After the divorce, he took care of his child and sold fried rice; his ex-wife was filled with regret

Faced with Su Ming's extremely enthusiastic greeting, Qin Lang only paused slightly and glanced at the middle-aged couple out of the corner of his eye.

His gaze was extremely indifferent, as if he had no intention of responding at all. He merely nodded halfway before quickly looking away.

Zhao Tianyi, who was walking on the left, didn't even spare a glance for them!

He completely regarded Su Ming's smiling face as a mural in the corridor, and all his attention and enthusiasm were focused on the person walking between them.

"Master, please slow down, there's a step ahead." Zhao Tianyi reminded him cautiously, his tone so respectful it even carried a hint of flattery.

"If those old guys insist on toasting you later, don't give them face. If they don't like me, just let me handle them!"

"You're our pillar of strength, you can't get tired!" Qin Lang chimed in, chattering like a possessive little brother.

Su Ming remained stiffly in the bowing greeting posture, the words "Where are you two going?" stuck in his throat, forced back down.

awkward.

Extremely awkward.

But this awkwardness lasted only a second before being replaced by a more intense shock.

Because when the three men walked past them.

Su Ming's peripheral vision, and Zhang Cuihua's furtive glances, both fell on the person who was being surrounded by Zhao Tianyi and Qin Lang like a star.

He was a young man dressed in a plain white chef's uniform.

He walked steadily past Su Ming and Zhang Cuihua without glancing at them, not even sparing a glance at the two obsequious people pressed against the wall.

In that brief second when we brushed past each other.

The light from a wall lamp at the top of the corridor fell precisely on the young man's profile.

His features were cool and handsome, and his eyes were indifferent as water.

"Buzz—!"

A thunderbolt instantly exploded in Zhang Cuihua's mind.

She froze, her eyes widening instantly, and even her breath caught in her throat.

Until the three figures turned the corner and disappeared behind the door leading to the front hall.

Zhang Cuihua suddenly grabbed Su Ming's arm, her nails digging deep into his flesh, her voice trembling violently with extreme shock:

"Old...Old Su! Did you...did you see that just now?!"

"What did you see? Why are you shouting like that!" Su Ming winced in pain, frowning as he shook off her hand.

"The one in the middle! The one in the chef's uniform surrounded by Young Master Zhao and Young Master Qin!"

Zhang Cuihua started to stutter, her face deathly pale, as if she had seen a ghost in broad daylight:

"That person...that person looks so much like...Lin Fan?!"

"Lin Fan?"

Su Ming was stunned for a moment, recalling the figure that had just brushed past him, and his brows furrowed into a deep knot.

Indeed, that profile and that figure were remarkably similar to their ex-son-in-law who had been kicked out of the house.

but……

"Are you out of your mind?!"

Su Ming doubted it for only a second before rejecting the utterly absurd idea without hesitation, and angrily retorted:

"That good-for-nothing Lin Fan can't even get through the main gate of the Grand Hyatt Hotel, how could he possibly be here?!"

"Don't you even have a brain! Didn't you see how respectful Young Master Zhao and Young Master Qin were to him, like he was their lackey?"

Su Ming snorted coldly:

"This final dish, 'National Beauty and Heavenly Fragrance,' must be the work of that master chef from before! A master chef of this caliber is either retired from Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing or a reclusive successor of an imperial chef!"

"Lin Fan? Does he even deserve to be compared to that master? He probably only looks slightly similar. That master's calm and composed aura is something that Lin Fan, that servile gigolo, could never learn, even if he spent his whole life trying!"

After hearing her husband's analysis, Zhang Cuihua's violently beating heart gradually calmed down.

"Yes, yes, you're right."

Zhang Cuihua patted her chest, let out a long breath, and laughed self-deprecatingly:

"I'm so angry at those old women. How could they associate that good-for-nothing Lin Fan with such a big shot that Qin Shao and the others treat him like royalty? If that good-for-nothing could have that kind of status, the sun would have risen in the west."

"Alright, stop being so paranoid, let's go! While no one's watching."

Su Ming urged them on, and the two of them hurriedly left through the back door like thieves.

……

at the same time.

Inside the banquet hall, the atmosphere was a blend of extreme fervor and elegance.

The lingering taste sensation from the "National Beauty and Heavenly Fragrance - Peony Pastry" still resonates in the hearts of every guest.

Everyone whispered among themselves, speculating about the identity of this mysterious expert who could outshine Michelin-starred chefs from France.

The main table was bustling with activity.

Several usually stern vice presidents of the chamber of commerce and real estate tycoons worth billions all lowered their guard and surrounded Zhao Hongming, bombarding him with questions.

"Old Zhao, you've done an excellent job keeping this a secret! Where does such a master craftsman usually hide to make his fortune? You didn't even give us old buddies a hint!"

"That's right, Mr. Zhao! Which private restaurant does this master chef run? Or does he only take high-end custom orders? Quickly send me his business card. My father is turning 80 next month, and no matter the cost, I have to invite this master chef to cook and make a grand entrance!"

A financial tycoon even extended an olive branch: "Brother Zhao, with this level of skill, it's a waste to have him as a consultant in your Grand Hyatt's kitchen. Why don't we join forces, invest a billion yuan in him, and create a top-tier high-end Chinese restaurant brand that will absolutely sweep the nation!"

Faced with the slightly anxious questions from these usually arrogant bigwigs, Zhao Hongming sat in his chair, his face beaming, feeling more comfortable than if he had drunk ice water on a sweltering summer day.

But instead of revealing everything immediately, he pretended to be profound, picked up his wine glass, gently swirled it, and smiled, keeping everyone in suspense:

"Everyone, everyone, please calm down."

"To be honest, this master is not someone I, Zhao, could invite. It was my son, Tianyi, who met this extraordinary person by chance."

Zhao Hongming put down his wine glass, lowered his voice, and adopted a mysterious demeanor:

"I heard that this master craftsman is not only incredibly skilled, but also has a proud and aloof personality, and is extremely low-key."

"I'm only here to save the day because of our friendship. If you're thinking of using money to bribe me, that won't work."

His words were half true and half false, which not only praised his son Zhao Tianyi for his ability to make friends with influential people, but also whetted the appetite of everyone present.

"They don't even care about money?"

Upon hearing this, the bigwigs were not angry at all; instead, their eyes revealed even greater interest and awe.

At their level, anything that can be solved with money isn't a problem.

The more someone is a "reclusive master" who regards money as dirt and possesses extremely high attainments, the more worthy it is for them to befriend them.

Sitting in the main seat, Ye Weiguo listened quietly to Zhao Hongming's flattery.

He placed his hands on his cane, his old eyes, which had seen countless people, narrowed slightly, as if he were pondering something.

He knew all too well the value of that "Peony Pastry".

This feeling... it seems like he just experienced it not long ago.

"Boss Zhao, stop keeping me in suspense."

Ye Weiguo finally couldn't hold back any longer and stared intently at Zhao Hongming.

"This Jiangcheng actually harbors such a grandmaster, and I, an old man, didn't even know a whisper of him? Just who is this master?"