Chapter 10 A Win-Win Transaction
"Why?"
"I...can't afford the rent here now." Pei Song said with difficulty, "Some problems happened at home, and I need to find a cheaper place to live."
Shi Yanchen put down the documents in his hand and looked at Pei Song's slightly haggard face: "So you're going to work in a restaurant? There are obviously better options."
"What choice?"
"Keep on being a food blogger," Shi Yanchen said. "Your cooking skills are perfect for private customization, and your income will be much higher than working in a restaurant."
Pei Song smiled bitterly: "But now even the most basic food money is a problem..."
"This is easy to solve." Shi Yanchen said without even raising his head, "You don't have to pay rent anymore. You just need to take care of three meals a day."
Pei Song was stunned: "How...how can this be possible? The rent cannot be offset by a few meals..."
"Why not?" Shi Yanchen raised his eyebrows. "I hate takeout, and I hate cooking even more. And you need a place where you can show off your cooking skills. This is a win-win deal."
"But..."
"If you're worried about fairness," Shi Yanchen interrupted him, "I can lend you the kitchen here for private orders. With your level, you'll be able to regain your footing soon."
Pei Song opened his mouth, but didn't know how to refute.
Indeed, if I could start taking private orders again, my income would be much higher than working in a restaurant...
"Don't think too much." Shi Yanchen stood up, his tone still cold, "I just don't want to change roommates and adapt again, and I'm used to the dishes you cook."
This sentence was said very plainly, but it made Pei Song's nose sore.
He knew that Shi Yanchen was helping him in a way that would least hurt his self-esteem.
"Oh well..."
"That's settled." Shi Yanchen had already turned and walked towards the study. "Starting tomorrow, I'll start looking forward to three meals a day."
Looking at Shi Yanchen's back, Pei Song suddenly said, "Shi Yanchen."
The other party stopped but did not look back.
"Thank you." Pei Song said, his voice choked.
Shi Yanchen paused for a moment and said, "Remember to restart your Instagram account. Your fans have been waiting for a long time."
After saying that, he disappeared behind the study door. Only the sound of typing on the keyboard could still be heard clearly.
Pei Song couldn't sleep that night.
He lay on the soft bed in the apartment, thinking about his experiences during this period.
From the sudden crisis of the family, to the economic difficulties, to the suggestions put forward by Shi Yanchen today.
Every step made him more determined to start over.
The next morning, Pei Song handed in his resignation letter from the restaurant. The boss felt sorry for him and tried to keep him for a long time.
On the way home, he made a special detour to the supermarket to buy food for the week.
When he returned home with a full shopping bag, Shi Yanchen just came out of the study.
"What do you want to eat today?" Pei Song asked, his face finally showing some of its former brilliance.
Shi Yanchen glanced at the shopping bag: "It's up to you to decide."
Pei Song nodded and turned to walk towards the kitchen.
This is not just an ordinary dinner, but also an opportunity for me to start over.
Soon, the familiar aroma wafted from the kitchen again.
Shi Yanchen sat in the study, smelling the long-lost scent, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously rose slightly.
After dinner, Pei Song reopened his Instagram account which he hadn’t updated for a long time.
He spent a full two hours carefully editing the video and copy.
"Long time no see. Today I bring you an innovative version of braised pork. The traditional craftsmanship has been improved and paired with a special sauce, giving it a more layered taste..." He wrote the copy while uploading a carefully edited video.
As soon as the message was sent out, the comment section was boiling:
"Finally updated!"
"Oh my god, I miss the blogger's food so much!"
"This presentation is so tempting!"
Looking at these familiar interactions, Pei Song's eyes felt a little warm.
The reputation and popularity accumulated over the past two years have not been wiped out by this incident.
Although the road ahead is still full of difficulties, at least he has regained the courage to move forward.
All this is thanks to the roommate who seemed indifferent but helped him in the most gentle way.
From this day on, Pei Song began to replan his career.
In addition to being responsible for Shi Yanchen's three meals a day, he also began to accept some private customized orders.
A week later, after dinner, Shi Yanchen looked at Pei Song who was cleaning up and said, "There is a food festival at M University recently, it's very large, do you want to go and have a look?"
Pei Song walked over and took the poster handed to him by Shi Yanchen.
The big words "Internet celebrity food bloggers are sincerely invited to participate in the exhibition" catch the eye, and below them are also marked "top chef jury", "city-wide media linkage", "generous entrepreneurship fund" and other words.
Pei Song carefully read the details of the activity and began to calculate the costs and possible benefits.
With his current savings, it is more than enough to rent a stall.
The next morning, he submitted his application for the exhibition.
To his surprise, the organizing committee immediately approved his application after seeing his Instagram account.
In the following days, Pei Song devoted himself completely to the preparations.
He first spent three days repeatedly testing various new dishes.
Every dish has to go through countless improvements until it reaches the perfect standard in his mind.
From ingredients to tableware, from packaging to publicity, he personally oversees every detail.
Although it is hard work, he is full of energy when he thinks this may be a turning point in his career.
During the preparation period, Shi Yanchen always maintained a moderate level of concern, neither interfering excessively nor ignoring it.
This perfect distance made Pei Song feel very comfortable.
The day of the food festival finally arrived. Pei Songtian arrived at the booth before dawn and began to set up the stall nervously.
He specially designed an open cooking table so that customers can watch his cooking process up close.
Business was booming in the first hour.
Many fans came specially to support him, and there was a long queue in front of his stall.
"Isn't this the super popular food blogger?"
"Oh my god, I can actually see a live production by real people!"
"I heard that his private dishes are hard to come by!"
Just when Pei Song was busy, he heard a disdainful snort coming from the stall next door.
He was the chef of a local Michelin restaurant, and he was obviously not very impressed by this "Internet celebrity chef" who suddenly became popular.
That afternoon, a piece of information suddenly appeared on social media, saying that his dishes were completely pieced together, without any innovation, and that he did not understand the taste of the people of country D at all. He also posted a photo of the so-called "dark cuisine".