Ye Tiancheng was angry, and no one had ever seen him angry before. In the whispers of the crowd, Ye Tiancheng was known for his exceptionally good temper and approachability, perhaps due to his humble origins as a farmer.
"I was wrong, Mr. Ye. I promise I won't do it again. I've been having some personal issues lately, which is why I was in a bad mood and took it out on my colleagues."
"Please go to the Human Resources department to process your resignation."
Ye Tiancheng didn't want to waste any more words on such a petty person. After speaking, he took Hou Mingzhu away. The entire process was smooth and efficient, leaving no further opportunity for the petty individual.
"Miss Hou, please distribute the company's new pastry samples to everyone. Once they've finished their evaluations, they can submit a report of a few hundred words to me."
"Okay, Mr. Ye. I'll get right on it."
In front of all her colleagues, Hou Mingzhu cooperated readily. After all, Ye Tiancheng had extricated her from a difficult situation, and she felt indebted to him.
"Alright, after you're done with that, let's have dinner together."
Ye Tiancheng's impression of Hou Mingzhu had improved considerably. He wanted to talk to her properly, believing it was a waste of her prime years to be serving tea and water at the company. She had her own career and should return to the right path.
Ye Tiancheng actually wanted to treat her to dinner, which completely stunned Hou Mingzhu. Such a fortunate event was something she had never dared to imagine before. If Ye Tiancheng had invited Hou Mingzhu to dinner in the past, it would likely have been due to some vested interest, perhaps seeking investment from her.
However, Ye Tiancheng was now doing well and no longer needed anyone's investment, nor did he require Hou Mingzhu's assistance at this time.
"What? You don't want to have dinner with me?"
Hou Mingzhu simply stood there, speechless. This left Ye Tiancheng momentarily uncertain, unsure of the woman's intentions. If Hou Mingzhu refused and played hard to get, Ye Tiancheng would certainly not show her any more courtesy.
"No, it's just that I'm too happy to know what to say. I never expected you to invite me to dinner."
"It's just a simple meal, and we can chat a bit. Don't overthink it. As the boss of the company, it's normal for me to treat you to a meal."
Ye Tiancheng's explanation instantly dispelled any hint of romantic possibility, leaving Hou Mingzhu feeling a little awkward. However, this was a rare opportunity, and Hou Mingzhu didn't want to miss it.
"Alright, then we'll have dinner together later."
"By the way, let's make one thing clear beforehand: no talking about feelings during dinner, or I won't go."
He was the one who had initially proposed the idea, and now he was adding conditions. However, Hou Mingzhu was helpless against him, so she could only agree even if the terms were unequal.
"Okay, I'll listen to you."
It was indeed a simple meal. Hou Mingzhu, accustomed to high-end restaurants, felt quite out of place in such a small noodle shop, exhibiting a sense of unease.
"Are you thinking, 'I knew it, he's still a farmer, taking a woman to eat at a noodle shop, so unclassy.' Are you mocking me in your heart?"
Now that the words were out, Hou Mingzhu couldn't completely deny it, and her expression betrayed her. She could only brace herself and admit it.
"Alright, I admit I don't particularly like this kind of environment. My upbringing has always taught me that meals should be treated with seriousness. It's a sacred thing, a gift from heaven for us to enjoy, so the dining environment must be good."
"You mean clean and somewhat elegant?"
"Yes. Although you, Brother Ye, might find my requirements troublesome, even fussy, I dislike eating in chaotic environments. And look at this noodle shop; there are all sorts of people here. The owner doesn't seem to pay much attention to hygiene, and it feels dirty everywhere, making me lose my appetite."
This explained why Hou Mingzhu had been bullied so much at the company during this period. Despite this, Hou Mingzhu never ate at the company. During meal times, she would have her driver take her to upscale restaurants. In Hou Mingzhu's own words, eating in the cafeteria was unhealthy and unhygienic, and more importantly, it ruined her appetite.
"I've ordered you a bowl of beef noodles. You won't refuse to eat it, will you?"
In Ye Tiancheng's view, many foods possess their unique flavors, especially those that hold special significance for a person during a particular period. Such foods are then imbued with different meanings.
For example, this bowl of beef noodles, priced at fifteen yuan, seemed like a normal expense that even a migrant worker could afford. Yet, back then, Ye Tiancheng, who was farming, couldn't afford it.
"Do you know? This bowl of beef noodles was my dream back then. I never even dared to imagine that I would one day achieve financial freedom. I even had to save up to eat beef noodles, saving for half a month before I could have one. This bowl of beef noodles was the most delicious thing to me."
Hou Mingzhu had never experienced true hardship, so she wore a bewildered expression at Ye Tiancheng's words, seemingly not quite understanding.
"I knew you'd never experienced poverty. My earnings were very little back then, and I couldn't just spend money on food. I had other expenses, like clothes and electricity bills. So, I had to save for a month just to afford a bowl of beef noodles. For me, this bowl of beef noodles was the most delicious."
Ye Tiancheng spoke very seriously. He wasn't usually a serious person, but when discussing this matter, it brought back memories of his past poverty, which made him particularly earnest.
It was precisely this sincerity that made Hou Mingzhu focus as well.
"Alright, Brother Ye, after you've explained, I can understand you better. I'll eat with you when the beef noodles arrive. Although I don't know the details of your difficult past, I also bear some responsibility for leaving you in that desolate place. Therefore, I want to experience the hardship with you."
Hou Mingzhu actually apologized, and she did so naturally, without any pretense. Hou Mingzhu had softened her stance with Ye Tiancheng before, but it was clearly insincere and easily discernible.
"Alright, I know this is difficult for you. Eat if you want to, and don't force yourself if you don't."
"I actually want to try it. Mainly, I've always wanted to experience what it's like to be poor. I've participated in similar activities before, where we ate simply, but it was all just for show, for outsiders to see."
"Okay, as long as you're happy."
Ye Tiancheng pondered that he would have to ask Hou Mingzhu to leave the company later, which he suspected she wouldn't readily agree to. This matter would be quite difficult, so Ye Tiancheng decided to go along with whatever Hou Mingzhu wanted for now. If he angered her from the start, it would be even harder later on.
Soon, the proprietress enthusiastically brought out two bowls of beef noodles. The beef pieces in these noodles were small, and there weren't many of them. Otherwise, selling them for twelve yuan would be a loss. Yet, Ye Tiancheng particularly liked this taste, as it held an important place in his memories.
"This beef noodle soup looks pretty good."
With Ye Tiancheng's description, such ordinary food gained a touch of human warmth.
"Try it, it's quite tasty. I've eaten many expensive beef noodles since then, but none have surpassed this one."
Hou Mingzhu took a bite, initially tentatively, with a slight frown. However, after tasting it, her expression instantly relaxed.
"The flavor of this beef noodle soup is really good, and it's quite delicious. Ye Tiancheng, you eat too."
Seeing that Hou Mingzhu genuinely enjoyed it, Ye Tiancheng didn't stop her and ate with her.
Ye Tiancheng was accustomed to eating quickly, perhaps because he was often extremely hungry before. Even though his economic conditions had improved and he no longer came to eat hungry, his eating speed was hard to change.
Hou Mingzhu had only eaten a few bites, and less than half of her bowl of beef noodles was gone, when Ye Tiancheng had already finished his entire bowl, even gulping down all the soup.
"Brother Ye, is one bowl enough for you? Shall I order another one?"
"The company has new pastry items today, and I've eaten a lot. I'm quite full. If I'm hungry, I can eat more, but if I'm full, I won't, to avoid wasting food."
"Oh."
Seeing that Ye Tiancheng wasn't ordering another bowl, Hou Mingzhu didn't press further and lowered her head to eat her beef noodles slowly.
Perhaps with nothing else to do, Ye Tiancheng gazed at Hou Mingzhu for a moment. He noticed that her eating posture was quite elegant. She ate her beef noodles slowly, and although Hou Mingzhu's personality could sometimes be fiery when provoked, she truly had the demeanor of a young lady when eating.
"While you're eating, I have something to tell you. When I first asked you to join the company, I intended to tease you. I didn't expect you to persevere until now, and you even endured bullying from your colleagues without retaliating. Your reaction has far exceeded my expectations. Miss Hou, I solemnly tell you that you have many more worthwhile things to do. You shouldn't be serving tea and water here; it's a complete waste of your talents."
Ye Tiancheng disliked beating around the bush, feeling it was too tiring to speak indirectly. However, today, facing Hou Mingzhu, Ye Tiancheng felt a bit embarrassed to be too direct, as it might hurt her feelings.
"Brother Ye, no wonder you wanted to treat me to dinner. It turns out your intentions weren't just for the meal; you still want to fire me."
As soon as Ye Tiancheng said this, Hou Mingzhu instantly lost her appetite. She put down her chopsticks, feeling that her plan of enduring humiliation had completely fallen apart after all the suffering she had endured. It would have been better if Ye Tiancheng had never asked her to join the company in the first place.
"It's not about firing you, Hou Mingzhu. I think you've had enough fun. We've also completely clarified our relationship in public. From now on, we should go our separate ways and not continue to entangle ourselves."
Regardless of whether this connection was good or bad, any relationship with Hou Mingzhu was ultimately a karmic entanglement for Ye Tiancheng. Perhaps ending it here would be the best outcome, and they shouldn't continue to make things difficult for each other.