The Gourmet Customizer

For safety’s sake, Liu Ahbao had already taken Liu Shengnan home.

Aunt Fang was wiping down the stove. "It’s fine," she said. "It doesn’t matter if I go home early or late. Xiaobin stays up late, and I don’t go to bed until he does."

Su Chen smiled and shook his head. Such is a parent’s heart.

He quickly helped Aunt Fang finish up, and by the time they were done, it was already ten o’clock.

"It’s getting really late."

Normally, Su Chen would be fast asleep by this time. But today was different. After a quick wash, he didn’t feel the least bit tired.

The two Huaiyang Cuisine dishes he’d made today weren’t difficult, and he hadn’t spent too long in the practice room. It was a walk in the park compared to when he’d hosted Lu Yongliang, for instance.

But Su Chen felt he’d still gotten a lot out of it.

On top of that, Li Mingtao’s arrival could very well solve Delicious’s rent problem once and for all. That was something to be excited about!

For the first time in a long while, Su Chen felt his tightly wound nerves finally relax. He lay in bed and, for a change, started playing on his phone.

’First, let’s check TikTok!’

’He Shuting didn’t post any more pictures in her black silk stockings? Lame!’

’Next, my social feed!’

Bai Xiaobo: *I should be under the car, not in the car...*

’Unbelievable. He has time to post sad-sack stuff on his feed but not enough to come to work?’

’There goes his bonus!’

’Let’s see what else...’

"Brother Chen, Brother Chen!"

Su Chen shot upright. He held perfectly still, straining his ears to listen.

"Brother Chen, Brother Chen!"

’It really sounds like someone’s calling me.’ But Aunt Fang had already left. And she’d locked the main door on her way out—Su Chen had seen her do it himself.

He carefully got out of bed, grabbed a pen from the desk, and equipped his [Precise Strike] badge.

’Within ten paces, the pen is faster!’

"Brother Chen... *sob*... Brother Chen!"

Su Chen cautiously pushed the door open, a pen clutched in his right hand, his left poised over the light switch.

CLICK!

The moment his hand flicked the switch, Su Chen froze. "Xiaobai?"

"Brother Chen! Waaah..."

Reeking of alcohol, Bai Xiaobo lunged at him. Su Chen sidestepped. "Are you nuts? It’s the middle of the night!"

"Brother Chen, I really wanna eat fried chicken... *hic*... I’ll treat you, okay? Don’t eat with that senior... I can afford it!"

’Damn it!’

Su Chen waved a hand in disgust. Bai Xiaobo’s clothes were soaked, and it was hard to tell if it was from vomit or spilled liquor.

"How did you even get the door open, drunk as you are? You’re something else."

’Still, he’s my employee. If something happened to him, the company would be liable.’ Pinching his nose, Su Chen grabbed Bai Xiaobo by the collar. "You’re a complete mess."

He dragged Bai Xiaobo into the employee locker room and shoved him into the showers. "Go on, take a shower. I’ll get you some clean clothes."

He went back to his office and grabbed a couple of his own things for Xiaobai: a gray ribbed tank top and a pair of patterned baggy shorts.

While he was at it, he sent a WeChat message to Liu Shengnan: *Put a bowl of clear noodle soup on Bai Xiaobo’s tab. 18 yuan.*

He paused, then unsent the message and re-edited it.

yuan.

Currently, all employee meals at Delicious were put on a tab managed by Liu Shengnan, which was then settled up at the end of the month when salaries were paid.

Putting his phone away, Su Chen sighed.

He didn’t know the full story, only bits and pieces he’d overheard from He Shuting and the girls. To be honest, he felt pretty bad for Bai Xiaobo.

But in matters of the heart, you can’t really say who’s right and who’s wrong.

’How can you grow up if you don’t go through things like this?’

After drinking a glass of water, Su Chen brought the clothes to the shower room. When he pushed the door open, he saw Bai Xiaobo wrapped in a bath towel, sitting on a bench and staring into space.

"Bro... Brother Chen... I’m sorry..."

Bai Xiaobo glanced at Su Chen before quickly lowering his head, apparently having sobered up a bit from the cold water.

"Sobered up?"

"Yeah. I feel a lot better now that I’ve thrown up."

That’s how it is with drinking. Sometimes you drink too fast and get totally plastered, but you feel better once you get it all out of your system.

Su Chen tossed the clothes to him. "Alright, get changed. Come out for a bowl of noodles when you’re done."

"Noodles?" Xiaobai looked up, stunned. ’Is the boss going to make noodles for me?’

’Waaah, he’s too good to me!’

’I disturbed his sleep, and he’s still going to make me a bowl of noodles after I came here drunk?’

’With a boss like this, who needs a salary! Who needs a bonus!’

"I told Shengnan to put it on your tab," Su Chen added before humming a little tune and walking out.

’Besides, I’m too keyed up to sleep anyway. And I haven’t eaten all night after being so busy. A late-night bowl of clear noodle soup... just the thought of it is making my mouth water~’

As he rounded the corner past the conference room, Su Chen stopped in his tracks.

’There’s a light on?’

’Aunt Fang would never be that careless. She always checks every room before she leaves.’

He pushed the door open and stared in surprise at the person inside. "Why are you still here?"

Ling Shuyu rubbed her temples. "The design is almost done. I was just coming to see if this renovation plan works. I think..."

"Don’t!" Su Chen cut her off. "Stop right there. We don’t do overtime like this at our company, you know!"

’If you work like this, how am I supposed to afford your overtime pay?’

Ling Shuyu just said, "Oh," and continued clattering away on her keyboard. "Why aren’t you asleep?"

"Sigh... Bai Xiaobo showed up drunk in the middle of the night. I was thinking of making him some noodles, and I happen to be hungry myself."

"Eating?" Ling Shuyu’s fingers paused. "You’re making food?"

"Yep."

"I want some too." Ling Shuyu stood up. "I haven’t eaten dinner either."

"Fine, fine!"

Su Chen was at a loss for words.

’This was supposed to be a relaxing night of just chilling on my phone, and now I have to make three bowls of noodles? This is ridiculous!’

But he couldn’t very well refuse Ling Shuyu. She’d been working overtime this late on her own initiative and hadn’t even eaten. She was doing it all for the company!

’Whatever. I won’t put Ling Shuyu’s bowl on a tab.’

Seeing Su Chen agree, Ling Shuyu stopped designing altogether. She saved her work, her face expressionless but her heart secretly thrilled, and hurried toward the kitchen.

’I never thought working overtime would have this kind of perk!’

’If I can get food every time I work late, I’ll work late every day! Hehe!’

As she left the conference room, Ling Shuyu faintly saw a figure that looked familiar. "Hey!"

Xiaobai groggily turned around. "President Ling?" He was still used to calling her that.

"Oh, it’s you, Xiaobai. Never mind."

"Oh." Dejected, Bai Xiaobo turned and shuffled toward the kitchen.

’Is even President Ling making fun of me now? *Sob*...’

Ling Shuyu watched Bai Xiaobo’s retreating figure. Something felt off, as if she’d seen him somewhere before.

Racking her brain, she took out her phone and opened her photo gallery.

The very first photo was one she had taken more than ten days ago while working late at Xinghui. She had been eating a late-night snack when she noticed a pervert in the building across the street—in Delicious—secretly taking photos of her with his phone!

So she’d snapped a picture of him in return.

She zoomed in on the photo, then looked up at Bai Xiaobo’s swaying figure.

’A gray tank top and patterned shorts?’

The photo was blurry, but it was still possible to tell.

Ling Shuyu’s expression changed instantly. ’Well, I’ll be damned. The pervert was Bai Xiaobo!’

’I misunderstood Boss Su!!!’