Rebirth at the Start: This Fate is Too Explosive!

Chapter 395 Little brother, take care of your sister's stomach!

Lu Qinghe smiled slightly, a mischievous glint in her eyes: "Then why haven't I seen you even once? Could it be... you're busy with 'campus life' and haven't been able to keep track of the company?"

She cleverly used a vague reference, referring both to his studies and, in a subtle way, to the young and beautiful female companions around Ye Fan.

"Teacher Lu, this is slander!"

Ye Fan immediately protested his innocence, skillfully changing the subject: "Seriously, what do you think of the cafeteria food? Does it meet the standards of a gourmet like you?"

He knew that Lu Qinghe was quite particular about food.

Mentioning food, Lu Qinghe's eyes lit up, her usual cool professional demeanor instantly softened by her longing for the flavors of her hometown: "You've hit the nail on the head! President Ye, I have to give you a good compliment!"

She pointed to the several tempting dishes on her plate: "Especially this Fujian cuisine stall, it's so authentic! The Buddha Jumps Over the Wall broth, the sweet and sour lychee pork, the perfect cooking time for the oyster omelet... it tastes exactly like the restaurants back home! I even wonder if the chef is from Fujian province?"

Seeing Lu Qinghe's rare display of childlike excitement, Ye Fan smiled and said, "You guessed right. I heard from President Liu that this chef is a senior chef she specially hired from Fujian Province at a high salary, just to take care of the stomachs of our colleagues from Fujian."

"So that's how it is..." Lu Qinghe suddenly realized, and a warm feeling welled up in her heart.

This meticulous care was clearly something Ye Fan had specifically instructed him to do.

She couldn't help but recall the three-bedroom, two-living-room apartment that the company arranged for her when she first arrived in Jinling. It was only a ten-minute walk from the company, fully furnished and ready to move in, with even the balcony's orientation and the community's greenery perfectly suited to her taste.

All of this is no coincidence.

At this moment, Miao Zi also came over carrying a tray.

Her eyes met Lu Qinghe's, and the two nodded to each other. One was aloof and capable, while the other was gentle and intellectual. They both knew each other's position and importance in Ye Fan's life.

Miao Zi quietly sat down next to Ye Fan and began to eat, without disturbing Ye Fan and Lu Qinghe's conversation.

Ye Fan then inquired about Lu Qinghe's life in Jinling with concern: "Teacher Lu, are you settling in well here? Is your accommodation comfortable? Please feel free to tell President Liu or Miao Zi if you need anything."

Lu Qinghe understood, and the warmth she felt deepened. She nodded sincerely, "Thank you for your concern, President Ye. Everything has been arranged very well. The house is very comfortable and close to the company, saving me a lot of commuting trouble. You really... went to a lot of trouble."

She said the words "thank you for your trouble" very softly, but they carried an unspoken gratitude.

She knew that without Ye Fan's special care, she, a newcomer to the area, would not have received such thorough and thoughtful arrangements.

She kept this kindness in her heart.

The three sat around a table. Ye Fan and Lu Qinghe chatted about family matters and company affairs, while Miao Zi listened quietly, occasionally interjecting a word or two.

Sunlight streamed through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows onto the dining table, filling the air with the aroma of food.

At this moment, the tense and exciting battlefield of capital seemed to be isolated from it, leaving only the warm atmosphere of everyday life and a subtle, harmonious atmosphere like that of family.

......

Leaving the hustle and bustle of the restaurant, Ye Fan did not immediately return to his office to rest.

He remembered that he had scanned the entire cafeteria earlier but hadn't seen his cousin Gu Lan, and he felt a little uneasy.

My cousin, who forgets to eat when she's working, I hope she's not working on an empty stomach again.

He took the elevator directly to the fifth floor and walked confidently towards the Ministry of Justice area.

The corridor was quiet, with only the occasional hum of the printer.

The door to Gu Lan's office was ajar, not closed.

Ye Fan stopped at the door and looked inside.

Gu Lan sat upright behind a large desk, the afternoon sun shining obliquely in, casting a pale golden outline on her focused profile.

She was flipping through thick documents with one hand, while holding a silver rice spoon in the other. Beside her was an insulated lunchbox with the lid off, containing food packed from the cafeteria, which had obviously only been symbolically eaten a few times.

Her gaze was completely absorbed in the pages, her brows furrowed slightly, clearly deep in thought about the details of the terms.

"As expected... She can balance eating and working perfectly, a typical workaholic." Ye Fan thought to himself with a mix of helplessness and heartache.

He raised his hand and gently knocked twice on the open door with his fingers.

"Please come in." Gu Lan's cold voice came without even raising her head.

Ye Fan pushed open the door and entered, deliberately adopting a nonchalant attitude. He walked to the desk, shook his head, and plopped down in the visitor's chair next to Gu Lan.

"Sis, I'm eating right now!" The tone was familiar.

Hearing Ye Fan's voice, Gu Lan finally lifted her eyelids from the pile of documents, glanced at him, and her eyes showed a hint of impatience at being disturbed, but more so, a sense of normalcy: "Hmm. What are you doing here?"

After asking the question, he lowered his head again, scooped up a mouthful of rice with a spoon and put it in his mouth, then looked back at the documents.

Ye Fan saw clearly that the document in her hand was the investment agreement with Wang Congcong for PandaTV that had been finalized a few days ago, and there were several other project contract drafts piled up next to it.

He grinned: "What are you saying? Is it wrong for a younger brother to care about his older sister's stomach and see if she's had lunch?"

"Okay," Gu Lan said without looking up, her voice calm and even. "Now that you've finished showing your concern, you can go back to what you were doing."

The order to leave was given swiftly and decisively.

Ye Fan wasn't annoyed and asked with a grin, "Hey! Sis, why do you have to eat in the office? It would be much better to eat in the cafeteria first and then come up here, so you can get some exercise."

He pointed to the food that had barely been touched.

At this point, Gu Lan put down her spoon completely, raised her head, and looked directly at Ye Fan.

Those beautiful eyes, inherited from the Gu family and bearing a resemblance to Ye Fan's, were now filled with an accusatory tone, as if to say, "How dare you ask?": "Isn't this all thanks to you?"

She tapped the pile of documents on the table with her fingertip: "The equity change of Hongdou Catering, the live-streaming cooperation agreement with Qin Kun and Fang Yu, plus Wang Congcong... Which of these projects you've been working on lately isn't a nightmare? The legal department is practically splitting itself in two!"

She paused, then added impatiently, "And all your miscellaneous personal contracts!"

Ye Fan immediately protested, "Sis, I'm not taking the blame for this! What do you mean by 'causing so much trouble'? That sounds awful! We're positive young people, actively investing, boosting the economy, and creating jobs, okay?!"

He tried his best to put on a serious face.

Gu Lan simply rolled her eyes at him, too lazy to argue with him.

Ye Fan chuckled and continued, "Besides, sis, didn't Zhang Yi recruit several capable new people for the legal department? Aren't they all proving ineffective?"

"Of course they'll be useful. All the new colleagues are excellent." Gu Lan picked up a tissue and wiped her mouth.