[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-romantic-path-to-success":3,"chapter-the-romantic-path-to-success-the-romantic-path-to-success-chapter-538":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Romantic Road to the Top",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},2146729,3567,"Chapter 538","the-romantic-path-to-success-chapter-538",538,"\u003Cp>Su Xinghui said: \"Then thank you, Brother Yu!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Yu Ruizhi said: \"You really should thank me. Let me tell you, Ruoqiu’s private kitchen restaurant only serves four tables per meal—that is to say, eight tables a day. Without booking a week in advance, you can’t get a seat at all. No matter who you are or how much money you spend, you can’t get a seat on short notice.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Yu Ruizhi’s words immediately piqued Su Xinghui’s interest. He had heard of some private kitchen restaurants in big cities, but he really hadn't eaten any private kitchen food that was too stunning. Someone like Yu Ruizhi shouldn't be bragging, so it seemed Yu Ruoqiu’s private kitchen restaurant should be quite good.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Before long, the group walked out of the airport. Yu Ruoqiu took them to an Audi, drove it herself, and about twenty minutes later, she drove into a hutong and stopped in front of a Sihe Academy (courtyard house).\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>This Sihe Academy wasn't large. The door was closed, and there were no signs outside; you couldn't tell it was a restaurant at all. Yu Ruoqiu got out of the car and knocked on the door. A few seconds later, the door opened with a creak, and a young woman in her twenties poked her head out. Seeing Yu Ruoqiu with a few people, she said: \"Manager Yu is back!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>She opened the gate and let them in. Yu Ruoqiu said: \"Manager Wang, are the dishes prepared?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Manager Wang nodded: \"Except for two dishes that need to be stir-fried on the spot, the others are all prepared and can be served at any time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Yu Ruoqiu said: \"Then serve them now, and bring two pots of yellow wine, and two bottles of twenty-year-aged Pengwan Daqu.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Manager Wang nodded and walked toward a side courtyard. Yu Ruoqiu led the three of them toward the backyard and entered a small room.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>This room wasn't large, but the layout and furnishings were quite elegant. There were some calligraphy and paintings hanging on the wall. Although the authors weren't very famous, Su Xinghui could tell at a glance that the level of these works was still quite good.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Yu Ruoqiu pulled Lu Xiaoya to sit at an eight-immortal table and laughed: \"Just the four of us, so let’s sit together. Xinghui, when will you draw a painting for me to hang here?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Su Xinghui nodded: \"That would be my honor!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Yu Ruizhi laughed: \"Ruoqiu, Xinghui’s paintings are worth a lot now. Just now on the road, he told me that the French businessman who is buying his paintings is already offering 2,500 USD per painting. Are you just asking for a painting so casually?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Yu Ruoqiu said: \"Then I’ll just pay for it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Su Xinghui said: \"What are you two talking about? I’ll draw a good one for you when I go back this time and give it to you next time you go to Shangjun County.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Yu Ruoqiu laughed: \"Then whenever you come to Jingcheng in the future, you can eat at my restaurant anytime, no need to book.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Su Xinghui said: \"Didn't Brother Yu say you have to book a week in advance to get a seat?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Yu Ruoqiu said: \"That’s the front courtyard. The front courtyard only has four tables per meal, four rooms. The backyard is reserved specifically for me. I can come anytime. Otherwise, if even the boss couldn't get a meal, wouldn't that be a joke?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Lu Xiaoya said: \"Sister Ruoqiu, your business is so good, why don't you expand? Only four tables per meal—how much money can you make?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Yu Ruoqiu said: \"The chefs here are all over sixty years old, and their energy is limited now. Making four or five tables per meal is their limit. Although they have brought up two apprentices, they can't take the lead yet. Many of the dishes they make are 'kung fu' dishes that require two or three days of preparation. It’s impossible to expand. Besides, if I expanded, I would ruin the brand.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Lu Xiaoya nodded thoughtfully. Su Xinghui laughed: \"Ruoqiu, you know how to do business! The more you keep people in suspense, the better the business, and the higher the price!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Yu Ruizhi said: \"That’s the logic. A table here costs at least over a thousand.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Lu Xiaoya said in surprise: \"So expensive? Then how many people can afford it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Yu Ruizhi said: \"There are many rich people in Jingcheng. Besides, the food here is worth the price—all precious ingredients, genuine and authentic!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>While they were talking, Manager Wang had already started serving the dishes. The first dish served was a very peculiar one: a plate of single-clove garlic, over a dozen of them, which seemed to have been steamed. The color had turned dark brown, and some sauce was poured on top, the aroma wafting out.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Lu Xiaoya asked curiously: \"Why serve a plate of garlic? Can this be a dish?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Yu Ruoqiu said with a smile: \"This is a good dish. Everyone, hurry and taste it while it’s hot.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Since she said so, everyone picked up a single-clove garlic and tasted it. Only Lu Xiaoya hesitated. Although she used garlic when cooking, it was only as a seasoning; she wouldn't eat it directly. The taste was too pungent, and it wouldn't leave her breath fresh.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Su Xinghui, however, had already taken a bite. As soon as it entered his mouth, his expression changed. This single-clove garlic was indeed steamed, steamed until it was incredibly tender and melted in the mouth. It had lost the pungent, spicy taste of garlic and was instead incredibly delicious, blending the flavors of many precious ingredients.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Su Xinghui could be considered a gourmet. He carefully distinguished the flavors: there was the taste of ham in the garlic, the taste of winter mushrooms, the taste of dried scallops, the taste of chicken, and several other flavors he couldn't even identify.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Su Xinghui was savoring it carefully when Lu Xiaoya also took a bite. After that bite, her face was also full of disbelief. She ate the single-clove garlic in two or three bites and then said: \"So delicious!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Yu Ruoqiu laughed: \"Delicious, right? I didn't lie to you!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Lu Xiaoya said: \"How was this dish made? It’s so fresh, and there’s no garlic smell at all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Yu Ruizhi also said: \"That’s right, Ruoqiu. How is this dish made? I’ve never eaten it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1074,"2026-06-16T17:50:43.208Z","2026-06-17T08:56:06.694Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","5e6a2aa8ec1e8152313619d9bfc3549950f80ff71affba739b51b16066473d82","the-romantic-path-to-success-chapter-539","the-romantic-path-to-success-chapter-537",572,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-romantic-path-to-success-cover.jpg"]