The Taste of Love Starts in the Kitchen (GL) - Chapter 74

The result of skipping breakfast was that her mind was filled with food advertisements, and the rumbling sounds from her stomach were like ancient war drums, constantly vibrating in deep, echoing beats. Her thoughts became more and more disordered.

Song Qinyao lightly rubbed her stomach, trying to push away the hunger, but she realized that the work in front of the computer had become dull and tiresome.

Her thoughts drifted. She glanced at the drawer on her desk, remembering that there were some snacks hidden inside.

She opened the drawer and pulled out a bag of cookies, but just as she was about to tear open the package, she hesitated.

She looked up at the clock on the desk, took a deep breath, set the cookies down, and shut off the computer.

Before she even reached the door of the restaurant, she saw a long line outside. She walked straight to the front, showing her reservation details on her phone to the waiter.

The waiter smiled and nodded, politely guiding her past the line and to a reserved table.

Under the filter of the setting, the scenery wasn’t much, and there were more accidents than beauty along the way.

Suddenly, a stunning woman appeared—tall, slim, and beautiful—like a hungry wolf spotting roasted meat. The eyes of the crowd all widened.

When the food arrived, her stomach growled loudly. Song Qinyao stopped paying attention to the people around her and began savoring each dish, fully immersed in the world of food.

The peaceful atmosphere in the restaurant was abruptly broken by a group of loud men and women who had just arrived.

As soon as they sat down, they began talking loudly, their words filled with boasting about wealth, status, and family background.

They were laughing and chatting carelessly, acting as if the entire restaurant was their stage, and everyone else was just their audience.

The other customers around them quietly complained about their arrogance and loudness. Some frowned, while others lowered their heads, avoiding eye contact with the group.

Song Qinyao looked up, a trace of disdain and disgust flashing across her face. She subtly shifted her body to avoid their gaze, but occasionally, her eyes would unintentionally glance in their direction.

When her gaze landed on one person, her eyes became alert, and an alarm went off in her mind.

As time passed, her expression became more serious, and her sense of unease grew stronger. She wrestled internally with whether she should call Song Yongjun to come over and check on things.

The food was laid out on the table, and everything seemed calm, but suddenly, a sharp scream broke through the air, like lightning splitting the night sky.

Li Shao shouted, “Damn!” He threw his utensils down angrily and called for the waiter in frustration.

The restaurant immediately became chaotic. Other customers glanced over, their faces a mixture of surprise and confusion. The waiter quickly rushed over and cautiously asked what had happened.

Li Shao, his face red with anger, trembling slightly in his voice, pointed at the waiter and yelled, “Damn it, there’s a maggot in this chicken! Hurry up and bring your manager, or I’ll make sure your restaurant is ruined!”

Before Li Shao could finish, the woman sitting next to him suddenly let out a high-pitched scream that nearly cracked her voice.

She angrily poured an avocado banana milkshake onto her plate, then loudly complained about how disgusting it was, repeatedly muttering unpleasant words. Her voice was grating and irritating.

Because her reaction was so exaggerated and her actions so forceful, the waiter standing nearby was accidentally slapped by her.

Everyone in the restaurant was stunned by their behavior. Eyes widened, mouths slightly open. The atmosphere became tense in an instant.

Song Qinyao rested her chin on one hand, her eyes narrowing as she stared at the couple, a vague feeling rising in her chest that their emotional exchange seemed a bit forced, as if they were deliberately putting on a performance.

As the situation worsened, the waiter could no longer handle it alone. With Qian Qian not present, Song Baili had no choice but to put down her kitchen work, roll up her sleeves, and quickly leave the kitchen to step into the fray, preparing to deal with the escalating chaos in the dining area.

A slight stir spread through the restaurant as Song Baili appeared. Her beauty and elegance took everyone by surprise, almost causing the entire room to hold its breath.

All the surrounding customers stopped what they were doing, their gazes fixed on her, eyes filled with greed and admiration. They stared at her as if they were afraid to blink, not wanting to miss any of her details.

Li Shao stared blankly at Song Baili, his mouth open, slowly closing as if he had forgotten what he was about to say. His finger, which had been raised to point at her, slowly dropped.

Inside, he felt both shocked and pleased, but his mind seemed to have been wiped clean, even the lines he had just memorized were now lost to him. At this moment, his heart felt like a flower market had opened inside, with flowers blooming in every direction.

“Ladies and gentlemen, if there is any problem with the food, we will replace it immediately. Today’s meal is on the house. The boss is treating you all to a good meal as an apology.”

Li Shao’s attitude shifted like a fan suddenly reversing direction, the cool breeze that had been blowing turning into hot air in an instant.

“Don’t worry, it’s just a small matter, no need to change it… Oh, no!”

Li Shao suddenly felt a powerful force from under the table. A sharp pain shot up his leg, and an expression of pain flashed across his face. But he gritted his teeth and endured the pain, silently sitting down and rubbing the spot that had been kicked.

The woman let out a cold laugh and pulled her foot back. Her eyes were large and protruding, like a dragon’s, full of fury, burning like a torch. It seemed like she could reduce everything around her to ashes in an instant.

She raised her chin slightly and fixed her gaze on Song Baili, giving her a once-over. Her eyes were sharp, like a sword, as if she was analyzing every detail of the person before her.

“If no one dares to speak up about small matters, then they become big matters! The hygiene in your restaurant is like this, who would dare to eat your food? I don’t need the boss to treat me, I’m just not happy right now!”

Her voice was unbearable, scraping like nails on a glass.

Song Baili scanned the other diners around the table, feeling their gazes on her. She tried to stay calm, suppressing her emotions, and spoke softly and gently:

“So, what do you have in mind? We’ll do our best to accommodate you.”

After speaking, Song Baili glanced at Li Shao, her gaze lingering for a moment before she suddenly gave him a soft smile.

In that moment, Li Shao saw nothing but that charming smile. His heart seemed to be gently held by a soft hand, beating rapidly, almost jumping out of his chest.

A strange wave of warmth spread through his body, his mind clouded, and his thoughts wandered. The words in his heart bypassed his brain, jumping straight out of his mouth.

“If you’re willing, we could have a meal together, and we’ll call this matter off.”

Before Li Shao could finish his sentence, the woman beside him—whom he mentally referred to as a “mother dragon”—stared at him with wide eyes, emitting an intense aura, as if she could bite his neck off at any moment. It was a bit terrifying.

He felt a chill run up his spine, instinctively pulling his feet back, his body leaning to the side as he awkwardly lowered his head.

The “mother dragon” flared her nostrils in anger, thinking to herself that everyone had come today to cause trouble with Li Shao, but he, like a playboy who had been charmed by a beautiful woman, was now completely distracted and had surrendered so easily. What a disappointment!

Another man at the table glanced around at the group, his expression showing signs of impatience. He lightly cleared his throat and leaned closer to Li Shao’s ear:

“Master Li, if you’re not going to handle things properly, let’s just leave.”

Li Shao’s face flushed with embarrassment, a forced smile tugging at the corners of his lips. He dared not look directly at Song Baili’s face, his eyes shifting nervously, betraying his discomfort.

He cleared his throat and raised his voice slightly, but with a hint of unease and forced cheerfulness:

“Wow, your restaurant’s ingredients are really fresh, even the bugs are lively, and the cockroaches are so fat and healthy. This is not a small matter! Don’t try to talk your way out of it. Either the boss apologizes personally, or we’ll have to take action!”

The situation was spiraling out of control, beyond reason. Song Qinyao could no longer stand by and do nothing. She walked up to Song Baili, crossing her arms over her chest, her eyes sharp as she quickly scanned the dishes on the table.

Song Qinyao’s eyes narrowed as she saw several insects moving on the chicken. A shiver ran down her spine, and goosebumps appeared all over her body.

She couldn’t help but cover her mouth with her hand, her brow furrowing slightly as she took a deep breath, trying to shake off the disgusting feeling.

Then, she turned to Song Baili and asked:

“These bugs are still moving around so lively. Is this even normal?”

Song Baili shook her head, responding without hesitation:

“That’s highly unlikely. The freshly fried chicken should have reached at least 165°F. That temperature could burn a person, let alone a few small bugs.”

“See? These people are here to cause trouble. If I were you, I’d have done my homework before coming here! Your IQ is probably less than half the temperature of a fridge. Your brains are like tofu, and you still want to make trouble!”

Song Qinyao looked at the group with a smile that was gentle yet slightly mischievous. Her eyes were like crescent moons, soft and alluring, but there was an icy coldness in them.

The surrounding customers whispered among themselves, murmuring in low voices.

Li Shao sharply felt the sneering, mocking gazes of the others on them, like needles pricking his skin. The air seemed filled with an ominous tension, and things were quickly turning against them.

Amid the rising commotion, the previously arrogant woman slammed her hand on the table, producing a sharp, attention-grabbing sound.

She picked up a spoon and scooped out the dead cockroach from her dish. Her voice was filled with disgust:

“Look at this! There’s a cockroach body in this drink. Here’s a leg, here’s the head, here’s the wings. This is too disgusting! Now, you can’t talk your way out of this!”