Chapter 141 Tomatoes and Eggs

at some of those experts' worries back then were not baseless. During the subsequent flood rescue operations, there was also the fact of local officials shirking responsibility among each other. Furth...Chapter 141: Tomato and Egg

"Didn't you know each other before" Lin Luoran walked out of the kitchen, wearing rubber gloves, and saw Su Can letting Wei Yuanhu enter. She smiled and said, "What happened in Shanghai, I heard from him."

Wei Yuanhu shrugged and smiled at Lin Luoran, saying, "When I had dinner with Su Can that day, we talked about this matter. After all, we are acquaintances. Plus, you called me to say that you were in Beijing, so it was convenient to chat a bit."

Wei Yuanhu and Li Pengyu didn't know each other before, but after Lin Luoran introduced them, they got to know each other through exchanging pleasantries. They chatted about trivial matters and asked if Li Pengyu was from the Nanjing military compound. Wei then mentioned someone named Zhang Jingfan and asked if he knew him.

Li Pengyu nodded and replied, "How could I not know His father is a deputy chief of staff in the military district. During the 1998 flood disaster, he led a team into Jiangxi to rescue victims, commanding one thousand people to secure the 500-kilovolt grid towers in Wannian County for emergency repairs. He's quite famous at the Nanjing compound and is known as someone who doesn't back down."

Wei Yuanhu smiled, saying, "This kid was my college classmate. After graduation, we both went to the State Council Development Research Center but in different departments. So, we are still acquaintances..."

The first time Su Can met Wei Yuanhu, he could tell that no matter how he acted, Wei had a natural way of standing out. Whether speaking or acting, he was always able to handle situations with perfect poise and humor. His slightly thin lips made him seem eloquent and extremely intelligent. Even someone like Li Pengyu, who initially approached others with caution, was won over by Wei Yuanhu effortlessly, leading to more engaging conversation. This clearly demonstrated Wei's remarkable interpersonal skills.

As Wei and Li chatted, Su Can couldn't join their conversation for a while. Lin Luoran noticed the atmosphere didn't require her attention, so she smiled at Su Can nearby before returning to the kitchen to help An Wan. She pointed to a large plate of fruit on the table and invited Su Can to take what he wanted, leaving with her slender figure draped in black hair.

Even when sitting alone on the sofa facing both Su Can and Li Pengyu, Wei could swiftly grasp the conversational atmosphere and maintain control. While focusing mainly on engaging Li Pengyu, he also occasionally engaged Su Can to avoid making it seem as though he was deliberately ignoring Su Can for Li's sake. This showed his impeccable social skills.

Su Can recognized that Wei Yuanhu was adept at bridging the gaps between people and seamlessly integrating himself into their interactions with remarkable speed. Su Can willingly ceded control of the situation without competing with him.

Actually, Wei Yuanhu and Li Pengyu had no connections before; they met through a mutual acquaintance, and both were connected to Lin Luoran beforehand as well. This scenario mirrored Facebook's "Six Degrees of Separation" theory, which posits that any two people in the world can be linked by six degrees of separation.

This situation gave Su Can an eerie feeling, reminiscent of metaphysical philosophy about the interconnectedness of all things. He couldn't help but chuckle at himself, wondering if this was proof that life could be even more fantastical than drama.

In summary, Su Cen had some fantasies, and he wasn't sure if this was to distract himself from the nervousness of being in Lin Luoran's home for the first time.

Lǐ Pángyǔ got up to use the bathroom. Wèi Yuánhú used a fruit knife on the table to peel an apple, and after peeling it, he cut half and passed it to Su Cen. Su Cen accepted it and started munching away. Wèi Yuánhú then gently shifted his position on the sofa and moved closer, saying with a slight expression that only men can understand when they first met, "She's capable of handling both high society and the kitchen—she's top-notch, isn't she"

After speaking, he sighed to himself, "If I don’t marry such a woman, I wouldn’t dare say my life is nearing perfection. Many people spend their entire lives looking for a woman who can easily calm them down. Such thoughts are common, but too many people indulge in luxury and ultimately choose to play games with life rather than commit emotionally. In fact, it's not that there are few women who make you think of a lifetime commitment, but they're hard to grasp. Women attracted by money and status for future security abound, yet those sincerely willing to live a peaceful life with you are rare. Some might be right in front of your eyes one moment, gone the next..."

When Wèi Yuánhú said this much, he paused. Su Cen noticed that there was considerable depth behind his smile, suggesting that his twenty-eight years weren't as smooth and enviable as people might think; there must have been ups and downs. He continued, "In my life, I've seen very few women who can make me feel like this—only three or four at most. My ex-girlfriend in Britain is one, and Lin Luoran is another. If you could find a girl like that to bear a white, plump child... the man would have no worries about his rear defense; he'd be free to focus on securing a bright future for his wife and children."

Su Cen observed that there was thick fog in Wèi Yuánhú's previously enigmatic eyes, but they still shone with clarity. He thought that this guy seemed quite determined.

After speaking, Wèi Yuánhú got up and walked towards the kitchen. A voice from that end shouted, "Don't sneak a bite!" Then, Wèi Yuánhú offered to make a good dish as a token of his hospitality. He smoothly went about it in the kitchen before shooing the girls out. Lin Luoran's friend n Wǎn smiled at him with great approval, saying, "Aren’t you a guest" she said and poked Lin Luoran’s slender waist.

To conquer a woman, one must first win over her friends. Wèi Yuánhú laughed and replied, “I’ve never seen myself as just a guest. Some people say that apart from smoking, drinking tea, and alcohol, men have nothing to do with pots, pans, soy sauce, vinegar, oil, salt—basically mundane things like cooking. But I see this as an excuse for laziness and superficial dignity. Oil smoke can turn any woman beautiful by nature into a yellow-faced housewife over time, so women are best to stay away from kitchen fumes."

n Wǎn was delighted and said to Lin Luoran, "He says he doesn't see himself as just a guest." She then received a sharp look from Lin Luoran.

Walking back into the living room, Lin Luoran lectured her, “Would you lose half your tongue if you spoke less”

n Wǎn stuck out her tongue and walked back to the living room. Even when sitting on the sofa, Lǐ Pángyǔ's towering 188 cm frame made him look imposingly broad-shouldered compared to Su Cen. n Wǎn pursed her lips and said, "These two are true gentlemen."

Despite his formidable exterior, Lǐ Pángyǔ had a calm disposition and could sometimes explode with an indomitable spirit when dealing with situations. But usually he was peaceful and approachable, quite melancholic too. For instance, during their trip in Róngchéng where they raced back along the national highway after being challenged on a hot spring near Mount Snow, Lǐ Pángyǔ had once said through the window an especially poetic phrase—"Loneliness is like snow,"—which stunned everyone at the time.

Therefore, beneath his intimidating exterior was a sensitive soul. Feeling uneasy sitting there, he patted Su Cen's shoulder and said, "Last summer I ate food made by Su Cen; it was delicious. He can show off his skills."

An Wan looked unconvinced, and Lin Luoran responded with an "Oh" as she stared him down.

Li Pengyu hurriedly pushed Su Can into the kitchen, not forgetting to remind him, "No retaliation... In the company, you're my subordinate, but outside of work we’re buddies. This is what you said, buddy. I’m doing this for your own good... To salvage your image and take out Wei Yuanhu."

Su Can was amused as he was shoved into the kitchen. Wei Yuanhu looked reluctant as he came out, watching Su Can go in with a murmur, "Are you sure you want Su Can to work with me I did receive a national third-level chef qualification during my university days; this isn’t fake."

There was no hiding the disdain in his words, after all, Wei Yuanhu had every right to feel confident.

When Su Can saw Wei Yuanhu's dishes in the kitchen, he felt a bit pressured. The guy just now made sweet and sour carp, meticulously carving half of a red carrot into delicate flowers that looked incredibly lifelike. His knife skills were impressive enough for even Su Can to feel envious; it was clear that his national advanced chef qualification wasn't earned frivolously.

However, having lived independently in the previous life for so long, making meals wasn’t something he struggled with. Fortunately, there was still the accumulated experience from two lifetimes to rely on. Otherwise, just looking at Wei Yuanhu's dishes, Su Can would likely have surrendered.

Thus, when Su Can brought out his tomato and egg stir-fry and shredded pork in sweet and sour sauce, compared to Wei Yuanhu’s delicacies such as stuffed gourd with fish and sweet and sour carp, even the unique braised lion's head couldn’t help but make everyone speechless. The visual appeal of Su Can's dishes was clearly lacking by several levels.

Li Pengyu even commented that he loved Su Can's shredded pork in sweet and sour sauce, with an expression as fake as it could be.

Wei Yuanhu didn’t maintain the playful atmosphere from earlier; instead, he explained how his dishes were made and what innovations they had compared to similar famous dishes. He was clearly well-versed both theoretically and practically. However, he ignored Su Can’s tomato and egg stir-fry and shredded pork in sweet and sour sauce.

An Wan naturally showed preference for Wei Yuanhu, continuously picking from his plates with much praise, while trying a little of Su Can's dishes without giving any critique, then turning back to eat more fish. It was quite obvious that compared to the all-around Wei Yuanhu, Su Can felt somewhat neglected.

In fact, Su Can’s cooking wasn't bad; although it didn’t look great, his skills were still respectable, and the taste was there.

Unfortunately, he just couldn’t compete with dishes like Lin Luoran's delicate fish rolls or lion heads. It felt a bit embarrassing to have a simple tomato and egg stir-fry compared against such exquisite dishes. Even Li Pengyu found it hard to say anything insincere after trying Su Can’s food; the best he could manage was that everything was decent, but his praise seemed biased towards Su Can.

Wei Yuanhu remained indifferent, excitedly engaging Lin Luoran in a discussion about history and culture, with an air of elegance about him. Persuaded by Wei Yuanhu's enthusiasm, Lin Luoran took some of his food and smiled brightly at him as she said, "Alright, it looks like your national third-level chef qualification wasn’t for nothing. Even managing to take the advanced chef exam while studying at Peking University. We’re not as good as you in our free time."

Saying this, she fiddled with her black hair and ate more fish. In between, she tasted a little of Su Can's home-style dishes but only nodded once before moving on.

"This can't be described as doing nothing...," Wei Yuanhu felt awkward at Lin Luoran’s off-the-cuff remarks, but he was enjoying her eating his food piece by piece; the feeling was incredibly pleasant.

Lipangyu looked up and glanced at Su Can, then shifted his gaze away. There was a hint of regret in his eyes as he thought that no matter how one might dominate the business world personally, there were still times when it couldn't compare to the effects and power brought about by something as simple as cooking a dish.

Some people could fall in love with someone over a small incident, or completely reject them because of such an event. In short, details are indeed the devil.

The table before them was laden with a sumptuous spread of food. Not only Wei Yuanhu and Su Can were skilled at cooking; Lin Luoran and An Wan’s culinary skills weren't bad either. Lin Luoran had learned to cook from a young age, and under her father's meticulous nurturing over the years, she excelled in Chinese cuisine, Turkish cuisine, and French cuisine—three of the world's major cuisines. Additionally, Su Can noticed that as long as there were ingredients available, she could make distinctive dishes from about thirty different countries and regions at a level comparable to Wei Yuanhu’s. Even Wei Yuanhu admitted that he was not her match.

As everyone enjoyed their meal, the atmosphere remained harmonious until the end. When Lin Luoran finished half a bowl of rice, she picked up the plate with tomatoes and eggs in the sauce and asked who still wanted some.

Wei Yuanhu, An Wan, Li Pengyu, including Su Can, all shook their heads. Lin Luoran sighed softly and poured the remaining sauce over her rice, finishing off a tomato egg meal before wiping her mouth with a napkin.

The moment she finished cleaning up, she returned to being the elegant lady with long black hair cascading down gracefully. Smiling at everyone, she said, "Tangli (tomato and egg) mixed with rice is still the best."

An Wan looked at Wei Yuanhu after hearing this, clearly feeling indignant for him. Wei Yuanhu remained calm as usual, focusing his gaze on Su Can, his eyes deep and distant, with a faint smile playing on his lips.

The plot will accelerate soon, and I'll quickly open up the subsequent framework to make sure everything is tightly woven together.

The outline ahead has been thoroughly organized; there won't be any problems like cliffhangers or loose ends. I've said before that my goal is to provide you with better content through diligent writing. All I need to do is take this step. As always, I hope for your continued support as you did a year ago, adhering to the same principles and main objectives: regardless of everything else, I only wish to tell a story that brings joy and comfort.

And just one more small hope... That this story will be something everyone remembers years from now in this world where people and things are constantly changing.

I hope the conclusion of my major rebirth would include these words: thank you for watching through rain or shine, enduring my slow updates and omissions, and despite your threats to roast me to death, still believing that I can give you a decent story.

With such thoughts in mind, after a year has passed, there are many things to reflect upon. I hope the turbulent days around me will pass quickly so that I may write furiously without pause. I hope to provide more and better content for everyone. May my ideas flow effortlessly through my mind, allowing me to pen down three hundred words as long as I'm looking at a computer screen, an electric fan, or a packet of instant noodles, and with hands folded in respect.o verify the information in disbelief, Lin Luoran remained silent at a corner, watching all this unfold.But it was indeed consistent with her usual character which doesn't follow trends blindly. If sh...