The Reviled God of Cooking Tries to Slack Off - Chapter 60

Li Shuyan now understood, though if it were up to her, she might never have thought of these things. She simply believed in working hard. After being nervous the entire day, now that she was finally relaxed, she just felt hungry.

Dinner at the sugar factory that evening wasn’t just delicious—the factory also brought out a large bucket of peanut milk curd.

Fortunately, there was a market nearby, and the batch of peanuts ordered from Zhengyang arrived quickly. Each one was plump and high-quality, perfect not only as toast filling but also for grinding into a smooth, fragrant drink.

Jiang Tingzhou drank a large cup.

He didn’t eat peanuts before. After being with Lu Baiyu for so long, he deliberately avoided them due to Lu Baiyu’s allergy. Over time, it became a habit.

But now, drinking this felt genuinely fragrant and sweet—even without sugar. It made him happy.

Well, he thought, I’ll drink more in the future.

Everyone enjoyed themselves that day, cheerful and carefree. But just as the party ended, Li Shuyan—humming a tune and in high spirits—received a message on her phone.

She glanced at it, and her smile vanished.

She knew they only got through the crisis thanks to Jiang Tingzhou, and they gained even more from the situation. The team celebrated with full joy. But she didn’t forget how it all started—and what needed investigating absolutely couldn’t be left unresolved.

Li Shuyan long suspected Jang Li. Though the municipal staff were tight-lipped, she pestered them enough that they let slip just enough: the Jang family spread news suggesting the Li family overinvested lately and was running short on funds.

Jiang Tingzhou warned her to watch out for Jang Li—it wasn’t without reason.

The way Jang Li strongly opposed the sugar factory project struck her as off from the beginning. Even if he cared about her past with Jiang Tingzhou, they met only once over Zhou Lifen. She was then busy with her own matters and didn’t contact Jiang Tingzhou since. But even so, Jang Li remained firmly against the project.

At its core, he just didn’t want Li Shuyan to pursue something beyond his control. They already fought over it, and now things came this far—no one would be able to stop her anymore.

She was prepared. The more she felt this fiancé was unlike the man she once thought she knew, the more she acted. She paid off someone close to him and hired a private investigator who followed him for a while. If she waited until the last minute, it would’ve been too late.

Jang Li was very cautious. She didn’t find anything substantial before. But not long ago, someone close to him passed on a vague message: Jang Li recently made a large, suspicious transfer of funds.

This time, things were different.

Late at night, she received photos from the investigator. Jang Li met with someone in secret. The other person… was Jiang You.

Li Shuyan looked at the pictures several times to confirm. Even though the photos were a bit blurry and Jiang You appeared far more haggard than before—it was unmistakably him.

The private investigator, who usually specialized in catching affairs, attached an awkward note, clearly thinking his employer had an unusually miserable situation—catching two men meeting like this.

But what shocked her more than Jang Li’s possible infidelity was the identity of the other man. Why would he be meeting Jiang You?

Back in high school, the two barely interacted. Jang Li wasn’t involved in Lu Jiahe’s incident and didn’t have much contact with Jiang You. He was preparing to study abroad and was in a different class. They hardly saw each other, even less than Jiang Tingzhou and Jang Li.

Business-wise, their circles didn’t intersect either. The only connection between them was that brief time during high school.

She showed the photos to Jiang Tingzhou.

Even he—who just handled municipal business without a single slip—was stunned.

He didn’t think of Jiang You in ages.

Now, the Lu family turned cold toward the Jiang family, and Jiang You was still embroiled in public controversy. Cheng Shifei’s blog made any resistance from Jiang You meaningless.

With those losses, Jiang Tingzhou no longer needed to do anything. The broken capital chain behind their restaurant expansion was enough to make them panic and fight amongst themselves. Instead of trying to turn things around, Jiang You stirred up trouble again.

Li Shuyan and Jiang Tingzhou exchanged a look.

She spoke first: “My private investigator charges a lot. He has the full video and can read lips.”

But the footage was blurry and taken from afar. Lip-reading would take time, and even then, it would only be a lead.

She couldn’t alert the enemy. She needed more solid evidence.

Even without the full results yet, Li Shuyan already formed a strong suspicion. Her expression turned cold. “I’ll keep checking. Tingzhou, it won’t take long. You’ve already left the Jiang family. You don’t need to deal with someone like Jiang You. I’ll handle it.”

Over the past two days, she showed nothing on the surface. She went to city hall to complete all the necessary procedures, kept to her schedule, and handled the opening ceremony. The only difference was that she worked harder than usual.

But Jiang Tingzhou could tell: Jiang You and Jang Li were likely behind the sabotage at the sugar factory. The two shared a common goal—but their actions suggested something else might be driving them.

On Wednesday, Li Shuyan suddenly sent a message. When Jiang Tingzhou read it, he frowned.

She began with an apology, then sent a concise message with no unnecessary words:

—“Tingzhou, the incident back in high school was Jang Li’s doing. The idea came from Jiang You, but Jang Li carried it out.”

Even though Jiang Tingzhou suspected it, the confirmation left him stunned.

No wonder he couldn’t find anything back then.

Jiang You had an alibi. All the girls who bullied Li Xiaoyan before were blamed, but no one ever suspected Jang Li. Many pieces of evidence were destroyed.

Now that he thought about it, the Jang family was also one of the hidden investors behind the school’s development. Half the school buildings were built by them, so of course they had the means to cover things up.

This truth should have been buried between Jiang You and Jang Li forever.

But now, Jiang You—cornered and desperate—went to Jang Li for money. Resentful of Jiang Tingzhou, he encouraged Jang Li to sabotage the sugar factory project.

For Jang Li, the money didn’t matter. Sabotaging the project was worth the risk. He couldn’t allow Jiang Tingzhou and Li Shuyan to grow closer.

And if Jang Li was willing to pay, it wouldn’t just be for verbal threats. Jiang You was calculating. He probably kept evidence from back then. Even if he took money now, he wouldn’t destroy it completely.

When Li Shuyan confronted him, Jiang You initially denied everything. But he was no longer the Jiang You who had millions of fans and the Lu family’s support.

Now, he had too many weaknesses. Jang Li’s payment records and the surveillance footage were enough to break him. No one would save him now. It was only a matter of time before he caved under pressure.

That was Jiang You’s only value now.

Once Li Shuyan confirmed the evidence and the truth, she was ready to confront Jang Li—and everyone else.

She said to Jiang Tingzhou: “Back then, I dragged you into this, Tingzhou. I’ll handle it properly this time.”

Jiang Tingzhou received that message in the afternoon. He immediately called her back, but no one picked up.

That night was supposed to be Li Shuyan’s engagement banquet.

There was no official wedding ceremony, but the Jiang and Li families, along with their close relatives, gathered. It was a grand event.

Jiang Tingzhou didn’t expect the timing to be so precise. Judging by her message, the engagement banquet might not go as planned.

Li Shuyan said she didn’t want him involved in these ugly matters anymore.

But Jiang Tingzhou couldn’t help worrying.

Just as he stepped out to look for her, someone stopped him.

Jiang Tingzhou recognized the man as the driver who worked for Lu Baiyu. Jiang Tingzhou saw him several times before.

The man said, “Miss Li is fine, but the engagement venue is a mess. Eldest Young Master Lu asked me to pick you up. It’s rush hour, and it’s hard to get a cab around here. Plus, that venue isn’t accessible by regular taxis.”

Jiang Tingzhou didn’t move right away. “How did you get here so quickly?” he asked.

“Eldest Young Master Lu has naturally been following your investigation,” the man replied. “We’ve been nearby the whole time.”

They kept their distance so as not to disturb him or draw attention from the neighbors, but were prepared to appear at any moment if needed.

That Lu Baiyu was also looking into the matter didn’t surprise Jiang Tingzhou. He already suspected him when the call came, and Lu intervened in the past. Still, Jiang Tingzhou questioned, “How did he know it was happening now?”

“You know the Qin and Jang families are relatives,” the man said. “President Qin happened to be at the banquet. Miss Li exposed everything in public.”

Qin Rushuang was shocked when she realized Jiang Tingzhou was involved. She didn’t dare ignore it as she did before, and the first thing she did was inform Lu Baiyu.

Revealing everything at the banquet was as public and explosive as that award ceremony in high school—it was a harsh and direct move. Jiang Tingzhou didn’t expect her to go that far.

But perhaps only by making things this ugly could she dissolve the engagement and prevent the major joint project between the Jang and Li families from moving forward. That project—the school district housing—was planned as a wedding gift from both families.

Now, not only would there be no marriage, but Li Shuyan also intended to make Jang Li pay the price.

“Miss Li did it because she didn’t want you to deal with these people anymore,” the man added. “But after causing such a stir, she can’t just walk away. And since you’re a party involved, Eldest Young Master Lu figured you’d want to go.”

At the very least, Lu Baiyu understood that Jiang Tingzhou wasn’t someone who would sit idly by and let others clean up the mess.

Jiang Tingzhou didn’t say another word and headed out.

The engagement banquet, delayed multiple times, was held in a quiet, high-end private venue. As Jiang Tingzhou quickened his pace, he spotted Lu Baiyu approaching from another direction.

After what happened, the Jang family wanted to keep things quiet and prevent people from leaving.

Afraid of word getting out, they locked the banquet hall door and even activated a signal jammer. If Qin Rushuang hadn’t acted quickly, the news wouldn’t have spread at all.

The venue manager stood guard outside, but when he saw Lu Baiyu, his face turned pale. “Mr. Lu, I—I’m just a small business owner. I didn’t want to offend the Jang family.”

“You’re afraid of offending the Jang family, but not me?” Lu Baiyu replied coldly. “How many people do you have locked in here? Illegal detention—do you want even more trouble?”

The boss didn’t dare speak further and opened the door.

As soon as Jiang Tingzhou entered, he heard Li Shuyan cursing.

“You’ve got the nerve to say you like me? Don’t you feel disgusted even hearing those words? There’s nothing left between our families—whatever project we had, it’s over!”

Compared to a failed engagement, the long-standing business relationship and reputations of both families weighed more heavily. The situation came to a standstill.

When the door opened and Jiang Tingzhou walked in, the crowd was stunned—especially Jang Li, whose face twisted in embarrassment and hostility. “Why is he here?!”

Many of those present recognized Jiang Tingzhou.

“I’m one of the parties involved. Of course I should be here to learn the truth,” Jiang Tingzhou said calmly. “Back then, no one investigated thoroughly, and the incident was brushed under the rug. Plenty of people here know how it affected me. What—am I not allowed to be here to demand an answer?”

Li Shuyan, initially surprised to see him, quickly added, “Exactly. What’s wrong with him being here?”

If not for Jiang Tingzhou and the way things unfolded, Jiang You would’ve never handed over this kind of evidence.

Now, the truth was out.

Even Li Xu shot a glance at the Li elders after seeing Jiang Tingzhou.

Standing beside him, Lu Baiyu’s presence made his stance clear.

He received an invitation but wouldn’t have come if it hadn’t involved Jiang Tingzhou. Qin Rushuang and Lu Jiahe were already present.

They shook their heads and said, “Old Jang, don’t make the same mistake again. Jang Li actually did these things. He’s really…”

But the Jang family still tried to cover it up. Jang’s father said, “Jang Li was young and made mistakes out of immaturity. But that’s all in the past. It’s better to destroy ten temples than break one marriage. He’s changed now…”

“Changed? Into something worse,” Lu Baiyu said coldly. “The project funds—hundreds of millions—were frozen and withheld. Your Jang family is so strapped for cash right now. What project can you even take on?”

Jiang Tingzhou gave a cold laugh. “Now you’re saying all this because you can’t bear to lose the Li family’s money. If Jang Li truly cared about Li Shuyan back then, he never would’ve done those things. And if he was sincere now, he wouldn’t still be acting this way.”

The Jang family tried to speak, but Jiang Tingzhou stepped forward and continued.

“Don’t think I don’t know. Your whole family is like this—fake kindness and empty words. You claim to be long-time friends of the Lis, but when they were struggling, all you offered was surface-level support. Back then, how could she have suffered that much in school? Your so-called change of heart only came once the Li family got back on its feet. And now the real estate project needs major funding. Without the Li family’s investment, how long can the Jang family survive?”

Father Jang shouted, “You—!”

“What? Did I say anything wrong?” Jiang Tingzhou stared at him. “You hypocritical bastard. You’re just mad because I said it out loud.”

Father Jang spent decades in the business world, but Jiang Tingzhou wasn’t the slightest bit intimidated.