Chapter 274: Chapter 172: He’s Really Not Hungry

Ling Yue remembered a dinner at her professor’s house before she graduated. When her professor saw the West Lake Vinegar Fish on the table, he began to tell a story about the most authentic version he had ever eaten.

He had eaten that particular dish with a Boss Ma by West Lake.

So,

After hearing her professor praise the West Lake Vinegar Fish to the skies that day, Ling Yue made a point of trying the dish. It was that single bite that seared the memory into her mind.

Ling Yue sized up Gao Yuan again. She had actually been to this restaurant once before, after that dinner at her professor’s. She had hoped to hire the chef to cook for her professor’s birthday.

But back then, she couldn’t even get in the door. The memory only returned when Tongtong pointed at the photograph just now.

Yet now, Gao Yuan had brought her to this very restaurant, and the staff at the door seemed to know him. This piqued Ling Yue’s curiosity about him once more.

The three of them chose a private room, and when it was time to order, Gao Yuan placed the menu in front of Ling Yue.

Ling Yue didn’t even look at the menu. Instead, she asked the waiter, "Do you have West Lake Vinegar Fish?"

"We do."

Gao Yuan glanced at Ling Yue, a hint of surprise in his eyes. He hadn’t expected her to order that dish.

’Her taste really is... unique!’

Gao Yuan had tried West Lake Vinegar Fish once himself. How to put it... "bad" wasn’t a strong enough word. It was practically inedible.

In Gao Yuan’s mind, the only fish product that was truly inedible was canned surstr?mming.

After that one experience with West Lake Vinegar Fish, he’d added another item to his list of inedible fish.

Still, since Ling Yue wanted to order it, he wasn’t going to stop her. ’Some things you just have to experience for yourself. No matter what anyone tells you, it’s not the same as trying it firsthand.’

After ordering the fish, Ling Yue didn’t choose anything else and simply pushed the menu back to Gao Yuan.

Gao Yuan didn’t bother with the menu either. He just asked the waiter to bring a few of their signature dishes.

The food arrived quickly, and the three began to eat. Throughout the meal, however, neither Gao Yuan nor Tongtong touched the West Lake Vinegar Fish. Only Ling Yue ate it.

Watching Ling Yue eat with apparent enjoyment, Gao Yuan was once again convinced that her tastes were truly unique—nothing like a normal person’s.

"Aren’t you two going to try the fish?"

Ling Yue asked, a note of curiosity in her voice, when she noticed neither Gao Yuan nor Tongtong had touched it.

"I’m on a diet."

"I don’t like fish."

Ling Yue smiled at their answers.

She didn’t believe their excuses for a second. While Tongtong avoided the fish, she’d been eating plenty of everything else. ’Some diet that is!’

’And as for Gao Yuan, his was probably just an excuse too.’

Ling Yue didn’t press the issue and simply went back to eating.

Trying the dish again, she found it slightly more palatable than she remembered, but the taste was certainly unlike any other fish.

She kept eating because she wanted to see if she could experience what her professor had described.

’To truly understand the dish.’

By the end of the meal, Ling Yue still hadn’t experienced what her professor had described. She had, however, discovered that she’d grown to like the dish.

After dinner, Gao Yuan handed his car keys to Tongtong and told her to get the car washed.

Tongtong was perceptive. She knew the car needed a wash, but she also knew Gao Yuan wanted to talk business with the lawyer. She took her cue and left obediently.

Gao Yuan and Ling Yue sat opposite each other, sipping tea. He was surprised that a top lawyer like her didn’t care for coffee, preferring Longjing instead.

’A preference they happened to share.’

Gao Yuan took the initiative as they drank their tea. "So, Lawyer Ling, are you interested in joining Yuanfang?"

"Yes, I am!"

"I’ve already resigned from Jindu Law Firm, so I’m certainly interested in discussing the offer you proposed, President Gao."

Ling Yue was very upfront about her resignation.

For someone of her caliber, resigning wasn’t something to hide. She didn’t believe it would negatively affect her prospects in any way.

Just as Gao Yuan valued her for who she was, not for the Jindu Law Firm name.

In other words, Gao Yuan wasn’t her only option.

It wouldn’t be difficult for her to join another law firm or even a renowned corporation. After all, her track record spoke for itself.

"Excellent."

"Come to Yuanfang, Lawyer Ling. Establish a legal department, and you’ll have full authority over it."

"Name your terms."

Gao Yuan laid his cards on the table.

Yuanfang needed a legal department, and it needed to be established quickly to safeguard the company’s future.

Ling Yue fell silent for a moment, lifting her cup to take a sip of tea as her mind raced.

After her experience at Jindu Law Firm, she no longer wanted to be just another employee, or even a partner in a traditional law firm structure.

That kind of arrangement would be fine in the beginning, but once the firm or company grew, her individual voice and authority would diminish.

That would have a huge impact on her, especially on her ability to do the work she was passionate about.

Ling Yue was thirty now. Any decision she made had to align with her long-term career goals.

"President Gao, I have a proposal you might want to hear."

Ling Yue said, setting down her teacup, her expression serious.

In that brief moment, she had made up her mind.

’She would lay everything out on the table, frankly and thoroughly. Who knows, maybe this playboy in front of her could actually surprise her.’

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