Chapter Thirty-Six: If Only I Had Settled It With Money Back Then

"That's right, it was our Master Qiu who went through countless hardships to obtain it." The waiter braced himself, preparing to spin a tale that would satisfy the curious diners, only to notice Luo Tianyi, who stood out so much among the crowd. Wasn't this the original creator? How on earth was he supposed to keep making things up now?

While every eye in the Zhonghua Pavilion was fixed on the waiter, only Luo Tianyi remained oblivious, focused solely on devouring the food before him. Even if he were blind, he couldn't have missed it. The reason he remembered so vividly was because this person had exchanged the theme song for a weekly free meal—and with each meal, consumed enough for an ordinary person in a week!

"What did he obtain? Go on, tell us."
"Stop keeping us in suspense."
Once again faced with the diners' questions, the waiter found himself unable to continue fabricating. He simply couldn't bring himself to keep going. It wasn't that he was foolish, but rather that he dared not bear the responsibility. Although the Zhonghua Pavilion was powerful enough that even if they claimed the song was commissioned by the master, the real creator wouldn't dare object, the thought of the diners discovering they'd been deceived was more than he could risk.

Just as the situation was growing awkward, news of the Pavilion Master’s arrival reached them.

He appeared to be just past forty, wearing a casual Tang suit that fit his upright figure well, his eyes bright and spirited as he surveyed the diners. No one would have guessed this gentleman was already over sixty.

"Hahaha, you all guessed right! It was indeed after much hardship that I finally commissioned a singer to compose this music exclusively for Zhonghua Pavilion," Master Qiu Dayuan declared, stepping forward to edge the troublesome waiter aside with a hearty smile.

"I knew it—Master Qiu is the most generous!"
"Exactly! That waiter just now wouldn’t say a word—were they trying to keep even this from us?"

"Of course not! I simply hadn’t had time to brief the staff," Qiu Dayuan replied apologetically, feigning oversight while glaring at the hapless waiter—if he hadn't stepped in, the man would have just stood there looking foolish.

The blameless waiter wanted to explain himself, but was promptly pushed aside by his own master, and could only yield the spot with a sigh.

"As for this theme music, it truly cost me a great deal of effort. I sought out many composers, but none produced anything that satisfied me, and then—" Qiu Dayuan was about to regale the diners with a tale of his painstaking efforts, when he caught sight of Luo Tianyi, who was swallowing another mouthful, and Luo Chen, quietly listening nearby.

His words caught in his throat.

"Don’t keep us hanging, Master!"
"Come on, you’ve just piqued our interest!"

Qiu Dayuan cast an awkward glance at Luo Chen’s table. What happens when you try to boast in front of someone who knows the real story? What if the protagonist is present?

That was precisely Qiu Dayuan’s predicament. Though he wanted to brazen it out, he simply couldn’t bring himself to continue. He shot a glare at the waiter, who helplessly shrugged as if to say, “I was going to tell the truth, but you stopped me.”

From the moment he heard the "Ode to the Millennium Recipe," Luo Chen had a rough idea of what was happening. After all, with Qiushui Han’s recommendation, the song should have been famous by now. Still, the fact that his own sister had managed to contain herself until now before showing off was a surprise to him.

Seeing his sister’s eager “come on, praise me” expression, Luo Chen reached out to ruffle the glutton’s hair, only to withdraw hastily when she bared her teeth in mock threat. So much for a gentle head-pat.

Faced with the diners’ persistent questions, Qiu Dayuan frowned uneasily, but knew he had to give them an answer.

"I believe I know a bit about this," Luo Chen spoke up. "As it happens, a certain singer who dined at the Zhonghua Pavilion found the food so delicious that she composed this theme song especially for the restaurant. Isn't that right, Master Qiu?"

Seeing Qiu Dayuan’s hesitation, Luo Chen stepped in to smooth things over—after all, he still hadn’t settled the bill.

As a top restaurateur, Qiu Dayuan’s nerves seemed a bit thin. If it were Luo Chen, he’d have continued the story as long as the main character didn’t object, and would apologize afterward if needed.

"Hahaha, yes, that’s exactly it! Look at me, it only happened a few days ago and I can hardly recall the details," Qiu Dayuan replied with relief, gratefully accepting Luo Chen’s lifeline.

"Master Qiu, that’s not good—already getting forgetful in middle age?"

"Exactly, it was just a few days ago, wasn’t it?"
"Getting old, not as sharp as the young folks anymore."

After some amiable banter with the diners, Qiu Dayuan excused himself and made his way to Luo Chen’s table.

"Thank you for helping me out just now. As a token of my gratitude, this meal is on the house—how about it?"

"Wait, wasn’t this meal free to begin with?" Luo Tianyi mumbled through her food before Luo Chen could reply.

"That’s true," Qiu Dayuan sighed, watching the dishes vanish from the table, only now remembering that today’s meal was already complimentary.

What a loss!

Qiu Dayuan had first heard the "Ode to the Millennium Recipe" online, and was immediately captivated. Feeling it was perfect for Zhonghua Pavilion, he contacted the creator. When Luo Tianyi learned he was the master of Zhonghua Pavilion, she offered the rights in exchange for one free meal per week.

At the time, Qiu Dayuan gave it little thought and was rather pleased by the author’s appreciation of his cuisine. He even invited her for a special meal, not to be counted among the weekly ones.

He’d thought a girl of fifteen or sixteen couldn’t possibly eat much, but to his astonishment, she cleared an entire table’s worth of food, and her flat stomach didn’t even show a bulge.

Only then did Qiu Dayuan realize what a terrible deal he’d struck—one table per meal, every week, with the cost of ingredients and labor piling up. If he’d known, he would have simply offered a lump sum and kept his distance.

A special thanks to Taiyin Tian for the 700-point reward, to the reader "Guard Your Smile" for another 300 points, to "Passing By" for another 200 points, and to "Ruined by Her" for 200 points—many thanks to you all!