Chapter 19 – Very Fond

The hustle and bustle of the busiest time on Sunday afternoon had already passed.

At half past one in the afternoon, after the customers who had finished their meals left one after another, Ye Zhou and his employees could finally relax a little. Although it wasn’t completely devoid of customers after the mealtime rush, the peak dining hours were over.

After Ye Zhou finished tallying the accounts, he also helped clear the tables.

Just then, the restaurant’s automatic doors opened. Ye Zhou was wiping the table with a cloth when he heard the door open and habitually called out, “Welcome…”

However, the moment he lifted his head and saw who it was, the smile on his lips widened. “Welcome.”

It was already winter, and the weather was getting cooler. Guan Heng stood at the restaurant entrance, wearing a shirt underneath a thin windbreaker. His tall stature and outstanding looks immediately made him the focus of everyone’s attention. This was his second visit to this restaurant, not at Ye Zhou’s invitation, but of his own accord.

Guan Heng followed the sound of the voice and looked towards Ye Zhou, smiling at him.

Although they were in a work setting, Ye Zhou’s heart couldn’t help but race faster. He was delighted, even feeling a bit overwhelmed by the attention. He walked over to Guan Heng, his face filled with joy. “Why are you here?”

This question sounded a bit silly. What would someone come to a restaurant for if not to eat? Ye Zhou quickly realized this and hastily added, “Have you eaten yet?”

“Not yet.”

“Mmm, then…” Ye Zhou hurriedly looked for an empty seat. Although there were fewer people during this time, it was still a holiday. Customers continued to leave and arrive, and quite a few female diners stared straight at Guan Heng. Ye Zhou had delivered food so many times that he had noticed that Guan Heng didn’t seem to enjoy eating out much. Wherever he went, he was always the center of attention. One could get used to this, but it definitely wasn’t comfortable. At this moment, he suddenly had an inexplicable urge to hide Guan Heng away, preventing anyone from seeing him.

Guan Heng was waiting for Ye Zhou to arrange a seat for him when he suddenly heard the latter say, “There doesn’t seem to be enough seating. Let’s go up to my office to eat.”

An employee passing by the two of them on their way to serve food heard Ye Zhou’s words, looked at the few recently cleared empty tables, and felt puzzled. “???”

Guan Heng just smiled after hearing this. “Okay.”

The boss took someone upstairs, leaving behind a group of dumbfounded employees.

“What do you mean there isn’t enough seating?”

“Dumbass, this is just an excuse! Didn’t you notice how the boss looked at that handsome guy differently, his eyes sparkling?”

“So… is that our future boss lady?”

“Huh? Wasn’t the boss pursuing a student? I remember that handsome guy seems to be a university teacher.”

“This teacher is really handsome, quite tall… is he taller than the boss by a little?”

“Is he definitely the boss lady? Why do I feel…”

“Feel what?”

“It’s the other way around.”

Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent.

Meanwhile, Ye Zhou was unaware that he had been gossiped about by his employees as the bride-to-be. He led Guan Heng upstairs. The restaurant, which was transformed from an old house, retained the original appearance of a low-rise building. It had many windows and good lighting. The second floor was not open for use and served as an office, staff rest room, and storage warehouse for items. Ye Zhou shared an office with Fang Ji. Two large desks were placed in the center of the room, facing each other. They sat on opposite sides, with Fang Ji’s seat against the wall and Ye Zhou’s seat facing the window. Almost all the buildings nearby were low-rise houses. Looking down from the window behind Ye Zhou’s seat, one could see the intersection of two streets, offering an excellent view.

“Take a seat.” Ye Zhou pulled out his chair for Guan Heng to sit down, leaning against the side of the table. “What do you want to eat?”

Ye Zhou hadn’t brought the menu upstairs when he led someone up, making it feel a bit like a private kitchen now. Guan Heng didn’t know what he could order, so he asked with a smile, “Anything is fine?”

“Sure, as long as I can make it.”

“Hmm?” Because he was sitting, Guan Heng could only slightly tilt his head to look up at Ye Zhou, his eyebrows raised, chin slightly tilted upwards. It might have been due to the angle, but Guan Heng looked somewhat different from usual. His gentle gaze carried a hint of unobtrusive aggressiveness, but his facial features’ advantages were fully displayed—he was stunningly attractive.

Ye Zhou was momentarily captivated. Perhaps it was because of this that he blurted out, “Uh… the lobster you ate before was made by me.”

Guan Heng wasn’t surprised. “Mm, I could taste it.”

“Really?” Ye Zhou was somewhat surprised. He had always thought this was something that only happened in idol dramas. “How did you tell?”

Actually, the principle wasn’t complicated; it was merely the chef’s personal preferences. For instance, someone who liked sweetness would add a bit more sugar, while someone who enjoyed saltiness would add a bit more salt. The proportions of seasonings and the spices one was accustomed to using would create a unique taste for an individual. But no matter how much one explained, it couldn’t compare to the simplest explanation: “You just know after eating it for a long time.”

Although this was true, hearing these words from Guan Heng, Ye Zhou felt himself being teased again, his heart tingling.

Was Guan Heng implying something? Did he want to continue eating the food I make?

But Ye Zhou wouldn’t be caught off guard like the first time. There was no way he wouldn’t retaliate. Since Guan Heng teased him, he would tease back. He deliberately lowered his head towards Guan Heng, making his words sound ambiguous. “So, do you like it?”

Their eyes met, but neither backed down. There weren’t sparks flying, only a more flirtatious atmosphere.

Then Guan Heng smiled and frankly replied, “Very fond.”

In this instant, Ye Zhou had the illusion that Guan Heng didn’t mean he liked the food he made, but rather, he liked him as a person. He felt a bit overwhelmed, his heart beating more fiercely than usual. Guan Heng appeared to be abstinent and serious on the surface, but he never expected him to be so skilled at this.

Being alone in a small room with no one around, the atmosphere was perfect. Ye Zhou wasn’t sure if he should do something, but crossing boundaries before a relationship was established wasn’t something he would do. The noise downstairs managed to pull back some of his rationality. He took a deep breath inconspicuously. “Wait for me for a moment, it’ll be ready soon.”

“Okay.” Guan Heng also moved back a bit, slightly increasing the distance between them. Everything seemed to return to normal.

After Ye Zhou calmed down a bit, he went downstairs to cook.

The employees in the kitchen watched as the boss entered the kitchen, took out premium scallops, abalones, and angel red prawns from the freezer. While putting them in the microwave to thaw, he skillfully heated oil in a pan. After quickly preparing the ingredients, he put them in a wok and stir-fried them over high heat. The series of smooth and beautiful stir-frying techniques were both impressive and pleasing to the eye, ultimately completing a plate of seafood medley fried noodles that were a feast for all senses. The boss personally cooking was shocking enough, let alone the fact that these ingredients were incredibly expensive.

Several employees couldn’t help but comment, “I’m seeing seafood fried noodles with more seafood than noodles for the first time.”

“Do you know anything? This is aphrodisiac, right?”

“The boss is indeed different now that he has a boyfriend.”

“Now the evidence is solid. The person upstairs isn’t the boss lady; our boss has become the bride-to-be.”

Ye Zhou was very focused when cooking, but that didn’t mean he was deaf and couldn’t hear the employees discussing. He just didn’t bother with it, smiling and scolding, “Are you guys too idle? Do you really think I can’t hear?”

The employees laughed it off, then quickly found an excuse to slip away.

Ye Zhou only spent about ten minutes to complete a main dish and a soup. It wasn’t that he was lazy to put effort into it, but it was almost two in the afternoon, and Guan Heng still hadn’t eaten. This time, Ye Zhou didn’t think Guan Heng was just passing by or busy until this time point. Guan Heng clearly chose to come when there were fewer people, not wanting to crowd with others might be one reason, but more importantly, Ye Zhou could sense that Guan Heng was accommodating his schedule. This indicated that his pursuit was starting to yield noticeable results, which was hard not to be excited about.

When Ye Zhou brought the dishes upstairs, Guan Heng was looking at his phone, seemingly replying to some messages. Although nothing had changed from before, he somehow gave off a slightly colder impression.

However, when Guan Heng lifted his head and saw Ye Zhou, that distant feeling disappeared.

Ye Zhou didn’t intend to ask what was going on. It was rare for them to have a chance to be alone together, and he didn’t want other matters to ruin the moment. “Let’s eat.”

When Guan Heng saw the food in front of him, he smiled, apparently finding the abundant ingredients in the fried noodles excessive and not cost-effective. However, he didn’t say anything and, as usual, picked up his chopsticks with his left hand to eat.

Downstairs remained lively, with other customers still present, but it wasn’t busy enough to require Ye Zhou to go down and help.

Ye Zhou sat in Fang Ji’s seat for the first time, chatting casually while accompanying Guan Heng through a meal without any interruptions.

It was from this moment that their relationship began to change.

Afterwards, Ye Zhou continued to frequently deliver meals to the school, becoming a regular visitor over time. Quite a few teachers and students in the department recognized him and liked him. He was warm and easy to get along with. Not only did he befriend several teachers who interacted with Guan Heng often, but he even became familiar with several postgraduate students under Guan Heng’s guidance. Within two months, Ye Zhou thoroughly integrated into Guan Heng’s social network.

Ye Zhou had never concealed his intentions. Pursuing someone didn’t need to be too ostentatious, but there was no need to hide either. Although some people disapproved, his open and straightforward attitude gained him considerable admiration and support. Surprisingly, Guan Heng didn’t stop him, as if tacitly allowing Ye Zhou to enter his life. The most obvious change was that when Guan Heng had free time on weekends, he would also go to the restaurant to find Ye Zhou. Sometimes, he would wait for him at the restaurant in the evening and walk home together after work.

Although neither of them had explicitly acknowledged it, the feeling when they were together had already become more intimate than that of friends.

Having pursued for some time, Ye Zhou clearly observed the changes in Guan Heng. He felt that the timing was about right to take things further. During one of his visits to Guan Heng, he casually mentioned, daringly extending an invitation, “Professor Guan, do you have time on Christmas? Would you like to go watch a movie together?”

Although Christmas was more of a festival celebrated by students, the festive atmosphere at school was strong. Guan Heng couldn’t possibly misunderstand his intentions. Ye Zhou deliberately chose a day couples would spend together, believing this hint was quite obvious. Watching a movie was usually a staple of dating.

Both of them were experienced adults in relationships. Ye Zhou had laid the groundwork beforehand, so this invitation wasn’t sudden for Guan Heng and wasn’t unexpected.

Ye Zhou’s pursuit was natural, even considerate of others’ feelings, making it difficult for one to refuse him.

Guan Heng probably already had an answer in his heart and replied with a smile, “Okay.”