It took Shen Lingqing three days to recover from her illness. However, even though it was just a fever, her staff at Savory Alley was worried that it might have been caused by her constant fatigue at work. Shen Lingqing rarely took a break, anyway. Even when the restaurant was closed for a day, some of them would be working in her office, while the rest could enjoy their time outside.
For the next two weeks, it was obvious that Shen Lingqing recovered well. She would still occasionally join everyone for lunch and dinner and perform her task well. However, everyone was starting to get worried about her. She looked paler than usual, and she was frequently suffering from migraines from time to time.
Lu Jinfei expressed worry about her sunken cheeks and the gradual worsening of the shadows beneath her eyes, while Qiao Lian grew bothered by the frequent headaches Shen Lingqing had. She looked like she was losing weight, and the luster of her hair wore away every night.
“Miss Qiao, is everything all right?” Liu Jinfei asked as he cast Shen Lingqing a worried look as she continued to work on the piles of paper on her desk, ignoring them.
Just then, she decided to doze off as soon as she finished the paperwork on her desk. It seemed that during the day, Shen Lingqing would occasionally fall asleep for an hour or two. At least, her thoughts weren’t like scattered dandelion seeds in the wind. She could still perform her job very well.
Seeing this, Qiao Lian hesitated to answer him. Even those who knew Shen Lingqing for a long time were starting to notice some differences with her lately. It must indeed be compounding stress from work, but Qiao Lian wasn’t sure if that was all. She supposed she needed to have a good talk with Shen Lingqing later, just in case something ailed her.
“I’m sure she’ll be fine. It’s been extremely busy for Director Shen these days,” Qiao Lian told Liu Jinfei, but she sounded unsure. “Not only did she need to supervise Savory Alley, but she was also obligated to oversee the department back at the company.”
That very day, Qiao Lian volunteered to oversee the kitchen during their service, while occasionally dropping by Shen Lingqing’s office to make sure that the boss wasn’t pushing herself to work too hard. She had also asked Lin Xiaoyu to deliver snacks to Shen Lingqing’s office. Good food might just force their boss to take breaks in between.
When the service was over, it was only by then did Shen Lingqing leave her office and found everyone in the backyard of the restaurant. They were seated around small bonfires in groups, chattering happily to one another. There was a long table set at one side, keeping their dinner and drinks nearby.
Qiao Lian’s face lit up upon seeing her and waved a hand to Shen Lingqing, taking her attention. The secretary then gestured to their boss to take the vacant seat between her and Liu Jinfei. Yang Fangjin gave Liu Jinfei a wide grin and a teasing wink, while the latter shot him a pointed glare as a warning.
Lin Xiaoyu, who was also seated at their bonfire, beamed Shen Lingqing a smile when she joined their small group.
“Why are we having late dinner here rather than staying inside where it’s warm and comfortable? Are we camping here?” Shen Lingqing asked as soon as she was seated. She watched as Qiao Lian made s’mores on the small bonfire in front of them.
“Hey, want some?” Qiao Lian grinned at Shen Lingqing, knowing that her friend wouldn’t be able to decline her offer. “There are chocolate, marshmallows, and crackers over there.”
“I could get that for you, Director Shen.” Lin Xiaoyu volunteered and left at once, not waiting for Shen Lingqing’s answer.
Shen Lingqing then turned to Liu Jinfei, who kept his eyes on his s’mores.
“Do you mind giving me your stick for my marshmallow?” she asked.
Liu Jinfei turned to face her in surprise, while Qiao Lian burst into a round of laughter, along with Yan Fangjin.
“What?” Shen Lingqing asked her assistant, who was now teary-eyed from too much laughter, “What’s so funny?”
“You.” Qiao Lian coughed. She then leaned forward to whisper in Shen Lingqing’s ear, so Liu Jinfei wouldn’t overhear what she was going to say.
“That sounds so dirty, Qingqing.” She grinned widely at the she-devil. She even burst into laughter again when the matter dawned upon Shen Lingqing.
A blush crept on the apples of Shen Lingqing’s cheeks. She then scoffed, aware that Liu Jinfei was looking at her and Qiao Lian, his brows furrowing together in confusion.
“…here.” Liu Jinfei passed her the stick he was holding instead, totally missing what Yan Fangjin and Qiao Lian found amusing.
Lin Xiaoyu soon came back with a plate of marshmallows and graham crackers, a small bowl of chocolate resting in the well in the middle. She passed it to Shen Lingqing and returned to her seat next to Qiao Lian.
“I’m glad you came here on your own, Qingqing. I thought I needed to drag you out of your office just for you to join us. You are making everyone worry about you,” Qiao Lian said once she recovered from her laughter.
“It’s not like I want to make you worry. I’m sorry if I did,” Shen Lingqing said as she speared two marshmallows with the same stick Liu Jinfei lent to her and thrust them into the fire. “Anyway, I received a phone call earlier. We’re invited to participate in a cooking contest between restaurants in the capital. This is a perfect way for us to promote Savory Alley, but I need to hear your opinion on this.”
Lin Xiaoyu gasped in shock.
“Director Shen, does this mean Dad and Brother Liu and Brother Yang have to compete with other chefs?” She asked curiously.
“En, and they are the veteran ones. This is why I want to hear their opinion.”