Gourmet: The Master Chef Just Wants to Leisurely Set Up a Stall - Chapter 76

“A classmate? Who?”

“Who, who?”

“A classmate from our class?”

“We had a classmate this amazing?”

The group chat exploded with curiosity as everyone scrambled to figure out who Guo Gaoang was talking about.

“Wait, someone left the group? Weren’t there seven of us just now?”

“Yeah, why are there only six now? What’s going on? Who left?”

“Seriously? The first time we’ve had a proper chat in ages, and someone leaves the group midway?”

Guo froze, quickly opening the group information. Sure enough, one person was missing—it didn’t take him long to notice it was Wei Liguo.

“It’s Wei Liguo. What’s going on? Guo, ask him!”

“Yeah, Guo, you’re the closest to him. Find out what happened,” someone urged.

“Alright, I’ll ask him.”

Guo opened Wei Liguo’s chat window. The last message in their conversation was a video Guo had forwarded to him a while back.

The video featured Zhao Xiaojing being stopped by Li Donglai at her stall, recorded by some nosy passerby who initially thought it was a scam scenario. Guo had sent it to Wei after reuniting with Zhao Xiaojing during his first skewer purchase.

Back then, Guo had immediately called Wei, overflowing with excitement. He had rambled on and on about how he’d bumped into Zhao Xiaojing after all these years.

But Wei’s reaction had been… strange. He didn’t ask for details about Zhao’s situation or even her contact information. Instead, he quickly changed the subject, steering the conversation toward unrelated topics.

Guo still vividly remembered how devastated Wei had been when Zhao Xiaojing dropped out of school and disappeared without a trace. Wei had been heartbroken for a long time, growing quiet and losing over ten pounds as he wallowed in sadness.

That’s why Guo had been genuinely happy for Wei when he found Zhao again. He thought Wei would be thrilled to reconnect.

But Wei’s indifferent reaction had left Guo feeling a stark sense of dissonance. He had even speculated about the reasons behind it.

In the end, Guo chalked it up to two things: first, perhaps Wei was too shocked to process it right away; second, Wei had been so mentally drained from preparing for his civil service exams that he no longer had the energy to care about relationships.

After their call, Guo had forwarded the video, hoping that seeing Zhao would jog Wei’s memories. But Wei never responded.

After a moment’s hesitation, Guo decided to send a message.

“Liguo, why’d you suddenly leave the group?”

“Nothing major. Work’s been hectic, and there are just too many group messages,” Wei replied after a short pause.

“Really? I mean, we don’t talk often these days, but we’ve had this group for five or six years now. We’ve been brothers for so long, and…” Guo hesitated before sending the message.

“Yeah. I’m still working on some documents. The secretary’s been pushing me, and I’m swamped. Let’s talk later,” Wei replied after another ten minutes.

Guo couldn’t help but feel a little deflated. The distance that had grown between them was palpable. They had once been best friends, but now Wei’s responses felt curt and detached.

It used to be that even if they only saw each other once a year, the bond between them felt unshakable. But now that they were both living in the same city, it seemed like that closeness had faded.

Thinking back, Guo realized it had been a long time since Wei had truly opened up to him.

“Alright, take care of work,” Guo finally replied. He then turned back to the group chat and relayed Wei’s explanation.

“Liguo’s this busy? I thought his department wasn’t too bad. Their secretary isn’t the type to overwork people. Honestly, we’re all a bit envious of their setup,” said Deng Qimai, who also worked in Yang City. Having joined the civil service right after graduation, Deng was familiar with the inner workings of such departments, including Wei’s.

“Wow, Deng, you really know your stuff. Liguo’s climbed the ladder and doesn’t have time for us small fries anymore,” someone teased.

“Don’t say that. He just joined, so there’s probably a lot to learn. Liguo’s always been serious about his work,” Guo quickly defended Wei, though he couldn’t deny that Deng’s comment had stung a little.

“That’s true. Liguo is diligent. It’s reasonable that he’s overwhelmed while adjusting to a new workplace.”

“Alright, alright, we get it. You’re loyal to your bro—I won’t say anything more. But Guo, loyalty depends on who you’re loyal to.”

“By the way, who’s this classmate you mentioned earlier? The one selling skewers!”

“Yeah, yeah! Tell us more!”

“Oh, right! We got sidetracked. The boss is Zhao Xiaojing. Do you guys remember her?”

“Zhao Xiaojing? Doesn’t ring a bell. Did we really have someone by that name?”

“Wasn’t she the one who was super quiet?”

“I don’t remember her at all.”

“I do! I remember! Isn’t she Wei Liguo’s first love?”

“Whoa, now that you mention it…!”

“Hmm? What’s this? Spill the tea! Quick, tell us everything!”

“Well, uh, I wouldn’t exactly call her his ‘first love.’ More like a crush, I guess—unrequited. Liguo liked her at the time, but I don’t think Zhao Xiaojing ever knew,” Guo explained. Calling it a first love felt a bit off since nothing had ever come of it, and Zhao Xiaojing might not have even realized what Wei felt.

“Now that you mention it, wasn’t she the girl who suddenly dropped out? Liguo was so distraught he couldn’t eat or sleep.”

“Yeah, I remember Liguo being really down for a while. Was it because of her?”

“Guo, got any pictures? Let’s see what she looks like.”

“Uh, no,” Guo replied. Though he had videos, he didn’t think it was appropriate to share them in the group. Last time, he had sent the video to Wei out of excitement, thinking it would make him happy. Sharing it here just to fuel gossip felt wrong.

“Do you think Liguo left the group because of this?”

“That’s possible! I think so!”

“@Guo Gaoang, does Liguo know the person selling skewers is Zhao Xiaojing?”

“I’m not sure…” Guo admitted. He had tried to tell Wei during their call, but Wei had been so distracted that the conversation had veered off before Guo could explain in detail. He wasn’t sure if Wei had pieced it together.

“And you didn’t tell him?”

“Well, I tried… but he was so busy last time. I didn’t get the chance.”

“I have to stop by his office this afternoon to pick up some documents. Leave it to me—I’ll scope him out!” Deng Qimai, always eager for drama, offered enthusiastically.

“Haha, Deng, you haven’t changed a bit. Still can’t sit still.”

“By the way, did Zhao Xiao—er, the skewer lady—drop out of school to learn how to make skewers? Are they really that good? @Guo Gaoang.”

“I never asked her about that, but let me tell you, her skewers…”

With that, the conversation veered back to the skewers and Zhao Xiaojing’s current life. The group grew more excited, each member more curious than the last.

By 2:30 PM, the group could no longer contain their anticipation and began spamming Deng with questions about whether he had visited Liguo’s office yet.

It wasn’t until 6:00 PM that Deng finally sent a reply.