The Reviled God of Cooking Tries to Slack Off - Chapter 8

Secretary Song froze for a moment, completely unprepared for Jiang Tingzhou to talk back to her like that. She only managed to say a single “You…” before Jiang Tingzhou hung up the phone.

Jiang Tingzhou quickly accepted Tian Hui’s friend request. Many messages came in over the past few days, but he only glanced at them without replying to any.

Still, he couldn’t ignore that the chat with Lu Baiyu was pinned to the top. He tried to press and hold to unpin it, but his hand slipped and tapped into the chat instead.

In the chat history, there were more than ten messages Jiang Tingzhou sent early on, filled with sweet words.

“Hubby, I miss you [❤️].”

“I dreamed of you last night, and I really want to see you.”

“I made a new dish!”

“[Picture]”

“When are you coming home? I want to make it for you.”

When he sent that last message, he was already running a fever, but he didn’t tell Lu Baiyu, and the other didn’t ask.

Lu Baiyu really was busy. He had three phones—one for personal life and two for work. He rarely had time to chat, and when something needed to be communicated, he typically had his secretary call, or he waited until he returned to Yongqing to talk in person.

Jiang Tingzhou was always understanding, even used to it. Even if it often felt like he was performing a one-man show, he was still happy doing so.

But now, looking at the silly, love-struck conversation history, he felt embarrassed. He cringed if he stared too long.

So he typed and sent a message faster than ever before: “Hello. We’re breaking up. Bye.”

Then, with clean precision, he blocked all of Lu Baiyu’s contact methods, including his secretaries—just like he did those years before his rebirth.

After finishing, he turned to see An Xiaoping’s eyes wide with curiosity—and Tian Hui and Aunt Tian listening in as well.

“You… You were dating Lu Baiyu?”

“When did this happen?”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“You two finally got together, and you’re breaking up now? Did your fever fry your brain?”

An Xiaoping’s questions came rapid-fire. Jiang Tingzhou didn’t know how to respond.

The way they got together was actually quite simple.

About a month ago, Jiang Tingzhou won his first championship and was so happy he cooked a big meal for Lu Baiyu at home. He underestimated the effect of the wine, got drunk, and drunkenly confessed his love before passing out. When he woke up, he was more surprised than scared.

Still confused but braver than usual, he asked Lu Baiyu if they were officially together. Lu Baiyu didn’t deny it; instead, he hugged Jiang Tingzhou on the bed and kissed his forehead—a tacit agreement.

After that, they quietly kept their relationship secret. It was never normal, but Jiang Tingzhou, blinded by love, didn’t care.

In fact, no one but Jiang Tingzhou believed they’d be a couple. Even An Xiaoping, who saw him through rose-colored glasses, told him not to fantasize—it was impossible.

Tian Hui even asked nervously, “The Lu Baiyu you’re talking about—could it really be the young Mr. Lu from Lu Group? That can’t be. If it is, brother, you’re just too…”

She wanted to say “amazing,” but that didn’t feel strong enough to describe such a shocking connection. She couldn’t find the right word.

Lu Baiyu was a legend.

Jiang Tingzhou laughed, “So you think it’s impossible too.”

Lu Baiyu was the golden heir, carefully groomed to lead Lu Group, a top domestic logistics company.

The Lu family was one of China’s earliest exporting dynasties. They quickly caught the boom in domestic logistics and founded Lu Group Logistics Group, becoming rich and powerful.

Lu Baiyu stood out since childhood. He was 28 years old, six years older than Jiang Tingzhou, and was long his own man.

In recent years, Lu Group dominated the logistics industry, especially cold chain transportation. They also committed to charity, building schools and supporting local industries in remote areas—efforts widely praised.

Lu Baiyu was good-looking and highly capable. He was the public face of the Lu family, often speaking alongside his father Lu Zhenting. His public presence rivaled popular celebrities, and he was recognized as a top young entrepreneur in China.

Tian Hui waved her hand quickly, “That’s not what I meant.”

She thought Jiang Tingzhou was handsome, smart, and capable, so having an excellent lover was normal.

But Lu Baiyu was on another level—almost godlike.

They were all curious, but seeing Jiang Tingzhou’s expression, they silently stopped asking.

After all, it was someone else’s private matter. From the earlier conversation, it was clear the breakup was swift and decisive. Given who the other party was, there were things best left unsaid.

Worried the topic might upset him, they quickly moved on.

But Jiang Tingzhou, sitting there, couldn’t help recalling more.

Even if they didn’t date, Lu Baiyu was an important person in his life, someone who left an indelible mark.

Everyone knew Lu Baiyu’s career, but Jiang Tingzhou knew things others didn’t.

When he first returned home, his father mentioned “the Lu family” in half his sentences. It was clear they were clinging to the Lus as benefactors. The two families shared a special relationship.

The Lu family happened to have two sons. Lu Baiyu, six years older than Jiang Tingzhou, was studying abroad at the time and already known as a formidable figure. The younger son, Lu Jiahe, was around the same age as Jiang Tingzhou and Jiang You.

Lu Jiahe had a good relationship with Jiang You. They grew up together and, as a result, never showed Jiang Tingzhou a friendly face.

But Lu Baiyu was different.

Though he never met Jiang Tingzhou, Lu Baiyu sent him many gifts when he went home. Dozens of sets of clothes in his size, some custom-made, more thoughtful than what the Jiang family prepared. At least in appearance, he helped Jiang Tingzhou complete this transition.

The tailor who came to take his measurements mentioned the name for the first time, saying the gifts were from Young Master Lu Baiyu. He gently reassured Jiang Tingzhou not to worry.

“Mr. Lu cares about you. Don’t worry, you’ll live well no matter what.”

At the time, Jiang Tingzhou didn’t think much of it. He assumed it was just kindness born from the families’ connections and was grateful.

After transferring, Jiang Tingzhou’s grades were at the bottom of the new school. The tutor he hired was also arranged by Lu Baiyu. The teacher was excellent, but his foundation was too weak. Even with hard work, he couldn’t close the gap quickly. Still, he remembered that someone cared about him, so he never gave up.

The timing of their first meeting was also very coincidental.

Jiang Tingzhou tried very hard to adapt to his new life. After a lot of effort, he found some footing and joined the basketball club through selection.

He was tall and physically fit and performed well during training, but the good times didn’t last long. Two months later, he was slandered at school for stealing the club’s funds. Twenty thousand yuan in basketball team activity funds disappeared. Security cameras caught him going in and out, and money was found in his locker.

Jiang Tingzhou immediately suspected Jiang You. Jiang You gained some popularity through basketball and probably couldn’t stand Jiang Tingzhou’s sudden rise.

But no one else believed him.

Lu Jiahe was captain of the basketball team at the time and also very suspicious. A group of people made a fuss in the academic affairs office until evening, discussing how to convict Jiang Tingzhou. If parents were called in, Father Jiang would see the backgrounds of those classmates and probably just force Jiang Tingzhou to apologize.

But the person who actually came was Lu Baiyu. He was still studying abroad but happened to be home on a short vacation and picked up Lu Jiahe on the way back.

When he entered the school and heard the rumors, his first sentence was: “It’s not him.”

The Lu family held shares in this prestigious school and sat on its board of directors. His words carried weight.

A classmate indignantly retorted, “Why not? No one here is short of money. Nobody cares about 20,000 yuan except Jiang Tingzhou, who is so petty and frugal. He’s the only one with a motive to steal.”

But facing Lu Baiyu, his voice shrank and his confidence faltered.

“Does saving money mean stealing? You don’t need money, but does Jiang Tingzhou need just this 20,000 yuan?” Lu Baiyu said, “Three months ago, I knew Tingzhou joined the basketball team, so I gave him a sports watch. The watch cost 200,000 yuan. He checked the price himself but didn’t dare accept it, so he just sent it back to me. Lu Jiahe, you obviously knew about this. The cameras caught him in the morning, and you found the money in the locker in the afternoon. There were over four hours in between. The school isn’t a closed system. Was he stupid enough to just wait for you to check? The gym locker can be easily opened by anyone. Is that really evidence?”

With his authority, no one in the office dared to speak. Some basketball team members felt guilty and dared not argue.

Jiang Tingzhou looked up blankly at him. After a long while, he raised his hand to wipe his red eyes.

So this was the Lu Baiyu who sent him those gifts.

He wore a dark blue coat, windblown and travel-worn, yet the moment he walked in, all eyes were drawn to him. Jiang Tingzhou finally understood why everyone praised him so highly.

A flawless man—more perfect than he ever imagined.

Jiang Tingzhou had tried to explain himself many times before, but no one ever believed him. This was a school for rich kids—richer even than the Jiangs. The administration, suspecting something was off, didn’t dare call the police. They just wanted to keep things quiet.

But things changed once Lu Baiyu stepped in.

After he intervened, the 20,000 yuan matter was settled. The school dropped the issue and kept apologizing.

Jiang Tingzhou knew he wouldn’t find the truth if he pushed further, so clearing his name was enough.

He learned that pursuing the truth sometimes did more harm than good. Better to let it go.

“I’ll talk to the school later,” Lu Baiyu comforted him. “They won’t dare say anything about you again. Come on, I’ll take you home.”

Though powerful at school, he was gentle around Jiang Tingzhou.

In the car, Lu Baiyu and Jiang Tingzhou sat side by side. Jiang Tingzhou didn’t dare look at him and bowed his head to say thank you.

“No need,” Lu Baiyu reached over and gently tousled his hair. “The Lu family owed you from the start.”

Lu Jiahe mumbled from the back seat, “Bro, stop saying that. Wasn’t that settled years ago?”

At the time, Jiang Tingzhou didn’t understand what that meant. He nervously picked at his fingers and didn’t ask.

But Lu Baiyu, upon hearing his brother, grew angry and snapped, “Lu Jiahe, shut your mouth. Even if there were no past debts, Jiang Tingzhou is still your classmate. Is this how a basketball team captain handles a crisis? Who taught you to act this way—with no judgment, blindly following others to bully someone? I waited half an hour for you at the school gate, and you couldn’t even resolve this simple matter? And you still have the nerve to talk back?”

Lu Jiahe didn’t dare speak in front of his brother. Though he was already tall, he hung his head in silence and finally muttered an apology. “I’ll handle it, just don’t tell Dad.”

Lu Baiyu said, “Apologize to Tingzhou right now.”

“I’m sorry,” Lu Jiahe didn’t resist. He turned and apologized sincerely, “Classmate Jiang Tingzhou, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have treated you like this without knowing the truth. It won’t happen again.”

Jiang Tingzhou was stunned for a long time.

He opened his mouth to say “Forget it, it doesn’t matter,” but this was the first time someone like Lu Jiahe bowed to apologize. Many suppressed emotions surged in his heart. His nose turned sour and tears fell.

He held back tears when wronged before, but now he couldn’t stop them.

He never received such favor before. Even his lost and found family never gave him this, but Lu Baiyu—the unattainable figure in everyone’s eyes—did.

This incident was etched in his heart, and he never forgot it for the rest of his life.