Lu Chen could, of course, see the lecherous glint in the middle-aged woman's eyes.
Actually, Miao Yuemei was quite attractive, with a well-maintained figure and skin. Under normal circumstances, even if Lu Chen had no romantic feelings for her, he wouldn't feel any resentment.
However, after hearing what she had just said and seeing that look in her eyes, Lu Chen wanted to find a large sack and suffocate her. He anticipated something was about to happen.
Sure enough, Miao Yuemei said, "Young man, I see you're quite handsome. No certificates or experience doesn't matter. The boss here won't hire you, but I will. I'll give you five thousand yuan a month and train you well."
As she spoke, she beckoned Lu Chen to come with her.
"No!" Lu Chen said decisively.
Miao Yuemei was taken aback at first, then seemed to understand something and smiled. She pulled two stacks of hundred-yuan bills from her pocket, offering Lu Chen the money as his initial payment and telling him to come with her.
This woman did this for two reasons: first, to spite Liu Li and show off in front of her; second, because Lu Chen was a handsome man with refined features, she intended to seduce him.
For Lu Chen, who only had a little over three hundred yuan left, these twenty thousand yuan were like a godsend. He wouldn't mind taking it; getting rid of Miao Yuemei would be easy—he could just slip away.
However, looking at Liu Li casually tidying the shelves, Lu Chen, almost inexplicably, didn't take the money. Instead, he insisted on working for Liu Li, saying that skill was everything, and certificates and experience were irrelevant. He wanted Liu Li to see his skills and decide whether to keep him.
These words made Miao Yuemei lose face, and she cursed angrily, "You ungrateful little brat, I don't think you're anything special!"
Liu Li, on the other hand, was quite surprised. Her beautiful eyes were fixed on Lu Chen, and she found him increasingly pleasing to the eye, growing more and more admiring with each glance. She slightly raised her chin, "Fine, I'll give you a chance."
Lu Chen happily began making pastries.
Miao Yuemei had originally intended to leave, but couldn't resist staying to see if the little brat she had cursed truly had any talent.
The pastry shop had a rich variety of ingredients. Lu Chen concentrated intently, sensing the energy within him, following its guidance, and freely expressing himself. In less than an hour, he had made a tiramisu, a Paris Baguette, and a Black Forest cake.
As the process ended, Liu Li let out a deep breath, her eyes shining with joy.
Having run a pastry shop for many years and being quite skilled at making various pastries herself, Liu Li could naturally see Lu Chen's skill just from his technique. It was simply divine, breathtaking and awe-inspiring.
Watching Lu Chen make pastries was like watching a master brew tea—full of rhythm and artistic tension. As you watched, a sense of tranquility would settle in, a tranquility imbued with boundless joy.
"So beautiful!" Liu Li stared intently at the three pastries, praising not only the pastries themselves but also the process of their creation.
Of course, Miao Yuemei did the same. She was even faster than Liu Li, grabbing a pastry and starting to eat.
"Hey!" Lu Chen said angrily, "That's not for you."
A Paris Baguette was gone.
"It's so delicious! All the pastry chefs I have combined can't make as good as you! How is that possible? Where did you learn it?" Miao Yuemei asked in utter astonishment.
Meanwhile, Lu Chen silently picked up the other two pastries and handed them to Liu Li.
Liu Li took a bite, and her face immediately lit up with an expression of utter enjoyment: "It's so beautiful! Eating this is like eating a beautiful poem. When I went to France to study pastry making, none of the chefs there could make pastries this delicious!"
She looked at Lu Chen with eyes that seemed to regard him as a god.
At this moment, Miao Yuemei had already started shouting. Excitedly, she pulled out two more stacks of banknotes from her bag, totaling 40,000 yuan, insisting on hiring Lu Chen as her head pastry chef, with a monthly salary of 20,000 yuan, plus 5,000 yuan each for room and board. She also wanted to provide him with a car worth no less than 150,000 yuan, with fuel expenses reimbursed, and a generous year-end bonus.
Although Miao Yuemei's pastry-making skills were mediocre, she could clearly see Lu Chen's potential.
At this moment, she no longer saw him as just a pretty face.
Upon hearing this, Lu Chen was stunned. Such generous terms? This was more than ten times better than what he had seen on the sign hanging outside the shop!
Lu Chen knew in his heart that once he accepted this job, he would be a high-earning professional in the city. So, he couldn't help but be tempted.