The Reviled God of Cooking Tries to Slack Off - Chapter 11

An Xiaoping’s words snapped Jiang Tingzhou awake.

Yeah—there was no need for this dramatic posturing.

All the grudges between him and the old restaurant staff were already resolved in his previous life. Those who relied on seniority were long since dismissed or dealt with, and what he needed to claim, he already did.

What was happening now wasn’t caused by him. Some people were just suffering the consequences of their own actions.

“Everyone, don’t say anything more. Yang Jinhao, return my medal before tomorrow’s board meeting. Take care of the rest yourself.”

Seeing Manager Yang look like he was about to die, Jiang Tingzhou actually felt that giving him until tomorrow was already merciful.

He waved to An Xiaoping and Tian Hui. “Let’s go.”

The floor manager brought people to try and stop them but failed. In the end, he got scolded by An Xiaoping and returned in anger.

Back in the restaurant, there was now a glaring empty spot on the display wall, which made him even more anxious. When he reached the kitchen, he immediately smelled something burning and shouted, “The soup’s burnt! Stop cooking, turn off the heat!”

Although dine-in service was suspended, some customers still had private orders and set deliveries for nutritional meals. These orders had to be fulfilled—that was the store’s only remaining business.

But even though Jiang Tingzhou came over to remind them to watch the fire, no one was paying attention. Everyone was distracted, and it was complete chaos. No one kept an eye on the soup, and it ended up completely ruined.

Smelling the burnt soup, the floor manager looked at Manager Yang. “Manager, what should we do now?”

Manager Yang tried to get up, but his legs were still weak and no one helped him. He struggled halfway up before falling back down, his face blank. After silently replaying Jiang Tingzhou’s words several times, he finally muttered, “There’s still a way… Wait until tomorrow. Tomorrow’s board meeting—he said he’ll attend.”

It was like a drowning man grabbing a life-saving straw. He repeated, “He will definitely attend.”

The floor manager hesitated. “But will he help the old store? Will he help… us?”

Manager Yang didn’t give a clear answer. Still seated on the ground, he finally said, “Jiang Tingzhou isn’t the kind of person to run away from responsibility. He won’t just walk away.”

As Jiang Tingzhou walked out with his luggage, An Xiaoping asked with some doubt, “Are you really going to the Jiang family’s board meeting tomorrow?”

“Of course,” Jiang Tingzhou replied.

An Xiaoping looked disappointed.

He always hoped Jiang Tingzhou would leave the Jiang family behind as soon as possible. Now that hope was finally within reach. But he also knew this was the platform Jiang Tingzhou had spent years building. It couldn’t be abandoned so easily, not with such a mess.

Then he heard Jiang Tingzhou add, “I’m only going to take back what belongs to me.”

Tian Hui cut in, “The medal?”

“No, I wanted to take that today,” Jiang Tingzhou said. “I made a formal bet with Jiang You. Besides the position of Vice President, there’s also a prize—a bonus. It’ll be awarded to the winner at tomorrow’s board meeting.”

It was a famille rose porcelain bowl passed down through the Jiang family. Said to be a gift from the emperor, it was well-preserved and stunning. Jiang You had always coveted it. Apparently, several high-profile guests were very interested in antiques like that, but this was the only one, and it was in his mother’s hands.

His mother usually wanted to treat everyone fairly and wasn’t willing to give such a precious item to just one person. But she couldn’t resist Jiang You’s coaxing, so she put it up as the prize this time. Whoever won would take it. That way, it didn’t seem like favoritism.

When the bet was made, Jiang You was certain of victory.

No one in the company thought Jiang Tingzhou could win. If he didn’t unexpectedly triumph on the show and bring in a wave of customers, Jiang You would’ve been the predetermined winner.

In the past, Jiang Tingzhou didn’t care much for the antique porcelain bowl. Compared to its beauty or value, he cared more about the Vice President position and having a voice. The most important thing was to win—for once.

But now it was different.

“That bowl is worth a lot. What’s it called again? The imperial pink-colored bowl,” Jiang Tingzhou recalled. “A guest once saw it at my house and offered nearly four million for it on the spot, but I didn’t sell it.”

Based on the auction experience he had, three million would’ve been too low. With its condition and provenance, it was probably worth even more.

An Xiaoping’s eyes widened. “Four million?! Then you’ve got to win it!” But then he hesitated. “Bro… can you win?”

Though he didn’t want to admit it, the business at Xiangyun Peninsula was very good. Located in Shangying City, the provincial capital, it had a prime location. Even an average college student like him knew it could rival the old Gongyan store. It was hard to say who had the higher turnover last quarter.

Jiang Tingzhou replied, “In theory, I already won.”

An Xiaoping chuckled, not noticing the “in theory” part.

Just then, the taxi they called arrived, so he didn’t ask any more questions.

After collecting his personal belongings from the small lounge, Jiang Tingzhou still needed to pack up at another location.

The lounge was too cramped to be a permanent residence—just a temporary place for overtime.

At twenty-two, Jiang Tingzhou didn’t have a home of his own. The Jiang family had a room for him, but to him, it was no different than not having one.

At the time, he was staying at Lu Baiyu’s place in Yongqing. The two had lived together even before officially getting together, though Lu Baiyu rarely returned—his visits could be counted on one hand.

Strictly speaking, that apartment was bought for Jiang Tingzhou’s convenience.

The environment was great, and it was close to the old Gongyan restaurant. But compared to his past two residences, this one felt even more awkward.

For now, he planned to stay at An Xiaoping’s place for a few days. An’s parents passed away long ago, and his grandmother died two years earlier. He lived alone now, so of course he welcomed Jiang Tingzhou.

As soon as the three arrived at the building, the butler in a suit and tie came up to greet them—clearly expecting them. Jiang Tingzhou simply said, “No help needed,” and quickly closed the elevator.

When they reached the apartment and opened the door, An Xiaoping and Tian Hui were visibly stunned.

This building was a well-known high-end apartment complex in Yongqing, called Brilliant Star. It was filled with luxurious, spacious units, and the prices were astonishing. This particular unit was low-key in style but still exuded luxury and refinement. Upon closer inspection, every detail revealed the scent of wealth.

Through the large glass windows, they could see the entire People’s Park by Yongqing Lake, and straight ahead were the towering buildings of the CBD, offering a full view of the city’s bustling prosperity.

The finer details were all carefully arranged—fresh flowers on the coffee table and dining table, and a faint floral scent lingering in the air.

Jiang Tingzhou had been in the hospital the past two days and hadn’t returned, yet the flowers were still fresh, dewy, as if picked that very morning.

Without looking around, Jiang Tingzhou walked straight into the bedroom. His room was relatively simple. He packed some clothes and daily essentials from the cloakroom. With An Xiaoping and Tian Hui helping, the three of them moved quickly and efficiently.

An Xiaoping already folded some clothes and reached into the closet to take more, but Jiang Tingzhou stopped him.

“Don’t touch those,” he said. “I’m not taking them.”

In the end, what he packed wasn’t even one-tenth of the clothing in the cloakroom. Many of the remaining items were brand new, never worn.

He opened a drawer filled with rows of expensive watches. After glancing over them, he took only one and shut the drawer.

Tian Hui asked, “You’re not taking the rest?”

Jiang Tingzhou replied, “I didn’t buy them.”

Since he didn’t buy them, they must’ve been gifts from someone else who lived there.

Though they had questions, the other two didn’t ask further. They simply helped pack, careful not to touch anything that didn’t belong. Still, it was hard not to notice the traces of a relationship throughout the home.

The apartment clearly housed two people. There were many framed photos on the wall—pictures of the two of them together, from their school days up until now. The relationship clearly lasted a long time. It looked mutual and affectionate. Some of the photo angles made it obvious that Lu Baiyu took the shots.

Although the relationship had never been made public, it seemed very stable, even enviable. They couldn’t understand why the two broke up.

But Jiang Tingzhou left without hesitation. He showed no sign of reluctance.

When the three of them carried their bags out, the building’s butler was already waiting in the lobby. He greeted them with a bow and a professional smile: “Mr. Jiang, is there something about the unit you found unsatisfactory? We’ll make improvements right away.”

Jiang Tingzhou said, “No.”

He reached out and pressed the elevator button.

The butler followed them into the elevator and continued, “If this unit isn’t to your liking, Mr. Lu’s other residence in Mingzhu Garden is also managed by us. It’s more private and would be better for your recovery. The room has already been cleaned, and the car is waiting outside. I can take you there now.”

Jiang Tingzhou replied, “No need.”

The butler maintained his smile. “Very well. If you’d prefer not to stay at home, we’ve reserved suites for you in all of Yongqing’s five-star hotels. You can go directly to the front desk to check in—everything has already been arranged, and someone will receive you.”

Jiang Tingzhou repeated, “It’s really not necessary.”

When the elevator reached the ground floor, there were even more staff members waiting at the entrance. One of them held a beautifully packaged insulated box, likely containing a premium thermos.

The butler continued, “Of course, Mr. Jiang. Your comfort is our priority. You’ve just been discharged from the hospital and still need to rest. This is a freshly stewed nutritional tonic. Wishing you a speedy recovery.”

The butler was clearly well-informed.

Jiang Tingzhou glanced at the box and said, “I don’t like bird’s nest. Please don’t block my way.”

The other party remained polite throughout, but it was obvious he hadn’t truly listened to a single word Jiang Tingzhou said.

Jiang Tingzhou didn’t take the car prepared by the property team. Instead, he flagged down a taxi. The butler tried a few more times to persuade him, but when he realized Jiang Tingzhou was unmoved, he respectfully opened the taxi door and wished him a safe journey. The service remained impeccable to the end.

Before the car pulled away, the butler added, “The house will continue to be cleaned regularly, and fresh flowers will still be delivered. The new seasonal TF order will arrive as scheduled. You’re welcome to come back at any time—we’ll always provide our best service.”

By then, Jiang Tingzhou already urged the driver to leave quickly.

While packing, An Xiaoping hesitated several times. Finally, once they were in the taxi, he couldn’t help but ask, “Are you really breaking up? I think Mr. Lu seems… really good to you.”

His voice grew softer and softer. Deep down, he genuinely hoped Jiang Tingzhou would be happy. And after all, it was Lu Baiyu. Anyone who knew him wouldn’t have anything bad to say.

The Jiang family had its problems, but so far, Mr. Lu had been nothing but decent.

Tian Hui was more observant than An Xiaoping and suddenly realized something. “Wait, how did you know there was bird’s nest in the box?”

The box was tightly sealed, opaque, and insulated—there was no scent at all.

Jiang Tingzhou simply waved his hand, offering no explanation.

He couldn’t tell them that he already went through this exact scenario in his previous life. After an argument with Lu Baiyu, he moved out, and the same process played out.

This was just the beginning.

The Lu family held shares in this property. If Lu Baiyu gave the order—or even if Secretary Song did—they could activate this entire setup like clockwork. It was as detailed and seamless as a machine.

Brilliant Star was dazzling. Everything about it looked perfect, like a beautiful dream constructed with care.

But Jiang Tingzhou knew clearly: none of this belonged to him.

This was always Lu Baiyu’s home. When he moved in, it was only because Lu Baiyu felt sorry for him, because the Jiang family made things so unbearable.

Regardless of whether the two were in love, this fact couldn’t be ignored or glossed over. If you were in a lower position and enjoyed things that were never yours to begin with, you would eventually pay a price.