Ch. 441..450
Chapter 441 Great Reputation Morgan covered his cheeks.
It seemed he was indeed very adorable.
It’s confirmed!
“Don’t say that,” Cindy said, “I’ve always been very grateful that I gave birth to Morgan.” “I had him, not for anyone else. He’s my son. Raising and taking care of him is because I love him, and I naturally want to give him a better life. I don’t want to see him suffer; I want him to be as good as other kids. So, of course, I have to work hard.” Cindy looked tenderly at Morgan. “I’m very willing to do all these things.” It wasn’t to find Morgan’s father and get the gratitude of the Zhekova family members in the future.
Nor was it to gain any benefits.
What she wanted was just Morgan’s love and his smile.
“I understand,” Grandfather nodded, “I didn’t mean anything else. I just thought that if you hadn’t been so brave back then, none of us would have met such an adorable child now.” Morgan looked up at Grandfather.
Suddenly, he climbed down from Grandfather’s arms.
Grandfather couldn’t stop him.
In just a few steps, Morgan rushed into Cindy’s arms.
He had some difficulty climbing onto Cindy’s lap.
Cindy saw this and directly picked up the little guy and placed him on her lap.
Morgan’s little arms hugged Cindy’s waist.
Although his arms were short and couldn’t fully reach around her.
Morgan just held Cindy like this, without saying anything.
But everyone could understand Morgan’s language.
Cindy smiled tenderly, hugging Morgan back, her soft, delicate palm gently stroking Morgan’s soft hair.
“Cindy, I love you the most!” Morgan said softly.
“Me too, I love you the most,” Cindy whispered.
Adrian Zhekova:
What was he supposed to do?
“By the way, Grandfather, Grandmother,” Adrian said, “Cindy and I have discussed to change Morgan’s last name back to Zhekova.” Morgan was originally buried in Cindy’s arms, acting cute.
Smelling the fragrance on Cindy’s body, feeling exceptionally at ease.
Now hearing Adrian’s words, he raised his head to look at the family members.
Cindy rubbed Morgan’s hair and said, “We should change Morgan’s last name back to Zhekova. Otherwise, when people mention him outside, he still has my last name Ye, which doesn’t seem right. I’m afraid people will gossip about Adrian behind his back.” It was your biological son, but he still had someone else’s last name.
There might be some particularly malicious speculations, pointing fingers at Adrian behind his back.
Adrian was so good; how could she let him suffer from these malicious finger-pointing?
“Shall we take Daddy’s last name? What do you think?” Cindy asked Morgan for his opinion.
“No problem at all.” Morgan readily agreed.
Although he always tripped Adrian up, at this moment, Morgan was unexpectedly supportive.
The Zhekova family elders naturally didn’t have any objections.
“Alright, alright, alright,” Old Madam smiled and nodded in agreement.
“We were thinking of still calling him Morgan. When people say ‘Morgan Zhekova,’ it doesn’t sound very formal. It’s okay since he’s still young now. But when Morgan grows up, having such a name sounds childish and immature,” Adrian said.
“Grandfather, what do you think about giving Morgan a more formal name?” Adrian suggested.
Morgan immediately said, “But I’m used to being called Morgan. When people say ‘Morgan,’ it’s like they’re calling me. If I change my name, when people call me, it feels like they’re calling someone else.” Morgan’s name had been with him since birth.
And it was Cindy who had given him the name.
Chapter 442 Things are Different Now Morgan didn’t want to change his name at all.
Upon hearing this, the Old Master said, “We won’t change your name completely, just replace the middle character. We’ll still call you Morgan as usual, how about that?” Morgan thought for a while and said, “So it’s changing my name from Morgan Zhekova to Adrian Zhekova?” “What do you think?” The Old Master asked for Morgan’s opinion.
“That’s fine.” Morgan agreed, nodding.
This way, they could still call him Morgan.
The Old Master’s idea was exactly in line with what Adrian Zhekova was thinking.
Old Master said, “According to the family tree, Morgan’s generation should have the character ‘Yu’.” “So Morgan’s full name will be Morgan Yu Zhekova.” The Old Master was very respectful of Morgan’s opinion, “Morgan, what do you think?” Unexpectedly, the Old Master didn’t treat Morgan like a four-year-old child.
He valued and respected his opinions.
The Old Master would consult Morgan’s opinion on matters concerning him.
Morgan, acting like a little adult, nodded solemnly, “That’s fine.” The Old Master then smiled and said, “You can find a day to change Morgan’s name, and when you come back, just add Morgan’s name to the family tree.” “The Valentine’s Day holiday will last until Monday, and I’ll get this done on Tuesday,” said Adrian Zhekova.
Although Cindy wasn’t married to him yet and Morgan wasn’t on the same Household Register as him, These weren’t difficult issues for Adrian Zhekova.
The Old Madam was content and looked at Morgan with a curved smile.
Now she even had a great-grandson, and all that was left was for Cindy to marry in, making the family complete.
“By the way, Cindy, how have you been these past years?” The Old Madam asked Cindy again, “Adrian only gave us a rough idea and didn’t go into detail.” “Can you tell us?” The Old Madam asked.
Cindy didn’t mention the difficulties she had encountered raising Morgan alone over the years.
Instead, she told everyone about how she became a food blogger and gradually succeeded in that occupation.
It was because of her income as a food blogger that she could provide such a comfortable environment for Morgan’s growth.
Otherwise, Cindy thought her path would have been tough.
Just as she had told Adrian before, while speaking about her experiences, Cindy also shared some interesting anecdotes about Morgan’s life.
Morgan had encountered many interesting details from his early days until now.
Even Morgan himself had forgotten some of these stories, and now it seemed like he was just listening to them for the first time.
The Old Madam heard that Cindy was only talking about positive things.
As for the negative aspects, such as difficulties at work, raising Morgan, and even being plotted against by her parents and Wendy in Nork City, Cindy did not mention them.
The Old Madam couldn’t help but nod repeatedly.
Cindy wasn’t the type of person to share her troubles with others.
She didn’t like spreading her negative energy.
Whatever bad things had happened in the past were over.
She would always look forward and stay positive.
It was because of Cindy’s personality that Morgan had grown into the person he was now.
Since Cindy didn’t mention it, they didn’t ask either.
It wasn’t a lack of concern; they just didn’t want to bring up Cindy’s painful past in front of the child.
They could privately ask Adrian Zhekova later, too.
But back then, Cindy had no one to protect her.
Now it was different!
From now on, the Zhekova Family would protect her!
Just watch, her mother and sister wouldn’t dare plot against her in the future!
Before they knew it, Aunt Evans had prepared dinner for everyone.
Chapter 443 Unexpected Harmony in the Outcome Everyone moved to the Restaurant.
On tonight’s menu, only the Crab Roe Buns and the Mooncakes served after dinner were handmade by Cindy Clarke.
Once the steamer basket was opened, the steaming hot dumplings appeared before their eyes.
Aunt Evans gave everyone one.
Adrian Zhekova put a dumpling in a spoon and used chopsticks to poke a small hole in the skin.
The crab-filled soup inside immediately flowed out.
“It’s so hot,” Morgan Zhekova tried to mimic Adrian’s approach.
After poking a hole in the dumpling skin and letting the soup flow out, the little guy was a bit eager to taste it.
But just as his lips touched the dumpling skin, he got scalded and didn’t dare to eat it right away.
“Wait for a bit,” Adrian said, “I did this to let the soup cool down a little.” “Otherwise, if the soup stays inside the dumpling when you eat it, it’ll be too hot,” Adrian explained to Morgan. “Poke a hole in the dumpling skin first, and let the soup seep out to cool down a bit.” At this moment, Adrian said, “It should be good now.” “Then, add a couple of ginger strips,” Adrian continued, “and pour some vinegar.” As he spoke, he demonstrated for Morgan, “At this point, the temperature is just right, and you can eat it in one bite.” Morgan nodded, but his small mouth couldn’t manage to stuff the whole dumpling in like Adrian.
However, biting off half, it was no longer scalding hot.
He thought to himself that his father, who owned so many Restaurants, really knew how to eat.
Old Madam watched the interaction between father and son with a constant smile on her face.
When Adrian was single, his temper would change in an instant, making him unpredictable.
He seemed to have no patience at all.
It was really hard to imagine him being able to get along with a child like this.
At that time, Old Madam even thought that when Adrian got married and had children, with that temper of his, he wouldn’t have the patience to get along with his own child.
But who would have thought that when he really had a child, Adrian’s interaction with Morgan might not be like that of ordinary father and son.
After all, it wasn’t just Adrian’s personality that was different.
Even Morgan’s character wasn’t quite like other children’s.
When these two such indescribable father and son were put together, they unexpectedly had a harmonious outcome.
Adrian, who had never really enjoyed interacting with children, actually looked like a proper father when caring for Morgan now.
After dinner was finished, Aunt Evans cleared the table and brought out a fruit plate and ginger tea.
Since tonight featured Crab Roe Buns and steamed hairy crabs, it was particularly cold, so ginger tea was needed for warmth.
Then, Cindy Clarke’s mooncakes were served.
The Snow Skin Mooncakes were cut, but the custard-filled ones couldn’t be cut, so they were brought up whole.
“Oh, I haven’t had the coconut matcha flavor before,” said Old Madam as she picked up a small piece.
After taking a small bite, Old Madam’s expression brightened; “It’s not sweet, and has a rich coconut flavor with a hint of matcha bitterness, which neutralizes the greasiness of too much coconut.” “It’s subtly sweet,” Old Master nodded in agreement.
Like Adrian, the men of the Zhekova family didn’t particularly enjoy overly sweet things.
Even the ginger tea had no sugar in it.
Only Morgan’s ginger tea was sweetened, as Aunt Evans worried that he would find it too spicy and not be used to it, so she added some honey for him.
A bite of mooncake, followed by the slightly bitter and spicy ginger tea, instantly dispelled the sweetness of the mooncake, and the ginger tea made the body feel warm and cozy.
Maverick Zhekova picked up a custard lava mooncake; the moment he tore it apart, the thick and smooth custard filling flowed out.
Chapter 444 The foundation is not well laid With a soft milky yellow color, it emitted a strong aroma of milk.
This runny center is much more substantial than those sold outside.
The ones sold outside, when you break them open, the middle is all hollow with just a tiny bit of a runny center.
And some brands of runny centers don’t run at all.
Like Cindy’s, as soon as you break it open, it is full to overflowing, which I’ve never seen before.
Because it was heated in advance, the runny center is still warm.
When you put it in your mouth, there is a strong milky smell, and a faint salty aroma of salted egg yolk.
It has a faint feeling of flowing sand when you eat it, yet the texture is very smooth and delicate without a grainy sensation.
After eating a lot of the strong milky flavor, it can be a bit greasy. A sip of ginger tea can dilute it.
At this Maverick Zhekova’s face turned very happy, he couldn’t help but sigh to Adrian Zhekova, “Son, do you eat Cindy’s cooking every day at home?” Adrian Zhekova straightened his back proudly, “Of course, Cindy is currently living with me and Morgan. Cindy cooks a variety of dishes every day for me and Morgan, and never repeats them.” “Look at Morgan, Cindy raised him to be chubby and fair, so cute.” Adrian Zhekova boasted.
Morgan, in surprise, covered his little face and pinched the tender meat on his face then turned to ask Cindy, “Cindy, am I fat?” Being fat is not good-looking!
How can he still be the heartthrob of their nursery!
“No, no.” Knowing the extent of the little guy’s vanity, Cindy quickly said, “Daddy means that you are cute. Look at your skin, so fair and tender, even better than many little girls.” “That’s true.” Morgan nodded, “After all, you always make me a special love soup!” After saying this, the little one happily glanced at Adrian Zhekova.
Adrian Zhekova’s skin isn’t as good-looking as his because he wasn’t drinking Cindy’s soup before, and thus, didn’t lay a good foundation.
Adrian Zhekova:
The Old Madam covered her face for a while.
Here, these father and son always have an occasional fight, it’s hard to imagine what it would be like at home.
However, the Old Madam found it a bit funny.
Outside, people get frustrated by Adrian Zhekova, but at home, his son frustrates him.
But then, if Adrian Zhekova can’t outdo Morgan, can he outdo Maverick Zhekova?
He continued to say to Maverick Zhekova, “In the morning, Cindy will prepare fresh pastries for me to take to the company. If I get hungry in between, I can eat those.” “Although our company has a pantry that provides a variety of snacks, the ones bought from the outside contain additives and are not as delicious and reassuring as the ones Cindy makes herself. So what Morgan and I usually eat is what Cindy makes herself.” Adrian Zhekova added.
Meanwhile, Morgan was nodding:” I have been eating these since I was a child. Dad only started eating them recently.” Adrian Zhekova:
Annoying!
“But they are really delicious. I never liked the snacks sold outside, they’re not tasty and they have a strange smell.” Speaking of it, Morgan has a disgusted expression.
The little one has become quite picky thanks to Cindy.
Morgan referred to the smell of some additives and flavorings.
At the start of his nursery days, the nursery would distribute afternoon tea after the naptime.
Milk, cookies, or bread.
The combinations changed daily.
But the nursery’s afternoon tea was directly ordered from the suppliers, not made in the nursery’s kitchen.
Chapter 445 Ancestral Heritage So, the first time Morgan ate it, he felt something was off.
At that time, Morgan had just left Cindy Clarke’s nursery and was eating food outside by himself.
He didn’t know exactly what was wrong, but it just didn’t taste good.
As a result, he left a lot uneaten and was scolded by the teacher, who said he shouldn’t waste food.
The poor kid had to force himself to finish the meal.
After finishing, he felt wronged because it tasted so bad.
When he got home, he pitifully told Cindy Clarke about the incident.
Later, the little one finally learned the difference between food made outside and the food made by Cindy Clarke personally.
Besides some additives, there was also a significant gap in the fundamental taste.
Maverick Zhekova enviously said to Adrian Zhekova, “I didn’t expect you to be so lucky.” The girl he met by chance five years ago turned out to be so wonderful.
That single misunderstanding not only settled his marriage but also gave him a child.
Even more precious was that Cindy Clarke was also willing to give birth to the child.
After expressing his admiration, Maverick Zhekova quickly turned to Victoria Wheeler and said, “I’m also very lucky!” As he spoke, he held out his hand to Victoria Wheeler’s outstretched hand.
Victoria Wheeler seemed to be in perfect harmony with him.
She knew he wanted to hold her hand.
Victoria Wheeler twitched the corner of her mouth and said, “I just want to get some Mooncake.” Maverick Zhekova:
Adrian Zhekova raised his hand in a fist, covering his lips that wanted to laugh, changing the laughter into a cough at the last moment.
After finishing dinner, it wasn’t early anymore.
They had just had tea, mooncakes, and fruits.
It was almost nine o’clock, and it was time to leave.
Even Morgan was starting to get sleepy, rubbing his eyes.
Therefore, Adrian Zhekova was going to take Cindy Clarke and Morgan home.
Seeing Morgan’s state, the old Madam didn’t hold them back either.
“Wait a moment,” the old Madam called out to them as they were about to leave.
At some point, a square jewelry box had appeared in the old Madam’s hand.
“Cindy Clarke, come here.” The old Madam beckoned to Cindy Clarke.
Cindy Clarke went to the old Madam’s side.
The old Madam opened the jewelry box to reveal a jade ring inside.
The golden ring was set with a thumb-sized jade cabochon in the middle.
The whole body was emerald green, and it was even better in quality than Morgan’s jade pendant.
At first, they thought Morgan’s jade pendant was already the best quality.
But compared to the current ring, it seemed a bit inferior.
Looking at the design, it seemed to have some years on it.
With the passage of time and the superior quality of this jade ring, it was difficult to estimate its value.
Even if it had a price, it was priceless.
“This is our family’s heirloom ring,” said the old Madam.
Cindy Clarke was shocked in her heart.
If it could be called an heirloom by the Zhekova Family, it could only be an antique.
It could even be from the same era as some unearthed relics.
The old Madam said with a smile, “There are actually not many heirlooms left in our family. After the country was destroyed, our ancestors chose a small number of royal family members to hide among the people, and naturally, they couldn’t bring those elegant antiques and calligraphy. They could only bring this kind of small, inconspicuous, and space-saving items.” “This ring is one of those items,” said the old Madam sadly. “The others have all become relics.” Cindy Clarke:
It was shocking to hear this, but it was difficult to argue.
Those relics originally indeed belonged to them.
“This ring has been passed down from generation to generation. Strangely enough, our family has never had a daughter,” said the old Madam sadly. “So, this ring can only be passed down to the daughter-in-law.” Chapter 446 Change of Tone The Old Madam quickly added, “I’m not rushing you to have girls! Don’t feel pressured, we’d be happy with either a boy or girl.” Cindy Clarke:
She hadn’t thought in that direction originally, but now with the Old Madam mentioning it, she suddenly felt some pressure.
“This engagement ring was originally meant to be passed down to your… mother.” The Old Madam said, “That’s to say, Victoria.” Naturally, Cindy knew.
This ring couldn’t possibly be tied to Christy Xenos.
So, it must be referring to Victoria Wheeler.
But how did she become her mother?
Cindy blushed, feeling awkward.
The Old Madam laughed and said, “It was Victoria who gave this ring to me, saying she wanted to pass it to you.” “Although you and Adrian aren’t married yet, we’ve accepted that you’re the daughter-in-law of the Zhekova Family.” The Old Madam held Cindy’s hand, her words implying reassurance, though she didn’t speak them out directly.
Between her and Adrian Zhekova, there could be no accidents.
Firstly, Adrian Zhekova always assured her from time to time, and now even the Old Madam was speaking of this to her.
Even Victoria Wheeler passed this family heirloom ring to her.
Although Victoria seemed childish at times, who would have thought she could be so considerate?
Cindy looked at Victoria.
With an uneasy glance, Victoria said, “Well… after all, it’s destined to be yours sooner or later!” “But… this is too valuable.” Cindy said, “I understand the sentiments of the elders. I am also very assured in my heart.” Cindy looked at Adrian with a smile, “Even Adrian often reassures me, making me feel secure. So even without this, I wouldn’t be worried.” “I just feel that we are not married yet, and it’s inappropriate for me to take it…” “Are you hinting that we should register for marriage as soon as holidays end?” Adrian Zhekova suddenly chuckled from the side.
“I did not!” Cindy quickly responded.
“I wish you were suggesting that.” Adrian said in regret.
In front of the elders, Cindy couldn’t do anything to him.
“Exactly.” The Old Madam didn’t allow for any argument. She stuffed the engagement ring along with the box into Cindy’s hand.
The ring size was quite large, and Cindy definitely couldn’t wear it.
However, this family heirloom ring was not meant for wearing.
“Anyway, we’ve recognized you as our own, so it doesn’t matter whether you get it early or late.” The Old Madam said, “If you really feel guilty, then after the holidays on Tuesday, go and get a marriage certificate with Adrian.” Cindy Clarke:
“Just kidding, just kidding.” Seeing Cindy speechless, the Old Madam laughed and said, “It’s right for you two to get to know each other better. But don’t keep us waiting for too long, either.” With the ring in her hand, Cindy nodded heavily.
The Old Madam immediately laughed and said, “Take a look, you have accepted our heirloom ring too, isn’t it time to change what you call us?” Cindy was stunned for a moment, then she heard the Old Madam: “Although you and Adrian aren’t officially married yet, we’ve already considered you as a member of our family. It’s just a matter of time before you and Adrian get married.” “Right?” the Old Madam, crooking her arm, nudged the Old Master.
The Old Master, barely nudged and then seeing Morgan Zhekova’s wide-eyed gaze, immediately said, “Yes, yes.” “See, your Grandfather also agrees.” The Old Madam laughed, “You’ve started calling us Granny and Grandpa. Shouldn’t you stop calling Mr. and Mrs., and instead call us Mom and Dad?” Chapter 447 No Problem “Yes.” Adrian Zhekova nodded.
Maverick Zhekova laughed joyfully, “Morgan already calls us Grandpa and Grandma, and you still call us Aunt and Uncle. It’s so distant. You and Morgan are connected, so how can you separate yourself?” Victoria Wheeler nodded in agreement, “That’s true.” Now that the elders had said this, if Cindy Clarke didn’t agree, it would seem too standoffish.
So, Cindy summoned up the courage and called them, “Dad, Mom.” Before Maverick Zhekova and Victoria Wheeler could even respond, Adrian Zhekova interjected, “See, she has already called you Mom and Dad. It’s accurate now when I call her my fiancée, right?” Cindy:
Maverick Zhekova:
Victoria Wheeler:
How could this young man be so thick-skinned? How could he have remained single until now?
With such thick skin, how could he have any trouble finding a wife?!
Old Madam was delighted, thinking that it was due to this thick skin that he now had a fiancée and such a big son.
The speed of their relationship even outpaced the Wells Family’s Lamborghini.
Maverick Zhekova warmly said to Cindy, “That’s right, call us that from now on.” The title that hadn’t been used for five years was called out once again by Cindy.
Somewhat unfamiliar, yet warm and emotional.
“Mm.” Cindy nodded firmly.
Only then did Adrian Zhekova take Cindy and Morgan to leave the family mansion and head home.
Once at home, Morgan quickly took a bath, washed up, and hurried to bed.
He was so sleepy that he didn’t even ask Adrian to tell him a bedtime story.
When Adrian Zhekova finished taking a shower, he found that Cindy wasn’t in the bedroom.
“Cindy?” Adrian Zhekova called out, but there was no response.
He went to the living room and found her standing on the balcony outside, looking up at the sky.
No wonder he hadn’t heard her respond.
Adrian Zhekova then fetched a shawl, draping it over Cindy.
With that, he embraced her from behind, “What are you looking at here?” The cold wind blew, tossing Cindy’s hair onto Adrian Zhekova’s face.
He could still smell the fragrance of her hair, with a slight dampness to it.
Apparently, Cindy had just taken a shower too. Although her hair was now dry, it retained a hint of moisture.
“I’m looking at the moon.” Cindy gazed at the full moon in the sky.
“My most difficult Valentine’s Day was during my first two years in Belfard,” she said, staring at the moon.
“In the first year, I was alone, pregnant with Morgan, and extremely helpless.” “I had no idea what life would be like after giving birth. I was so exhausted during my pregnancy, without anyone by my side, not even for a moment,” Cindy explained slowly, “Ironically, it was the Valentine’s Day, a time when families reunite, and I was alone.” “All that despair converged and made it doubly hard to bear.” Cindy smiled.
But perhaps her psychological resilience was just too strong.
Or maybe she had lived like a tenacious plant since childhood.
So, even when the pressure was so great and it was so difficult, she never once thought of ending her life to escape such stress.
“By the second Valentine’s Day, Morgan had been born. But he was just a small, weak bundle unable to speak,” said Cindy. “He needed me to focus all my energy on him.” Chapter 448 Is the Enthusiasm Enough “But it got better later on. As Morgan grew up, we celebrated festivals together. Valentine’s Day, Spring Festival. With Morgan by my side, I never felt lonely again,” said Cindy Clarke, smiling.
“But of all the Valentine’s Days, this one is the warmest one for me,” said Cindy, looking at the full moon. “All the elders treat me so well, like I’m part of their family.” “You are always part of the family,” corrected Adrian Zhekova. “If Old Madam hears you say this, she’ll be heartbroken.” Cindy finally came to her senses and faced Adrian: “Thank you.” She hugged Adrian: “It’s so nice to have you all.” Adrian held her tighter in his arms: “From now on, not just on holidays but every day, you’ll have us.” Maybe the moon is too round or maybe the night is just too warm.
Cindy wanted to be with Adrian, completely and truly.
Close to him, inseparable.
Cindy gathered her courage, tiptoed with some effort, and leaned close to Adrian’s ear.
Fortunately, she couldn’t see his face, which gave her even more courage to speak up: “I’m ready.” At first, Adrian didn’t understand what Cindy meant.
Not until the corner of his lips was touched by Cindy’s.
Adrian shuddered abruptly, looking at her excitedly: “Do you mean what I think you mean?” Cindy originally wanted to reply, how should I know what you’re thinking?
But, seeing the excitement on Adrian’s somewhat flushed face and the tightening grip of his hands.
Cindy couldn’t bear to tease him.
She blushed and nodded slightly twice.
Adrian suddenly lifted her up with all his strength and rushed back into the bedroom.
In the blink of an eye, there were only two days left before the second competition.
This time the competition was scheduled on a Saturday.
Everyone would be off work, and there would be more spectators.
After tasting Michael Greene’s signature dish, Yellow Croaker in soup, Cindy returned to study and develop improvements.
She finally produced a finished product.
So on Wednesday, Cindy brought her newly-made Yellow Croaker in soup to Adrian’s company.
She didn’t make the dish at night fearing that Morgan might get tired of it since they just had it a few days ago, which would affect her appetite for dinner.
So, Adrian had to be the guinea pig.
When Cindy arrived at Pingla, she walked to the entrance.
The security guard at the door called out, “Miss Clarke, good afternoon!” With such enthusiasm, Cindy was confused.
She quickly replied, “Good afternoon, haven’t you guys had lunch yet?” “It’s not time for the lunch break yet. When it’s time, we’ll go eat,” said the security guard with a smile. “Miss Clarke, please come in.” Even though this was not Cindy’s first time here, she often delivered meals here even before she met Adrian.
But she had never seen the security guards so familiar with her.
She was just about to check in at the front desk.
But before she could get there, a receptionist saw her and immediately called out enthusiastically, “Miss Clarke, you’re here!” Cindy:
She was very suspicious that Adrian must have said something.
“Miss Clarke.” An employee came out from behind the front desk.
“Hello,” Cindy said hurriedly.
“Miss Clarke, you don’t need to check in with us when you come here. Just go straight up,” The employee said. “We all know you; we wouldn’t ask you to check in.” “Alright, then I’ll go up first,” Cindy said.
“Miss Clarke, take your time!” The employee said immediately.
After watching Cindy’s retreating figure, the employee whispered to a colleague, “Is this polite and enthusiastic enough? I don’t know if it meets the CEO’s standards.” Chapter 449 People Who Do Great Things “This should be enthusiastic enough,” the coworker thought.
Unaware of this, Cindy had already arrived at the elevator, waiting for it.
She noticed the floor numbers on the elevator display slowly decreasing.
Finally, it reached the first floor.
A few seconds later, the elevator doors slowly opened.
Inside the elevator was a middle-aged man, accompanied by several younger people.
They seemed to be getting off the elevator.
Cindy moved to the side to let them pass first.
“Miss Clarke!” Upon seeing her, the middle-aged man rushed to Cindy’s side in a few quick strides.
Cindy thought that this man, given his demeanor, must be of a higher rank within the company.
Why didn’t he care about his image in front of the employees?
“Miss Clarke, you must be here to see our CEO!” The middle-aged man excitedly said.
“Yes,” Cindy nodded. “I brought lunch.” “Miss Clarke, you’re so thoughtful and virtuous,” the middle-aged man praised. “I even watched the live stream of your competition! Your cooking was absolutely amazing; I was dying to have a taste.” “Well, how about… I bring some for you next time I come?” Cindy asked, “May I know who you are…?” “No, no, there’s no need to go to such trouble.” If the scumbag CEO knew, wouldn’t he skin him alive?
“Oh, I didn’t even introduce myself! How careless of me,” the middle-aged man said. “My surname is Hertz, and I’m the Public Relations Manager.” “Nice to meet you, Manager Hertz,” Cindy hurriedly replied.
Manager Hertz’s attention went back to the food container in Cindy’s hand.
Suddenly, he realized that if the CEO knew Cindy was late because she was talking to him and her lunch got cold, he would be in big trouble.
So, Manager Hertz hurriedly said, “I won’t delay you any longer, let’s talk some other time.” “Okay,” Cindy smiled and nodded.
“By the way, I’ve already bought tickets for your next competition. I’ll bring my family members to cheer for you,” Manager Hertz made a gesture of encouragement. “Good luck in your next match! I know you can do it!” “Thank you.” Finally, Manager Hertz left.
Cindy wondered what Adrian Zhekova had actually told everyone in the company.
Why did they all become so enthusiastic when they saw her?
It even felt like they’d suffer bad luck if they weren’t enthusiastic enough.
Feeling puzzled, Cindy entered the elevator.
Little did she know, the employees who had just gotten off the same elevator with Manager Hertz were now rapidly typing in their department’s group chat: “I just saw Cindy Clarke! She’s in the company right now, here to see the CEO!” “You guys don’t know, Manager Hertz was totally kissing up to her! He had absolutely no shame!” “Manager Hertz is really talented, a big-shot kind of guy.” “He didn’t even care that we were there, too, and could see him blatantly trying to please the CEO by sucking up to Cindy.” “All of you better be careful! If you meet Cindy Clarke, don’t forget to be extra enthusiastic!” And so, on her way up, every time the elevator stopped and new employees got on, Cindy was greeted by more overly enthusiastic hellos.
It made her feel even more overwhelmed than entering a popular hot pot restaurant.
One employee even suggested that she could visit their department after having lunch.
God knows why she would want to sit in their department for a while.
Finally reaching the floor where Adrian Zhekova was, Cindy stepped out of the elevator and breathed a sigh of relief.
They hadn’t been like this the previous times she’d come, she thought.
With hurried steps, Cindy continued on her way. When she saw Sheldon Rowland, she finally let out another sigh of relief.
Chapter 450 I Don’t Believe You, Ghost!
“Assistant Sheldon.” Cindy Clarke laughed as she called out.
“Cindy Clarke.” Sheldon Rowland just spoke out.
From within the secretary room, all the secretaries heard the sound and came running out.
Then they all lined up in the corridor and shouted together, “Miss Clarke!” Cindy Clarke:
Sheldon Rowland:
Look at the power of the scumbag CEO.
But also because of the secretaries’ uniform call, Adrian Zhekova in the office heard it too.
He opened the office door and saw Cindy Clarke standing outside.
“Cindy,” Adrian Zhekova felt that after a busy morning, seeing Cindy Clarke at this time really made all his fatigue disappear.
Cindy Clarke let out a sigh of relief and quickly said, “Then I’ll go in first.” After saying that, she escaped like a drill into Adrian Zhekova’s office.
“Did you say something to them? I was embarrassed by the enthusiasm I encountered all the way.” Cindy Clarke patted her chest with lingering fear.
“I didn’t say anything. It’s their spontaneous respect from the heart for the future CEO’s wife.” Adrian Zhekova said.
Cindy Clarke:
I’ll believe you, a ghost.
Cindy Clarke placed the food container on the coffee table and said, “I did some research this morning. This is the new Yellow Croaker in soup. Come and have a taste and give me your feedback.” Cindy Clarke asked hesitantly, “Aren’t you tired of eating it?” “This is a big dish. It’s rare to eat it a few times.” Adrian Zhekova laughed. Although he could eat it anytime if he wanted, the truth was that he really couldn’t think of eating this dish normally.
“To get tired of it, you’ll have to come a few more times.” Adrian Zhekova said with a smile.
Cindy Clarke put the lunch on the coffee table and opened the food container.
Naturally, she didn’t just make the Yellow Croaker in Soup She also made quite a few other dishes.
Adrian Zhekova couldn’t tell the difference between this Yellow Croaker in soup and the one he ate last time just by looking at its appearance.
However, Cindy was somewhat nervous and apprehensive waiting for Adrian Zhekova’s evaluation.
Adrian Zhekova cut open the fish belly and a light tea-like soup poured out.
This time, there was more to the soup.
In addition to the white pearl-like meatballs, there were also reddish and golden little meatballs close to being translucent, almost as big as the pearl-like meatballs.
The red and white colors looked impressive together.
Adrian Zhekova then tasted a spoonful of the soup.
Cindy Clarke saw Adrian Zhekova chew a few times and suddenly freeze, looking at her in astonishment.
“What? Is the taste still not right?” Cindy Clarke said nervously.
With a serious expression, Adrian Zhekova said solemnly, “In the next competition, if this dish doesn’t get a high ranking, I’ll have to suspect the judges are biased.” At first, Cindy Clarke felt suspended by his words, her heart hanging.
After hearing his entire statement, her heart finally calmed down.
These ups and downs really scared her.
This man, why even bother talking while gasping for breath!
“You scared me to death. I thought it wouldn’t taste good.” Cindy Clarke let out a breath.
“It’s delicious.” Adrian Zhekova took another bite of the fish, “Compared to the last time, it’s on a completely different level. How did you do it?” Cindy Clarke smiled proudly, “It’s a secret. You’ll see how I do it during the competition.” Adrian Zhekova saw that she was still keeping the secret: “Fine.” Cindy Clarke then remembered something, “You’re coming to the next competition, right?” “Of course,” Adrian Zhekova immediately said, “My fiancée’s competition, such an important event, how could I not be there?”