196: Chapter 196 Cloud Top Private Chef

Yunding Private Kitchen is located on the 68th floor of the Jiangcheng Central Building, occupying the entire floor.

There are no open seating areas in a lobby, only six private rooms. Each room features curved floor-to-ceiling windows facing the widest stretch of the river bay.

Lu Manqi walked out of the elevator holding Jiang Chen's arm. Her high heels clicked against the marble floor of the corridor at an unhurried pace.

Today, she was carrying a Milkshake White Hermès Constance bag, which paired perfectly with the CL red-soled shoes on her feet.

This entire outfit was the result of twenty minutes spent in front of the mirror in her walk-in closet before leaving the house.

When going out with Jiang Chen, she was never careless.

He was the kind of man whom you didn't need to deliberately please, yet he noticed every bit of your refinement.

The private room Jiang Chen had booked in advance was called 'Zhenliu.' It wasn't the largest, but it had the best view.

When Lu Manqi walked in, she stood by the window for a long time. Looking down at the winding river and the cross-river bridge in the distance, she couldn't help but sigh, "No wonder the reservations are booked through the month after next."

"If you like it, we can come often," Jiang Chen said as he pulled out a chair for her, his tone as casual as if he were talking about a convenience store downstairs.

Lu Manqi sat down and rested her chin on her hand, looking at him with a hint of a sly smile in her eyes. "President Jiang, do you know that saying things like that makes it very easy for a girl to take an inch and want a mile?"

"You've already taken an inch," Jiang Chen said, opening the menu without looking up, though the curve of his lips betrayed him. "Taking a mile isn't out of the question either."

Lu Manqi was stunned for a beat, then immediately lowered her head, using the motion of adjusting her napkin to hide the smile she couldn't suppress.

The dishes were customized by the head chef, so there was no need to order.

The first course served was Sea urchin steamed egg, presented in a white porcelain cup the size of an eggshell. The sea urchin was fresh and sweet, and the steamed egg was so tender it melted in the mouth.

Lu Manqi took a spoonful and her eyes lit up. "This is incredible."

"How does it compare to that Japanese restaurant you mentioned last time?" Jiang Chen asked casually.

"There's no comparison." She took another bite, narrowing her eyes in satisfaction. "That one was just an internet-famous spot for photos; this is truly made for those who know their food. President Jiang, you really do know how to pick a place."

"Otherwise, how could it be worthy of your taste?" Jiang Chen said flatly, his chopsticks already placing a piece of Truffle-baked lobster onto the plate in front of her.

Lu Manqi glanced at him, pursed her lips into a smile, and didn't say a word.

While Lu Manqi was busy eating the lobster, Jiang Chen took out his phone and quickly sent a message to Lu Zheng under the table.

"At 1:00 PM, go to the South City Used Car Market and find an unlicensed second-hand van. It should be in at least 50% new condition, clean, and without any traffic violations or accident repair records. Pay in cash, don't leave an ID. Once it's done, bring Zhang Heng and He Hai and wait for my message."

Less than ten seconds after the message was sent, Lu Zheng replied with one word: "Received."

Jiang Chen put down his phone and picked up his wine glass as if nothing had happened, clinking it against Lu Manqi's.

The third course was Charcoal-grilled A5 Wagyu beef. The cut surface showed perfect pink marbling with evenly distributed fat, and the surface had an enticing charred aroma.

Lu Manqi cut a small piece and put it in her mouth, closing her eyes in satisfaction, her eyelashes trembling slightly.

"Jiang Chen, will you take me out to eat once a week from now on?"

When she said this, her tone had a hint of coquettishness, but she maintained the perfect sense of propriety.

She wasn't actually demanding a promise, but rather enjoying the present moment.

She knew Jiang Chen was susceptible to this approach.

"Sure," Jiang Chen agreed quickly. "But we'll change locations next time. Eating at the same place all the time gets boring."

"Then it's a deal."

Lu Manqi picked up her wine glass and gently clinked it against his, her eyes curving into crescent moons as she smiled.

When it came time for dessert, the head chef personally pushed a cart in to prepare Matcha lava cake on the spot.

A hot knife sliced through the surface of the cake, and rich, emerald-green matcha lava slowly overflowed, filling the room with the fragrance of tea.

Lu Manqi's eyes sparkled as she watched, and she took out her phone to snap several photos.

First, she took a close-up of the cake, then a shot of the river view outside the window, and finally, she held her phone high to take a selfie.

In the frame, she tilted her head slightly with a perfect smile, with the unobstructed view of the river bay through the floor-to-ceiling window behind her.

In the bottom right corner of the picture, a man's hand rested casually on the white tablecloth, his cuff revealing a section of a dark gray suit sleeve and half a watch face.

A Patek Philippe, steel model; the low-key Calatrava Cross logo on the crown was just caught by the backlighting from the window, creating a blurred outline.

The photo didn't capture his face, nor even anything above the wrist, but anyone in the know could read plenty of information from that bit of cuff and that watch.

She took three shots in a row and selected the best one. While editing, she adjusted the brightness slightly to make the outline of that hand appear faint and indistinct—not too deliberate, but those who knew would know.

The caption only had four words: Sunday, Zhenliu.

She clicked send, and the post went out to her Moments.

Jiang Chen leaned back in his chair, watching her entire smooth sequence of actions without making a sound the whole time.

He naturally knew her little schemes.

She had adjusted the angle to include his hand at least three times.

But he didn't care.

She liked letting others know her life was refined; she liked letting the women in her circle of friends, who were constantly competing in secret, guess who was sitting next to her. This was her fun, and also her right.

Moreover, she had a sense of propriety. She never photographed his face, never named him, and never exploited his identity on social media.

This level of restraint was considered rare and commendable within her social circle.

By the time they finished the last dessert, it was nearly 1:00 PM.

Lu Manqi leaned back in her chair and gently patted her stomach in satisfaction, her posture elegant yet somewhat lazy. "That was so delicious. I feel like I could sleep the whole afternoon when I get back."

"Then go back and rest."

Jiang Chen followed her lead, his tone naturally transitioning to the arrangement he had already prepared. "I have some matters to handle this afternoon, so I won't be accompanying you back."

Lu Manqi blinked but didn't ask further questions.

She never asked about his business; that was her sense of boundaries.

She only said one thing: "Then don't be too busy. You should rest when you're supposed to on the weekends."

"I know."

The two walked out of the private room side-by-side, took the elevator down to the underground garage, and walked to Lu Manqi's BMW.

She pressed the key fob to unlock the car, then turned around, stood on her tiptoes, and gave him a light kiss on the corner of his mouth, as fleeting as a dragonfly skimming the water.

"I'm leaving then."

"Okay, drive carefully on the way."

He stood there, watching her car drive out of the garage exit until the taillights disappeared around the corner of the ramp.

The garage returned to silence, leaving only the low hum of the ventilation ducts.

The tenderness on Jiang Chen's face gradually receded, like a reef revealed after the tide goes out—calm, hard, and sharp-edged.

He took out his phone and dialed Lu Zheng's number.

"Is the car here?"

"It's here."

"At Old Man Sun's place in South City, I bought a silver-gray Wuling in cash. It's three years old with forty thousand kilometers, no license plate, and it's clean. Zhang Heng and He Hai are already in the car. We are currently at the intersection of Nanjing Road and Jiefang Avenue, ready to leave at any time."