over because he was busy. Guan Heng clearly chose a time when there were fewer people around deliberately, perhaps not wanting to squeeze with others, but more importantly, Ye Zhou could sense that Guan Heng was adjusting to his schedule. This indicated that his pursuit was starting to show noticeable results, which was quite thrilling.

When Ye Zhou brought the plates upstairs, Guan Heng was looking at his phone, seemingly replying to a message. Although it wasn’t much different from before, it gave off a slightly colder impression.

However, when Guan Heng looked up and saw Ye Zhou, that sense of detachment disappeared.

Ye Zhou didn’t intend to inquire about anything. Since they rarely had the chance to be alone together, he didn’t want anything to spoil it. “Let’s eat.”

Seeing the food in front of him, Guan Heng smiled. It was clear he also felt the ingredients in the stir-fried noodles were too extravagant, not cost-effective. But he didn’t say anything and began eating with chopsticks in his left hand, as usual.

Downstairs remained lively, with other customers present, but it wasn’t so busy that Ye Zhou needed to go down and help out.

Ye Zhou sat in Fang Ji’s usual spot. For the first time without any interruptions, they chatted casually while enjoying the meal together.

Their relationship began to change from this time onwards.

After that, Ye Zhou continued to frequently visit the school to deliver meals. Over time, he became a regular at the school, and many faculty and students recognized and liked him. He was warm and easy to get along with, not only getting along well with several teachers who often interacted with Guan Heng but also becoming acquainted with some of the graduate students under Guan Heng’s supervision. Within two months, Ye Zhou had completely integrated into Guan Heng’s social circle.

Ye Zhou never hid his intentions. Pursuing someone didn’t need to be overly ostentatious, but there was no need to be secretive either. Although some people might disapprove, his frank and open attitude gained him a lot of appreciation and support. Surprisingly, Guan Heng didn’t stop him, as if silently allowing Ye Zhou to enter his life. The most obvious change was that when Guan Heng had free time on weekends, he would also go to the restaurant to find Ye Zhou. Or occasionally, he would wait for Ye Zhou to finish work and walk home together.

Although neither of them had explicitly stated it, the feeling between them during their time together had become more intimate than just friends.

After pursuing for some time, Ye Zhou could clearly see the changes in Guan Heng. He thought it was about time to take it a step further. On one occasion when he went to see Guan Heng, he casually proposed an invitation, boldly suggesting, “Professor Guan, do you have any plans for Christmas? How about going to see a movie together?”

Although Christmas was more of a holiday for students, the festive atmosphere at the school was strong, and Guan Heng couldn’t possibly misunderstand his intentions. Ye Zhou deliberately chose a day like this, typically associated with couples celebrating together, feeling that the implication was quite clear. Going to the movies was usually an essential part of a date.

Both of them were adults with romantic experience, and considering all the groundwork Ye Zhou had laid before, this invitation didn’t come as a surprise to Guan Heng at all.

Ye Zhou’s pursuit was natural, even considerate, making it hard for anyone to refuse him.

Guan Heng probably already had an answer in his heart, so he replied with a smile, “Sure.”