The courtyard house, without the script of Sha Zhu.

Even if Madam Lou didn't reveal her identity, standing in the Lou family, she represented the face of Lou Bancheng.

Cao Wei was quite surprised that the other party apologized to him, but soon, after hearing what they said next, a sense of understanding flashed through his mind.

The implication was clear: she wanted to become the Lou family's exclusive chef.

Cao Wei himself did not deny the Lou family's current power, but he was also well aware that with the passage of time and the arrival of the public-private partnership, the Lou family, this behemoth, would eventually collapse.

At that time, the Lou family will inevitably be affected as well.

Therefore, Cao Wei shook his head slightly without much hesitation and gave an almost perfect reason.

"It is my great honor to receive such words from Madam Lou. However, I am truly sorry. Although He Daqing has already left, my master also has his brother Zhang He. I have only recently completed my apprenticeship, and according to the rules, I must continue to serve for another two or three years."

When Madam Lou heard Cao Wei say this, bringing up the rules of the culinary industry, a hint of sadness flashed in her eyes.

But at that moment, a voice rang out again.

"Hehe, Master Cao is right, Yali, don't force her."

Lou Bancheng, dressed in casual clothes, stepped forward with a light laugh, seemingly resolving the awkward situation.

Lou Bancheng was well aware that what seemed like a rule was actually Cao Wei's disguised rejection of him, but this excuse was also unreasonable.

Then, she couldn't help but look at Cao Wei and asked softly.

"If you have time in the future, could you occasionally come to my place to cook?"

"That would be my honor."

Cao Wei chuckled and spoke again, then chatted for a couple more minutes.

After that, he returned to the kitchen. After all, Lou Bancheng had said before he came that he would ask him to cook for a day, which included dinner.

Cao Wei, at this moment, also experienced true boredom.

It's still some time before dinner, but since he's in someone else's house, he can't just wander into their personal space.

Fortunately, at this moment, Wang Yuanyuan walked over and spoke in an almost incredulous voice.

"Xiao Cao, I heard you've become the head chef at Fengzeyuan Restaurant and even turned down Chairman Lou's offer?"

Cao Wei didn't hide anything from this, nodding directly and continuing to use the same excuse from before.

Wang Yuanyuan nodded, but the shock she felt was still hard to describe.

Keep in mind that Cao Wei is only a few years older than Sha Zhu, and Sha Zhu is still a disciple of the highest order, while Cao Wei is already the head chef of Fengzeyuan, which means he has already completed his apprenticeship.

The best part is that Lou Bancheng, the chairman, would invite her to his residence to cook for her.

She knew all too well how valuable this was.

After chatting for a couple more minutes, Cao Wei started smoking near the kitchen.

He seemed rather forlorn, which was understandable, as he wasn't very familiar with the Lou family.

When dealing with the other party, it's inevitable that Lou Bancheng might overhear.

After Cao Wei's agonizing slacking off, it was finally almost dinnertime.

So Cao Wei began preparing dinner, and the butler came over and specifically said that this was a family dinner.

Cao Wei, however, did not relax too much. Instead, he took out some ingredients that he had prepared in advance.

However, as if he had thought of something, he picked up the flour, coated it with egg wash, and then coated the stir-fried chicken pieces with egg wash before frying them in oil.

A fragrant aroma wafted out, and as Cao Wei was frying the food, a voice suddenly rang out.

"It smells so good..."

Cao Wei couldn't help but look in the direction of the sound and was surprised to see a fair-skinned girl with an oval face and a ponytail.

She had large, bright, dark eyes and wore a specially made, gorgeous dress.

He looked to be only about ten years old.

What is most striking is the unique aura of a wealthy family.

The moment he saw the other person, he had a guess in his mind. The girl opposite him was surprised when she saw Cao Wei, and her tone was full of curiosity.

Who are you?

Despite her curiosity, she didn't show much fear on her face.

Cao Wei then took the initiative to introduce himself.

"I am the chef that Chairman Lou hired to cook for us."

"You were invited by my dad, really?"

Hearing the other party's answer, he was somewhat certain of one thing.

The girl in front of me is Lou Xiao'e.

A woman with a tragic fate married Xu Damao, but she couldn't have children because of him. That was bad enough, but the more crucial factor was Xu Damao's character.

As the other party was about to leave, Xu Damao reported the Lou family, almost causing the Lou family to be permanently trapped there.

To be honest, Cao Wei does have a different opinion regarding the inability to have children.

Rather than being beaten by Sha Zhu, he was more inclined to believe that the other party was inherently less active in this area, coupled with premature indulgence.

Ultimately, it's also possible that the reason was being beaten.

She eventually lost her fertility.

Although Cao Wei also took Xu Damao under his wing, he knew Xu Damao's personality.

It's human nature to be somewhat tainted by that kind of thing. Lou Xiao'e isn't a good match for him, but he feels somewhat unable to protect her.

If possible, he would prefer the other person to leave.

After a brief moment of surprise, Cao Wei could understand Lou Xiao'e's suspicious look.

In the Lou family nowadays, most of the cooks are at least thirty years old.

I do look rather young.

However, he merely raised an eyebrow and spoke in a serious tone.

"People are very different, and there are geniuses too. When you're in school, some people may have to repeat a grade, but some people can skip grades. I'm one of those chefs who can skip grades."

Lou Xiao'e was unable to refute the other party's words for a moment upon hearing this.

However, upon smelling the aroma of fried chicken, she still spoke up somewhat shyly.

"Um...may I have a bite first?"

After Cao Wei nodded with a light laugh, Lou Xiao'e carefully picked up a piece of fried chicken and put it in her mouth. The moment the crispy texture and tender chicken burst in her mouth, her eyes seemed to sparkle like little stars.

"Wow, this is so delicious! Can I have some more?"

"There are also fries over here, you can try them too. These are appetizers, and they taste even better with the ketchup on the side."

Faced with Cao Wei's recommendation, Lou Xiao'e carefully picked up the fries again, dipped them in the ketchup next to her, and the taste made her unable to stop eating them for a while.

Just then, a gentle reprimand rang out.

"Xiao'e, you're practically a grown woman now, why are you still so greedy?"

Upon seeing that the visitor was Lou Tanshi, who was also her own mother, Lou Xiao'e could only chuckle and then immediately began to act coquettishly.

"How can you say I'm a grown woman? I want to spend more time with my mom and dad. Mom, are you really willing to marry me off now?"

In response, Lou Tan could only roll her eyes at Lou Xiao'e helplessly.

"Next time, you should try to be a lady in front of strangers. Luckily it was Chef Cao. Otherwise, if others found out that you sneaked here to eat before your meal, you would have lost all face."