After a few people finally managed to break out of the stadium, Song Shi'an returned to the dormitory and was the first to rush into the bathroom.
It's so hot playing ball, I feel like my skin is suffocating.
Pei Zhiyan picked up her coat and said, "I'll go back and pack my things first. We'll have dinner together tonight. I'll send you the address later."
Jiang Ye's eyes lit up. " Old Pei is preparing to bleed a lot, huh? Then we won't hold back."
After Song Shi'an finished showering, he was drying his hair with a towel when Jiang Ye waved his phone and said, " Shi'an, Old Pei is treating us to dinner tonight. Let's shower and get ready before we head out."
The CEO is treating? I absolutely have to go!
Song Shi'an immediately hung the towel around his neck and began rummaging through the wardrobe for clothes.
Normally, eating two meat dishes and one vegetable dish in the cafeteria feels like a luxury, but today someone's treating, so I have to empty my stomach.
After everyone had settled in, Jiang Ye called a car. When they arrived, Song Shi'an stood at the restaurant entrance, looking up at the gate that was even taller than the school gate. He felt that even after being here for so long, this was the first time he had ever seen the city of Capital.
Such a luxurious restaurant, with marble at the entrance so shiny you could see your reflection in it—most ordinary people wouldn't even dare to linger at the entrance of such a place.
He used to avoid stores like this when he was delivering food.
The staff led the group to a private room, where Pei Zhiyan was already inside, looking down at her phone.
Seeing them come in, he gestured to the waiter to hand them the menu.
Song Shi'an took the menu and opened it. His smile froze as he glanced at the first page.
A plate of boiled green vegetables costs 288 yuan.
He turned a few more pages, and with each page he turned, another question arose in his mind.
If this vegetable was airlifted from the moon, then disregard what I said, but it's still just a vegetable, and even after being stir-fried and plated, it's not as big as his fist.
Unconvinced, he looked at a few more dishes, such as "Golden Soup" and "Jade Liquid," each with a more appealing name and an outrageously high price.
He turned to look at Jiang Ye and Chi Xun, who were engrossed in flipping through the menu. Kuku was ordering in a row, discussing which dishes they had eaten last time and seemed quite used to it.
Song Shi'an silently closed the menu.
Pei Zhiyan noticed his actions. "Is there nothing you like?" Then she turned to the waiter and said, "Have your head chef come over and see what he'd like to eat, and we'll make it to him."
Song Shi'an was shocked by his domineering CEO-like remarks.
Is this what happiness is for the rich?! What does it mean to have a chef cook whatever you want right there?!
The waiter left to find someone, Song Shi'an, realizing what was happening, quickly said, "No need, just order whatever you like."
Jiang Ye patted him on the shoulder. "Why are you being so polite with Old Pei? This restaurant is his, why not eat here?"
Song Shi'an takes back what he said earlier: Eat! We absolutely have to eat!
As soon as the waiter left, he took off his hat and mask and took a long breath.
The incense in the private room smelled expensive, though I couldn't tell what kind it was.
A moment later, the head chef and his assistant pushed in a portable stove.
The kitchen is fully equipped with a stainless steel countertop, stove, exhaust fan, knife rack, and spice rack, making it even more professional than Song Shi'an's kitchen in his villa.
The head chef, an Italy in his forties, wore a pristine white chef's uniform with a red scarf tied around his neck. He spoke in heavily accented but fairly fluent Chinese, "Mr. Pei, everything is ready. What would you like to eat? I'll make it for you right here."
Jiang Ye rattled off a list of several dishes in no time, including lobster pasta, truffle risotto, and slow-cooked oxtail, all without taking a breath.
Chi Xun a dessert, and Song Shi'an simply named two dishes as a token gesture.
The head chef smiled and nodded, then tied on his apron and began to prepare the food.
The technique was indeed professional. The salt was sprinkled by pinching a small amount between the fingers and shaking it evenly from a height of 30 centimeters above the ingredients. Every grain of salt landed perfectly, and the amount was measured in grams. Even the olive oil was poured using a measuring cup.
Song Shi'an looked at it for a while, then checked the time on his phone.
At this rate, it would take forever to finish a few dishes. He'd been exercising all afternoon, and his stomach had already started digesting them.
He stood up and walked over to the head chef.
The head chef glanced up at him. What was this angelically handsome young man looking at? Was he studying his cooking techniques?
Song Shi'an spoke up, "Can I do it from the side? That way it'll be faster."
Chi Xun looked up from his phone. " Shi'an, you're going to cook? You can cook too?"
"So-so, third in the world." Song Shi'an had already started rolling up his sleeves. "I'm starving. When will we get to eat? Don't worry, I won't poison you."
Jiang Ye looked at Pei Zhiyan with disbelief. Pei Zhiyan picked up her teacup and took a sip. "You can give it a try."
Song Shi'an was overjoyed! Hahaha!! These knives and ingredients were all high-end items that he wouldn't normally buy, and now he could finally make them for free.
The waiter next to him prepared the ingredients, and Song Shi'an rolled up his sleeves and flexed his fingers. "I'll make you something special."
Chef Ricardo looked at the boy in front of him with curiosity.
These hands have distinct joints, are long and fair, and don't look like hands that are used to cooking often.
A young man who's probably barely even held a kitchen knife a few times is going to cook on his stove?
Without further ado, Song Shi'an picked up the chef's knife from the knife rack and twirled it in his hand.
The moment the blade struck the cutting board, Ricardo's eyebrows rose along with the sound of the knife.
The veal steak was sliced so thinly and evenly under the knife that each slice looked as if it had been measured with calipers, the knife moving so fast that you could almost see the afterimage.
Ricardo slightly opened his mouth. This knife skill was not something that could be achieved in just a few days of practice; it required at least several years of training.
The young man in front of me had clean and efficient technique, without any unnecessary movements, and every wrist flick was precise.
Song Shi'an was completely oblivious to the chef's expression next to him. He turned on the stove to heat the pan, swished olive oil around the edge of the pan, and the aroma exploded the moment the garlic cloves were thrown in.
The prepared ingredients were added to the pot one by one, the spatula flying in his hands. Occasionally, he would toss the pot, causing flames to leap up from the bottom, which he would then steadily suppress.
Jiang Ye and Chi Xun were stunned, especially Chi Xun, who had already started recording with his phone.
Damn, I regret it now, I really regret it. I didn't dribble enough when I was playing basketball.
That face paired with that wok-flipping motion is more lethal than any of his promotional videos. There's nothing he doesn't know; he's an all-rounder!
Five dishes were prepared in just one hour.
With Ricardo making several dishes at the same time, the table was completely full.
The dishes Song Shi'an made looked just as good as those made by a professional chef, and the aromas mingled together, making Jiang Ye already have chopsticks in hand, waiting for the meal to begin.
Ricardo put down his spatula, walked up to Song Shi'an, extended his hand, and said in his heavily accented but exceptionally sincere Chinese, "You're very capable. I'm Ricardo Gallo. May I have the honor of meeting you?"
Song Shi'an wiped his hands with a tissue and shook hands with him. "You're too kind. It's just a casual meeting. I'm Song Shi'an, nice to meet you."