Chapter 220: Condition 218 – My Terms
“Home delivery?” Xu Youyou found herself in a situation she had never encountered before.
The system’s reply came quickly: “Bargain task—any unexpected situation may arise.”
Xu Youyou, who had originally planned to return to Hu City, changed her mind because of this.
The next morning, she leisurely walked to Qing Yatou’s house, only to be surprised by what she saw from a distance—Qing Yatou was sitting with someone.
That person looked very familiar; he was the one Qing Yatou had chosen for the collaborative filming of the video: Zhuge Song.
Given the speed at which he arrived, they must have only contacted him yesterday, and yet here he was, sitting here waiting for breakfast today. This meant he had traveled overnight.
Xu Youyou wasn’t surprised by his speed. After all, with his current massive online following, if he was truly serious about pursuing this path, he would seize every opportunity like this with all his might.
What surprised her, however, was the system.
At that moment, the golden pointer representing the bargain task was pointed directly at Zhuge Song.
Zhuge Song’s assistant, recognizing Xu Youyou, immediately nudged him, but Zhuge Song seemed entirely focused on Qing Yatou. He only glanced at Xu Youyou, gave her a polite nod, and then returned to chatting with Qing Yatou.
The assistant, anxious and fidgeting, whispered urgently, “Brother, can’t you tell the difference between the big and small kings? This is Xu Youyou, Miss Xu, the Goddess of Wealth!”
Zhuge Song casually replied, “Even if she’s the Goddess of Wealth, she’s someone else’s Goddess of Wealth. What does that have to do with me, a walking disaster?”
The assistant, clearly frustrated but helpless, was unable to do anything about Zhuge Song’s attitude.
Xu Youyou wasn’t bothered by the cold reception. She simply walked over to their side, pulled out a chair, and casually sat down, asking, “What’s for breakfast?”
Qing Yatou replied, “Zhuge Song brought black truffles. I’ve prepared everything, and I’ll start making mushroom dumplings now. It might take around forty minutes. Are you willing to wait?”
Black truffles had become incredibly expensive in recent years, and Xu Youyou had tried them in high-end restaurants before.
To be honest, she hadn’t found them particularly special, but since it was Qing Yatou’s cooking, her expectations immediately rose.
“Forty minutes? That’s nothing. I’d wait even two hours,” Xu Youyou said casually.
Soon, both Qing Yatou and Zhuge Song began working. What followed was a visual feast.
Zhuge Song, having become a first-generation food celebrity, obviously had his unique qualities. His appearance wasn’t extraordinary, but it gave people a very comfortable feeling.
This feeling peaked when he handled the ingredients—his fluid, graceful movements and extremely smooth techniques were very pleasing to Xu Youyou’s eyes.
Before, watching him through the screen didn’t reveal much, but now, up close, Xu Youyou realized why he was so highly regarded.
Zhuge Song and Qing Yatou were very similar in style—they both had a stream-of-consciousness approach. However, it seemed that Qing Yatou’s skills were stronger, and her impact through the screen was even greater.
Xu Youyou couldn’t help but reflect on how she might have followed the crowd before. A food blogger as visually delightful as him couldn’t possibly be the violent man described online. The incident with the spatula and Chef Liu must have had some hidden context.
With the system’s confirmation, Xu Youyou didn’t hesitate and directly asked, “Mr. Zhuge, would you be interested in signing a contract with our company?”
Zhuge Song didn’t respond verbally but continued focusing on the ingredients in front of him.
It was his assistant, who quickly hopped in front of Xu Youyou like an anxious monkey, “Miss Xu, yes, yes, he’s very willing!”
Xu Youyou raised an eyebrow, “Why isn’t he speaking for himself?”
The assistant, afraid Xu Youyou might hold this against them, quickly explained, “Miss Xu, you don’t know, my brother has a very peculiar personality. He doesn’t like talking when he’s working with food. I have to beg him a lot before he’ll explain things to the audience.”
Xu Youyou didn’t mind the minor details and instead asked, “Is he your real brother?”
The assistant nodded and then said, “We’re cousins, my maternal cousins. He lost his parents when he was young, and my mother raised him. He’s like a real brother to me.”
Listening to the backstory, Xu Youyou began to feel an eerie familiarity, as if it were a mirror image of Qing Yatou’s background story.
However, Zhuge Song was luckier, clearly having a better aunt than Cheng Chunhua.
“Can you make decisions for him? You haven’t even asked about the terms?” Xu Youyou asked.
The assistant, while praising Xu Youyou’s character, which was well-known and trustworthy, also cautiously asked, “I wonder what terms Miss Xu is offering my brother?”
Xu Youyou couldn’t help but laugh. For someone confirmed by the system as a talent, she was more than willing to offer a good deal.
She immediately proposed two contract options: one with a high signing fee and low percentage, and the other, similar to Qing Yatou’s, with a low base salary but high percentage, and the company would help with significant marketing efforts.
The assistant, who had been working with Zhuge Song for many years, had dealt with big companies, and after calculating, he realized that both options offered by Xu Youyou were extremely generous.
He thoroughly reviewed both contracts, ensuring there were no hidden pitfalls, and felt increasingly grateful. This trip had indeed been worth it.
After a long wait, the mushroom dumplings were finally ready and served to Xu Youyou.
She picked up a dumpling with her chopsticks. Even through the dumpling skin, she could smell the rich fragrance of truffle. After taking a bite, the combination of pork, black truffle, and matsutake mushrooms filled her mouth with an incredibly savory flavor that made her savor every moment.
She ate twenty dumplings in one go before finally stopping.
Zhuge Song, completely ignoring his assistant, continued to savor the black truffle dumplings in front of him.
“These ingredients only show their top-tier flavors in your hands. You’re a born great chef,” Zhuge Song complimented Qing Yatou.
Qing Yatou replied, “It’s the ingredients you brought that are great. Your skills aren’t bad either. No need to be too modest.”
Zhuge Song shook his head. “It’s different. When I taste your food, I feel the love for life in it. It’s all heart, not much technique. But my creations are full of flashy techniques, and they lose the reverence for food.”
Xu Youyou, a little confused, tasted the mushroom dumplings from both of them. With her “piggy” taste buds, all she could discern was that both were delicious—she couldn’t really tell the difference in terms of feelings or technique.
Finally, after the meal, Zhuge Song stopped his chef mode and finally turned to his cousin, listening to the backstory. After hearing it, he turned to Xu Youyou.
“I’ll sign with you. I’m even willing to take less money. I only have one condition: I want to live near her, so I can consult with her anytime,” Zhuge Song said, pointing to Qing Yatou.
