Chapter 7: He’s Willing to Stay

Zhao Guojiang truly lived up to his reputation as a top chef from a high-end private kitchen.

He whipped up six dishes in no time.

Stir-fried yellow beef, scallions with black tiger prawns, lettuce in oyster sauce, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, Eight Treasures tofu, and sweet and sour fish.

Just one look at these dishes was enough to make your mouth water.

They looked amazing and smelled even better.

After inviting Madam Lu to taste the dishes with her, Lu Qingqiang couldn’t help but give a thumbs-up.

“Master Zhao, your cooking is incredible. The color, aroma, and taste are all perfect. Amazing!”

“Truly impressive. Even better than most professional chefs,” Madam Lu added with praise.

“Hehe, as long as you like it.” Zhao Guojiang smiled.

Soon after, Lu Qingqiang called over all the children from the orphanage to try the food.

Seventeen kids gathered around the table, eating seriously and with full attention.

In just a few minutes, all six plates were wiped clean.

Not even a single crumb was left behind.

“Mama Lu, this food is so delicious! It’s the best I’ve ever had!” Taozi said with a beaming smile.

“Yeah, yeah! So tasty!”

“These dishes were all made by Grandpa Zhao. Isn’t he amazing?” Lu Qingqiang asked.

“He’s amazing! Grandpa Zhao is the most amazing grandpa I’ve ever met!”

Taozi looked up at Zhao Guojiang, eyes filled with admiration.

“Mama Lu is the most amazing, but Grandpa Zhao… he’s amazing too,” Gu Cheng chimed in.

“Yeah, Big Orange Brother is right. Mama Lu is the best, and then it’s Grandpa Zhao.”

“So, if you could eat food made by Grandpa Zhao every day from now on, would you be happy?” Lu Qingqiang asked.

“Wow? Really? I’d be over the moon!” Taozi’s eyes lit up so brightly it was almost dazzling.

The other children didn’t say anything, but their expressions clearly showed how much they liked Zhao Guojiang.

“So, Master Zhao, are you interested in staying and growing together with our Jiang City Loving Heart Orphanage?” Lu Qingqiang looked at Zhao Guojiang and asked.

“I’ll stay!” Zhao Guojiang nodded without hesitation, holding back the lump in his throat.

The salary, the environment, the treatment—he was more than satisfied.

This place had warmth and life.

If he stayed, he wouldn’t be lonely anymore.

Most importantly, he received something here that he hadn’t felt in a long time: genuine emotional feedback.

As a chef, what he loved most was hearing sincere praise for his cooking, hearing that people truly enjoyed his food.

Back at his previous job, he had once been admired, basked in praise and glory.

But in just a few short months, he had been cast aside.

He lost everything.

Even his confidence in his cooking had started to waver.

But after coming here, he suddenly rediscovered his sense of purpose and responsibility as a chef. He found the confidence he once had.

This might be an orphanage, and the environment might not be all that great for now.

But these were children.

Children are pure.

If they liked his food, they showed it with their actions.

Their honest praise made him feel truly at ease, deep in his heart.

He swore that from now on, he would cook right here.

As long as this orphanage stood, he would cook here until the end of his days.

“Alright then, Master Zhao, welcome to our Jiang City Loving Heart Orphanage!” Lu Qingqiang said with a bright smile, extending her hand.

“Thank you. I’ll do my best.” Zhao Guojiang quickly reached out and shook her hand.

“Kids, from now on, Master Zhao is one of us.”

“You’ll get to eat his cooking every day!”

“Yay, that’s awesome!!” Taozi clapped her little hands excitedly.

The other children clapped too, happily welcoming Master Zhao.

Seeing this, Zhao Guojiang felt a strange, indescribable emotion stir in his heart.

He silently vowed that once he got back, he would study more recipes.

Just look at these kids—so thin.

He would do his best to cook nutritious meals and help them gain weight as soon as possible.

“Ding! Congratulations, Host. You have completed the task of hiring a chef. You have received: +1 Beauty, 1 Hair Growth & Anti-Hair Loss Pill, and 1 Hair Growth & Anti-Hair Loss Pill Recipe. Please keep up the good work~”

“!!!” Lu Qingqiang.

She loved this reward.

Just earlier, she had been staring at her thinning, dry hair in the mirror, feeling sad and hopeless.

And now, she’d received something this amazing?

Wow, she was thrilled!

Not long after seeing Zhao Guojiang off, Lu Qingqiang also saw Madam Lu to her car and waved goodbye.

Shortly after that, the vehicle Madam Lu had promised to donate to the orphanage arrived.

It was a 19-seater bus, similar to the ones used by kindergartens.

The body of the bus was orange-yellow, with the orphanage’s name printed on it.

According to the driver, Xiao Zhang, the bus was very expensive—at least 1.2 million yuan.

It was bulletproof, shock-resistant, and a hybrid of fuel and electric power.

Even the seats were far more comfortable than those in regular vehicles.

After inspecting it, Lu Qingqiang gave her verdict: she loved it.

No wonder it cost over a million. It definitely looked and felt different.

She was in love.

Since the next day was scheduled for the children’s medical checkups, Lu Qingqiang gathered everyone before bedtime to share the news.

She specifically told them to finish dinner before 8 p.m.

After 10 p.m., no more food or water—they needed to sleep and rest up.

Before going to bed, she called Xiao Hui over.

“Mama Lu, you wanted to see me?” Xiao Hui asked timidly as he stood before her.

“Come sit down, Xiao Hui. I want to talk to you.”

“Okay.” Xiao Hui obediently walked over, sat down, placed his hands on his knees, and looked at her.

“You know we’re going for checkups tomorrow, right?”

“Yes, I remember. You told us.”

“Tomorrow, I’ll take you to see the doctor.”

“I looked up some information online. Your heart condition and your lips can both be treated with proper care.”

“When we see the doctor tomorrow, don’t be nervous. I’ll be with you the whole time, alright?”

“Mama Lu, isn’t treatment really expensive?” Xiao Hui asked cautiously.

He knew his parents had abandoned him because of his illness. They knew it would be hard to treat and cost a lot of money—so they gave up on him.

He had overheard Mama Wu talk about his condition once.

Her face had been full of sorrow and helplessness.

If it were that easy to treat, it wouldn’t have dragged on this long.

He understood all of this.

He knew he might die from his illness when he grew up.

He also knew that because of his condition, he looked worse than other kids—especially his lips.

He ate slowly, sometimes food would come out of his nose, he was prone to sinus infections, and talking was tiring. His voice didn’t sound good.

He felt ashamed.

But now, Mama Lu was telling him she wanted to get him treated.

That… that was unbelievable.

“It’s okay. If we run out of money, we can earn more. Your health is what matters most.”

“Xiao Hui, don’t be afraid, don’t panic. I’ve got everything covered. You just need to get a good night’s sleep and cooperate with the checkup tomorrow, alright?”

“Okay.” Xiao Hui nodded obediently.

As he turned to go back to bed, tears suddenly streamed down his face.

Yeah, he was happy.

From this moment on, he swore…

Mama Lu was his real mother now, the one he would protect with his life.

Lu Qingqiang had no idea.

She was already back in her room, applying a face mask from her ex-boyfriend.

The room was filled with gifts from Madam Lu.