A very simple hot pot, yet perfect for a winter night.
"Try my pork meatballs, they're my specialty," Yan Heqing recommended.
Lu Lin was busy with work and often kept to himself, so he hadn't had hot pot in a long time.
He indeed picked up a pork meatball, took a bite, and was greeted by a rich meaty aroma, a crisp texture, and a burst of sweet and savory broth.
Lu Lin chewed carefully, "Lettuce?"
Yan Heqing's eyes curved into a smile. "Yes, I added a little bit of chopped lettuce. It will give the dumplings a more layered texture and prevent them from being too greasy."
"Are you still working at the hotel?" Lu Lin asked naturally. Even though it was just a simple hot pot, he could tell that Yan Heqing's cooking skills were quite good.
"Not counting hotels, just some roadside casual eateries." Yan Heqing picked up her bowl, blanched a piece of lettuce, her smile as bright as the green lettuce. "I can cook most of the basic home-style dishes, but I can't cook those fancy dishes or Western food."
"The taste wasn't very good." Lu Lin took a bite of rice, then, realizing the ambiguity, added, "Those so-called high-end creative dishes."
"I've never had it before," Yan Heqing said, picking up some lettuce. "I'll try it sometime."
The soup pot bubbled and gurgled, and the two ate quietly and quickly, finishing in no time. Lu Lin ate one bowl, and Yan Heqing ate two.
Lu Lin helped clear the dishes and went to the kitchen. The small kitchen was still clean and tidy, and there were several succulents on the windowsill, which were the best-looking succulents Lu Lin had ever seen.
"Just put the water in the pool." Yan Heqing followed, carrying a pot of soup.
The kitchen suddenly became crowded.
Lu Lin put down the bowl and washed it casually. There were only two bowls, and he was surprisingly good at washing dishes. After washing them, he skillfully took a dry towel and wiped the water out of the bowls. "You quit your job?"
Yan Heqing looked at the bowl, scooped out the leftovers from the pot, and poured them into the trash can. "The bar? I'll quit once I've earned enough for driving school tuition. The coffee shop too, I'll stop before the New Year."
After wiping the bowls, Lu Lin reached for the soup pot. Yan Heqing hesitated for a moment, then handed it over. "Thank you for your help."
Lu Lin casually washed the soup pot, "I see you're learning a foreign language. Are you planning to study abroad someday?"
Yan Heqing nodded, "Mm."
The rain had subsided. Lu Lin finished washing the pot, dried it with a towel, glanced at it, and hung it on the hook by the windowsill. He took out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his fingers one by one. "Thank you for your hospitality. I'll be going now."
Yan Heqing's gaze swept over the red bucket next to the trash can, and he suddenly remembered the bait he had made. "I made some bait, would you like to take a jar to try?"
Lu Lin stopped as expected. "What?"
Yan Heqing opened the drawer, took out a clean, transparent jar, squatted down and opened the bucket, and a smell similar to fermented rice wafted out.
"I brewed the distiller's grains using sorghum, rice, wheat, and yeast. It's a recipe taught to me by an old fisherman. I made some slight modifications, but I haven't tested it yet."
Yan Heqing filled the jar to the brim, tightened the lid, and handed it to Lu Lin. "Just sprinkle the bait into the water. If you find it effective, I'll bring you more later."
Lu Lin stared at Yan Heqing for a while, then suddenly said, "I'm 30."
"Hmm?" Yan Heqing's pupils widened slightly. "What did you say?"
"Just call me whatever you want." Lu Lin took the bait. "I'm not that old."
Lu Lin left.
Yan Heqing stood at the doorway. The lights in the hallway turned on and off until the footsteps disappeared.
The smile in Yan Heqing's eyes gradually subsided. He closed the door, returned to the sofa, and opened his phone's map app to search for Pine Blossoms Brew Spring.
It's very close to the coffee shop, and the subway line goes directly there, only three stops away.
He overheard Lu Lin and Chu Ziyu's phone call.
Pine Blossoms Brew Spring was the location of Xie Yunjie's wedding, and also...
Lin Fengzhi naked and crawled into Lu Lin's room, intending to seduce him.
At this point in the original text, it was still a year before Lu Muchi discovered that Lin Fengzhi loved Lu Lin.
This time, Yan Heqing is going to "help" Lu Muchi by knowing in advance.
*
The next morning, Yan Heqing left home at seven o'clock and took the subway to Pine Blossoms Brew Spring.
Pine Blossoms Brew Spring is a premier five-star hotel in the capital. In addition to its comfortable and luxurious rooms, its cuisine is also extremely famous, earning it Black Pearl Three Diamond rating.
The lobby was decorated in a very antique style, with artificial hills and flowing water. Yan Heqing walked to the front desk and politely inquired, "Are you hiring temporary workers? I can do anything."
The young man was so strikingly handsome that the receptionist hesitated before actually saying no, then nodded and said, "I think they're hiring in the kitchen. Shall I ask them for you?"
Yan Heqing smiled, "Thank you."
The receptionist picked up the landline, dialed a number, spoke a few words, then hung up and pointed to the elevator on the left, "Take the elevator to the 3rd floor and find a supervisor surnamed Yang."
Yan Heqing thanked the receptionist and walked towards the elevator. The receptionist watched him enter the elevator before turning her gaze away.
The elevator slowly ascended to the 3rd floor, where a large buffet restaurant opened up.
Yan Heqing went out. It wasn't mealtime, so the restaurant was very quiet, with only a few waiters cleaning. Yan Heqing judged the direction and walked to the left-hand counter, then to the open kitchen, where a woman in uniform came out.
The woman appeared to be in her early forties and was carrying a long bunch of keys.
"Hello." Yan Heqing's gaze swept over the nameplate on the woman's chest, which read Yang Zhen.
Guessing that the woman was Supervisor Yang, he politely said, "I'm here to apply for the job."
Yang Zhen sized up Yan Heqing, "What can you do?"
"I can do everything from preparing side dishes to chopping and shaping," Yan Heqing said with a smile. "I can also do simple carving."
Yang Zhen was somewhat surprised. This young man, with his rosy lips and fair skin, who seemed to have never lifted a finger, actually knew how to work in the kitchen. She turned around and said, "Come with me."
She led Yan Heqing into the kitchen, where everyone was preparing lunch in an orderly manner. Yang Zhen walked to the counter, took a carrot and gave it to Yan Heqing, saying, "Carve a rose."
Yan Heqing took it. "Okay."
He skillfully peeled the skin while looking down.