The Taste of Love Starts in the Kitchen (GL) - Chapter 17

Li Shao finally “came back from his business trip,” showing up at the store just before closing time. His facial features were already vague to begin with—eyes so small they looked like slits—and when he walked in, his face was dark and angry, like a black pig glaring at someone. Song Baili couldn’t even tell who he was staring at.

Unfortunately, Zhao Youxuan happened to walk by him and got grabbed by the collar. Li Shao pulled him over, tilting his head down with flaring nostrils and clenched teeth as he asked:

“Where’s that b1tch Qian Qian?”

“She’s… in the bathroom. Ah, I just happened to see her go in. We didn’t plan to go together or anything…”

Zhao Youxuan was pale with fear, his lips trembling as he spoke.

Li Shao immediately let go of his collar, bumped into his shoulder, and stormed off toward the bathroom.

Song Baili sensed something was wrong. She quickly put down what she was doing and started walking after him. But after a few steps, she hesitated, paused, looked ahead for a moment, then lowered her eyes in thought. After a few seconds, she gritted her teeth, turned around, and walked away.

“Is it because I’m too handsome that he always targets me?”

As soon as Zhao Youxuan saw Song Baili, he couldn’t help complaining.

This guy was so full of himself that even when he was seriously complaining, it sounded like he was complimenting himself.

Song Baili kept her head down, wiping glasses without even glancing at him, and replied in a flat tone:

“Probably has nothing to do with how handsome you are.”

“Then it must be that ugly people have bad tempers. A person’s face reflects their character, don’t you think?”

She froze for a second. Her long lashes fluttered slightly. After a brief silence, she looked up at Zhao Youxuan’s still decent-looking face, curled her lip, and said:

“If looks determine a person’s goodness, then what about people with plastic surgery? Are they good or bad?”

Zhao Youxuan was speechless, blinking in confusion. After swallowing hard, he cautiously asked:

“Wait… don’t tell me… your pretty face is from plastic surgery?”

Song Baili’s face instantly turned cold like frost. She shot him a sharp glare that made his heart skip a beat. The smile on his lips froze, and a chill shot up from his feet to the top of his head.

Better keep his mouth shut—no need to get into trouble.

As soon as Zhao Youxuan left, they could hear Li Shao cursing loudly from the break room.

This guy’s the type who blames gravity when he trips and complains about his hand hurting after punching someone. That’s Li Shao’s family in a nutshell.

Not wanting to embarrass herself in front of others, Qian Qian waited until everyone had left work before stepping out of the office. She locked up the store, filled with frustration and dragging heavy steps toward the parking lot.

From a distance, she noticed someone standing near her car. Instantly on alert, she took out her pepper spray from her bag. The closer she got, the harder her heart pounded. She furrowed her brows and clenched her fists tightly.

The hooded, masked person suddenly turned around, and Qian Qian was met with a pair of clear, calm eyes. In that instant, her chaotic emotions were washed away like a tiny river flowing into a vast ocean.

Life had dealt Qian Qian a lousy hand from the start. She had tried her best to play it right, hoping to turn the tide, but so far, things hadn’t gone her way.

A cheating boyfriend stepping on her, the weight of her father’s expectations on her shoulders, dreams that felt like giants while reality shrunk her down—every time she lifted her head in exhaustion, it felt like she’d gotten smaller, as if she’d never reach the tip of her dreams.

With her passion fading, wallet thinning, and no help going forward or back, she sometimes thought maybe she should just give up. Let fate take its course—whether she got eliminated or miraculously won—it didn’t matter anymore.

But seeing Song Baili again made her want to fight back.

Qian Qian stood still, not moving. Song Baili walked over to her.

“Are you okay?”

Qian Qian’s eyes were a little red, lips slightly parted, her gaze dazed. Under the streetlight, her skin looked snow-white, her figure thin and fragile like a delicate white flower about to wilt.

“I’m fine.”

Her voice was soft but carried a hint of a nasal tone.

Song Baili felt a sharp tug in her chest. She frowned slightly, lifted her hand but then slowly lowered it, a look of worry in her eyes.

“It’s my fault. I dragged you into this.”

Qian Qian’s eyes welled up with tears. The corners of her eyes reddened. She lowered her gaze, long lashes fluttering down as she bit her lip.

Song Baili stared at her, feeling her chest tighten like it was being squeezed. Her breathing grew heavy, like she couldn’t catch her breath.

Her curled fingers clenched. She took a deep breath, stepped forward, and wrapped her arms around Qian Qian. Gently, she whispered in her ear:

“Qian Qian, I’m sorry.”

As Song Baili leaned in, the sweet scent of her body lingered in the air. Her warm breath on Qian Qian’s ear and soft voice sent a jolt through her body. Her legs turned weak and tingly.

Frozen for a moment, Qian Qian finally lifted her arms to hug Song Baili back, softly wrapping them around her waist. She felt even thinner than she looked, fragile and bony—like a closeness she had waited lifetimes for, yet didn’t dare hold too tightly.

That strange feeling she kept brushing off now painted a clear picture in her mind. Her chest grew warm, her heart pounded wildly—body and soul both seemed to know they had found their home.

Cupid’s arrow had struck dead center. Like fireworks bursting through darkness, it bloomed with beauty then faded into a gentle, falling drizzle.

Falling for someone—what a beautiful feeling. If only they had met sooner.

Resting her head on Song Baili’s shoulder, Qian Qian spaced out for a moment. Sniffling, she murmured:

“Don’t blame yourself. Li Shao always finds reasons to argue with me. He just used this one as an excuse. Actually, you brought the store more business—I should be thanking you. But that day I said some hurtful things. I’m the one who should apologize.”

Waves of emotion rose in Song Baili’s heart, like crashing tides beating against the shore. She couldn’t stop her racing heart. She gently rubbed Qian Qian’s slim back, trying to comfort her. A strange, overwhelming feeling quietly spread through her chest.

Song Baili asked Qian Qian to park near a shopping mall, saying she wanted to buy a late-night snack for Song Qinyao before heading home.

“If I had a sister like you, my life would already feel halfway full.”

“I’m older than you—I could be your sister.”

Qian Qian’s dark eyes lit up instantly. She raised her brows, half in disbelief.

“Really?”

Song Baili paused for a second, then smiled gently, like a crescent moon.

“Really.”

That small smile felt like the warmth of spring sunshine brushing across Qian Qian’s heart, strumming her emotions.

She almost blurted out, “Can I be your lover instead?”

Snapping out of it, she saw Song Baili had already gotten out of the car. Through the glass, she leaned down slightly and waved goodbye.

Song Baili stood tall, hands in her coat pockets, watching the car drive away. Song Qinyao never asked for a snack—she just didn’t want Qian Qian to know where she lived.

She had always been clear about her place. Qian Qian was the daughter of the store owner and Li Shao’s girlfriend. No matter how much she felt, this was as far as it could go.

The store kept making steady profits, but customers rarely came back. They said the food was average—something they could easily cook at home.

Only then did Boss Qian start to realize the real problems in the shop.

Li Shao came up with an idea: hold a cooking competition to pick a new head chef. New and old staff would compete—the winner keeps their job and earns a bonus, the loser packs up and leaves.

After the announcement, reactions in the kitchen were mixed. Everyone knew how good—or not—they really were. Some were confident, others worried.

In the middle of the tense atmosphere, Song Baili suddenly spoke up during a meeting:

“I want to join the competition.”

The room fell silent. All eyes turned to her.

Fair-skinned, delicate features, a body so light she looked like she could be carried by the wind, sleeves rolled up to reveal slender wrists—she looked like an expensive porcelain doll, with none of the gritty vibe of a cook.

No one could picture her wielding a kitchen knife or flipping a wok. The looks they gave her were cold, skeptical, and even mocking.

Some of the cooks leaned back in their chairs, crossed their arms, and sneered at her.

Boss Qian rubbed his temples and looked up at them with a stern glare. The mockers quickly shut their mouths and looked away.

“Xiao Song, kitchen work isn’t like home cooking. It’s tough and takes real strength…”

He paused, but before he could finish, Qian Qian cut in:

“I support Song Baili. Anyone else who wants to compete is welcome too.”

“Boss’s daughter, this isn’t just for fun! Whoever loses gets kicked out!”

The head chef was the typical sexist type—always looking down on women. When Song Baili used to ask him things in the kitchen, just a few words from her would leave him speechless. He couldn’t snap at her since she was just a server, but he’d bottle up his annoyance.

Now hearing she wanted to challenge them, he thought she was arrogant and clueless. Picking a fight with the tiger—this girl had no idea what she was doing.

“You won’t know unless you try. What, are you big guys afraid of one little woman?”

Qian Qian was beautiful, and her smile even more dazzling. But this time, her grin carried a sharp edge that made some of them uncomfortable.

“Afraid? Hah! Let’s compete then! I won’t go easy on some rookie just because she runs errands!”

Qian Qian raised an eyebrow, her eyes sparkling. She smiled slightly and said:

“Looking forward to it.”

Boss Qian watched their back-and-forth and thought it was just a few heated words. He didn’t notice the underlying tension between them. He frowned and looked at Song Baili, shaking his head and sighing quietly.

The girl’s still too green. Doesn’t know how tricky the world is. Looks like I’ll be posting a new job ad for a server soon.