Chapter 315 - 184: How Could I Let You Lose

Chapter 315: Chapter 184: How Could I Let You Lose

"Your sister-in-law and I came to this Huaiyang restaurant once before, and I’ve never forgotten their signature dishes: Crab Roe Lion’s Head and Squirrel-Shaped Mandarin Fish!"

"Go on, try it! How is it?" Chen Peng gestured with his eyes for Su Chen to be the first to taste it.

The Crab Roe Lion’s Head at this restaurant wasn’t the kind where you get several meatballs in a large bowl. Instead, each was served in a small tureen, about the size of a rice bowl, which perfectly held a single portion.

A small amount of clear broth was paired with a piece of Shanghai bok choy, a sight that was enough to whet anyone’s appetite.

Su Chen didn’t stand on ceremony. He picked up his spoon and dug into his portion of Crab Roe Lion’s Head.

"Hmm..." Su Chen found the Crab Roe Lion’s Head to be surprisingly firm and springy. He had to use a bit of force with his spoon just to break a piece off.

Scooping up a small piece, Su Chen popped it into his mouth. He was surprised to find that the inside was exceptionally tender, and the texture was incredibly rich. The delicate aroma of crab and the savory flavor of pork were perfectly interwoven.

"This Crab Roe Lion’s Head truly lives up to its reputation as a famous Huaiyang dish. Springy, tender, and absolutely delicious!" Su Chen’s eyes widened slightly. ’Whether in terms of flavor or ingredients, this is top-tier.’

He had eaten Lion’s Head from five-star hotels before, but their flavor and texture were still a notch below what this Huaiyang restaurant served.

"Hahaha! I’m glad you like it!" Hearing Su Chen’s praise, Chen Peng burst out laughing. Anyone who didn’t know better would have thought he’d cooked the dish himself.

A thoughtful look, however, flashed through Fu Qiaoyu’s eyes. ’It’s just... my cousin-in-law is far too composed.’ She knew that a single tureen of this Crab Roe Lion’s Head cost a three-figure sum. Most people would gasp at the price.

Yet Su Chen showed no curiosity at all. And when he ate—no, when he *savored* it—he chewed slowly, relishing the sensation of the dish on his palate, not simply eating to fill his stomach.

The two mindsets were worlds apart.

’Could it be that my cousin-in-law has struck it rich?’ The thought had barely formed in Fu Qiaoyu’s mind before she dismissed it.

She knew Su Chen’s family situation. They weren’t even comfortably well-off; at best, they were a family that just managed to make ends meet.

She had seen enough of the world to know that it wasn’t easy to turn your life around without connections or a powerful benefactor.

So she chalked up the scene from before to Su Chen simply being reserved, which was why he was eating so deliberately.

It is said that one’s station changes one’s bearing, and one’s status nourishes the body. Ever since Su Chen acquired the system, the people and things he encountered had been subtly changing his temperament and refinement—changes that even he himself hadn’t noticed.

"Brother, Sister-in-law, don’t just stare. Eat! It won’t be as good if it gets cold," Su Chen said quickly, noticing they were both still watching him.

"Yes, yes, let’s eat. Honey, here, try some of this Squirrel-Shaped Mandarin Fish." As he spoke, Chen Peng placed a piece of the most tender fish belly on Fu Qiaoyu’s plate.

Watching his cousin’s doting expression from the side, Su Chen felt a wave of saccharine sweetness wash over him. He couldn’t help but shudder, feeling goosebumps prickle his skin.

After a single glance, he stopped paying attention to their lovey-dovey display and focused on savoring the Huaiyang delicacies spread across the table.

Thanks to the wonderful food, the troubling things he’d heard earlier seemed to fade away, and his gloomy mood improved considerably.

Just as they were about to finish their meal, Chen Peng’s phone suddenly rang. Seeing the call was from the factory, he answered it right there in front of Su Chen.

"What?" Chen Peng shot to his feet, sending his stool flying backward. It hit the wall with a loud THUD.

"How is that possible? Didn’t we just sign the lease?"

"Alright, I get it. We’ll talk when I get back!" Chen Peng hung up, his face grim.

Sitting beside him, Fu Qiaoyu asked with a solemn expression, "Peng, is something wrong at the factory?"

"It’s nothing." Chen Peng shook his head. He then forced a smile and said to Su Chen, "Little brother, something’s come up at the factory that I need to handle. You take your time and finish eating."

With that, he gave Fu Qiaoyu a meaningful look and started to pull her up, ready to leave.

He had barely taken a step when Su Chen stopped him. "Brother, I’ll go with you. An extra person means an extra pair of hands, right?"

Chen Peng hesitated, his first instinct to refuse. In his eyes, this wasn’t a problem a young guy like Su Chen could solve; he’d only be in the way.

Besides, he didn’t want to lose face in front of his little brother. Perhaps it was just a man’s pride.

"Let him come with us. You’re in no state to drive right now," Fu Qiaoyu interjected. Then, she turned to Su Chen and asked, "Xiaochen, you have a driver’s license, right?"

"Yeah, I’ve had it for three or four years. Driven plenty of different cars, too." Su Chen understood what his sister-in-law was getting at. His brother was furious right now. It would be terrible if he got into an accident on the way back because he was distracted.

Since his wife had spoken, Chen Peng didn’t overthink it and simply nodded in agreement.

After settling the bill, the three of them hurried toward a parking lot near the old town.

When they reached the parking lot, Su Chen was surprised to see that his brother’s car was a Ford Kuga. ’That must’ve cost at least 200,000 yuan.’ He also noticed the car was brand new—it couldn’t have been more than a month old.

"Brother, nice car! This must have set you back a bit," Su Chen said, settling into the driver’s seat and looking around for a moment.