Bai Yang never imagined that in just one short week, he would have to put on that suit Bai Liu had bought him three years ago for the second time.

Standing at the arrival gate, Bai Yang’s palms were covered in cold sweat, and he kept checking the information Bai Liu had sent to his phone.

Matsumoto Kiyoshi, originally named Yuan Songqing, 39 years old. Twenty years ago he studied at university in Yujiang, then went overseas and became a food connoisseur with excellent investment vision. Now he runs a chain of Chinese restaurants in Japan. This time he came to Yujiang for final inspection to reach cooperation with the Bai family, planning to use Bai family chili sauce in new dishes at his restaurants in the future, and would also retail the chili sauce in his stores.

By all rights, such an important business deal opening overseas markets should be negotiated by the executive president herself, but—

“Not bad, given your sugar intake frequency over these years, I was originally worried this suit wouldn’t fit you anymore.”

Forty minutes earlier, Bai Liu had circled around her suited brother in the hospital room and said with satisfaction: “It’s all because you cried so miserably that day when you came to the hospital to sign papers… I was so busy comforting you that I didn’t have time to properly appreciate it. Now I see that your face can occasionally wear expensive clothes too. My money wasn’t wasted.”

Bai Yang: “…”

Seeing Bai Liu still leisurely helping him adjust his tie, the already urgent Bai Yang couldn’t help but say: “Your Japanese business partner will arrive in an hour and a half, and I need to leave for the airport in ten minutes to pick him up. Are you sure you want to waste time right now praising the clothes you bought?”

“What are you afraid of?”

Only now did Bai Liu finally show a bit of the leisure of a president on leave, saying with a completely relaxed expression: “I’m President Bai and you’re also President Bai. As my dear brother, isn’t it perfectly normal for you to occasionally replace me in entertaining my business partners?”

Bai Yang was shocked: “What are you two going to discuss, what should I say to him, what are the important points to note? I don’t know anything, and you’re comfortable just handing over such a big business partner directly to me?”

“You’re my brother. By my side, you’re already the person I trust most.”

Bai Liu finally smoothed out the wrinkles on his collar and said indifferently: “I’ll send the detailed information to your phone. Remember, before the contract is signed, all your performance is part of his evaluation… Don’t disappoint me.”

…This was truly ridiculous.

Here he was, a cake maker who had to go to the emergency room overnight after eating one bite of chili sauce, now about to discuss international chili sauce business with a foreign friend.

Please, in this situation, what could he do to avoid being a complete failure?

In extreme anxiety, Bai Yang crunched through the third candy in his mouth, and just as he put the fourth piece in, a serious-faced man in a suit was already coming down from the elevator with his luggage, walking straight toward the exit.

According to Bai Liu, Matsumoto Kiyoshi was known for his rigorous character and methodical approach, so one had to be especially careful when entertaining him.

One careless moment and this business deal that had been negotiated for half a year might fall through in his hands.

The more Bai Yang thought about it, the more his whole body stiffened, so that when he walked up to Matsumoto Kiyoshi, he even started moving his arms and legs in sync slightly. When he met the eyes of this Japanese-Chinese man ten years his senior, there wasn’t even a trace of a smile in them, as expected.

Matsumoto Kiyoshi’s Chinese was very authentic, but his tone was also very cold. His first sentence was—

“Are you Miss Bai’s driver?”

“I…”

Bai Yang’s scalp went numb. He never expected that this expensive suit Bai Liu had spent a lot of money on would still only make him look like a private car driver. Didn’t this prove from the side that he simply wasn’t cut out for business negotiations?

In an instant, Bai Yang felt that the little confidence he had finally gathered deflated like a failed fermented bread. He almost blurted out: “Yes, President Bai has something to do today, so she asked me to take you to eat first.”

It was over.

After saying this nonsense, Bai Yang was completely desperate, and what was even more desperate was that the food connoisseur in front of him seemed to have no suspicion at all. He nodded and said: “Then let’s go. I didn’t eat on the plane either.”

Completely over…

Bai Yang’s brain went blank, but it was too late to regret lying now.

Once yeast is added to dough, fermentation cannot be stopped, and if egg whites are over-whipped, they can only be redone.

The first step of the international business deal was already wrong!

With no choice, Bai Yang could only have Matsumoto Kiyoshi wait at the arrival hall entrance while he went to the parking garage to get the keys from the driver. Then, wearing the expensive suit Bai Liu had bought him—

He skillfully became a driver.

Although his original plan was to take Matsumoto Kiyoshi to Huangliang Yimeng, utilizing Lei Hong’s amazing culinary skills to open Matsumoto Kiyoshi’s eyes and show him what delicious delicacies could be made with Bai family chili sauce.

However, plans always couldn’t keep up with changes… or rather, the direction things were taking was far too bizarre.

Since his identity had already changed from President Bai to President Bai’s driver, naturally Huangliang Yimeng would also have to change their tune.

While waiting at a red light, Bai Yang hastily explained the current situation in the small group chat and was predictably scolded by Han Sha, while Song Nanshi quickly got into character and asked: “So how should we address you later, boss? Master Bai?”

“Just improvise.”

At this point, Bai Yang was completely numb.

He thought of ten thousand ways to kneel and apologize to Bai Liu when he got back, even thinking about what cake he would make to atone, but in the end, what appeared before his eyes was Bai Liu’s bloodless face right after surgery.

The doctor said that her condition was also caused by overwork to some extent, and it was best not to get angry.

For so long, he had troubled Bai Liu countless times because of Huangliang Yimeng’s affairs, but this was the first time Bai Liu had delegated company matters to him.

Bai Yang’s sweaty fingers gripped the steering wheel tightly, and finally, in the second before the red light turned green, a thought sprouted in his mind.

Carrying Matsumoto Kiyoshi, they arrived at Huangliang Yimeng around dinner time.

To entertain the Bai family’s distinguished guest, the shop had temporarily closed this afternoon. The familiar aroma of chili sauce wafted from the kitchen—Bai Yang’s nose almost immediately started itching.

“This is a… place for Sichuan cuisine?”

Matsumoto Kiyoshi looked around. He obviously didn’t associate Huangliang Yimeng’s decorating style with ordinary Yujiang Sichuan restaurants. Bai Yang poured him a glass of lemon water and hastily took off his suit jacket: “President Bai instructed that since you came for Bai family chili sauce, you should at least taste her family’s cooking.”

“Family cooking?”

The food connoisseur raised his eyebrows with some surprise: “I haven’t heard President Bai mention that she’s now also in the restaurant business.”

“You’ll know once you taste it.”

Bai Yang didn’t elaborate. He just instructed Han Sha and Song Nanshi to entertain the guest, then quickly went upstairs to change out of his expensive suit, put on a mask, and immediately dove into the kitchen.

Half an hour later, Lei Hong brought out three dishes and a soup and placed them on the table.

“This is Bai family special mapo tofu, bobo chicken, Sichuan pepper fish, chicken tofu pudding, and chili sauce mixed rice. Sichuan cuisine should be eaten hot, so please enjoy while it’s warm.”

After Lei Hong’s introduction, Matsumoto Kiyoshi seemed to smell some familiar aromas from these appetizing dishes in front of him and smiled: “These are all made with Bai family chili sauce as seasoning? This is what President Bai meant by family cooking?”

“Ahem… not just, not just Bai family chili sauce. The cooking methods are also different from outside. You’ll know once you taste it.”

Bai Yang came out of the kitchen with a completely red face. Even wearing a mask, cooking these few dishes had still made him tear up from the spiciness.

Thinking about it now, it was thanks to his damn competitive spirit as a child—whatever was in Bai Liu’s bowl, he had to stubbornly take a bite too. Now he could reproduce these dishes.

Seeing Matsumoto Kiyoshi looking at him with some confusion, Bai Yang barely stopped coughing and said with difficulty: “You might not know, but these dishes, including Bai family chili sauce, all come from President Bai’s mother. Only at the Bai family can you taste this flavor in the world. Mr. Matsumoto, President Bai instructed me to let you taste her family’s flavors. Since you’ve had a tiring journey, after the main meal, we’ve also prepared dessert for you.”

He took off his mask and smiled: “That’s also something you can only taste here—dessert that belongs only to President Bai’s mother.”