Zhou Ye caught a whiff of fragrance and swallowed. "It's not Liu Ning; Liu Ning's cooking is only good for rice. It's Miss Zhan."
The aroma was too enticing!
He wondered if it was because he was too hungry, but why did it smell better than anything he'd encountered in restaurants outside?
Ning Yecheng raised an eyebrow, "Zhan Xiaojun?"
She made breakfast?
His gaze fell upon his injured leg, which was heavily bandaged.
However, due to the bandages, he wasn't wearing pants.
He was just covered by the blanket.
"Boss, Miss Zhan seems to be trying to win you over. There's a saying, isn't there? To keep a man's heart, you must first conquer his stomach," Zhou Ye whispered conspiratorially, guessing.
Ning Yecheng's eyes were deep, making it impossible to discern his thoughts.
Just then, Zhan Xiaojun appeared at the doorway, looking at them and asking Ning Yecheng.
"How are you feeling now? Does the wound hurt?" Zhan Xiaojun asked.
Ning Yecheng shifted his gaze.
The girl at the doorway had her waist-length hair tied up in a high ponytail. Her exquisite features were like a clear mountain spring, directly touching the heart.
His gaze flickered slightly, and he replied, "Mm, I'm alright."
Seeing that he was in good condition, Zhan Xiaojun smiled. "You're recovering well. After breakfast, I'll check your wound again. You need an IV today, and you can't get out of bed for three days."
"Mm," Ning Yecheng pursed his thin lips.
"Boss, are you hungry?" Zhou Ye asked.
Ning Yecheng glanced at Zhou Ye. "I'm alright."
Although Zhou Ye's mind wasn't as sharp as Liu Ning's, he empathized with his boss. He figured the boss must be hungry. He immediately looked at Zhan Xiaojun. "Miss Zhan, is breakfast ready?"
"Mm, it's ready."
Zhan Xiaojun nodded, then turned to head back to the kitchen.
Zhou Ye quickly followed.
Just smelling the aroma made his mouth water.
At this moment, Zhou Ye had completely forgotten about Liu Ning. No matter if it was rice noodles or a lavish hotel breakfast, none of it could compare to the enticing scent before him.
The moment he tasted the first spoonful of congee, he was utterly convinced!
With tears almost welling up in his eyes, he asked, "Miss Zhan, did you learn your cooking skills from a Michelin-starred chef? It's too delicious! Both the xiaolongbao and the congee are heavenly!"
Zhan Xiaojun ate her congee while thinking of home. "I learned from an auntie; her cooking is the best I've ever seen."
"No, your cooking is the best I've ever seen!" Zhou Ye swallowed a xiaolongbao.
Ning Yecheng, lying on the bed in the room, grew impatient as Zhou Ye hadn't returned. Moreover, he kept hearing Zhou Ye praising Zhan Xiaojun.
His curiosity was piqued.
Was the young girl's cooking really that good?
Or was Zhou Ye deliberately trying to curry favor?
Either way, he was hungry now.
Zhou Ye, after swallowing his eighth xiaolongbao and half a bowl of congee, suddenly remembered he hadn't brought food for the boss!
He broke out in a cold sweat. He had been too engrossed in his own enjoyment!
He quickly brought a bowl of congee and xiaolongbao into the room.
"Boss, quickly try Miss Zhan's cooking! I'm not bragging, but even Aunt Liu at your place can't compare to Miss Zhan. Look at these xiaolongbao; the skin is thin, the filling is juicy, and they're so fragrant! I used to hate congee, but her congee is incredibly delicious! I could drink ten bowls a day!"
Hearing Zhou Ye's exaggerated praise, Ning Yecheng was skeptical. "Really?"
"Of course, it's true! My palate is quite discerning. There are very few people who can genuinely impress me. But Miss Zhan has earned my utmost admiration. Her medical skills are superb, and her culinary skills are equally brilliant!" Zhou Ye's voice was filled with admiration.
After last night and this morning, he saw Zhan Xiaojun through rose-tinted glasses!
If he couldn't apprentice under her as a master, then apprenticing under her in any capacity would be fine!
Ning Yecheng frowned slightly and, half-believing, took the first sip of congee.
After the first sip, he couldn't stop, spoonful after spoonful.
Then the xiaolongbao followed, bite after bite.
However, the portion was small.
Zhou Ye was also eating beside him, devouring his food. He had a large bowl filled to the brim and kept eating, as if he could never get enough.
The room fell silent, with only the sounds of eating filling the air.
When Liu Ning returned, Zhan Xiaojun was in the kitchen washing the bowls and chopsticks she had used.
He hurried efficiently to the boss's room.
Upon entering, he lowered his voice. "Miss Zhan's cooking must have been unbearable. Did you only eat a few bites? I saw Miss Zhan cleaning up. I packed this from the boss's favorite restaurant; it's absolutely fresh. Hurry and eat it while it's hot."
He was starving!
He had stayed up all night and only nibbled on some bread in the middle of the night. Now, all he wanted was a bowl of hot congee.
Zhou Ye let out a satisfied burp. He had just finished two large bowls of congee. "You eat it yourself. We're done and can't eat anymore."
Ning Yecheng lay propped up on the bed, holding his phone. He raised his eyes and glanced at Assistant Liu without saying a word.
Assistant Liu didn't look at Ning Yecheng or the others. He fumbled with the packaging. The breakfast he had bought was definitely sumptuous!
The boss was injured and had lost so much blood. He couldn't just be treated at the hospital; he needed to be nourished properly now.
"Was Miss Zhan's cooking too bad? Did eating it affect your appetite?" Liu Ning said, as if he had predicted this.
From what he knew, most girls nowadays didn't cook.
They believed that cooking would damage their skin with oil and smoke.
Therefore, he could guess Zhan Xiaojun's culinary skills with his eyes closed.
"No, we ate until we were stuffed," Zhou Ye said truthfully after letting out another burp.
Liu Ning rolled his eyes. "You're burping so much you look like you're going to throw up, and you say you're stuffed? Don't worry, when Miss Zhan comes in later, I'll tell her that the boss and you weren't full."
Then, he solicitously held a bowl of congee in front of Zhan Tianye. "Boss, please eat it while it's hot."
Ning Yecheng was indeed not full. Due to his injury, he couldn't eat too much. But seeing the congee before him, his expression turned grim. "I don't want to eat it."
Liu Ning was stunned. The boss's expression was off.
"Liu Ning, what you bought can't compare to what Miss Zhan made!" Zhou Ye looked at the food he had once praised with disdain.
Having experienced something better, he no longer cared for these mediocre offerings.
The smell alone made him not want to eat.
Liu Ning was utterly speechless. The boss doted on Miss Zhan, and not eating was understandable if he didn't want to hurt her feelings. But did Zhou Ye have to flatter the boss to such an extent with such nonsensical talk?
Just then.
Zhan Xiaojun walked in.
She saw the food in Liu Ning's hand and raised an eyebrow.
Liu Ning blinked his eyes and began to make excuses. "There are many people, and I eat a lot. I was worried Miss Zhan wouldn't have made enough, so I went out to buy some things just now. Miss Zhan, would you like to have some too?"