Fang Xiao exhaled heavily as she stepped out of the private room, her anger evident as she shot a withering glare at Zhang Jin, who stood by her side with his head bowed.
"You blind fool, look at the trouble you've caused. You almost made me the laughingstock of the family," she snapped.
Zhang Jin, knowing he had no defense, kept his head lowered. "Yes, yes, it was my mistake."
Fang Xiao snorted coldly. "Three months of salary docked—reflect on your actions properly."
Zhang Jin's eyes widened in shock, looking up at Fang Xiao. Three months of pay was a substantial amount of spirit stones, and the thought of losing it stung deeply.
Fang Xiao's eyes were stern. "What? Are you not satisfied?"
"Miss, I..." Zhang Jin stammered.
"Get out of my sight. If you're not satisfied, keep it to yourself," she said, waving him away dismissively.
Zhang Jin had no choice but to leave, resentment seething inside him. This is all because of that Lü Shaoqing! he thought bitterly. If not for him, I wouldn't be in this mess.
As he passed by Xie Chong's room, Zhang Jin's eyes glinted with malice. He paused and lightly knocked on the door. "Gentlemen..."
Meanwhile, Fang Xiao rubbed her temples, muttering to herself. "That fool, causing so much trouble. This restaurant is supposed to be my stepping stone to success. If he ruins it, I swear I'll have his head."
At that moment, she spotted Wang Yao emerging from the kitchen and motioned him over.
"Wang Yao, you're a disciple of the Lingxiao Sect. Do you know much about your Senior Brother Lü Shaoqing?" she asked.
Wang Yao nodded. "Boss, I've delivered takeout to Senior Brother Lü several times. We've interacted a bit."
"But to say I know him well? Not really. He's a low-key person, rarely showing up in the sect. In fact, many disciples haven't even heard of or seen him."
Fang Xiao was surprised but then thought back. Indeed, she had heard of most of the other direct disciples of Lingxiao Sect but had no knowledge of Lü Shaoqing's existence. It seemed he really did keep a low profile.
"But," Wang Yao continued, "I do know that Senior Brother Lü is very fond of Chef Hu's cooking."
"Chef Hu? You mean the spirit chef, Hu Bing, whom I poached?" Fang Xiao's eyes lit up.
Wang Yao nodded. "Yes, that's him. Senior Brother Lü came here specifically for Chef Hu's cooking today."
Fang Xiao's expression brightened further. "Looks like I made the right move hiring him."
Wang Yao chuckled. "It's because the previous owner was too stingy and refused to give Chef Hu a raise. Senior Brother Lü suggested the idea of takeout service to help Chef Hu make extra income. Even then, the old boss refused to raise his pay."
Fang Xiao was intrigued. "The takeout idea was his?"
Wang Yao confirmed. "Yes, Senior Brother Lü said that way he wouldn't have to come down the mountain to eat every time."
"But I don't know why he came down today and ordered such a large spread."
Fang Xiao's heart skipped a beat. "A large spread?"
"Yeah, I just reviewed the order with Chef Hu."
Fang Xiao's eyes widened, and she quickly instructed, "Let me see that order."
Back in the private room, Xiao Yi was staring, mouth agape, at the seemingly endless stream of dishes being served.
She looked at Lü Shaoqing with an almost tearful expression. "Second Senior Brother, you ordered this much?"
When they were ordering earlier, Xiao Yi had only chosen two dishes, but Lü Shaoqing had gone on to order almost the entire menu.
Lü Shaoqing shrugged casually. "I told you, I have a big appetite."
"But, Senior Brother, I don't have enough spirit stones to pay for all this," Xiao Yi said, her face paling.
"Didn't you hear the owner? This meal is on the house," Lü Shaoqing reminded her.
Realizing this, Xiao Yi's expression lit up. "Senior Brother, you're amazing!"
"Of course! Stick with me, and you'll eat well and live comfortably," Lü Shaoqing grinned. "Now, hurry up and eat so we can head back and train."
Xiao Yi nodded enthusiastically. "Don't worry, Second Senior Brother. I won't slack off."
"With our senior brother around, you won't get the chance to be lazy," Lü Shaoqing added with a smirk. "What I mean is, you need to become stronger soon. That way, if someone comes to cause trouble, you'll be the one to handle them."
Xiao Yi blinked, realizing what he meant. So that's why you want me to train hard?
She continued eating and asked, "But Second Senior Brother, why didn't you accept their challenge earlier? They were clearly trying to provoke you."
Lü Shaoqing waved her off. "You silly girl, what's the point of fighting them? What do I gain from it?"
"Isn't it better to save my energy for eating?" he reasoned. "Fighting and sparring are things for Senior Brother Ji Yan to handle."
Xiao Yi studied him suspiciously. "Senior Brother, can you tell me honestly—how strong are you?"
Lü Shaoqing casually replied, "Senior Brother Ji Yan can't take me down. And as for you, I could make you cry with just one hand."
The weight of his statement about Ji Yan stunned Xiao Yi. If even Ji Yan can't beat him...
But then the second part made her pout. "I don't believe you!"
"Oh, come on, just tell me," she urged, trying to look cute and pleading.
Lü Shaoqing nonchalantly picked up a drumstick and stuffed it into her mouth. "Eat your food and stop asking nonsense."
After finishing their meal, Lü Shaoqing leaned back, rubbing his full belly with satisfaction. Xiao Yi, also full, patted her own round stomach.
"I can't eat anymore," she admitted.
Meanwhile, the little bird, Xiao Hong, was lying on its back on the table, its tiny belly swollen and eyes filled with contentment.
Lü Shaoqing called out, "Wang Yao, bring me the menu."
Xiao Yi's eyes widened. "Senior Brother, can you still eat more?"
"No, I'm packing up the leftovers. Doesn't our master and senior brother need to eat too?" Lü Shaoqing replied matter-of-factly. "Besides, it's free."
Outside the private room, Fang Xiao watched as Lü Shaoqing and Xiao Yi left, both looking relaxed and satisfied. She gritted her teeth so hard she thought they might crack.
"Is this what he calls 'not much'?" she muttered angrily.
I underestimated Lü Shaoqing's shamelessness.
"Are you a pig? You just devoured over 5,000 spirit stones worth of food—that's more than a day's earnings!" Fang Xiao felt like crying.
And what infuriated her even more was that Lü Shaoqing not only ate that much but had also packed up another portion. In total, she had lost nearly 10,000 spirit stones that day.
Clutching her chest, she sighed. This pain...
"This is all because of that idiot Zhang Jin!" Fang Xiao's frustration boiled over.
If Zhang Jin hadn't made a scene, she wouldn't have incurred such a loss.
"Where's Zhang Jin? Bring him to me," she ordered, her voice icy.
Zhang Jin soon appeared, bowing respectfully. "Miss!"
The moment Fang Xiao saw him, her anger flared up again. She clutched her chest, feeling the loss of spirit stones as if it were a physical wound.
"Hmph, I'm docking another month of your salary."
Zhang Jin's face fell. "Miss, why?"
"Why? Because of the trouble you caused me today, that's why!" Fang Xiao snapped.
Just then, from the balcony on the second floor, Fang Xiao noticed Zhang Zheng leaving Ju Xian Lou alone, his expression somber.