Chapter 15 – Inspection

Ye Zhou’s strategy to pursue someone involved not just maintaining the status quo, but also finding ways to integrate into the other person’s life and work environment.

After returning to his normal life, Ye Zhou resumed his usual busy schedule. However, to attend Guan Heng’s lectures, he made it a point to leave early two nights every week, then make up for the lost hours on his days off. As the boss, he could easily slack off or take vacations without anyone daring to say anything, but he didn’t want to set a bad example for his employees. He might not preach big principles, but he understood the importance of leading by example. If a restaurant owner was lazy and indulgent, it would inevitably influence his staff to follow suit.

The last time, an employee accidentally alerted a criminal by calling the police, causing the culprit to flee hastily. The employee felt extremely guilty afterward, believing that he had caused the injury to the boss. Ye Zhou didn’t blame the employee; after all, pursuing the criminal was his own choice, and anyone would likely panic in their first encounter with an emergency. However, the incident had a silver lining, as all employees became more vigilant at work and took the initiative to observe customers during meals. This kind of personal experience was far more effective than mere preaching.

Having devised a more advanced strategy, Ye Zhou wanted to contact Zhou Jiayi these days, but due to previous events, they hadn’t exchanged contact information.

Unexpectedly, one day, Zhou Jiayi came to the restaurant with Lin Jie, saving Ye Zhou the trouble of looking for him.

Zhou Jiayi had heard about Ye Zhou’s foot injury the last time he visited, and upon finally seeing him, he immediately asked with concern, “Brother Zhou, is your foot alright now?”

“No problem, it wasn’t serious to begin with,” Ye Zhou greeted the two of them and led them to their seats. Perhaps due to the progress in their relationship over the past month, Lin Jie no longer harbored any hostility toward him and was courteous and polite.

Ye Zhou originally wanted to talk to Zhou Jiayi privately, but he worried that it might lead to misunderstandings between them. After some thought, he decided there was nothing secretive about the matter and got straight to the point, “I have something I’d like you to help me with.”

Zhou Jiayi was somewhat surprised, never expecting Ye Zhou to need their assistance. “What is it? Tell us, we’ll definitely help you if we can.”

There were still many customers in the restaurant, so Ye Zhou didn’t rush to explain. He let them order their meals first, planning to approach them when he had a moment. Zhou Jiayi was indeed curious, and during the meal, he kept talking incessantly, speculating about what Ye Zhou wanted their help with.

Lin Jie was helpless and simply scooped a mouthful of rice with his spoon and stuffed it into Zhou Jiayi’s mouth. “We’ll know soon enough, eat your food properly.”

Zhou Jiayi bit down on the spoon Lin Jie had used and was stunned for a moment, his face instantly turning red. He fell silent and obediently ate his meal.

Once the two finished eating and most of the customers had left the restaurant, Ye Zhou brought over desserts and drinks, sitting across from them.

Zhou Jiayi couldn’t wait anymore. “Tell us, Brother Zhou, I’m dying of curiosity.”

Ye Zhou smiled, his attitude open and straightforward. “Actually, it’s nothing much. I just wanted to ask if you know Professor Guan’s class schedule. I remember that university professors usually post their schedules outside their office doors, or can you find them on the school website?”

“The class schedule? Yes, it does exist. Oh, I thought it was something major…” Zhou Jiayi didn’t notice Ye Zhou changing his way of addressing Guan Heng, who was still referred to as Professor Guan last time in a rather formal manner. This time, however, Ye Zhou’s tone was much more familiar. But Lin Jie did notice it, looking at Ye Zhou in surprise, yet ultimately asking nothing. He silently admired Ye Zhou in his heart.

Zhou Jiayi immediately took out his phone, logged into the school website, and found Guan Heng’s class schedule in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. “Brother Zhou, why do you want to know this? Do you have something to discuss with Professor Guan?”

“Yes, I do have something I need to talk to him about.”

Zhou Jiayi didn’t suspect anything. “However, this schedule is only for reference. If you want to meet him during his free time, you might have to rely on luck. He’s not necessarily in his office all the time.”

“I see, I understand.”

“By the way, Professor Guan seems to supervise several graduate students. So, he spends quite a bit of time on campus. Let me check…” Zhou Jiayi enthusiastically helped Ye Zhou find the information he needed. Typically, such data was kept confidential and inaccessible to non-students.

Zhou Jiayi downloaded the class schedule, and the three of them exchanged contact information, creating a small group chat for future communication.

Ye Zhou saved the class schedule and glanced at the times Guan Heng had classes. University professors generally enjoyed more freedom, teaching fewer hours. But as Zhou Jiayi said, Guan Heng supervised graduate students and had his own research projects, spending considerable time at school. Not to mention, Guan Heng taught regularly at community colleges, occasionally visited prisons, and practiced boxing… With all these activities, Ye Zhou’s first thought was, was Guan Heng a superman? With so many things on his plate, it was no wonder he was always leaving early and coming home late.

But Ye Zhou didn’t show his thoughts on his face. He put away his phone and thanked the two of them. “Thanks, I’ll treat you to this meal.”

“Woah, how nice of you.” Zhou Jiayi was delighted, and Lin Jie didn’t refuse either.

Ye Zhou would need their help in the future, and buying a meal to win over two assistants seemed like a good deal.

After obtaining Guan Heng’s class schedule, Ye Zhou didn’t take immediate action. He was uncertain about how Guan Heng would react if he approached him abruptly, or whether it would disrupt his work. He needed to find a legitimate reason that couldn’t be refused. He studied Guan Heng’s schedule and, through Zhou Jiayi, asked students in his department. He learned that Guan Heng was hardly ever idle, only having an hour break for lunch, which was inconvenient to disturb…

Wait, lunch!

Ye Zhou almost forgot that this was a perfect opportunity for him to showcase his skills!

For the following matters, Ye Zhou didn’t bother Zhou Jiayi to inquire further. It was best if he asked Guan Heng himself. One evening, while they walked home together as usual, Ye Zhou casually brought up the restaurant business and asked about Guan Heng’s lunch habits on weekdays, suggesting that he could bring students to eat there if he had time. Ye Zhou phrased his questions skillfully, avoiding any appearance of excessive intent, as if it was merely casual conversation.

Guan Heng didn’t seem to notice Ye Zhou’s intentions and casually replied that he didn’t have many choices for lunch, usually settling for something quick due to lack of time. Even during breaks, students often sought him out. Besides being busy, another reason was his fame; it seemed like people were always looking for him, preventing him from enjoying his meals properly.

Guan Heng rarely spoke about himself, typically only answering when Ye Zhou asked. It was only now that Ye Zhou noticed this pattern, giving him a sense of gradually entering the other person’s life. He felt happy and spoke in a relaxed tone, jokingly saying, “Being a teacher isn’t easy nowadays, having to deal with the pressures of being an idol.”

Guan Heng chuckled. “It’s become a habit.”

Ye Zhou didn’t act recklessly in his pursuit and was accustomed to making thorough preparations. After considering Guan Heng’s work nature and schedule, he dove into the kitchen to start researching new dishes.