Chapter 63: The Grand Opening of Cloud Private Kitchen

"I told you, they definitely wouldn't recognize you, hahaha!"

Yun Zhi purposely avoided calling her grandmother first.

Dou Wanqin gave Yun Zhi a sideways, exasperated glare.

Perhaps Ran Yao had been injured or traumatized when she escaped from the human traffickers' den; in any case, she had fallen seriously ill at the age of five and could remember almost nothing of her past.

Ever since her earliest memories, she had lived with the Ran family, having no idea whatsoever that she was not their biological child. How could she possibly recognize a birth mother who suddenly appeared out of nowhere?

However, much to the surprise of both Yun Zhi and Dou Wanqin, after staring a bit longer at Dou Wanqin, Ran Yao suddenly blurted out, "Mom?"

Yun Zhi: ...?

Dou Wanqin: ...!!

Yun Xinbo, who had just called Dou Wanqin "Sis": ...!!!

Goodness, could this possibly be that legendary bond of telepathy between mother and daughter?

Tears welled up and spilled uncontrollably from Ran Yao's eyes.

"I remember everything now... So, you are my mother..."

Ran Yao, who had been a mother for many years herself, had always addressed Madam Ran with a flat, indifferent "Ma," having long since dropped the more affectionate and intimate "Mom" from her vocabulary.

Yet, facing Dou Wanqin, the word slipped out instinctively.

The memories sealed deep within her mind for decades unlocked all at once.

This was largely because Yun Zhi had recently given Ran Yao a great many wonderful things: physical enhancement potions, longevity elixirs, beauty pills, longevity cards, physique-boosting cards, and so forth.

The accumulation of these items had greatly improved Ran Yao's memory. The small patch of clotted blood that had blocked her memories—caused by a fall and a bump to her head when she fled the traffickers' den—had completely dissolved and vanished without a trace.

With just a deliberate effort to think back, she could recall memories from when she was three to five years old... except that she had never had the opportunity before.

Today, Dou Wanqin's face—much older and unfamiliar yet carrying such a familiar warmth—served as the key that unlocked those memories.

Dou Wanqin's eyes grew moist as well.

She had searched for her daughter for thirty-eight years—a full thirty-eight years!

Especially during the first dozen years after her daughter went missing, there was a period every single year when she searched in person.

It was only when her daughter reached adulthood, figuring she must have grown into a grown woman, that she stopped conducting physical searches every year. Even so, she never stopped placing notices in newspapers and putting up missing-person posters, and she even hired dedicated staff to compile reports from public security bureaus across the country regarding missing girls matching Ran Yao's age.

Yet, without exception, every result ended in disappointment.

Never did she imagine that just as she had abandoned hope and believed she would never find her daughter in this lifetime, she would encounter the greatest trial of her life, only for fortune to smile upon her—out of the darkest shadows, a clear path would emerge!

Not only did she learn news of her daughter, but she was also first rescued by her own biological granddaughter.

Upon learning that her daughter had forgotten her biological mother due to illness, Dou Wanqin had felt a tiny, fleeting pang of disappointment—truly just a tiny bit. After all, her daughter had been so young when she was abducted by malicious traffickers; that she had survived at all was already a miracle.

She was so young then; had she known early on that she wasn't the Ran family's biological child, survival in the Ran household would have been even harder.

When she didn't know she wasn't biological, she could only resent her parents for their favoritism and pampering of her younger brother.

Once she knew she wasn't biological, no matter how poorly her adoptive parents treated her, she had no right to complain, for the debt of upbringing surpassed the debt of birth.

Never in her wildest dreams had she expected her daughter to remember her the very moment they reunited!

Dou Wanqin stepped forward and opened her arms to Ran Yao. "Yaoyao, I am your mother."

That single "Yaoyao" brought tears to Ran Yao's eyes once more.

When she was little, her adoptive parents had always called her "Big Ya" and never gave her a formal name.

In elementary school, shortly after she learned pinyin, she flipped through a dictionary herself and chose the name "Yao."

For it seemed that in her dreams, a gentle female voice had always been calling her "Yaoyao" by her ear.

Ran Yao threw herself into Dou Wanqin's arms.

After thirty-eight years apart, the mother and daughter, finally reunited, wept in each other's arms.

Yun Xinbo watched with a blank stare.

He asked Yun Zhi in a tiny whisper, "Is this your real maternal grandmother? How did you find her?"

What should I do after accidentally calling my mother-in-law "Sis"? Urgent, waiting online.

Yun Zhi nodded and whispered back, "Mm, she's definitely the real deal. You can tell just by looking at her face. As for how we found her... that's a rather long story."

After a long while, the embracing mother and daughter parted, looking slightly embarrassed.

Yun Zhi handed each of them a tissue to wipe away their tears.

"Alright, Mom, Grandma, our family has finally reunited. Today is a good day, so we ought to be happy."

Dou Wanqin agreed, "Right, right, we should be happy. I am extremely happy."

Her daughter had grown up so much in a place she couldn't see. Although there had been many twists and turns, she was happy now, and the days ahead would only get better—how could she not be happy?

Once the family sat down, Yun Zhi finally recounted to her parents the story of how she and her grandmother had coincidentally crossed paths and recognized one another.

Yun Xinbo and Ran Yao had heard a bit about Yun Zhi becoming an esper and working as an external operative for the Paranormal Management Bureau.

Out of fear of worrying them, however, Yun Zhi hadn't gone into great detail.

This was the first time they were hearing Yun Zhi describe the process of her missions.

Naturally, the missions Yun Zhi spoke of here were not the ones posted by members of the chat group, but rather those she had accepted from the Bureau.

As for whether that was actually the case, her parents and grandmother had no way to verify it at the Bureau, and even if they went, the Bureau wouldn't just tell anyone.

Ran Yao alternated between worrying for her daughter and worrying for her mother.

Whenever she heard a heart-pounding part, she couldn't help grabbing both of their hands to check them over thoroughly, and only relaxed slightly after confirming they were both completely fine.

Since she had already shared the beginning, she couldn't leave out the end. Yun Zhi briefly retold her experience of capturing the heretic leader in City X, though she heavily downplayed the level of danger and the formidable strength of the enemies, glossing over many details.

Whenever questioned, the answer was always: classified!

Previously, Ran Yao and Yun Xinbo had often wondered where their daughter got so much money, and where she acquired all those miraculous, godlike items.

Where did she vanish to for days at a time, and what did she do out there?

As parents, it was impossible not to worry.

Yet they couldn't ask too many questions, as their daughter's personality was of the sort that only reported good news and kept worries to herself.

Now, after hearing Yun Zhi's account of the trip to City X, it was as if a new world had been opened up to them.

So, when Yun Zhi was out executing missions, it was this dangerous.

Even though she intentionally understated and skimmed over many parts, if the enemies were truly as easy to deal with as she claimed, why had the police been unable to catch them for so long?

And why had Dou Wanqin been unable to leave City X for the past two years despite wanting to, unable even to draft a will according to her own wishes?

Ran Yao said, "Xiao Zhi, I know that since you've chosen this path and possess genuine ability, asking you never to touch these dangerous missions again isn't very realistic."

Since she was already immersed in this world and possessed greater power, she had to shoulder greater responsibility.

"But you must remember that your dad, mom, and grandmother are all waiting for you to come home! Don't take on overly dangerous missions. If you really encounter a particularly perilous situation, run if you can, hide if you must. To save your life is no disgrace."

Yun Xinbo chimed in, "That's right, Dad doesn't want you to be any hero; he just wants you to be safe and sound."

Dou Wanqin added, "As someone you, Yun girl, saved by risking your life, I have no right to tell you to stop doing things that face danger head-on. But let's put it this way: the day you feel tired, just step down. Grandma has money; I can afford to support you."

Yun Zhi gave her parents and grandmother each a hug.

"I know, I've got it memorized."

"Don't worry, I wouldn't joke with my own life."

"Grandma, even if you weren't rolling in wealth, you'd still be my dearest, loveliest grandma. I can support you just fine."

Dou Wanqin had worked hard all these years precisely to leave a substantial fortune for the daughter she might one day reclaim, and for that daughter's children, so they could live affluent lives in the future.

She figured this might somehow make up for the regrets caused by her carelessness in losing the child long ago.

Yet she never expected her granddaughter to say such a thing.

"Good, good, Grandma will rely on you to support her from now on."

"Wonderful! I'd love nothing more!"

The family atmosphere was warm and harmonious.

If there was anything still lacking perfection, it was Dou Wanqin's husband, who had gone abroad on business two years after their marriage and mysteriously vanished...

Yun Zhi comforted Dou Wanqin, saying, "Grandma, if we can't find Grandpa through normal means, we'll try metaphysical means later. Like you said, you had a clan uncle calculate it, and Grandpa is still alive and well. We'll find him sooner or later—just like how I found you! Where there is persistent longing, there is bound to be a response!"

Ran Yao also said, "That's right, Mom. Xiao Zhi has already completed many special missions. Who knows? Her next mission, or the one after that, might just happen to involve Dad and bring my biological father back to me as well?"

Yun Zhi: ...

Uh, she honestly couldn't guarantee that.

Still, seeing her grandmother rekindle her hope was a good thing.

The family of four chatted late into the night, and Yun Zhi ended up staying the night on her parents' side.

There were four bedrooms here: besides the master bedroom and the study, one was Yun Zhi's reserved room, and another was the guest room.

Dou Wanqin stayed in the guest room.

Yun Zhi had brought back all of Dou Wanqin's daily necessities and personal items from the Lu residence.

Yun Zhi said, "Grandma, how about I accompany you back to City X in a few days? That Assistant Liu whom Su Man bribed must have been arrested by the police by now. It'll likely be safe to return."

Mainly, rumors were spreading in City X that Dou Wanqin had gone missing; if she didn't show up soon, she would genuinely be treated as a missing person.

Dou Wanqin, however, replied, "You don't need to accompany me. It wouldn't be appropriate for you. Even though you used disguise techniques during your operations in City X, certain small habits can't be completely changed. As someone who mysteriously vanished from a hospital ward, my return will naturally draw intense scrutiny, and you, my newly recognized granddaughter, would inevitably be investigated by many."

"The same goes for your parents. I don't want to make the news of our reunion public just yet; I'd rather wait a few months until things quiet down in City X."

"I'll stay at your parents' place for three days, and once I see their private kitchen officially open for business, I'll head back on my own. If you're worried, have Ziji assign me a couple of trustworthy bodyguards to travel with me."

"Grandma has survived all these years; I'm not someone who hasn't weathered storms, nor am I so old that I need to hide behind you."

Seeing her grandmother brimming with energy and full of confidence, having already made up her mind, Yun Zhi dropped the subject.

Such an arrangement was indeed much more suitable.

"Two bodyguards won't be enough; at least four."

"Right, I need to prepare a few more safety talismans for you, Grandma."

Knowing she could make use of these items, Lu Ziji had prepared quite a few for her. Yun Zhi planned to prepare a baseline of five talismans each for her parents and grandmother.

"This is the Hemostatic and Muscle-Regenerating Pill, used for treating external injuries. This is the Universal Detox Pill..."

"Also, if you feel anything out of the ordinary, call me, send me a message, and we'll use a pre-arranged secret code..."

This was to prevent her grandmother from being controlled by someone and rendered unable to directly voice a cry for help.

"You'll just ask me, 'How's the weather over your side today?'"

It was a very ordinary phrase, and no matter the circumstances, mentioning it wouldn't easily arouse suspicion.

Dou Wanqin laughed despite herself. "Why are you even more nervous than I am? If you're really that scared of something happening to me, keep in touch regularly, come visit me in City X when you have time, and I'll come to Haicheng at least once or twice a month, under the pretext of expanding the market here and developing Haicheng into Dou's Catering's second stronghold. In a few months, by the end of the year at the latest, we can officially acknowledge each other publicly!"

"All right, everything as you say, Grandma!"

Ran Yao had just finished making the bed with a fresh, clean set of four-piece bedding for Dou Wanqin.

Watching the grandmother-granddaughter duo being so attached to each other, she found it hard to watch.

"You two are truly close across generations. If you keep this up, I'm going to get jealous! The mom who loves me most and the daughter I love most aren't letting me play with them."

The two of them quickly rushed over to coax Ran Yao.

Yun Xinbo, who had been ignored for a long time: ...

Fortunately, his mother-in-law was only staying here for a few days before returning to City X, and his daughter only came over to stay a day or two every now and then.

Otherwise, he was going to become the most marginalized, lowest-presence person in the household!

...

Two days later, the private kitchen "Above the Clouds" officially opened for business.

Yun Zhi naturally went to help out. Dou Wanqin wanted to participate too, but she didn't want to expose her mother-daughter relationship with Ran Yao too early, lest her own pile of unresolved troubles end up dragging Ran Yao down.

That might bring unnecessary harassment upon Ran Yao's private kitchen.

Consequently, Yun Zhi had Dou Wanqin take a Metamorphic Pill and used her spiritual power to reshape her face.

To the outside world, she would be introduced as a distant relative!

It was Dou Wanqin's first time experiencing a "face swap," and she found it remarkably novel.

The opening of "Above the Clouds" was a resounding success, thanks largely to the fact that the private kitchen had been renovated by the company of Ziji—or rather, Lu Ziji's good friend, Du Hongchang.

Ziji had specifically called Du Hongchang to instruct him that he must use the highest-quality materials for Yun Xinbo and Ran Yao, declaring them to be honored benefactors of the Lu family!

Who didn't know that ever since Lu Ziji woke up from being in a vegetative state for four years, his personality had drastically changed, and he treated all of them, his former friends, with absolute indifference?

Let alone Lu Ziji taking the initiative to contact them, even when they reached out to him, he rarely replied.

For work matters, he told everyone to find Lu Ziping.

For social invitations, his standard reply was that he was busy and not available.

When they asked Lu Ziping what was going on, Lu Ziping explained that his older brother had developed a secondary personality, and while the primary personality occasionally came online, it happened very rarely.

Otherwise, there would be no way to explain why Lu Ziji had woken up yet delayed taking over the Lu family business, refusing to mingle with their old circle of friends.

Some people even let their imaginations run wild, wondering if Lu Ziji had been transmigrated...

Needless to say, they had guessed correctly, but who could blame the transmigrated soul for being Lu Ziji's own reincarnation, capable of maintaining continuous communication with the true Lu Ziji? Thus, the Lu family protected him just the same.

In any case, Du Hongchang was the only former friend Lu Ziji had proactively contacted in the two months since waking up. The purpose was to ensure Du Hongchang used the top-tier materials for the private kitchen's renovation, gave them the steepest discount, and stated that any price difference could be billed directly to him!

Du Hongchang had spread this news around the circle, sparking curiosity about the private kitchen among Haicheng's elite upper crust.

Those with broad connections managed to dig up further details: the villa the Yun family currently lived in, the property and shop in Jin Yuan, and the cars they drove had all been gifts from the Lu family.

The relationship between these two families was definitely extraordinary!

While they might not necessarily manage to cozy up to the Lu family through the Yun family's private kitchen, Lu Ziji used to be a tycoon in the business world and the most outstanding leader among their younger generation.

Even though Lu Ziji no longer managed corporate affairs for the Lu family, Old Master Lu's doting fondness for him and Lu Ziping's awe of him had not diminished in the slightest.

Not long ago, Old Master Lu had brought Lu Ziji out to attend a banquet, where a blind, reckless scoundrel—Third Young Master Zhang—mocked Lu Ziji for having "fallen out of favor."

As a result, Lu Ziji exposed him on the spot: the fellow wasn't even the biological son of the Zhang family's primary household holding the inheritance rights, but rather the biological son of Old Master Zhang's mistress from the tertiary household, entitled to only a tiny fraction of dividends...

Well, Third Young Master Zhang had instantly become the biggest laughingstock in Haicheng's high society.

Furthermore, a certain Mr. Luo, who had risen to wealth through his wife and lived off her while audacity enough to bring his illegitimate children home to raise as his own, had his legs broken by his wife's maternal family, the Li family, and was kicked out penniless.

Word had it that the fact the children were Luo's biological offspring was also a piece of information Lu Ziji had people pass along to Ms. Li.

Lu Ziji truly stayed quiet until he made his move, and then he shook the earth!

Though nobody knew how he managed to uncover other people's private domestic affairs, everyone... grew even more terrified of provoking Lu Ziji from then on!

Yet, paradoxically, they remained intensely curious about him.

Consequently, as soon as this private kitchen—rumored to have such deep ties with him—opened its doors, numerous Haicheng tycoons came flocking in by name recognition.

To their surprise, they actually spotted Lu Ziji himself right there at the private kitchen...

He was standing at the entrance welcoming guests alongside a pretty young woman, chatting and laughing; while they didn't look particularly ambiguous, their relationship was clearly very familiar.

Stepping forward to discreetly inquire, well, lo and behold, this was the Yun family's daughter.

Retaining Lu Ziji's memories, Ziji recognized most of these people as familiar faces.

Ziji took the initiative to greet them: "The private kitchen run by my best friend's family is opening today. Thank you all for coming to show your support!"

Du Hongchang, who used to be one of Lu Ziji's closest buddies but hadn't managed to schedule a single hangout with him in the past two months: ...

Never would I have guessed you were this kind of Lu Ziji!

Putting sex before friends, weren't you?!

Through their interactions at the previous banquet and this current encounter, they realized that while Ziji retained his past memories, his personality differed slightly from Lu Ziji's while sharing certain similarities.

Yet the current Ziji felt more like the teenage Lu Ziji, before he had learned to be smooth and worldly.

Particularly straightforward, lacking any grasp of social tact.

Later on, when he took over the Lu family's enterprises, he deliberately studied those skills and slowly picked them up.

Du Hongchang probed Ziji, asking, "Lu Ziji, you couldn't possibly have amnesia and lost the memories of the past dozen years or so, could you?"

Ziji rolled his eyes at him. "What kind of nonsense are you spouting? My memory is just fine. By the way, before I collapsed, wasn't this your fifth time getting dumped? How have these past few years been? How many more times have you suffered heartbreak? Tell me so I can have a good laugh!"

Du Hongchang was the sort of person who easily fell in love but just as quickly got his heart broken, and every time, it was because his girlfriends couldn't stand some of his habits and initiated the breakup, dumping him.

Du Hongchang: ...

Hitting him right where it hurt.

His tongue was vicious enough to make people want to sew his mouth shut.

That was indeed the personality of the adolescent Lu Ziji.

The mature Lu Ziji, even if he wanted to express the same sentiment, would have wrapped it in far more polite and high-sounding phrasing.

Seeing that Ziji had no intention of chatting further, Du Hongchang exchanged a few casual remarks and walked into the restaurant with his friends to find a table and dine.

They had originally come purely out of curiosity, but after tasting the food at the "Above the Clouds" private kitchen—oh lord, why was it so delicious!

Most of the dishes were moderately priced, along with a few relatively affordable side dishes, yet they tasted far more delectable than many upscale restaurants Du Hongchang had frequented.

It genuinely felt as though they were eating imperial banquets.

Moreover, the private kitchen's tableware, decorations, calligraphy, and embroidery were all exquisitely crafted with a rich classical aesthetic.

Some customers even voiced their intention to purchase them.

Yun Zhi whispered, "Ziji, many of the guests who came today are your... well, Lu Ge's former acquaintances. If you don't like interacting with them, you don't have to force yourself."

Ziji nodded and said, "Indeed, I don't care for them, but I'm not forcing myself to get too close either. I still have the patience to exchange a few words with them. Anything beyond that is a no-go. They're each more hypocritical than the last, and they love talking in circles—such a hassle. Too lazy to deal with them."

Yun Zhi: ...

People called that being smooth and worldly.

Still, since Ziji disliked it, she let him be.

Being able to maintain such a free-spirited and uninhibited personality was its own kind of happiness.

Yun Zhi knew that the restaurant's booming business on its very first day was entirely due to riding on Ziji's coattails.

However, since they were already well-acquainted and Ziji frequently came over to freeload meals at her house, there was no need for such polite formalities.

After all, Ziji was the guy who had once wired her two hundred million in courier fees; what did borrowing a bit of his social clout matter?

Strictly speaking, moreover, this was Lu Ziji's social clout.

The second batch of energy stones she obtained from Bai Miao had mostly been split with Ziji—ninety percent of the thunder-attribute energy stones, twenty percent of the attribute-less ones, and small amounts of other attributes.

The 1st- and 2nd-grade fruits cultivated in the interstellar world that Bai Miao provided—which could substitute for a day's worth of energy nutrient packs in an emergency—had also been shared with some going to Ziji.

As for the large quantities of ordinary supplies needed by Cen Junfei and Bai Miao, Yun Zhi couldn't be bothered to buy them herself anymore; she would just give Ziji a word, and goods were shipped directly from the Lu family supermarket to the warehouse at the Lu family estate, where she could simply pick them up.

Anything the supermarket didn't carry—such as books, seeds, saplings, vegetable seedlings, and poultry eggs with incubators needed by Bai Miao—was handed over to procurement specialists to purchase.

Yun Zhi didn't feel any embarrassment about it either; she was paying Ziji a commission fee, after all, so making him do a little grunt work was only fair. Besides, he was merely running his mouth to coordinate.

She stayed busy at the private kitchen until past two in the afternoon, finally seeing off all the lunch guests.

That was only because they had run out of ingredients, prompting them to turn away the newly arriving crowds.

Feeling that Ran Yao spent three or four hours straight slaving away in the kitchen and was simply working too hard—even with another head chef and several kitchen assistants helping out, exhaustion was inevitable—Yun Zhi urged her to hire a few more head chefs so she wouldn't have to personally labor over the cooking every single day.

She could cook whenever the mood struck her, occasionally for pleasure.

Having operated at full throttle for over three hours, Ran Yao indeed felt bone-tired.

If Yun Zhi hadn't fed her so many high-quality items that elevated her physical fitness, she truly might not have been able to endure it.

Dou Wanqin also persuaded her, pointing out that if she wanted to turn the private kitchen into a chain brand, she couldn't just content herself with being a head chef stuck in the back kitchen.

Ran Yao was someone who listened to good advice. "Mm, I'm already scouting for suitable head chefs. We only had open-ended capacity and no limit on table bookings during the grand opening these past few days to build up our name recognition. Once our reputation is established, I'll limit the service to ten tables each for lunch and dinner, strictly by reservation, so it won't be this exhausting."

"Sounds good, Mom. As long as you have a plan in mind," Yun Zhi said.

...

The next day, accompanied by a detail of four bodyguards arranged by the Lu family, Dou Wanqin boarded a Lu family private jet and returned to City X.

Upon completing her transactions with Tang Panpan, Cen Junfei, Qin Tianlei, and Bai Miao, Yun Zhi's points balance reached 8,200.

Yun Zhi proactively pinged the chat group system: "System-zi, when is the next group member joining? Hook me up with another 2,000-point mission! Then I can finally save up enough points to upgrade to Level 3!"

Having grown familiar with Yun Zhi, the chat group system spoke with much more casual ease. Instead of answering her question immediately, it countered with one of its own: "Let me ask you, once Level 3 unlocks the cross-realm travel feature, which world would you most want to visit for a trip?"

Yun Zhi replied instinctively, "Naturally, I'm going to the interstellar world first to pet some cats! Maybe even pet a cat-girl!"

Chat group system: ...?!

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