Chapter 86 Harboring Thoughts About His Ex-Wife!

An Lan gazed at him in shock, hesitated for a moment, and asked, “Wu Shang, this is no trivial matter.”

“Xu Zifeng is dead. I must report to the family. If you fail to win the medicinal cuisine contest, you’ll face punishment.”

“Although I’m the president of An Group, and my grandfather is the family’s patriarch, many decisions are left to my uncle.”

“He always cares only about results, not the process. If he investigates…”

Ye Wu Shang remained unperturbed, calm and resolute, “I’ll take full responsibility!”

Moved by his unwavering demeanor, An Lan’s heart stirred. Though they hadn’t known each other long, she understood his way of doing things—he never fought unprepared battles. Besides, she was eager for their relationship to deepen; this was a good opportunity for him.

“Alright, I agree,” An Lan nodded solemnly. “As long as you win the medicinal cuisine contest, any ingredients you need will be yours.”

“Is there anything else you need my help with—”

“Brother.”

Before she could finish, Ye Wu You emerged from the kitchen into the hall, frowning at the chaotic scene with suspicion, “What happened? Why is it so messy?”

“And why is there so much blood on the floor…”

Ye Wu Shang quickly responded in a low voice, “You don’t need to do anything, just let me know the time and place when the contest happens, and I’ll be there.”

“Well, things are settled for now. We can finally focus on running the noodle shop.”

“As for the Pei family, the contest is in two days. I believe they won’t dare make trouble before then.”

An Lan nodded and smiled, “Of course. With you as my bodyguard, sending more assassins would be pointless.”

“They think killing Xu Zifeng will guarantee their victory in the contest, but they don’t realize the true master is right before them.”

The two exchanged a smile.

Then she stepped forward and said, “It’s nothing, Wu You. There was just a little incident, nothing to worry about.”

“By the way, how’s your training in the kitchen? That chef—”

“He’s amazing!” Mentioning the chef, Ye Wu You’s excitement was palpable. “Whether kneading dough, preparing seasonings, or serving the noodles, his movements are precise and seamless, like a flowing performance. It’s like watching acrobatics—I was stunned.”

“The best part is, his skills aren’t just impressive; the taste is incredible, almost as good as Mom’s cooking.”

“He’s a great person, taught me a lot. I was nervous at first, but now, I’m full of confidence!”

An Lan linked arms with her, smiling, “Confidence is good. You’re both the owner and our head chef.”

“If you’re confident about the noodles, we’re confident the shop will thrive.”

“But as we planned, we wanted the guests to try the noodles.”

“But now, everyone’s gone…”

Ye Wu Shang frowned.

An Lan, unconcerned, replied, “These days, if anything’s abundant, it’s people.”

“One group leaves, another will come, won’t they?”

She glanced at the time and urged the siblings forward, “It’s only ten o’clock, perfect for late-night snacks.”

“Come on, let’s get back to the shop and open up!”

…

Outside the Imperial Hotel, inside a business sedan.

“Slap!”

Pei Huaide struck Master Wang’s face hard, barking, “Wang, what the hell are you good for?”

“Didn’t you say the explosives were fine?”

“Why didn’t they go off?”

“And that so-called Rabbit Master tampered with you, and you didn’t even notice?”

“If you’d held out a little longer, Xu Zifeng would’ve been ours. We wouldn’t have had to kill him.”

Master Wang, ashamed, sighed, “Sorry, President Pei, I never expected Rabbit Master to collude with Ye Wu Shang.”

“And the insect was the detonator. He killed it quietly, causing the bomb to fail.”

“I underestimated that useless fool…”

“Dad, don’t blame Master Wang,” Pei Qinghu, who owed Master Wang much, quickly interjected. “He managed to patch things up—at least he kept that wretched Zheng Yiren from talking.”

“If she’d testified against us, the consequences would be disastrous.”

“We didn’t get Xu Zifeng, but killing him leaves the An family without a pillar.”

“Besides, Master Wang excels at medicinal cuisine. Though he’s not as skilled as Xu Zifeng, he’ll do fine in the contest.”

He exchanged a glance with Master Wang, who understood and respectfully said, “Rest assured, President Pei, I’ll win the contest for the Pei family.”

“As long as we triumph, even if the incomplete formula can’t be solved, we’ll still gain promotion.”

“Hmph.”

Pei Huaide snorted coldly, his expression stern, “It’d better be that way. If anything goes wrong, you won’t get away with it!”

“Dad, what about the An family?”

“What else? Tonight’s incident was too big. The assassinations will stop for now.”

“Once we win the contest, the An family will be nothing but a paper tiger, easily manipulated.”

“The real issue is that useless Ye Wu Shang…”

Pei Huaide stroked his chin thoughtfully, “If we don’t eliminate him, he’ll always be a threat.”

“I never thought much of him before, but now, he’s dangerous. He must be dealt with swiftly.”

Pei Qinghu nodded, “Exactly. He’s ruined so many of our plans, almost got us into trouble tonight too.”

“As long as he’s alive, I can’t sleep easy…”

“I might have a solution,” Master Wang interrupted.

The hotel incident had cost him his reputation. Compared to Pei Huaide and his son wanting to kill Ye Wu Shang out of anger, Master Wang was keen to do so to restore his standing.

He’d long been revered in the Pei family, but tonight, Pei Huaide actually struck him.

Serving a tyrant is like walking on thin ice.

If he wanted to stay, he had to kill that useless fool.

“What solution?” Pei Qinghu asked excitedly.

“Isn’t Lan Ruoxue his ex-wife?”

“We can use her.”

“No matter how skilled or cautious Ye Wu Shang is, he can’t guard against everything, can he?”

“If we control Lan Ruoxue, he’ll be at our mercy!”

Pei Qinghu slapped his thigh, nodding, “Right, how did I not think of that?”

“What’s your plan?”

Pei Huaide’s face darkened, “I must remind you, though she comes from a third-rate family, she’s known as the Flower of Jinghan.”

“There are countless men interested in her.”

“If anything happens to her, or she’s handled improperly, it’ll cause a huge stir.”

“If we act, it must be utterly discreet—no evidence left behind!”

Master Wang smiled, “Rest assured, President Pei. You know how I operate.”

“Not a drop will leak.”

…

10:30 p.m., Binjiang Street, the small workshop.

“Relief Noodle Shop?”

Arriving in front of the workshop, the sign had been newly installed, even the shop name was up.

Staring at the bold, elegant characters, Ye Wu Shang asked suspiciously, “Lanlan, was this all your doing?”

“Yes, the name comes from Wu You.”

“Others eat noodles for sustenance, but here, they come for mood, for emotion.”

“Eating here isn’t just about a good meal—it’s about easing worries.”

“If we open a shop, it must be distinctive. What do you think?”

Ye Wu You nodded vigorously, “It’s wonderful—I love the name.”

“When Mom raised us, she hoped we’d live without worries. ‘Relief’ fits perfectly.”

Ye Wu Shang was grateful, “Thank you, Lanlan, for everything you’ve done for us…”

“President An.”

“Sister Lan.”

Just then, a young man and woman emerged from inside. Both were in their early twenties, about the same age as Ye Wu You.

The man was handsome and refined, with an exceptional bearing. The woman was beautiful and graceful.

The siblings exchanged bewildered glances.

Who were these two, and why were they here—especially together, coming out of the shop in matching uniforms, with ‘Relief’ written across the chest.

“Well, is everything ready in the shop?” An Lan smiled and nodded.

The man replied respectfully, “Yes, everything’s set.”

“Just waiting for your command…”

“Hmm?”

An Lan frowned slightly. He took the hint and turned to Ye Wu You, “Just waiting for your word, Boss Ye. We’ll open right away.”

“Boss Ye?”

Ye Wu You was startled, “Are you talking about me?”

“Who else would it be?”

An Lan linked arms with her and introduced, “Let me introduce you.”

“This is Zhang Long—he’ll handle our shop’s publicity and branding.”

“This is Tao Hong—serving tea, washing dishes, odd jobs, all hers.”

“You’ll cook noodles and manage ingredients.”

“I recruited them both especially for you. Five thousand a month, no meals or lodging.”

With a glance from her, the two bent low and said in unison, “Hello, boss. Please guide us well in the future.”

“Oh, no, not at all…” Ye Wu You had never experienced this before.

Ye Wu Shang, however, understood that this was all An Lan’s thoughtful arrangement. She managed everything, handled every detail, and it moved him deeply, though words were unnecessary.

All he could do was win the medicinal cuisine contest, deal with the Pei family, and free them from all worries!

…