Chapter 95: A Perfect Ending

“Excuse me!” Before Yang Chengzhi could leave, Bai Renzong hurriedly called after him. “Actually, I’m a food content creator. Would it be all right if I shot some footage in the shop and then wrote a review or something?”

“Oh, certainly.” The other man did not even bother to ask for his handle, clearly unconcerned with what he might write. That only showed how confident he was in his restaurant’s food.

This large portion of boiled fish cost one hundred and sixty. It was far tastier than the boiled fish Bai Renzong and Han Jiayi had eaten at Imperial Banquet House at noon, and it was even cheaper. There was nothing at all to criticize.

“How do you know it’s Brother Xing’s cooking?” Han Jiayi asked suspiciously.

“Remember what I told you earlier about souls?” Bai Renzong shot her a glare. “Brother Xing’s cooking is special. He keeps the style of Chinese cuisine, but in order to suit younger diners and foreign tastes, he makes a few subtle adjustments in the details. One bite tells you it’s authentic Chinese food, yet there are details within it that are more in step with international tastes.”

As he spoke, Bai Renzong picked out a few crumbs of mint from the boiled fish. “Take this mint and the lemon juice, for example. Little touches like these make it easier for foreigners to accept.”

“What, so now you’re basically saying, ‘In this regard, you’re not as good as Brother Xing’...” Han Jiayi muttered, a little unconvinced.

“All right, all right, enough of that. Eat more.” Bai Renzong’s expression softened, and smiling, he placed another large piece of boiled fish onto her plate.

As they were eating, they suddenly noticed Yang Chengzhi at the cashier by the entrance, speaking to one of the waiters and instructing him to lead a family of five into a private room upstairs. “Remember, ah, the Special Set A.”

Bai Renzong could not help but feel curious. That family of five did not look wealthy, and yet they could go upstairs to a private room?

“Special Set A...” Bai Renzong picked up the menu and looked through it, only to find that this set did not list either a price or its contents.

“Excuse me, may I ask something?” Bai Renzong raised a hand and asked the waiter, “What is this Special Set A?”

“Oh, that is one of our shop’s special sets.” The waiter smiled faintly. “If your family is on welfare or classified as impoverished, you only need to show your household’s poverty certificate or welfare certificate, and you can have a serving of Special Set A here. You may come once a month. The set includes boiled fish, chopped chili fish head, and a few side dishes. It is free of charge.”

“Free of charge?” Han Jiayi asked in surprise.

“Yes. And there is also Special Set B here,” the waiter explained quietly. “If you are facing some difficulty, such as losing your job recently or having your wallet stolen, just let Manager Yang know, and you can have a serving of Set B. You can choose either the boiled fish or the chopped chili fish head, with rice or noodles included. It is also free.”

“Do a lot of people come to eat these two sets?” Bai Renzong asked with keen interest.

“There are... but not too many,” the waiter said with a bitter smile. “We usually keep it confidential for them.”

Bai Renzong suddenly felt deeply moved. What a restaurant with such warmth and humanity.

The greatest kindness in this world is to let those who need help accept that help with dignity.

For a moment, Bai Renzong wanted to go back, make a video, and write a glowing review that would praise the restaurant to the skies. Yet he was also worried that if he exposed this matter, some ill-intentioned people might come here deliberately to exploit it and interfere with the restaurant’s business.

Of course, he knew that publicizing these two sets would bring him a wave of attention and help him build a “conscientious” image. But building that image while doing something contrary to that very conscience would undoubtedly be a contradiction.

So, in the end, he decided not to reveal the restaurant’s two special sets, and silently wished this place continued prosperity.

It had to be said that this old establishment had every right to be included in the local tourist brochures of North Chang City.

The freshness and quality of the ingredients were flawless, the craftsmanship was excellent, and the prices were far from outrageous. Any ordinary middle-class family could easily afford to eat here. Added to that were Special Set A and Special Set B...

“What a fine restaurant.” Bai Renzong nodded with a smile, then turned to Han Jiayi. “I’ve got good material now.”

“Mhm.” Han Jiayi smiled sweetly.

After finishing their meal and paying the bill, the two of them headed toward the parking lot, ready to go home.

But after walking for a while, Bai Renzong failed to notice that the lovely person beside him had disappeared.

Only when Han Jiayi suddenly shouted, “Troll Bai!” did he finally react.

At that moment, Bai Renzong felt a surge of irritation. Could she please not call him that in public, in front of so many people?

So Bai Renzong immediately turned around and replied with a slight smile, “What is it, Han Mumu?”

Only then did he realize that Han Jiayi was standing several meters behind him, frozen in place, her face full of embarrassment.

“What are you doing?” Bai Renzong asked, puzzled.

“You idiot, just marching ahead with your head down!” Han Jiayi said coquettishly, cheeks red with embarrassment, then waved a small hand. “Come here...”

Bai Renzong moved closer and only then saw that the heel of her shoe had caught in the gap of a roadside drain.

She was wearing sandals today, with heels only three or four centimeters high, and yet they were just high enough to get trapped in that seam. One could only call it fate.

“This...” Bai Renzong frowned, at a loss. “What do you need me to do?”

“Can you help me take the shoe off and pull it out?” Han Jiayi said shyly, covering her face. “If I bend down, everything will show...”

“Oh, oh!” Bai Renzong answered, crouching down and preparing to get to work.

“Don’t look up!” Han Jiayi said, pressing down on the hem of her skirt, her face red.

“Right, right!” Bai Renzong said, then studied the sandal for a while. Soon, he realized...

What was wrong with this buckle? Why did women’s sandals in this day and age have buckles as complicated as a traditional lock puzzle?

“How do I even undo this?” Bai Renzong looked left and right, helpless.

“Then just pull my foot out!” Han Jiayi urged. “Hurry up, everyone around us is staring!”

“Got it!” Bai Renzong quickly replied, then gently took hold of her slender ankle.

Her skin felt warm and smooth as jade, and that delicate ankle seemed as though it would crumble under a slight squeeze. He quickly used his other hand to support the heel and gave a pull upward...

With a sharp crack, the heel snapped off.

With one heel gone, Han Jiayi walked with a limp, drawing the eyes of everyone nearby.

Fortunately, the parking lot was not far away, so Bai Renzong decided to carry her there.

Silently, he carried Han Jiayi on his back, and for a while neither of them said a word.

Lying against Bai Renzong’s back, Han Jiayi could not help thinking: Troll Bai has gotten thinner lately... No, I can’t let him keep losing weight. It’ll make me, as a chef, seem completely useless! I need to make some higher-calorie dishes from now on.

Meanwhile, Bai Renzong sighed inwardly: This girl is so light. She must weigh only forty-five kilograms or so, right? Is she eating properly?

With their bodies this close, Bai Renzong could feel the warmth of Han Jiayi’s body through his back, while a faint fragrance of osmanthus surrounded him.

She smelled like freshly made osmanthus cake, sweet and fragrant. It made him want to take a bite.

“At noon, the restaurant swapped the fish on us; in the afternoon, you ran off to the bathroom halfway through the movie; and now on the way home, my heel’s broken!” Recalling the events of the day, Han Jiayi grumbled anxiously on Bai Renzong’s back. “Today really has been a disaster...”

“I actually think it’s been pretty perfect,” Bai Renzong said with a smile. This was probably the best blind date he had ever experienced.

Then he turned to Han Jiayi and asked, “Let’s go out together again when you’re free next time, all right?”

Han Jiayi nodded. “Next time, we’ll explore places ourselves instead of going to spots other people recommend.”

“Right, and that reminds me,” Bai Renzong said, enlightened at once. “I should unfollow that content creator when we get back.”

(Thanks to Brother Hua for the monthly ticket. Thanks to Baoting Hou, Cinder Feather Dragon Scale, and Bai Bai for two monthly tickets.)