Chapter 115: How Dare You Be So Righteous About Sleeping Over?

When Cai Da actually said that he was worse than a dog and even wanted to bring Cai Yao back as general manager, Cai Sen could not hold back his anger.

“Dad, do you even know who poached all of Zhenzhi’s managers? Cai Yao did.”

“She and that Chu Lin secured the Tianhui Plaza location and opened an upscale restaurant of their own. Do you really think she’ll come back? If she hadn’t poached Zhenzhi’s staff, do you think this restaurant would be so deserted now, with even the waiters ready to quit?”

“It’s not that I’m incompetent. Cai Yao is simply too devious.”

A loser could never surpass others through ability, and so all he could do was rage helplessly. That was probably the perfect description of someone like Cai Sen—or at least of his present state.

Cai Da froze at those words, but only for a moment. Then he gave a self-mocking laugh.

“It seems I really did make the wrong decision. The fact that Cai Yao could poach everyone so effortlessly proves how capable she is. No, I have to speak with her and bring her back to Zhenzhi.”

As he spoke, he was already heading outside. He intended to go to Tianhui Plaza.

Because of his health, he was no longer able to manage Zhenzhi. His son was useless, so he could only rely on this daughter.

The more desperately he had once wanted to put his son in charge, the more desperately he now wanted this daughter to return.

When Cai Sen saw that his father truly meant to find Cai Yao, he hurried after him. He was genuinely afraid that Cai Yao would return to Zhenzhi. If that happened, he would truly be left with nothing but disgrace.

Cai Da soon arrived at Tianhui Plaza. As he headed toward the Linyao Restaurant, he noticed that a food event had been set up along the route everyone had to pass.

The platform had already been assembled, along with several cooking stations. Nearby, an area had been cordoned off, and something seemed to be under construction inside, though the surrounding fabric made it impossible to see what was happening.

Just then, someone pulled a conspicuous banner across the food-event platform.

When Cai Da saw the words “Cloud Crane Restaurant Food Tasting Event” printed across it, he smiled.

He had spent his entire life in the restaurant business and naturally knew exactly what this meant.

Clearly, Cloud Crane had developed a grudge against the restaurant his daughter had opened. They had come to crush her.

“It looks like your sister may not be able to keep this restaurant running. That’s perfect—she can come back to Zhenzhi.” Cai Da’s face filled with delight. He knew the quality of Cloud Crane’s dishes and had tasted them himself. Ordinary restaurants simply could not compete.

After all, the three finest chefs in Min City all worked at Cloud Crane. Any one of them possessed culinary skills far beyond those of other chefs.

With Cloud Crane Restaurant making such a move, every dish at his daughter’s restaurant would be overshadowed. People would begin to believe that the restaurant’s food was terrible, and once that impression took root, it would be extremely difficult to change.

Besides, he knew what kind of establishment they had opened in Tianhui Plaza. With such a large venue, there were the operating costs, employee wages, rent, and more. Without truly becoming an upscale restaurant, they might not be able to survive on just three hundred oysters and prawns a day.

In that sense, Cloud Crane Restaurant was actually helping him.

In high spirits, Cai Da continued toward Linyao Restaurant.

…

At Linyao Restaurant, the other guests who had made reservations had yet to arrive, but Huang Bin had come early. His brother was opening a business, so of course he had to arrive ahead of time to offer his congratulations.

He had brought Liu Yan with him that evening. For an occasion like this, he felt that bringing along a beautiful, wealthy woman would make him look more impressive. She was a little older, perhaps, but she had plenty of grace.

“Chu Lin, congratulations. You opened another grand restaurant without making a sound.” Huang Bin offered his congratulations with a smile.

“Mr. Chu, congratulations,” Liu Yan added.

Chu Lin personally welcomed the two of them and introduced Cai Yao to Huang Bin.

“Huang Bin, this is Cai Yao. You met her at the bar last time. She’s my business partner now, and the general manager of this restaurant.”

“Mr. Huang, we meet again.” Cai Yao shook Huang Bin’s hand with effortless poise.

Looking at the stunning woman before him, Huang Bin seemed to understand why his brother had opened this restaurant. Without thinking, he gave Chu Lin a thumbs-up.

He knew his brother well. That man was willing to spend a great deal of money when pursuing a woman these days.

Naturally, he had to help.

He turned to Cai Yao with great enthusiasm. “Hello, sister-in-law. My brother once had a dream of opening a restaurant with the woman he loved. Now that he’s opened this one, I suppose his dream has come true.”

He called her “sister-in-law” so smoothly. After all, the last time the eldest daughter of the Cai family had gotten so drunk and left with Chu Lin, he refused to believe that nothing had happened between them.

Cai Yao was completely bewildered. She stared at Chu Lin in astonishment, as if asking, Did you really have such a dream?

Chu Lin felt like covering his face.

He had forgotten to tell Huang Bin not to meddle.

Yet he could not really blame him. Their unspoken understanding had always been that whenever one of them was pursuing a woman, the other should be tactful and offer assistance.

Huang Bin had clearly assumed that Chu Lin was pursuing the eldest Miss Cai and was now doing his part to help.

Fortunately, just as the two of them were growing awkward, Chen Feng, Liao Hai, and Zhu Xin entered. Guo Feng and Hong Hao followed behind them, and Guo Feng had brought Shen Lu along as well. Judging by the look of things, he really intended to marry her.

“Cai Yao, Brother Lin, congratulations on the grand opening. May your business prosper,” Chen Feng, Liao Hai, and Zhu Xin said as they stepped forward to greet them.

“Brother Lin, congratulations!” Hong Hao called out.

“Mr. Chu, you’re incredible. You’ve opened another restaurant this enormous.” Guo Feng began flattering him the moment they met.

“Mr. Chu, congratulations.” Shen Lu offered her congratulations in a sweet voice.

The sight left Huang Bin speechless. He had not expected to encounter Shen Lu, and she appeared to have come with her boyfriend.

How strong did one’s composure have to be to act as though nothing had ever happened between her and Chu Lin?

Huang Bin knew very well what had happened between Chu Lin and this seemingly innocent woman. The crucial point was that she was Lin Nian’s best friend.

Shen Lu noticed Huang Bin as well, and instinctively glanced at Liu Yan beside him.

In the end, the two of them exchanged a look, as though their eyes were reaching some kind of silent agreement.

Just then, the voice of an unwelcome guest rang out.

“Cai Yao.”

Cai Yao turned toward the sound, her brows instinctively drawing together.

“Dad, what are you doing here?”

Chen Feng, Liao Hai, and the others also looked toward Cai Da and Cai Sen behind him.

They naturally knew about Cai Yao and Zhenzhi, so they had no particular fondness for the father and son.

Cai Da made no attempt to conceal his purpose and went straight to the point.

“I’ve come to tell you to return to Zhenzhi Restaurant and take up the position of general manager. I know your brother isn’t suited for this. Zhenzhi still has to rely on you.”

Chu Lin and Chen Feng’s group knew exactly what had happened. Hearing those words, they could not help feeling that Cai Da’s face was remarkably thick. He had driven Cai Yao away before, yet now that Zhenzhi was in trouble, he suddenly remembered her?

Cai Yao was so angry that she nearly laughed.

“Dad, do you really think I might go back to Zhenzhi?”

Cai Da frowned.

“Cai Yao, I know you’re resentful, but you are still Zhenzhi’s eldest daughter. Your brother is useless and cannot support the restaurant. Even if I hired a professional manager, I would still worry that he wouldn’t be able to protect Zhenzhi in the future.”

“Heh heh.” Cai Yao still could not help laughing. “So now you know Cai Sen is useless? When I specifically returned from overseas and built Zhenzhi up from nothing—even when the Ma family, whose business was thriving, was willing to invest—why didn’t you think he was useless then?”

“What you did was put that useless man in the general manager’s position and pull me down. You even wanted to use your own daughter to curry favor with the young master of the Ma family. And now that Zhenzhi is in trouble, you’ve finally realized that Cai Sen is useless?”

“Too bad you’re too late. There’s no chance I’m going back. It would be just fine if that loser ruined Zhenzhi completely.”

Cai Sen did not believe he was useless, nor did he believe he was inferior to Cai Yao. After being called a loser again and again, he could no longer contain his fury. Pointing at Cai Yao, he shouted, “Cai Yao, what the hell are you so arrogant about? I’m useless? I’m only a man, that’s all. Unlike you, I don’t have a figure and a pretty face with which to seduce people.”

“Did you build Zhenzhi up? It was obviously because of Chu Lin’s prawns and oysters. All you did was sleep with him to obtain his supply of oysters and prawns. When he cut off Zhenzhi’s supply, it was because you slept with him and ordered him to do it.”

The revelation left Chen Feng and the others utterly stunned. They looked at Chu Lin and Cai Yao with the delighted expressions of people who had just stumbled upon sensational gossip.

“What?”

“This…”

Chu Lin was instantly embarrassed and felt compelled to explain.

“Cai Sen, I advise you not to make reckless accusations. Spreading rumors carries legal consequences.”

The threat only made Cai Sen even more pleased with himself.

“Rumors? Have you forgotten that we caught Cai Yao sleeping with you when we blocked the entrance early that morning?”

At the entrance of the restaurant, Zhang Ju and several wealthy heirs arrived in a hurried group, clearly dealing with some urgent matter. But the moment they reached the door, they heard the explosive revelation.

Like Chen Feng and the others, they all instinctively opened their mouths in shock.

Previously, they had merely heard rumors that Cai Yao and Brother Lin had been involved. They had not expected Cai Sen to confirm it so decisively.

Chu Lin looked awkwardly at Cai Yao. The eldest daughter of the Cai family must be terribly embarrassed now, he thought.

Yet Cai Yao had no intention of explaining anything. Instead, she casually hooked her arm around his and looked provocatively at Cai Sen.

“Cai Sen, besides spreading gossip like a useless idiot, what else can you do? Even if Mr. Chu and I are involved, what business is that of yours?”

Clearly, she had no desire to entangle herself with someone like Cai Sen. Her eyes were filled with disgust, and she had no interest in explaining herself to a loser’s slander.

But her attitude of “Yes, that’s exactly what happened—what are you going to do about it?” caused Cai Sen’s composure to collapse completely. His face turned from livid to ashen and back again.

He had wanted to see Cai Yao enraged and flustered, not standing there so boldly and self-righteously.

Besides, why had none of the people around them reacted to his revelation? Why weren’t they cursing Cai Yao or calling her shameless? What did those delighted, gossip-loving expressions mean?

Cai Yao’s near-confession had indeed allowed Chen Feng and the others to enjoy the full pleasure of witnessing scandal firsthand.

“So it really was true,” Chen Feng murmured. “We’ll have to show Cai Yao more respect from now on. She’s Sister-in-law Lin.”

Liao Hai, Zhu Xin, and the others beside him heard that and instinctively nodded.

“Cai Sen, have you made enough of a scene?” Cai Da felt that his son was making an utter fool of himself. After shouting at him, he turned back to Cai Yao.

“Cai Yao, you may not know this, but Cloud Crane has already set up a food event outside to target you. You should understand Cloud Crane’s position in Min City’s restaurant industry.”

Zhang Ju, who had hurried to the entrance moments earlier, also realized what was happening and quickly called out, “Brother Lin, Cai Yao, we saw the food event Cloud Crane Restaurant set up outside your restaurant when we came up.”

Cai Da continued, “Cai Yao, under the pressure of Cloud Crane’s dishes, your restaurant won’t be able to remain upscale. You should understand the consequences that will bring. So I advise you to cut your losses and return to Zhenzhi in time. This time, you can be the general manager, while your brother can serve as deputy general manager and assist you.”

[End of Chapter]