The weekend came. After spending so much time renovating and fixing the restaurant that was assigned to her, Shen Lingqing found herself standing in front of her father inside his office once again, waiting for him to say something about the business plan and strategy she presented.

Every second that passed wherein her father remained silent, flipping the pages one by one and reading the contents carefully, made Shen Lingqing feel more nervous than she already was. One thing she had strived for since she was younger was her father’s approval, and it didn’t change one bit even now that she was a full-grown woman.

Shen Yi brought down the papers his daughter presented and looked her straight in the eye. Some people say that their Qingqing had taken after him, but Shen Yi thought that she was more like her mother in so many ways, especially when she set her eyes on something. Like his beloved wife, Qingqing’s eyes burned with determination when she was facing a challenge.

“It’s feasible, Qingqing, but aren’t you rushing too much on the timeline?” He questioned his daughter.

“It wouldn’t be a problem, Dad. Two years is more than enough to fix the restaurant. We just need to find the right strategy to maximize the profit and settle the debts…” Her words trailed as a thought crossed her mind.

It was impossible for her parents not to know how grave Savory Alley’s problems were before acquiring it. In fact, Shen Lingqing now suspected that her parents had been planning this for a long time. She should have known that neither of them would make it easy for her, not that she wanted them to underestimate her.

As a daughter of two well-known personalities, it was already given that people had already had expectations towards her. Shen Lingqing knew that it was impossible to get out of the shadows of her parents, but she was determined to prove that she could be her own person without relying on them.-.

Shen Yi stared at his daughter for a moment and sighed. He leaned on his seat and regarded her. Perhaps she was being impatient and wanted to see progress as soon as possible. If only she could be patient enough to see and understand the surrounding people…

More than anything, he and Lu Xinyi wanted to see their daughter rely on other trusted people. Their Qingqing preferred doing everything by herself and rarely took a break, which could take a toll on her health eventually.

“Fine.” Shen Yi conceded. He only needed to make sure that his daughter wouldn’t be harmed during this challenge he and Lu Xinyi set for her to overcome. Regardless of whether she failed to follow her own timeline or not, as long as she was able to show better results, even if she wasn’t able to make the Savory Alley a Michelin star restaurant; Shen Yi would still hand over to her the company.

Shen Lingqing—no doubt—had all the traits and skills an heir apparent should have. She only needed the experience to hone it and improve her socialization skills by meeting several kinds of people. Whatever she experienced in the past that eventually changed her opinion of other people, Shen Yi could only hope that she would be able to overcome it by interacting and socializing with a new crowd.

“By the way, I heard from Qiao He that you hired Liu Jinfei as a chef at Savory Alley. Are you sure about this, Qingqing?” He asked curiously.

He hadn’t seen that brat for years now and had been wondering what he was up to. That was until he received a report that Liu Jinfei signed a contract with his daughter.

Liu Jinfei had been constantly on the move ever since he lost his father to an accident and was kicked out of the Liu family. He never stayed in the same place in fear that his family would harass either his employer or the acquaintances he made.

By signing a contract with SY holdings, the Liu family would think twice if they want to offend the Shens. Was this his daughter’s reason why she signed Liu Jinfei to their company?

Shen Lingqing shrugged. She never deemed that hiring Liu Jinfei would be a problem. The man was certainly talented for all she cared.

“It would be a waste not to hire him, Dad, and since he decided to work with Mom and Uncle Lingyu before, might as well hire him under SY Holdings,” she answered.

Her father remained silent for a moment, but with the way his brows furrowed, she wondered what he was even thinking.

“Alright. I trust your judgment, Qingqing, but you need to know that the Liu family is still keeping an eye on him. If they come knocking on your door to cause trouble, you have to inform me at once.”

Shen Lingqing raised a slender brow. The Liu family had never entered her sight even though they were still part of the Big 5 families of the capital. They would be seeking death if they dared to offend her.

“If they are smart, they should know to keep their distance from us,” she told her father, “If that’s all, I would like to take my leave.”

Shen Yi waved a hand. “Just make sure you come home tonight. Your mother keeps complaining that she misses you.”

Since Shen Lingqing had decided to stay temporarily in the dormitories of Savory Alley for a week, she hadn’t seen her mother for some time. However, she made sure to give Lu Xinyi a call before she retired for the night just like she usually did when she was studying overseas for the past years.

“Alright. I’ll be there.” She easily conceded to her father’s request. Truth to be told, the meals she had at Savory Alley weren’t as appetizing as what her mother cooked for them at home. She was starting to miss her mother’s home-cooked meals, and she couldn’t wait for dinner already.

Once his daughter left his office, Shen Yi picked up his phone and stood in front of the full-length glass window of his office, from where he could oversee the other buildings of the business district. At the third ring, his wife finally picked up his call.

“Hello?” Lu Xinyi’s voice was low, and Shen Yi already knew that she had just woken up from her afternoon nap.

Since their youngest son—Shen Lingtian—was busy with his studies, she didn’t have anyone to accompany her back at home but Xiao Bai. Their adoptive twins had already moved out a few years ago, and while Qingqing had just come back from abroad, she’d been spending most of her time with work.

“Xinxin, just letting you know… Qingqing will be home tonight.”

Shen Yi heard a gasp and a shuffling sound at the other end of the line, his lips curling up as he imagined the excitement of his wife upon hearing the news.

“Really? Are you certain that Qingqing agreed with you?” This time, Lu Xinyi’s tone was filled with warmth and excitement.

“En,” Shen Yi reaffirmed, “I’m sorry that I disturbed your nap, but I think you would want enough time to prepare dinner for the three of us, right?”

“Yes!” Lu Xinyi agreed, only to say worriedly afterward. “Oh, dear. I wonder if we have enough stock in the pantry. I haven’t done the inventory for this week,”

“Relax, Xinxin. Our daughter would be fine with anything you make tonight. Don’t stress yourself too much, dear.”

“You still don’t understand, Shen Yi. Our daughter has been away for years, living on her own. Do you know how worried I am whether she was eating well or not? You know our Qingqing is a picky eater. If the food isn’t to her liking, she would rather starve to death than eat it!”

Ah, Shen Yi couldn’t refute his wife’s words because he knew that she was right. Because Shen Lingqing inherited the same palate that Lu Xinyi and her grandfather had—only a bit better than them; Qingqing had a hard time appreciating food as her sensitive tongue would always find fault in the food she was eating.

If it wasn’t too sweet, it was way too salty for her liking. Some were too greasy, while the others were as dry as a desert. That was why Shen Lingqing struggled to eat when she was younger. Lucky for her that she had a professional chef as a mother who would always make her meals at home and an Uncle Lingyu to feed her whenever she was out with Qiao Lian or her cousins.

That was why, even now that their daughter had grown up, Lu Xinyi couldn’t help but worry. Who would cook for her daughter in the future if no one was able to make her eat willingly?

She wasn’t even sure if her daughter could cook her own meals, because truth to be told, Lu Xinyi feared that not only did their Qingqing inherited her husband’s looks but also his inability to cook edible meals that wouldn’t pose as a threat in humanity.