Yan Yuanxing was quite quick, and within a day or two he'd gone to look at tableware, tablecloths, and other items. He even took a bunch of pictures and asked Yun Yi and Yan Xi to help him choose. He also found a decorating company for the wallpaper and carpet, and Yan Xi ultimately decided on the colors.
As a wealthy second-generation, Yan Xi has a very discerning aesthetic. The styles and colors he chose perfectly match the quaint, elegant style of Jingweilou, creating a sense of opulence and refinement. However, his father was dismayed by the prices; everything his son chose was quite expensive.
At first, they wanted to make the most of the night time for renovations, or to renovate on different floors gradually, but they found that it was still not suitable. In the end, they decided to simply close the business for two days, clean up completely, and then welcome customers.
Ye Tian had only been working for a few days when the general public had a holiday, and she took the opportunity to visit various tourist attractions. Yan Xi had originally wanted to accompany her, but he needed to keep an eye on the scene, as he was worried about Mr. Yan and Yun Yi's aesthetic taste.
Ye Tian firmly declined the ride that Mr. Yan and Master Yun had sent her. She wanted to just wander around at her own leisure. She had no plans to visit faraway or large places like the Great Wall or the Summer Palace, so she decided to just wander the city's alleyways first.
However, she first planned to visit Chef Luo Zhongxi at the Jinghua Hotel. After all, since she was in the capital, even if she didn't want to work for him, she had to pay him a visit. Ye Tian later looked up his resume on Baidu. He was indeed very good, and his boiled cabbage was absolutely amazing.
In fact, the Royal Hotel is not too far from Jingweilou, only 5 or 6 kilometers in a straight line, but the drive takes nearly half an hour.
Before leaving, Ye Tian specifically told Master Yun about how she met Chef Luo. After all, they were both in the catering industry, and she was afraid that he would have any unnecessary misunderstandings.
Chef Yun also knew Luo Zhongxi. It seemed Chef Luo was quite well-known in the industry. The Jinghua Hotel was currently flourishing, far more popular than Jingweilou. As the head chef of the Sichuan cuisine department, Chef Luo was undoubtedly well-known in the industry.
After Ye Tian left, Master Yun fell silent. He realized someone was trying to steal his employee. This was not going to work. He had to quickly ask the master who was retired in the suburbs to come back and take a look at the new renovations.
Ye Tian called Chef Luo in advance and told him she was going to visit him. Chef Luo was naturally very welcoming and asked her where she was and drove to pick her up. She didn't tell him where she was and said she would take a taxi.
Jinghua Hotel is different from Jingweilou, a stand-alone building. Instead, it is located in the five-star Jinghua Hotel. There are no guest rooms on the entire 3rd floor, which is the restaurant area.
The hotel lobby was magnificent, with groups of guests checking in, others relaxing and chatting in the lobby bar. Everyone entering and leaving was elegantly dressed. The two lobby attendants, who greeted guests and helped with luggage, were about 185cm tall and handsome enough to look like celebrities. Even Ye Tian couldn't help but take a second look; the sight of these handsome guys made her feel even better.
Ye Tian asked one of the waiters where the elevator was, and he was very enthusiastic and patient, almost offering to walk her there. The service was truly excellent, and they didn't look down on Ye Tian just because she was wearing a simple T-shirt, sun-proof wide-leg pants, and carrying a canvas bag.
After getting off the elevator, Chef Luo was waiting for her at the elevator entrance, which really made Ye Tian flattered. "Hello, Chef Luo!" Ye Tian went forward to greet him first.
"I've finally got you here. You don't know, but the Cantonese chef in our restaurant has a new apprentice who keeps showing off to me all day long. If you came, you would definitely surpass him in an instant!" Chef Luo said happily.
Ye Tian couldn't refuse directly, so she could only smile.
"Come, I'll show you our kitchen. Let's have lunch here today!" Chef Luo took Ye Tian inside.
The Jinghua Hotel's decor is in the now-popular Neo-Chinese style, with well-designed walls and decorative elements like screens, bonsai, and traditional Chinese paintings. It's stylish yet understatedly luxurious. It even bears a resemblance to the Jingweilou restaurant in Ye Tian's previous life.
The kitchen is located just beyond the lobby and the private rooms flanking the corridor. It's not even lunchtime yet, but several chefs are already busy at work. Some are watching over soup pots, while others are washing, chopping, and preparing food. Upon seeing Chef Luo, they greet him and are about to get back to work when they notice a girl following him.
"You guys go about your business. This is my future apprentice, but she hasn't agreed yet." Chef Luo introduced with a smile.
The chef who was watching the soup pot looked at Ye Tian carefully and said deliberately, "Chef Luo, you are too greedy. Do you have to choose your apprentice based on appearance now? Chef Yu found a handsome young man as his apprentice, and you found a beautiful young woman. What should we ordinary people do?"
"Hahaha, don't talk nonsense. I don't accept apprentices based on their looks. She has to be talented and get along well with me. Besides, she's not my apprentice yet. I, as her master, am still in the observation stage. Don't talk nonsense and scare Xiao Ye and affect my image." Chef Luo was grinning from ear to ear.
Ye Tian hadn't expected Chef Luo to be so determined to take in an apprentice, but she hadn't really considered becoming his apprentice. The situation on the scene put her in a difficult position. She couldn't deny it directly, as that would be too disrespectful to Chef Luo.
"Hey, Lao Luo, where did you find this beautiful girl? If your son wasn't still young, I would have thought you found a daughter-in-law for yourself out of favoritism." Another voice came from the kitchen door.
The person who came in was Yu Hai, a Cantonese chef in his 40s, followed by a boy around 20 years old, who was probably his new apprentice.
His apprentice was indeed a handsome guy, with a thin figure, fair skin, and a pair of bright eyes. The slightly drooping corners of his eyes gave him a sense of innocence. The only drawback was his height, which looked less than 1.75 meters.
"Old Yu, please be more polite. Let me introduce you. This is Xiao Ye, Ye Tian, whom I met in Hubin City. I was impressed by her Buddha Jumps Over the Wall and Bobo Chicken, so I invited her to our restaurant." Chef Luo said seriously, and then said to Ye Tian, "This is Chef Yu Haiyu from the Cantonese cuisine department. He's pretty good at Cantonese cuisine."
"You're just making do. Yesterday, our sales were over 500 more than your Sichuan cuisine!"
"It's only over 500, that's because you sell soup at a high price!"
"Your boiled cabbage isn't cheap either."
"Your abalone is more expensive!"
…
Ye Tian found their interaction amusing and tried not to laugh. Everyone else had blank expressions, as if they were used to it.
It seems that these two have always been like this.
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