“Oh, Ruotong said the Zhan family elders are very enlightened.”
Enlightened elders and good family values were what nurtured outstanding children.
No wonder Zhan Yuan was so exceptional, with such an impressive aura—he was, after all, a young master from an aristocratic family.
“Big Sis, what’s up with Brother Zhan Yuan? Can we start eating now?”
Ouyang Jun and his brother were utterly confused.
All they gathered was that Brother Zhan Yuan’s family was extraordinary, and he was impressive too. Even Sister Fu had shaken hands with him.
Beyond that, the two young boys didn’t understand much. They were just hungry and eager to eat hotpot.
It was cold, and hotpot was the perfect comfort food.
Ouyang Ya laughed. “All you two think about is food. The meat and vegetables in the pot are cooked—you can start eating.”
With that, she used her chopsticks to serve each of her brothers a portion of food, including meat, shrimp, and vegetables.
Once she started eating, everyone else followed suit.
Fu Ruotong used the serving chopsticks to take some vegetables into her bowl. After tasting them, she asked Ouyang Ya, “Is there extra broth? Could I have a bowl to drink first? The broth’s flavour is spot-on—I love it.”
She adored drinking broth.
Ouyang Ya immediately instructed a servant to go to the kitchen and fetch a bowl of broth for Fu Ruotong.
After Fu Ruotong revealed Zhan Yuan’s true identity, the Ouyang family was astonished. But faced with delicious food, they quickly set their shock aside to enjoy the meal.
Zhan Yuan had come to apply for the chef position himself—he wasn’t forced. Since he was willing to set aside his status to work as a chef, they decided to treat him as one.
Here, there was no Sixth Young Master Zhan, only Zhan Yuan the chef.
With that mindset, they pushed his true identity to the back of their minds.
After everyone had eaten their fill and rested for a bit, Ouyang Ya asked a servant to tell Zhan Yuan she’d like him to join her for a walk outside to aid digestion.
In truth, she wanted to privately ask him about his identity.
A few minutes later, the two were strolling slowly through the courtyard.
The snow on the path had been cleared by the servants, but thick piles remained along the sides. They walked, admiring the snowy scenery.
After several minutes of silence, Zhan Yuan spoke first, his tone apologetic. “Young Miss, I didn’t mean to hide anything. You never asked about my background, and when you asked about my family, I always answered truthfully.”
“I’m not saying you deliberately hid it. Even if you’d told me from the start that you were the Zhan family’s sixth young master, as long as you were sincere in applying and your culinary skills passed muster, I’d have hired you. I wouldn’t reject you because of whose son you are.”
“But I genuinely didn’t expect your family to be so prominent. Knowing you own hotels and restaurants and are successful in your own right, I already respected you. I admire strong individuals.”
In her eyes, Zhan Yuan was a powerhouse in the culinary industry.
Zhan Yuan smiled. “I just got lucky with my birth, born into the Zhan family. Our family background is something our ancestors gave us. In truth, we want to rely on our own abilities to carve out our own paths.”
“That’s the real measure of our worth. Taking over the family business always feels like it’s missing something.”
