Is This The Right Way To Repay A Favor? Chapter 20
byDelicious
Everyone came to Youran Residence for breakfast.
Without the meticulous care of makeup artists and stylists, the guests’ makeup and styling looked casual, but this added a vibrant, everyday atmosphere.
During the meal, everyone discussed the types of businesses they wanted to try.
According to the program’s setup, each guest could create one business based on their interests. The committee would provide the necessary materials, and other guests could voluntarily choose whether to participate.
“I want to run a bedtime radio show, reading a poem every night. If you’re interested, you can join in the reading. Besides poetry, anonymous letters for sharing are also welcome.”
“I plan to open a small Tarot shop. If you’re curious, you can come for a reading, and I’ll do my best to interpret for everyone.”
“I want to create a perfume museum where everyone can come and blend their own unique, exclusive fragrance.”
“My plan is to build a basketball court and organize a friendly basketball match.”
……….
Everyone shared their ideas one after another, but Jiang Zhou and Shen Zhiyu remained silent.
“Brother Yu, what do you want to do?” Cai Zhiyang asked. “No matter what you want to do, I’ll be the first to support you!”
Shen Zhiyu answered calmly, “Study.”
Everyone: ???
Shen Zhiyu looked serious. “I’ve always regretted not being able to continue my education, so I want to build a classroom and study high school courses.”
This business idea… is a bit abstract.
Apart from Jiang Zhou, the expressions of the other guests were somewhat subtle.
“As long as Brother Yu wants to do it, I support it,” Cai Zhiyang added, though his tone was noticeably weaker. He turned and asked, “Mr. Jiang, how about you?”
Jiang Zhou didn’t actually have any specific ideas.
The production team encouraged everyone to create businesses based on their hobbies, but he realized he didn’t have any so-called hobbies.
He was an extremely monotonous person. If it weren’t for Shen Zhiyu, he probably would never have actively engaged in various sports, singing, or dancing….
Everything about him revolved almost entirely around Shen Zhiyu.
Revolving around Shen Zhiyu… Thinking of this, Jiang Zhou suddenly had an idea: “I’ll open a restaurant. I’ll be responsible for everyone’s meals every day and ensure logistical support.”
The directors and staff: ….
The original plan was for the production team to stop providing ingredients later on, hoping to motivate the guests to earn supplies by developing their businesses.
But now Mr. Jiang was proposing to open a restaurant directly. The production team realized they probably couldn’t avoid the ingredient issue.
In fact, other guests had considered this idea, but they all knew the production team’s tricks and understood it wouldn’t be easy to achieve, so no one had mentioned it.
Now that the capital boss was personally stepping in to exploit a loophole, the guests immediately cheered.
“Awesome, Mr. Jiang!”
“How did we not think of that move!”
“From now on, all our meals depend on Mr. Jiang!”
“Mr. Jiang, you are practically our second parent!”
Amidst the deliberate and enthusiastic flattery, Jiang Zhou smiled a little awkwardly: “Then I’ll try my best to make everyone gain ten pounds this month.”
“Mr. Jiang, that’s too ‘vicious’! Ten pounds? Do we still need to maintain our image!” Cai Zhiyang joked.
“Do you even have an image?”
“Look down at your beer belly before you speak!”
Everyone burst into laughter.
Shen Zhiyu glanced indifferently at Jiang Zhou.
Thin arms and legs, skinny as a bamboo pole. He wondered who needed to gain ten pounds first.
No, ten pounds probably wasn’t enough.
It should be at least twenty pounds so he wouldn’t feel bony to the touch.
—-
After breakfast, everyone returned to their residences to seriously contemplate their business plans.
Jiang Zhou finished handling some work, then sent a message in the group chat:
“Please leave a comment in the group about your dietary preferences. I’ll start with a preliminary tally.”
The guests replied quickly, sending their preferences and not forgetting to include playful flattery:
“Mr. Jiang is too thoughtful! Thumbs up for the boss!”
“How are we so fortunate to eat food personally customized by Mr. Jiang!”
“The kindness of a meal must be repaid for life! Jiang Clan forever!”
Jiang Zhou finished compiling everyone’s dietary preferences but still hadn’t received a reply from Shen Zhiyu.
They were currently staying together, and Jiang Zhou felt that sending a message wasn’t polite enough, so he decided to ask him in person.
He walked to Shen Zhiyu’s door and knocked lightly: “Elder Shen…”
He suddenly remembered that Shen Zhiyu had said last night that he didn’t like that title and told him to just call him “Brother Yu,” like Cai Zhiyang and the others.
Jiang Zhou hesitated at the door for a long time, trying to speak several times, but he couldn’t naturally utter the title.
A faint voice came from inside the room: “What is it?”
At that moment, the title swirling in his heart suddenly slipped out: “Brother Yu, I’m tallying everyone’s dietary preferences.”
After saying it the first time, it didn’t seem as difficult as he had imagined.
“Come in,” came the reply.
Jiang Zhou pushed the door open but didn’t step inside, only standing by the doorframe.
The room was dark, with the thick curtains drawn, and only the faint light seeping through the door crack outlined vague contours.
Shen Zhiyu was lying on the bed, half his face buried in the quilt. The crisp scent of cedar mixed with a hint of sweet citrus faintly permeated the air.
In the dim light, Jiang Zhou couldn’t see his expression clearly.
“No spice, no egg yolk, no green onions,” Shen Zhiyu’s voice came from under the quilt, muffled and slightly hoarse.
Jiang Zhou remembered the dark beverage Shen Zhiyu had downed last night and unconsciously clenched his palms.
He had been too careless. He should have asked about this last night.
“Are you alright?”
“Is it because of that drink last night? Is your stomach upset?”
“I’ll call a doctor.”
Jiang Zhou was about to turn around.
“No need.” Shen Zhiyu revealed his face from the quilt. “It’s not the drink.”
“I caught a cold.”
“A cold?” Jiang Zhou turned back. “You still need to see a doctor.”
“I already saw one,” Shen Zhiyu said softly. “I got a shot, but I haven’t taken the medicine yet.”
“Mr. Jiang, could you help me? The medicine is on the bedside table.”
Jiang Zhou finally walked into the room.
Shen Zhiyu had changed into a pure white cotton long-sleeved pajama set. His hair was slightly messy, and his face was flushed with an unnatural redness.
The closer he got, the more he could feel the abnormal temperature radiating from him.
Jiang Zhou was still worried and looked at him hesitantly.
Shen Zhiyu thought he hadn’t found the medicine and pointed to the bedside table on the right: “It’s over there.”
Jiang Zhou silently retrieved the medicine, carefully read the instructions, picked up a packet of granules, went outside to mix it with warm water, and brought it back to the room.
Shen Zhiyu took the cup from his hand.
Their fingertips touched briefly, and that temperature was clearly higher than normal.
Jiang Zhou’s brow furrowed even tighter.
Shen Zhiyu finished the granules and then took the pills under Jiang Zhou’s watchful eye.
“Thank you.” He placed the cup back on the bedside table and lay back down under the covers.
“Get some rest.”
Jiang Zhou took the cup and quietly backed out of the room.
There were cameras everywhere in the house, making it inconvenient to say anything.
It wasn’t until he returned to the bathroom in his own room that Jiang Zhou quietly called Wei Yan, asking him to inquire about the specifics of Shen Zhiyu’s illness.
After repeatedly confirming that Shen Zhiyu only had a common cold and no other issues, Jiang Zhou finally felt a little relieved.
—-
The production team was highly efficient.
In just one morning, the restaurant was set up. It was located near Youran Residence. The first floor housed the kitchen and dining area, while the second-floor turret was transformed into a lounge area where guests could go for tea and enjoy the view after dinner.
Besides Jiang Zhou’s restaurant, the other guests’ businesses were also being prepared.
The necessary ingredients for the restaurant were already fully stocked, a dazzling array of everything one could need.
Jiang Zhou first cooked some vegetable congee and kept it warm in the rice cooker, then started preparing a few dishes.
He had started learning to cook in the second grade of primary school. At that time, Jiang Hua was bedridden, and all the household chores fell on his shoulders.
Later, when he went to the county town for junior high, he insisted on going home every day to cook. It wasn’t until the Jiang family received financial aid from Shen Zhiyu and Jiang Hua’s condition improved that Jiang Zhou felt comfortable going to the city for school.
Over the years, while Jiang Zhou’s cooking skills weren’t top-notch, they were solid and proficient.
He worked alone in the kitchen for about half an hour and prepared five dishes and one soup.
He took a photo and sent it to the group chat. “Lunch is ready. Everyone can come and eat.”
The five dishes and one soup included three meat dishes and two vegetable dishes. The most time-consuming was the Tea-Fried Crispy Bone.
Jiang Zhou had prepared this dish specifically.
During the game last night, Shen Zhiyu had specifically mentioned this dish, and Jiang Zhou guessed he must like it.
Emoticons from the guests saying “On my way” popped up in the group chat.
Jiang Zhou returned to the kitchen to scoop the congee, planning to take it back to Youran Residence.
Just then, Shen Zhiyu’s profile picture popped up: “Coming.”
Jiang Zhou hesitated for a moment, then clicked on his chat box: “Is your cold better? Do you want me to bring it back for you?”
“No need, I’m on the way,” Shen Zhiyu quickly replied.
He replied with a voice message.
Jiang Zhou felt a slight urge, but he didn’t dare play it out loud in front of the cameras, so he converted it to text.
Not long after, Shen Zhiyu arrived.
The other guests also arrived at the restaurant one after another.
When they saw the abundant five dishes and one soup on the table, there was another round of exaggerated cheers.
Jiang Zhou, who was initially at a loss, had gradually grown accustomed to their enthusiasm.
Once everyone was seated, Jiang Zhou brought out the rice and the warmed vegetable congee.
Cai Zhiyang’s eyes lit up: “Mr. Jiang! You are too thoughtful! How did you know I had a cold?”
“You even specially cooked congee! I’m so touched!” After saying that, he even let out a few “wuwuwu” sounds toward Jiang Zhou and very consciously served himself a large bowl first.
Jiang Zhou: …..
He watched helplessly as Cai Zhiyang served himself a massive bowl and couldn’t help but feel a little distressed.
Fortunately, he had cooked a lot. Otherwise, at Cai Zhiyang’s rate, the bottom of the pot might be scraped clean.
Cai Zhiyang took a sip and praised it repeatedly. Dong Qianqian and Hua Qian also followed suit and served themselves a bowl each.
Jiang Zhou hadn’t expected the vegetable congee to be so popular. He watched them take bowl after bowl, while Shen Zhiyu sat quietly.
Cai Zhiyang quickly finished one bowl and was about to serve a second when Jiang Zhou finally couldn’t help but speak: “Brother Yu, would you like to try some too?”
Hearing this, Shen Zhiyu handed his bowl toward Jiang Zhou.
“Thank you, Mr. Jiang.”
His movement was swift and decisive, as if he had been waiting for this moment.
Cai Zhiyang then realized, “Look at me, only thinking about myself! Brother Yu, you should have a bowl too.”
“Oh right! Is this Tea-Fried Crispy Bone your favorite? Eat more, eat more!”
He eagerly pushed the plate toward Shen Zhiyu, offering a gift on someone else’s behalf.
Shen Zhiyu picked up a piece.
Jiang Zhou served the congee and handed it to him, his gaze quietly following, feeling a little nervous as he waited for his evaluation.
“Delicious.”
“But….”
“It’s still not as good as the one I ate yesterday afternoon.”