Gourmet: Twins' Father and Chef of the Kindergarten

Shu Meiling also let out a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "Yes, Chef Huang, you must bring Qingqing and Weiwei to visit us whenever you have time. We, the old couple, are always looking forward to your arrival."

Dad and Mom, your real intention isn’t just this, is it?

In fact, the real reason you want Huang Jun to visit often is to satisfy your taste buds with his superb culinary skills, right?

Yang Yuxi, who had long since understood her parents’ thoughts, just gave a knowing smile and didn’t say more.

Indeed, that’s the case.

However, her heart involuntarily stirred with waves of anticipation, mixed with strands of joy.

After all, if the two families could interact frequently, not only would it deepen their emotional ties, but it might also lead her parents to thoroughly enjoy Huang Jun’s company and eventually embrace him as an indispensable part of the family, just as she secretly hoped.

Oh dear...

Really, how embarrassing...

Why is she thinking about all this unnecessary stuff?

Yang Yuxi felt her cheeks flush slightly, her heartbeat quickening, and she had to finally face up to the truth that she did indeed harbor an indescribable fondness for Huang Jun. This affection had surpassed mere friendship and collegiality, blossoming into an indescribable sentiment quietly taking root in her heart.

Once she clearly recognized this...

Her heart was filled with both expectation and fear.

She looked forward to a deeper connection developing between them in the future but feared that he might not share the same feelings, leaving her affection one-sided.

If that were the case, how awkward would that be!

Therefore!

She decided to temporarily bury this emotion deep within her heart, ensuring it wouldn’t affect her normal interactions with Huang Jun.

She believed that with time, everything would come to light, and at the right moment, she would courageously confront her feelings and express her true emotions to Huang Jun.

Hopefully, in the end, everything would turn out as she wished...

Unaware of the waves stirring in Yang Yuxi’s heart, Huang Jun continued to smile broadly, nodding in agreement to Mr. and Mrs. Yang Deyi: "Definitely, I will visit again whenever I have the opportunity. I had a great time tonight, thank you all. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll take my leave. Please carry on with your evening."

With those words, he gently took Qingqing and Weiwei’s little hands, and the two little ones obediently waved goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Yang Deyi: "Goodbye, Grandpa Yang! Goodbye, Grandma Yang!"

"Ah, Qingqing, Weiwei, goodbye!" The Yang Deyi couple responded, full of smiles, waving their hands in farewell.

At this moment, Yang Yuxi returned to her senses and, smiling, said to her parents, "Mom and Dad, I’ll go see them off. I’ll be staying at my own place tonight, so don’t wait up for me..."

After saying that, she followed Huang Jun and his family of three.

"Be careful on the road, and stay safe!"

The Yang Deyi couple reminded them tenderly, their faces brimming with a warm smile as they watched them leave.

"Old Yang, there’s something I want to discuss with you..."

Shu Meiling originally intended to talk to Yang Deyi about their daughter’s subtle changes in feelings, but Yang Deyi was eager to join his old friends at their mahjong session, interrupting her immediately: "Dear, I have to rush over to greet Old Lu and the others, let’s talk about it later!"

"Alright! You go ahead!"

Shu Meiling considered that now wasn’t the best time for family small talk, so she didn’t insist and decided to find a more suitable opportunity to chat later.

However, when Old Yang realizes that the "big cabbage" he raised so diligently now knows how to "cross into" someone else’s field, what kind of expression will he have?

Surely, it would be quite amusing, right?

Perhaps he’d pick up a 40-centimeter long knife and go find Huang Jun to "settle accounts"!

Of course.

She really hoped nothing like that would happen.

Though she had some reservations about Huang Jun in her heart, she couldn’t deny that from the bottom of her heart, she thought Huang Jun was... actually quite good.

She didn’t want to have a strained relationship with Huang Jun either, lest she couldn’t enjoy his cooking later...

...

"Ding~"

With a crisp sound, the elevator door slowly opened, and Huang Jun, with his family and Yang Yuxi, stepped into the quiet underground garage, heading toward Yang Yuxi’s parking area.

A familiar voice faintly echoed in his ears: "Chef Huang..."

Huang Jun, hearing the call, instinctively turned around to see Zhao Weiguang and Yu Daqing hurrying towards them, urgency evident on their faces.

He was a bit puzzled and asked, "Chef Zhao, Chef Yu, didn’t you leave earlier? Why..."

Zhao Weiguang quickly stepped forward and smiled, "Chef Huang, we were waiting here specifically for you!"

"Waiting for me?"

Huang Jun furrowed his brows in confusion.

"Yes, Chef Huang."

Zhao Weiguang sincerely explained, "Initially, when we heard you would be the head chef for tonight’s banquet, we felt a bit competitive. But after witnessing and tasting your skills, it was truly astonishing. We were utterly convinced and felt that even if we dedicated our lives to it, we might not reach half of your culinary prowess. So we thought... how wonderful it would be if we could apprentice under you!"

A hint of surprise flashed in Huang Jun’s eyes: "Apprentice?"

Seeing Huang Jun’s hesitation, Zhao Weiguang quickly added, "Yes, Chef Huang. We sincerely hope you’ll take us on. We won’t ask for any salary, as long as you’re willing to share some culinary insights with us. We’d be happy to be your apprentices for two years."

Yang Yuxi watched the scene quietly from the side, her face calm.

Huang Jun’s culinary skills are excellent.

It’s understandable that these two chefs would want to apprentice under him!

After all, even Uncle Wu from her family had a similar thought at one point, not to mention Chef Ge from Liu Shiwei’s house, who is still hovering as a named disciple, yet to officially join.

Facing the hopeful gazes of the two chefs, Huang Jun gently shook his head, politely declining: "Chef Zhao, Chef Yu, I truly appreciate your admiration and recognition. But I’m sorry, I’ve never had the habit of taking on apprentices."

For one, taking on apprentices is not an easy task.

Culinary skills can’t be taught just through words; they require a lot of practice to truly grasp the essence.

Every dish needs to be memorized through body and sensation, often requiring hundreds or thousands of times in the kitchen to truly master.

This process is both time-consuming and demanding, and he’s afraid he might not be able to provide enough guidance and patience for you both.

Secondly, he believes he still has a long way to go on his culinary journey, and his skills have not yet reached the level of being a mentor.

"Chef Huang, please don’t refuse us!"

Zhao Weiguang and Yu Daqing pleaded anxiously, "You only need to guide us a little, and we will take the rest to heart, ensuring not to take too much of your precious time."

Huang Jun was about to politely decline again, but at this moment, Yang Yuxi interjected softly, "Qingqing’s Daddy, isn’t Dorami Kindergarten going to add a kitchen assistant post next semester? Why not consider taking them on as your assistant chefs? This way, you won’t have to go through the trouble of finding suitable candidates."

This suggestion made good sense, and Huang Jun found it difficult to find a suitable reason to refuse.

He pondered briefly before turning to Zhao Weiguang and Yu Daqing, asking, "How many years have you two been working in the kitchen?"

Zhao Weiguang quickly replied, "I have sixteen full years of culinary experience!"

Not to be outdone, Yu Daqing added, "I have fourteen years."

Huang Jun nodded and further inquired, "Are you willing to humble yourselves to become assistant chefs?"

"Ah?"

Zhao Weiguang and Yu Daqing were stunned, as they were both usually head chefs in their kitchens.

But on second thought, if it meant receiving guidance from Huang Jun, they’d gladly work as assistant chefs.

So they almost replied in unison, "As long as you’re willing to impart your skills, we’re willing to be your assistant chefs."

Huang Jun nodded contentedly, smiling: "Very well, let’s start by exchanging contact information. After the New Year, I will inform you when to come to Dorami Kindergarten for an interview. Should you pass the principal’s strict assessment and get hired, I will gladly share some of my insights and experiences. As for salary, it will naturally follow the kindergarten’s standards."

"That’s fantastic!"

Their faces lit up with irrepressible joy, and they eagerly exchanged contact information with Huang Jun, filled with respect and anticipation towards him as a mentor.

After exchanging pleasantries, they reluctantly got into their cars and embarked on their respective journeys home...