Chapter 1198: Chapter 1198: Extra Story of the Eel 35

Su Man froze for a moment. “…Yes, I am.”

“This way, please.” The server led Su Man inside and said politely, “Mr. Lu reserved a seat by the window. The weather is nice tonight—you can see the stars.”

Su Man lifted her gaze to the floor-to-ceiling glass window. Sure enough, there were a few stars twinkling amid the night sky. There weren’t many, but for a city with severe light pollution, being able to see even this handful of stars was already a blessing.

She silently rated the restaurant in her mind: elegant environment, cozy ambiance, decent service. Next step—let’s see how the food measures up.

Lu Yuwen had just finished ordering and immediately stood up to greet Su Man as she arrived. He smiled and said, “You look stunning tonight.”

Su Man couldn’t help but laugh. “You say that like it’s your first time seeing this outfit of mine.”

“Today’s different,” Lu Yuwen scrutinized her seriously and remarked, “You’re wearing makeup tonight, aren’t you?”

Su Man felt slightly embarrassed, suddenly a bit uneasy.

She had applied light makeup—it wasn’t obvious. She hadn’t expected Lu Yuwen to notice.

“In such dim lighting, you can still tell…” She awkwardly sat down, unconsciously touched her face, and said, “Your powers of observation are razor sharp.”

Lu Yuwen sat across the table and chuckled, “Well, you’re going to be a detective in the future. Your observation skills should outmatch mine.”

Su Man thought about it—it was a fair point. She nodded seriously and said, “I need to learn from you.”

Lu Yuwen picked up the menu and handed it to her. “I’ve already ordered. Take a look and see if there’s anything you’d like to add.”

“No need.” Su Man sat up straight, speaking earnestly. “I trust your taste.”

“I ordered the chef’s recommended set menu. Let’s try it and hope it doesn’t disappoint us.”

Lu Yuwen picked up a glass and took a leisurely sip of water. Tonight, he was dressed sharply—suit and tie, accessorized with a silver tie and an expensive metallic wristwatch peeking out from his sleeve as he moved. His composed demeanor exuded a refined air of professional charm and elegance.

Seeing his poise and grandeur, Su Man couldn’t help but laugh. She teased, “You look like a mysterious food critic secretly planning to find faults with the chef.”

“Find faults?” Lu Yuwen smirked and lowered his gaze slightly, gently shaking his head. “I don’t point out a chef’s faults. Quite the opposite—if he’s good enough, I’ll reward him.”

Su Man asked curiously, “You mean tipping him?”

Lu Yuwen shook his head, smiling.

Su Man pressed further, “What reward are you planning to give, then?”

He glanced to both sides, leaned forward slightly, and edged closer to her, “…Come closer.”

Su Man couldn’t figure out why he was being so secretive, but she leaned in regardless. Then she heard him whisper softly, almost inaudibly:

“I want… to poach him.”

Su Man: “…”

She maintained her composure and slowly leaned back, picking up her glass to take a sip of water.

The tips of her ears were faintly warm.

“As long as the chef proves exceptional, I’m willing to pay a higher salary and offer better benefits,” Lu Yuwen said with a calm smile. “For someone like me, unfamiliar with local networks, directly recruiting an established team is the most cost-effective strategy.”

Su Man steadied herself, glanced at him, and teased, “If the restaurant manager hears this, they’ll definitely kick both of us out.”

Lu Yuwen laughed, “You’ll protect me, won’t you?”

Su Man coughed lightly, recalling their first meeting when she ended up pinning him against a wall…

Fine, she could admit that she sometimes… was a bit aggressive.

She was reflecting on it now.

…

The food hadn’t yet arrived, but even without anything to eat, the atmosphere was consistently pleasant.

Su Man began to appreciate the serene and dimly-lit surroundings. Her imagination wandered—what if Lu Yuwen opened a restaurant like this? He’d have to scout the location, design the interiors, train the staff, and hire an exceptional kitchen team… Every single step would be a challenge.

It would definitely be exhausting, wouldn’t it?