The Taste of Love Starts in the Kitchen (GL) - Chapter 11

Song Qinyao dragged Song Baili to a high-end department store, saying she wanted to pick out a birthday gift for her best friend.

They arrived at a store that specialized in international brand jewelry. Song Baili noticed a couple picking out a bracelet. The man’s profile looked familiar, almost identical to the boyfriend of someone named Qian.

The woman accompanying him acted coquettishly, constantly calling him “brother” in a high-pitched voice. It was the kind of tone that made Song Baili’s skin crawl.

“Hey sis, do you think this one’s good?”
“Hey sis, do you like this style?”
“Hey sis, do you think we should buy this one?”

Song Baili, who had been hearing Song Qinyao speak in a similarly sweet voice, suddenly felt that just because something was seen in person, it didn’t necessarily mean it was real.

After the man paid for the bracelet at the counter, he put his arm around the woman’s shoulders and walked out of the store. From the corner of her eye, Song Baili caught a glimpse of the woman kissing him on the cheek.

“Yao Yao, would you ever hook arms or kiss your brother like that?”

“No way, that’s disgusting!”

Song Qinyao made a face of pure disgust, her eyebrows furrowed into a “川” shape, her lips slightly twisted in a silent expression of disbelief.

But in the blink of an eye, her expression changed, as if she’d suddenly thought of something amusing, her face lighting up with a smile as if she had entered a playful fantasy world.

She then turned toward Song Baili, her voice light and playful as she spoke:

“Well, if it were my sister, though, it would be different. After all, we’re both women, no big deal.”

They continued chatting and left the store. As they stepped outside, they happened to spot Li Shao standing by himself, quietly observing his surroundings. If it weren’t for his eyes suddenly lighting up, Song Baili might not have noticed that he was watching them.

Song Baili pretended not to notice and continued walking. However, what she didn’t expect was for Li Shao to block her path in a way that couldn’t be ignored, like a sudden obstacle.

This unexpected interception caught Song Baili off guard, causing her to stop in her tracks. Their eyes met, and Li Shao’s expression was serious, his gaze determined, as if he was about to have a face-to-face conversation with her.

“I remember you’re the new girl… your name’s Song Baili, right?”

Seeing this greasy man suddenly appear and shamelessly talk to Song Baili, Song Qinyao’s face immediately showed displeasure. She frowned, her eyes flashing with irritation, as if ready to roar like an angry lion.

But before she could say anything, she heard Song Baili respond to the man in a calm tone.

“Yes.”

“You’re not at work today. Did you take the day off?”

Song Baili’s mind was as clear as a mirror—there was no confusion at all. Internally, she thought, “I know you’re cheating, but why can’t you see that I took the day off?”

Song Baili felt like a herd of angry alpacas was rampaging inside her, stirring up emotional chaos. She took a deep breath and tried to suppress her feelings, keeping her tone gentle as she said,

“Yes.”

“That day, I was in such a hurry that I didn’t have time to introduce myself. Let’s add each other on WeChat. Anytime you need to contact me, feel free to reach out. I like to stay close to my employees.”

Song Qinyao raised her eyebrows slightly, and a silent eye roll flashed through her mind. At that moment, she felt a strong urge to grab her phone and block this narcissistic drama queen.

Just then, a flirtatious woman appeared. Her steps carried a provocative rhythm, and her presence radiated confidence and arrogance.

Without a word, she walked straight to Li Shao, gently linking her arm through his. She gave the two women a cold, disdainful glance, her eyes narrowing slightly, a faint smirk curling at the corners of her lips.

She turned toward Li Shao, her expression immediately softening, her gaze warm and seductive, as if she had become a completely different person. Her voice dropped to a sweet, almost teasing tone as she said:

“Baby, could you touch my belly? I’m so hungry, it feels like my stomach is sticking to my back. Are you taking me out to eat?”

“We should go now, I’m starving, sweetheart…”

Song Qinyao’s eyes nearly bulged out, feeling like her brain was about to short-circuit from the scene. She pressed a hand to her stomach, her face contorting in disgust.

Unable to bear it anymore, she grabbed Song Baili and hurriedly pulled her away from the uncomfortable sight.

The two of them walked through the mall’s entrance and onto the bustling street outside. The noise and movement of the crowd surrounded them, and they walked in silence, as if the dramatic scene they had just witnessed was still echoing in their minds.

Suddenly, Song Baili stopped in her tracks, staring off into the distance as though looking at an invisible scene. Then, she broke the silence, glancing at Song Qinyao, her words deliberate and clear:

“Yao Yao, would you ever call your brother ‘baby’?”

“Ugh! Stop grossing me out! Those two are clearly made for each other—ugly girl and a beast. Why do you care so much about them? Don’t tell me you’re interested in that greasy guy…”

The sudden realization almost pushed Song Qinyao to the edge of losing control. Her eyes widened, and her voice rose in surprise. The elegant, composed image she usually carried completely collapsed in that moment.

Song Baili couldn’t help but roll her eyes, raising her hand to lightly tap her forehead. Her tone carried a slight impatience as she replied,

“Do you think I’m an idiot? He already has a girlfriend, and she’s someone I know.”

“Ah, I see. Now I understand.”

Song Qinyao breathed a sigh of relief, her posture relaxing, and her frown finally easing.

For the past ten years, Song Qinyao had been like a fangirl, keeping tabs on her idol from behind a screen. The scattered, contradictory bits of information she had heard about Song Baili often left her heartbroken. But now, after seeing her face-to-face, Song Qinyao had made up her mind to protect her “flower” and not let anyone else take her away.

As Song Baili stepped out of the dressing room, she ran into Qian Qian. Looking at the innocent beauty before her, Song Baili couldn’t help but feel an odd sense of injustice rising in her chest. She opened her mouth but didn’t know what to say.

“Good morning,” Qian Qian said first, flashing her sweet smile, as if she were an untarnished water lily, untouched by the chaos of the world.

Sometimes ignorance is bliss, and maybe being kept in the dark isn’t such a bad thing.

“Good morning,” Song Baili replied, forcing a smile and avoiding Qian Qian’s gaze.

“You went shopping with your sister yesterday, how was it?”

“Mm, it was fine.”

Qian Qian tried to make more small talk, but Song Baili’s eyes kept wandering, clearly uninterested in continuing the conversation.

The atmosphere became awkward, and Qian Qian had no choice but to find a way out.

“Ah, I just remembered, I haven’t finished the monthly sales report yet. I should get going…”

“Okay.”

As Qian Qian walked away, she couldn’t resist glancing back at Song Baili, a growing sense of unease creeping up on her.

Later, Qian Qian kept a close eye on Song Baili. On the surface, everything seemed fine, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off beneath the surface.

During a break, Zhao Youxuan, as usual, sat next to Song Baili, chatting non-stop. His words flowed out like a speeding train, but he didn’t notice that many times, his words fell on deaf ears.

When Zhao Youxuan hummed a tune and passed by Qian Qian, the cheerful mood clashed with the oppressive atmosphere around her.

He quickly took a few steps back and stood in front of Qian Qian. Half out of concern, half out of curiosity, he glanced around and softly asked,

“You don’t look too good. Is something going on?”

Qian Qian snapped out of her daze, her eyes refocusing as she looked at him. She didn’t really want to talk, but there was no one else she could ask.

“Do you think Song Baili is acting a bit differently today?”

Zhao Youxuan slowly stopped smiling, his expression growing serious. He placed his thumb and index finger on his chin as if he had just learned something important.

Qian Qian held her breath, unsure whether she could handle hearing the truth.

“She’s wearing different colored eyeshadow today. Her eyes look really beautiful, like they could sing. I’m kind of mesmerized.”

“…”

For a moment, Qian Qian couldn’t find the right expression to respond. She felt a wave of helplessness flood her, realizing she had asked the wrong person.

Zhao Youxuan suddenly seemed to remember something, and his face broke into a mischievous grin, his eyebrows and mouth curving upward.

“Also, today she actually started talking to me first.”

When Qian Qian heard that, her eyes suddenly lit up, her heart racing with excitement. She couldn’t help but barrage Zhao Youxuan with questions.

“What did she say? Was it about work? Is she unhappy with the job? Is she thinking about quitting?”

When Qian Qian saw Zhao Youxuan’s blank stare, her face turned bright red, realizing she had just exposed herself. She awkwardly cleared her throat and said in a flustered voice,

“I just want to know what the new girl thinks about her job.”

“She didn’t say much. She just asked me about boss Li—what kind of person he is.”

“Oh, how did you answer?”

“I told her I don’t know. I’ve never slept with him, but I’ve shared a chair with him. I told her to ask you. You’re the one who should know the most about him.”

“You…”

Qian Qian’s face instantly turned pale with anger. She shot Zhao Youxuan a death glare and stormed off.

“Ugh, I think I might’ve said something wrong…”