Bamboo Hidden Cuisine House, No. 1 Branch.
This was the Ye Family’s pilot project in Qihai City—the name of their newest chain restaurant venture.
The location of the place was quite the coincidence. Ye Zhibai seemed to have passed by here just a few days earlier.
North of the flower shop run by Lin Zihan’s family, wasn’t there that ultra-luxurious commercial district?
Just one street away to the south lay the commercial street that included the flower shop.
To the north stretched this prime commercial center district, where every inch of land cost a fortune.
Bamboo Hidden Cuisine House occupied an especially central spot in that golden district.
When Ye Zhibai first spotted the restaurant’s name, she even joked with Guang Yu about it.
“Bamboo Hidden, Bamboo Hidden—it’s got neither bamboo nor any hiding to it!”
The name made it sound like the place was tucked away in some secluded mountain forest.
In reality, it was the total opposite. Not only was it nowhere near a deep forest, you could say it sat atop a veritable “mountain of gold.”
Only an enterprise like the Ye Group could shoulder the sky-high rent here.
But when Ye Zhibai, out of curiosity, asked Ye Zhiyun how much “pocket change” a month’s rent ran,
Yun’er gave this response:
“Rent…? Sister, I don’t think it costs any money at all.”
“Why not?”
“Because we bought this commercial property outright when we opened the store! Running a shop in our own building means no rent, of course~ Would you really charge yourself rent, Sister? Haha… just kidding.”
“……”
Talk about not spending a dime!
I’m convinced.
My worldview was too small.
As Ye Zhibai followed Yun’er and Old Dad into the restaurant next, she got another taste of the rich folks’ troubles.
Ye Qinghe grabbed a pair of sunglasses from the car.
He wasn’t in the habit of wearing them normally. By his explanation, it was to keep from being recognized.
Business tycoons weren’t celebrities; their fame wasn’t quite at that level, so strolling down the street was usually fine.
Yet Ye Qinghe commanded a presence in Qihai City that outshone even stars!
After all, even a broke nobody like Ye Zhibai in her previous life would constantly stumble across news about him on her phone.
As the city’s most prominent entrepreneur, the local government hyped him up plenty.
Back then, she’d sometimes overhear classmates joking.
“Look at that business bigshot—so loaded. If he were my dad, I’d be set for life!”
Now that she thought about it—
—They weren’t wrong.
Ye Qinghe donned his sunglasses, but the Ye Sisters had no need for such measures.
They had only just graduated high school; their fame couldn’t hold a candle to his.
Still… low profile didn’t mean things were hassle-free.
Once the trio stepped inside, the whole area by the entrance went noticeably quiet.
Ye Qinghe frowned at once.
“What’s this about…? Did someone spot me already? Shouldn’t be.”
Yun’er positioned herself in front of Ye Zhibai and spoke up bluntly. “Dad, that’s you lacking self-awareness. It’s obviously not you. Sister’s just too beautiful—her walking in out of nowhere stirs things up. Totally normal.”
Ye Zhibai thought to herself, you’re calling Dad unaware,
But you’re not far off yourself!
If beauty’s the culprit behind the stir, aren’t you owning half the blame?!
Each member of the Ye family trio had their own headaches.
Only Little Fox Guang Yu pranced about with utter disregard, striding freely like she owned the place.
Invisibility let her be as brazen as she pleased!
Taking in the full sweep of the restaurant, Ye Zhibai grasped the reasoning behind the name Bamboo Hidden Cuisine House.
It held one core edge over the eateries outside.
The dining atmosphere.
Despite the prime real estate crunch, tables stood well apart. The lush green carpet gleamed spotless, with servers ever vigilant on cleanup.
Bamboo clusters filled the spaces between tables, serving as stylish dividers.
The bamboo fronds, paired with the soft trickle from gilded water channels spanning the hall, evoked a true bamboo grove seclusion right in the urban heart.
Dining amid such bamboo streams… it was a genuine treat.
Of course, every upside had its downside.
Devoting so much room to bamboo displays left no space for private booths. With the grand opening and heavy promo, the vast dining area sat full.
Save for the rearmost, quietest table—which stood empty.
That morning, Ye Qinghe had phoned the manager here with firm instructions: hold the best table, no questions asked.
The manager first pegged the Chairman’s call as a scam. After confirming, he broke into a cold sweat.
He rose at dawn to plant a prominent “Reserved” sign there.
Ye Qinghe scanned the room and zeroed in on the spot. He led the way, ushering his daughters to the table.
Guang Yu was lightning quick, claiming the innermost seat on Ye Zhibai’s side!
Gotta snag a spot up top, or it’d mean crouching underneath later!
Ye Zhibai settled beside Guang Yu as a matter of course, with Ye Zhiyun taking the seat next to her.
Yun’er beamed inwardly.
“Hehe… Sister skipping the innermost spot—does that mean she wants to stay close to me~? Yay, feeling the love today too!”
No no no, nothing like that. It’s just a fox crammed inside; didn’t want to squash her flat into fox pancake.
Old Dad Ye Qinghe sat solo across from them and lifted the menu.
Ah, par for the course.
Ever since Xiao Qing vanished, emptiness had dogged his side.
Folks always said daughters were cozy little padded jackets, a bulwark against the chill winds.
But who’d have guessed? Her two little jackets only warmed each other!
Ye Qinghe shivered in the winter alone.
Woo, Xiao Qing, when will you come home?!
He nudged his sunglasses, masking the telltale glint of tears in his eyes.
With the table’s ballpoint pen, he ticked off a handful of signature dishes and checked with his daughters on special requests before passing the menu to the server.
Guang Yu: Nobody gives a damn about my cravings. Nobody wants wasabi and flatbread.
The server remained oblivious to their identities; Ye Qinghe hadn’t broadcast them.
He aimed for a plain family meal out—no fanfare, or what was the point?
The wait for food brought father-daughter chatter on recent company doings. Topics Ye Zhibai couldn’t parse but nodded through, feigning savvy.
Midway, a cheerful server delivered tea while explaining.
“Hello, we offer complimentary self-serve condiments and fresh fruit. Cumin, wasabi paste, and the like are on the shelf by the front counter—feel free to grab what you need.”
Wasabi!!!
The word lit Guang Yu up more than any main course announcement!
Who claimed deities couldn’t wheedle?
Ye Zhibai’s mind now rang with Guang Yu’s voice gone full childish loli—tender and pleading.
“Ye Zhibai… waaah, pretty pleeease get some wasabi? I’ll rub your back at home, okay? Heck, throw in leg rubs too!”
“Why not fetch it yourself?”
“That’d freak folks out easy! Dropping invisibility? Disaster. What if they charge me? I’m broke!”
“You’re one pragmatic fox… Fine, whatever. Can’t chime in on the moguls’ biz talk anyhow. Back and legs, don’t forget.”
“Promise promise!”
“Seven days nonstop. Deal?”
“……”
Humans. Way too sly.
Ye Zhibai mentioned grabbing condiments, and Ye Zhiyun dropped her restaurant-future debate with Ye Qinghe on a dime.
Sisterly condiment run took precedence!
Bowl in hand, the sisters browsed the station’s offerings, picking selectively. Ye Zhibai wrapped up first.
She had zero condiment needs—just ladling wasabi paste for Guang Yu.
Not like Yun’er, who fussed meticulously over her mixes, true chef style!
As Ye Zhibai waited for her to finish,
She tossed her silver hair and glanced over her shoulder by chance.
Bamboo everywhere—utterly soothing.
Eye-opening stuff. She’d never imagined restaurant vibes this serenely refined.
Then—
Her eyes locked.
In the periphery of Ye Zhibai’s gaze…
A familiar golden gleam appeared.
Opulent. Regal.
