Hong Sister, how could you agree to that guy's request?" Linlin asked puzzledly.
Hong Yaqin continued to be busy, taking out vegetables and preparing to stir-fry them for Ye Fei.
Linlin snatched the kitchen knife from Hong Yaqin and pleaded, "Hong Sister."
Helplessly, Hong Yaqin put down the vegetables in her hands and said, "Linlin, don't you think he's a suitable person?"
Suddenly understanding, Linlin exclaimed in surprise, "You mean letting him pretend to be your boyfriend? Are you kidding? So many people pursue you, and any one of them would be better than him. We don't even know what he does."
"Isn't it better this way? You also know that all those people pursuing me could easily lead to misunderstandings. You also understand my parents' thoughts. It would really cause me trouble. Instead of letting those people pester me, why not make a deal with him? He finds a place to eat, and I find someone to deal with my parents. It's just a matter of mutual benefit," Hong Yaqin said.
Linlin sighed and said, "Oh my, Hong Sister, I really admire you. Instead of finding a real boyfriend, with just a word from you, any man in Beijing would be willing to court you. Why bother to compromise yourself?"
Laughing, Hong Yaqin replied, "Alright, my dear Linlin, not everyone has your charm! Go out, I'll cook his meal."
Speechless, He Linlin shook her head and walked out.
Ye Fei noticed a shadow passing over him. Looking up, he saw He Linlin glaring at him with ferocity.
"Do you need something?" Ye Fei asked.
He Linlin sat across from Ye Fei, her face stern, and asked suspiciously, "Hey, what's your name?"
"Ye Fei!"
"Ye Fei, tell me, who sent you, and what's your purpose? Are you trying to get close to Hong Sister? Let me tell you, as long as I'm here, you won't succeed even in your dreams," He Linlin said angrily.
Ye Fei smiled and said, "I think you've misunderstood something. It's actually your friend Hong Sister who's asking for my help. This kind of arrangement can end at any time, and it doesn't matter to me. I can just go to another restaurant. It's not easy for her to find a boyfriend more suitable than me."
He Linlin was speechless!
"Alright, Miss He, don't worry too much. For you, I'm just a passerby, and for me, you're the same. There's no need for us to say much. You don't have to worry that I have any unspeakable intentions. Honestly, although your friend Hong Sister looks good, I, Ye Fei, don't really care about her," Ye Fei said.
This was not a lie. After the experience with Wang Yue, Ye Fei had lost faith in love and had no trust in women. If it weren't for the convenience of dining, he wouldn't have agreed to Hong Yaqin's request.
Frustrated, He Linlin thought, this man was too cunning. He had just been pleading with her, but now he acted so superior.
"Fine, remember what you said today. If you dare have any ulterior motives, I won't let you off. You come from outside, don't think it's easy to get by in Beijing. Whether you're a dragon or a tiger, you have to crouch," He Linlin left after leaving these harsh words.
After taking a final drag of his cigarette, Ye Fei muttered to himself, "It seems you're not an ordinary person either. Interesting, very interesting. I was thinking about how to build relationships with these people, but they've come to me on their own. It seems Hong Yaqin's identity is not simple! This situation is becoming more and more interesting."
With that in mind, a cold gleam flashed in Ye Fei's eyes. Using others was fair game in society; perhaps his decision was the right one.
There were different levels among chefs, and if he could become the imperial chef, that would be a big deal!
The cold gleam in his eyes disappeared in an instant, and he quickly regained his composure.
No one knew what scheme Ye Fei was plotting! He decided to maintain his character because sudden enthusiasm would alert Hong Yaqin. In this world, there were no fools; those who took others for fools often ended up being the true fools themselves.
"Your meal is here!" Hong Yaqin brought Ye Fei's meal over.
Ye Fei took it without hesitation and began to eat heartily.
"Don't you have a 'thank you' for me?" Hong Yaqin's patience was wearing thin.
"Why thank you? This is just a transaction, neither of us owes the other. This is what I deserve," Ye Fei said as he ate. After a long day, he was really hungry.
Hong Yaqin began to doubt her decision to have Ye Fei pretend to be her boyfriend.
After finishing his meal, Ye Fei wiped his mouth, stood up, and prepared to leave.
"Ye Fei, where are you going?" Hong Yaqin called out.
"I'm done eating, so I'm going home. Is there anything else?" Ye Fei asked.
"Can you leave me your phone number? In case I need to reach you. We agreed, this is a transaction, you can't just leave after eating!" Hong Yaqin held back her anger.
Ye Fei nodded, took out his phone and said, "Tell me your number, I'll give you a call."
Hong Yaqin gave her phone number, and Ye Fei dialed a number, shook his phone, and said, "Okay, I have your number now, is that okay?"
Hong Yaqin shook her head. After Ye Fei left, she turned to look at Helinlin next to her and said, "Lingling, do you think I've lost my former beauty because I've been cooking for so long?"
Helinlin replied, "How is that possible! Yaqin, you are the most beautiful chef in the capital!"
"Really? Then what's the matter with this guy? He doesn't even want to talk to me!" Hong Yaqin asked.
Women are like this. If Ye Fei had been attentive to her, she would have suspected he had ulterior motives. But since he ignored her, she felt uneasy, doubting her own charm.
"That guy? He's just weird. I suspect he's gay. Otherwise, with a beauty like you sitting here, he remains indifferent. My charm is not limited to men, I'm known as a man-killer," Helinlin said disdainfully.
Hong Yaqin shook her head and said, "Enough of self-admiration. How long do you plan to hang around with me? You've been admitted to university, but you don't go to school and loaf around here all day. What's going on?"
Helinlin said helplessly, "Yaqin, you know, I applied to Tianjin University, but I received an admission letter from Beijing University. You know for sure that this must be the work of my family. They want me to go to school, it's just wishful thinking. Unless it's Tianjin University, I won't go to school."
"I just don't understand, what's wrong with Beijing University? Why do you have to go to Tianjin?" Hong Yaqin asked.
Helinlin smiled mysteriously and said, "You don't understand. If I were at Beijing University, I would be at my family's mercy for the rest of my life, and that's not the life I want."
"So you want to go to Tianjin University for a carefree life," Hong Yaqin said.
"Exactly, that's what I intend to do. If I go far enough, they certainly won't be able to stop me, and they won't restrict us like they do now. I believe before long, they will compromise. As long as they disagree, I won't go to school. Yaqin, do you really think I don't have the talent for cooking?" Hong Yaqin thought of the dishes Helinlin cooked in the morning, and her expression immediately turned grim.
"Lingling, others charge for their cooking, but your cooking is really something. Whoever can stomach your cooking, I dare say, must have fallen deeply in love with you," Hong Yaqin said.
Helinlin pursed her lips and said, "Yaqin, you're exaggerating, aren't you?"
Hong Yaqin sighed and said, "Your cooking is worse than what I said. Alright, Lingling, don't waste my ingredients anymore."
Ye Fei walked to the entrance of the community, looked at the empty gate, smiled, as he had expected, those newcomers had all left. After today's setback, their arrogance should have diminished, and they probably wouldn't bother him again in the future.
Ideals are beautiful, but reality is harsh. The next day, as Ye Fei was about to accelerate out of the community, Yang Yi suddenly jumped out with a little girl.
Ye Fei hastily hit the brakes, narrowly avoiding hitting them.
Ye Fei angrily got out of the car and scolded, "Have you had enough of living? Go die wherever you want, just don't crash into my car."