The Reviled God of Cooking Tries to Slack Off - Chapter 69

After someone beside him bumped him lightly and he let go, Wen Qi didn’t show any unusual reaction. In this crowded and somewhat noisy setting, it wasn’t the right place to say much, so the two of them simply exchanged contact information.

“Boss Jiang treated me to something I’ve never eaten before today. It was really interesting,” Wen Qi said. “I’ll treat you next time, Boss Jiang. Let’s chat more then.”

Li Xu, who was standing nearby, heard this and immediately understood there was progress—he hadn’t expected Wen Qi to loosen up so soon.

Jiang Tingzhou, however, didn’t look particularly excited—after all, the deal hadn’t been finalized. He simply nodded and said, “Alright.”

Just after Lu Baiyu had discreetly made his unnoticed move, he saw the two exchange contact information—a painful reminder that Jiang Tingzhou still had him blocked.

He couldn’t help calling out, “Tingzhou, I—”

Jiang Tingzhou turned to look at him and asked, “What is it?”

He seemed to be in a good mood today, still smiling faintly at Lu Baiyu. Seeing that expression, it felt like everything would go smoothly—but Lu Baiyu hesitated for a moment before saying, “Nothing.”

He had originally wanted to ask Jiang Tingzhou to take him off the blacklist. But the words changed at the last moment—afraid of being rejected, he instead pointed to the corner of Jiang Tingzhou’s mouth, indicating there was some sugar stuck there.

“Oh,” Jiang Tingzhou responded and raised his hand to wipe it off.

Lu Baiyu watched him lift his hand to wipe his mouth, and his own fingers twitched slightly. 

At that moment, Cheng Shifei finished filming a shot and called Jiang Tingzhou over to discuss something.

Lu Baiyu didn’t interrupt. Master Deng was still standing nearby, and after a while, he raised his hand to offer him a cake.

“You’re Xiao Jiang’s friend, right?” Master Deng asked. “Here, have a taste.”

This man seemed like the sort you wouldn’t usually see in this setting, but his attitude was polite. He accepted the cake with a “thank you” and took a bite. It was a simple pastry with sesame and white sugar filling.

Although it was a sweet filling, the seasoning was light—not overly sweet. The strong crispness of the pastry brought out the pure sesame flavor.

“He said this filling would suit you better,” Master Deng said with a smile. “Just came out of the oven. How is it?”

Lu Baiyu nodded, his expression calming, and said, “Thank you. It’s good.”

He never liked fancy flavors and preferred simpler foods. Jiang Tingzhou knew that.

In fact, everyone who followed him also ate the cakes from the Deng family. The cakes were the same, but tastes varied. 

Jiang Tingzhou never looked his way—he just kept talking to Cheng Shifei, paying no attention to him. But that was already better than being completely ignored.

Lu Baiyu felt that maybe—just maybe—he was a little bit closer to Jiang Tingzhou now.

Just then, Cheng Shifei pulled Jiang Tingzhou aside to talk, excitedly praising the shop and the bustling morning market. He said coming to Yongqing had been fulfilling, though there was still one regret.

“I came all this way hoping to film you,” he sighed. “But I didn’t get the shot I wanted.”

He’d always thought Yongqing tofu was a good choice. Jiang Tingzhou had said the dish wasn’t suitable, and Cheng Shifei agreed. Still, as the director of A Bite of China, he felt it was a pity.

Jiang Tingzhou smiled and replied, “That’s not necessarily true. I may not have made it into A Bite of China, but we can still film something else.”

He didn’t need to be on A Bite of China—there were other paths.

Cheng Shifei had been filming all over the old city these past few days. Once the work wrapped up, he rushed off to the next location to scout for material. But before leaving, a celebration banquet was in order. 

Everyone who participated gathered for a good meal to mark the end of a successful collaboration.

The venue, chosen by Cheng Shifei, was a small farmhouse-style restaurant featuring hometown dishes. Pastries were from the Deng family, and drinks were fresh juice from the sugar factory. Besides the film crew and the Deng family, several sugar factory employees and neighbors—some of whom had appeared in scenes—were also invited.

Lu Group’s team attended as well. Including the crew, there were around thirty to forty people seated across three large tables. It wasn’t a formal event—just a lively get-together. Guests arrived gradually, discussing work and relaxing.

Lu Baiyu had finally gotten the hang of things. He had found legitimate reasons to remain close to Jiang Tingzhou from time to time.

For example, as a partner of the project, Lu Group naturally had to be represented at the banquet. In addition to bringing fruits and premium seafood, Lu Baiyu also brought a special dessert—a taro lotus seed tower made by a chef he had invited personally.

The dessert had a rich, smooth texture: a thick layer of taro paste at the base, topped with sweet lotus seeds and a drizzle of osmanthus honey that enhanced the sweetness.

But Jiang Tingzhou wasn’t in the hall when Lu Baiyu arrived. Upon asking around, he learned that Jiang Tingzhou was in the kitchen—preparing dishes for everyone to try.

Though the place was small, the kitchen was fully equipped—and capable of making Yongqing tofu.

This dish, though complex and labor-intensive, was one of Jiang Tingzhou’s specialties. Today, he had prepared enough to serve all three tables.

Lu Baiyu remembered this dish vividly and hadn’t expected it to appear now. 

Lost in thought, he entered the kitchen—without noticing Cheng Shifei’s camera. He didn’t know the scene was being live-streamed.

Cheng Shifei had chosen a clever filming angle. The kitchen wasn’t empty; a row of chefs were also busy at the stoves. The setup looked surprisingly professional.

Jiang Tingzhou was cooking while explaining the Yongqing tofu recipe aloud—live on stream. Normally, these recipes would be trade secrets, but Jiang Tingzhou was explaining each step in detail.

Of course, some steps were too advanced for amateurs, even with the instructions.

The livestream, led by Cheng Shifei himself, was a hit—viewership quickly surpassed one million.

【“I remember this dish used to sell for 3,000 yuan. Just the ingredients alone are premium, but I didn’t expect the process to be this refined. No wonder it’s so pricey.”】

【”Didn’t people say this award-winning dish might appear on A Bite of China? Now we’re seeing it live—maybe it really was going to be featured?”】

【”I just looked up Yongqing tofu’s origin. Seeing the whole process like this… it has to be on the show!”】

Though many locations had been filmed in Yongqing, the final choice—Deng’s pastry shop—was still under wraps. Only Jiang Tingzhou, the Deng family, and Lu Group knew the final decision.

The public had no idea yet, but judging by the buzz, Jiang Tingzhou was clearly a frontrunner.

Despite the casual format of the livestream, Cheng Shifei’s shots had a natural warmth. The messy kitchen, the sound of cooking—everything felt real. Jiang Tingzhou moved gracefully as he explained each step, hands busy but voice calm.

Many viewers lamented the missed opportunity for Jiang Tingzhou to appear in the documentary, but he just smiled and said, “It’s fine. Food is meant to be eaten, not hidden. I’m happy to share this with everyone.”

He leaned over, saw the growing viewer count, and chuckled, “Even more people are joining us.”

At that moment, Lu Baiyu entered. Before he noticed the camera, he asked, “Tingzhou, what’s wrong with your face?”

From a distance, he’d thought Jiang Tingzhou had a scar, but up close, it was just sauce.

Jiang Tingzhou was holding ingredients and about to wipe it off himself, but Lu Baiyu quickly stepped forward and did it for him.

Jiang Tingzhou froze slightly, caught off guard. Lu Baiyu smiled and said, “I invited a chef to make some lotus seed taro tart. It might be a bit too sweet though, so I thought you—”

Just then, Cheng Shifei, filming in the corner, coughed—a clear reminder.

Only then did Lu Baiyu realize the camera was live. 

The barrage of comments exploded.

【”Wait, who is that?”】

【“Another friend of the streamer? He looks familiar though…”】

【”Of course he does—Isn’t that Lu Baiyu? Mr. Lu from Lu Group?!”】

【“Omg, it is Lu Baiyu? Why’s he here? Who even is this stream】

【”Why is he here? And why did he casually wipe Zhouzhou’s face like that??”】

At first, he was only partially visible. But when he turned to face the camera, everyone recognized him.

Jiang Tingzhou’s livestream often included friends like An Xiaoping and neighbors. People from the sugar factory popped in occasionally. But Lu Baiyu had never appeared before.

If he was just passing by, that was one thing. But the way he wiped someone’s face so casually—without hesitation—spoke of long familiarity.

Jiang Tingzhou: “……”

As the chat flooded with comments,  Jiang Tingzhou quickly stepped in: “There’s nothing going on. We’ve just had some work-related overlap recently. A lot of people are here today, not just him. Mr. Lu, wouldn’t you agree?”

He hoped Lu Baiyu would play along and not make things worse.

Lu Baiyu didn’t avoid the camera after realizing it was live. He paused, then smoothly said, “Yes, we’ve been working together lately. It’s an honor to attend this celebration.”

He was composed, polite—on the surface.

But the viewers  weren’t buying it:

【”Work-related? Then why’d you just wipe his face like that? Never seen that from a contractor before.”】

【“What kind of Party A and B is this?”】

【“Still pretending? You lit up like a Christmas tree the moment you saw him.”】

【”He was smiling like he couldn’t hide it.”】

Lu Baiyu had been in countless videos before, and viewers could easily tell the difference between his formal workplace smile and the look he gave Jiang Tingzhou.

“I’ve known Tingzhou for a long time,” Lu Baiyu began again. “We—”

“It’s not what everyone thinks,” Jiang Tingzhou cut in, glaring at him and whispered. “Alright, just go.”

He didn’t realize the mic was so sensitive. Even though he’d whispered, the livestream picked it up.

Lu Baiyu, still smiling, said, “I’m not trying to stir things up. I just wanted to explain.”

“There’s nothing to explain.”

Jiang Tingzhou knew these netizens well—the more they explained, the worse it got. As soon as Lu Baiyu left, the flood of bullet comments lessened.

Lu Baiyu obediently replied, “Alright, I’ll go,” and turned to leave. But before exiting the kitchen, he looked back at Jiang Tingzhou several more times.

Jiang Tingzhou didn’t have many close friends, but he and Lu Baiyu had been together for years. His expression, captured under the lens, said more than words.

Even Wen Qi had noticed. How could the sharp-eyed netizens not?

As he cooked, Jiang Tingzhou glanced at the barrage full of 【“You two look so good together” 】and couldn’t help laughing helplessly.

“Don’t talk nonsense,” he said. “We’ve always been just work-related.”

He sounded calm enough—for now. But Lu Baiyu? He wasn’t about to behave himself.