The Reviled God of Cooking Tries to Slack Off - Chapter 63

At this moment, Jiang Tingzhou spoke calmly, his tone steady as he said these things.

“Back then, some companies offered me a lot of money to jump ship, but I never thought of leaving. Everyone said I was loyal because I was grateful to Young Master Lu for his kindness and support—that’s why I was so devoted. I heard this a lot,” Jiang Tingzhou said. “They didn’t know about our relationship. I used to think it was just that no one noticed, or they were mistaken, or misunderstood, and that we’d hidden it well. But when so many people kept saying that, I later realized… maybe I was the one who misunderstood all along. We were never like a normal couple. No wonder no one could tell. No one ever believed I’d truly be accepted by the Lu family. I was confused back then and chose to let it go, but the longer we were together, the more I felt something was wrong.”

Even if he didn’t realize it at first, one day he would have.

In that rare moment of conversation between them, Jiang Tingzhou looked into Lu Baiyu’s eyes. As their gazes met, he said, “So, Young Master Lu, you probably already understand why I said … there’s no need for us to be together anymore.”

No matter how they tried to make things work, the path for the two of them always led to a dead end. Jiang Tingzhou was simply too tired. He didn’t have the energy to take another route, so it was easy for him to reach his current conclusion—a disparity too great; a mismatch from the start.

But Lu Baiyu refused to let go. He tried to speak: “Tingzhou, I’m sorry. I didn’t do well, but we—”

Before he could finish, his eyes reddened, tears began to fall, and his voice broke, choking up too much to continue.

If Jiang Tingzhou were still angry or resentful, that might have been easier to handle. But now, after everything he experienced, reborn into a life so different, he spoke about the past with nothing but calmness.

Jiang Tingzhou was simply recounting memories. He didn’t say much else—he didn’t need to. Lu Baiyu already understood.

Unfortunately, he didn’t understand in time. The love Jiang Tingzhou worked so hard to maintain was gradually worn down. And during that slow erosion, Lu Baiyu thought everything was fine.

Fate reminded him many times: the first time they broke up, when Jiang Tingzhou was sad, when he drowned himself in endless overtime, or on those many occasions when he should’ve gone public with their relationship but didn’t—always citing the company’s big picture as an excuse—and Jiang Tingzhou smiled and said it was fine. That should have been a wake-up call.

He should never have thought that was okay.

Because it wasn’t. To the outside world, they looked like business partners. They just kept playing the role of “business partners” until eventually, that was all they became.

If only Lu Baiyu stepped out of his self-centered comfort zone and treated his lover with care and understanding back then, maybe the outcome would have been different.

In fact, given Jiang Tingzhou’s personality, even after realizing something was wrong, he likely wouldn’t leave easily. He might’ve just gone on like that—calm on the surface in that quiet, stagnant peace.

But life always throws in the unexpected.

Issues buried under busy work and seemingly smooth lives always exploded if triggered by the right spark. And when that time came, they might not even stay friends. They might become complete strangers.

Even now, Lu Baiyu still hid something: he remembered how Jiang Tingzhou seriously injured his right hand, making it impossible to work as a chef. He was afraid that if he brought it up, the last shreds of their relationship would fall apart completely.

Yet even without saying it, he fully understood—and it felt like a knife stabbing pain in his chest. He began to cry uncontrollably before he could say another word.

Talking like this about their two lives—past and present—he felt as if he was mourning not just the current Jiang Tingzhou, but the lover he once lost. He was filled with helplessness and regret.

Like spilled water, some things simply couldn’t be recovered. What he didn’t cherish before was now gone forever.

“Young Master Lu, if you think about it carefully, you may never really loved me,” Jiang Tingzhou said quietly. “Maybe you just think I’m useful. Being with me made life and work easier. That’s why you didn’t want to let me go.”

Compared to Lu Baiyu’s emotional breakdown, Jiang Tingzhou remained composed. He continued, “That’s normal. When people get used to something, they start to accept it. We should each just live our lives.”

To be fair, in terms of practical benefit, they gained much from each other. His growth in the business world was tied to Lu Baiyu’s influence.

They may not have been a good couple, but they were great business partners.

But business was just business. When it stopped working, you moved on.

He saw Lu Baiyu cry like this once before—when they first broke up. And now, watching the tears fall on the back of his hand, hearing him repeat “Tingzhou, I really didn’t mean it,” and “I really love you,” Jiang Tingzhou just sighed quietly.

He looked at Lu Baiyu and gently raised his hand to wipe away the overflowing tears.

“Young Master Lu, you helped me a lot today. If you hadn’t stepped in, things might not have gone so smoothly. I don’t deny that,” Jiang Tingzhou said. “But we’re not lovers anymore. We don’t have any other relationship either, so I can’t accept your help without guilt. In return, I’ll put in a good word for The Lu Group to my senior brother regarding the collaboration.”

On a business level, The Lu Group remained a competent partner. Qin Rushuang managed things diligently, and even Cheng Shifei was showing signs of wavering.

But his words only made Lu Baiyu feel even more hopeless. If their lines were drawn so clearly, then there was truly nothing left between them.

Jiang Tingzhou said everything he came to say.

He never intended to take Lu Baiyu’s car home. He sat there without even buckling his seatbelt. Now, he pulled his hand away and got out of the car.

But Lu Baiyu couldn’t bear to watch him leave. He followed him out, and after a few steps, pulled Jiang Tingzhou into a tight embrace. He was holding back, but now he couldn’t anymore.

“Tingzhou, Tingzhou…” he repeated Jiang Tingzhou’s name again and again. “Just give me one more chance. Just one. I’ll make it right—I’ll fix everything that disappointed you. I’ll be the best—I swear I will. Please don’t leave me…”

He knew he made mistakes. And he was ready to become the kind of lover Jiang Tingzhou deserved.

But Jiang Tingzhou simply said, helplessly, “There are people around.”

He still wasn’t used to being so physically close to Lu Baiyu in public. If someone saw them now, it would be hard to explain.

It was fine when they were still in the car. Because of the parking angle, Qin Rushuang and Lu Jiahe, who hadn’t left yet, couldn’t see what they were talking about. But now that they were outside, everyone could see clearly.

Li Shuyan was waiting there too. She noticed the car hadn’t moved and guessed, based on Jiang Tingzhou’s personality, that he likely wouldn’t leave with an ex-boyfriend he already broke up with. It was probably just a few words between them.

Sure enough, Jiang Tingzhou came out after a short while.

But the atmosphere between the two of them changed drastically.

Now, seeing Lu Baiyu holding Jiang Tingzhou tightly and completely disregarding his surroundings, everyone watching was stunned.

Qin Rushuang already sensed something off earlier, but now her expression changed.

Lu Jiahe turned his head abruptly and stared, while Li Shuyan was taken aback and frowned. “Why is he still clinging on after breaking up?”

“Break up? Those two?” Qin Rushuang’s pupils trembled. “When did that happen?”

She stepped forward and saw Lu Baiyu crying like this—it was truly shocking. It was like seeing the impossible. Qin Rushuang could never have imagined that such a devastated, abandoned expression would appear on Young Master Lu’s face.

Just earlier today, Jiang Tingzhou’s behavior already shocked her. Now, seeing this scene, Qin Rushuang felt like she was dreaming.

“Young Master Lu, let’s end it here,” Jiang Tingzhou said, noticing they were approaching and not wanting to get further entangled with his ex-boyfriend. “I’m tired. I’m going home.”

He pushed with all his strength, and Lu Baiyu let go.

 Li Shuyan came over then and gently pulled Jiang Tingzhou a few steps away. She gave Lu Baiyu a brief glance and said, “Tingzhou, I’ll take you home so you can rest.” She paused for a moment and added, “I had originally planned to handle everything today and then tell you. I didn’t expect you to show up, but thank you for what you said.”

When Jiang Tingzhou scolded Father Jang earlier and struck at his most vulnerable point, Li Shuyan felt deeply satisfied—especially when Jiang Tingzhou clearly explained the situation and made her parents finally understand.

“It’s nothing. I just said what I thought,” Jiang Tingzhou replied. He no longer looked at Lu Baiyu when speaking to Li Shuyan and even smiled naturally. “Just drop me off at the alley entrance. Oh, and for the ribbon-cutting the day after tomorrow—are you still going to the factory tomorrow?”

Not only would Mayor Lu attend, but Cheng Shifei also confirmed he would be there. With Director Cheng from A Bite of China involved, the sugar factory project would surely attract more attention.

After experiencing so much today, it was understandable that Li Shuyan needed some time to collect herself.

“Of course I’ll go,” she said. “The sugar factory is the most important thing now.”

She was no longer the kind of girl who fell apart emotionally when things got hard. No matter what happened, people had to keep moving forward. For her, the best way to process her emotions now was to focus on doing a good job with the sugar factory.

Jiang Tingzhou nodded, got into her car, and took one last look at Lu Baiyu as they left.

He was still standing there, staring at him, taking a few steps forward but then stopping himself. Even as the car drove away, his eyes never left.

Qin Rushuang didn’t expect things to unfold like this today. She stood blankly for a moment before saying, “Everyone’s gone. Let’s head back.” After a pause, she added, “I won’t tell your father about this.”

Lu Baiyu’s relationship with Jiang Tingzhou was hidden well. The Lu family had no idea. If Lu Zhenting found out, he would definitely disapprove.

But at that moment, Lu Baiyu said, “You can tell him. Even if you don’t, I’ll tell him myself. I’ve always liked Jiang Tingzhou. I just want to be with him.”

Qin Rushuang’s first reaction was: “You can’t act on your feelings so recklessly. Lu Group is a listed company. Your public image matters…”

This wasn’t the past anymore. In the age of the internet, every move made by a major corporation was closely watched. Today’s incident, even if kept under wraps by the Jiang family, would still cause speculation. The collapse of what was supposed to be a powerful alliance through marriage would inevitably draw attention. Lu Zhenting was always cautious about these matters. Lu Jiahe made a mistake once and was stuck doing basic PR ever since.

“So what?” Lu Baiyu replied. “If the stock price drops, then it drops. If something has to be paid, then I’ll pay it. I’ll bear the cost.”

Before Qin Rushuang could respond, Lu Jiahe cut in with a strange tone, as if he was simply stating a fact: “You’ve already broken up.”

He saw how Jiang Tingzhou left. Didn’t look like someone who’s planning to come back.

“I won’t give up,” Lu Baiyu said. “No matter how long it takes, I’ll never give up.”

Back when Jiang Tingzhou first started liking him in high school, he probably thought it was hopeless too—but he still held on for all those years.

He could do the same now.