Studying

—He was willing to pay Huo Jiu to be his friend, but he did not want Huo Jiu to misunderstand his sincerity. He was not the sort of person who used money to insult or belittle his friends.

"Our relationship isn't just about money," Diwu Ling tried to explain.

Huo Jiu blinked. Although Diwu Ling's words sounded a little awkward, he fully understood what this domineering CEO meant.

"Fine!" Huo Jiu shook his head. "Wait for me."

Huo Jiu carried the dishes back into the kitchen. Though reheated food did not taste as good as freshly cooked dishes, under Huo Jiu's superb skills, the four dishes and soup regained a perfect ten-out-of-ten flavor.

The two of them happily finished lunch.

When he saw the dessert Huo Jiu brought out, Diwu Ling's eyes lit up. "The pastries you made look very nice."

"Try one." Huo Jiu used the serving chopsticks to place a delicate little white swan onto Diwu Ling's plate. "The filling is mung bean paste. It isn't sweet at all."

Diwu Ling took a bite. The outer layer was springy, while the mung bean paste inside was smooth, refreshing, and delicious. He nodded in agreement. "It really isn't sweet."

The two of them had given the pastries the highest praise possible in the country.

Diwu Ling was especially generous with his approval, finishing every pastry on his plate. Looking at the half-box of packaged boat-shaped pastries left over, he glanced at Huo Jiu in confusion.

Huo Jiu had not expected this domineering CEO to have such a good appetite—of the four dishes and soup he had made, Diwu Ling alone had eaten two-thirds. He had also eaten more than half a plate of dessert, one bite at a time, yet he still looked like he had room for more.

Huo Jiu suddenly felt a little awkward. "I saved the rest of the boat-shaped pastries for another child."

Huo Jiu told Diwu Ling about running into Nannan and the old lady at the fresh market. Diwu Ling replied expressionlessly, but what he was thinking was, So Huo Jiu likes being called a big baby.

Huo Jiu clearly had no idea that Diwu Ling had drawn such a core conclusion from only a few casual words. He still felt a little embarrassed. Taking the domineering CEO's money without letting him eat his fill and all that—

"I'll make more tomorrow," Huo Jiu promised, completely forgetting that he had just thought coming over tomorrow would be a real hassle.

Hearing that, Diwu Ling nodded in satisfaction. He no longer dwelled on the remaining half-box of pastries and asked Huo Jiu, "What are you doing this afternoon?"

Huo Jiu casually said, "I'll go back to Su Estate first, then head to First-Rank Pavilion." He was still counting on Yan Dongge to soak his shark fin and abalone!

Diwu Ling's eyes lit up.

Huo Jiu understood immediately. Before Diwu Ling could speak, he said, "I'll call you when it's ready."

Diwu Ling nodded reservedly. "Let me treat you to dinner tonight."

Friends should return one another's kindness. Huo Jiu had treated him to lunch today, would treat him again tomorrow, and would treat him to shark fin and abalone in a few days. Diwu Ling felt that he should at least treat Huo Jiu to several dinners.

With that thought, Diwu Ling took out his phone and briskly instructed his secretary to transfer six million to Huo Jiu's account—for four dishes, one soup, and a plate of Su-style boat-shaped pastries.

Diwu Ling had enjoyed the meal, but he could not forget his promise.

When Huo Jiu received the transfer notification, he was just about to say something when Diwu Ling sternly said, "Friendship is friendship, business is business. You can't go back on something you promised beforehand."

Huo Jiu looked at Diwu Ling strangely. He was a little worried that if they kept eating like this, the domineering CEO would eventually go broke from feeding him.

Although his expression did not change much, Diwu Ling was quite skilled at reading people. Looking at Huo Jiu's expression, he patiently explained, "Don't worry. You won't eat me broke."

On second thought, Huo Jiu realized that the plot would reset anyway. Over the next few days, even if Diwu Ling ate one meal a day, it would only add up to a few tens of millions at most.

He really would not eat Diwu Ling broke.

With that thought, Huo Jiu was immediately reassured.

Chapter 21: Studying

After lunch, Huo Jiu had originally planned to go home and get his shark fin and abalone. But while chatting after the meal, Diwu Ling inadvertently learned that Huo Jiu had been taken back to the Su family for nearly two months, yet Su Shiyuan had not even helped him enroll in school. As a result, Huo Jiu had been drifting around outside in an awkward limbo for two months, with no school to attend at all.

The domineering CEO immediately got angry.

Huo Jiu even had to comfort Diwu Ling instead. "It's fine. I don't like studying anyway."

In his previous life, he had not even had the chance to finish high school, let alone attend university.

As an adopted child, although the old man had treated Huo Jiu very well, almost spoiling him to the point of indulging his every whim, the old man had his own persistence and stubbornness when it came to teaching him cooking.

Ever since he could remember, Huo Jiu had to complete the tasks the old man assigned him every day before the remaining time belonged to him.

Whether he studied or played, he had only been a little child. After finally finishing the tasks assigned by his guardian, he obviously would not spend the rest of his time studying.

So from the time Huo Jiu entered elementary school, his grades had never ranked among the best. Relying only on his quick wits, he managed to score passing marks on every exam—because if he failed, the teachers would visit his home.

And according to the old man's simple values, forged through his own life experiences, there was no need for someone to excel academically. As long as he mastered a craft, Huo Jiu's future achievements would not necessarily be inferior to those of students who graduated from prestigious universities.

At the very least, good grades could not help Huo Jiu inherit Huo Family Restaurant. But if Huo Jiu's culinary skills were exceptional, no one could take away his restaurant or the Huo Family's recipes.

From childhood to adulthood, the old man had instilled this belief in Huo Jiu with complete conviction. Huo Jiu had also firmly believed that he would become the heir to Huo Family Restaurant.

Until the old man was framed, the family recipes were stolen, and the old man died of rage after vomiting blood. The master chefs of Huo Family Restaurant were either lured away by their enemies with high salaries or forced by those enemies to leave the restaurant and flee elsewhere.

Only then did Huo Jiu clearly realize his own helplessness. He had also been sixteen that year.