A sudden commotion in the kitchen sent Xu Ying reeling as a basin of water surged towards her. Trapped with no escape, she froze. “Run quickly! What are you doing standing there!” a voice boomed, and before she could react, strong hands lifted her clear off the ground. In a flash, she was enveloped in Princess style in Huo Chen’s embrace.
The kitchen, already cramped, became even tighter with the influx of people. Huo Chen’s face flushed crimson. Xu Ying, still disoriented, blinked just as hot oil exploded from the pan. She instinctively pressed against Huo Chen’s firm chest, her fingers playfully prodding his taut muscles. Huo Chen, his composure visibly strained, rasped, “Don’t move.” Xu Ying, unaware of the allure in her wide, watery eyes and rosy lips, obediently withdrew her hand. Huo Chen swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing, before gently setting her down.
A loud crack echoed as Liu Guohua stumbled forward, landing exactly where Xu Ying had been standing. The erupting hot oil splattered him, leaving angry red welts. He cried out in pain, stumbling backward, then fell with a thud. “Hiss,” he winced, a sickening click echoing from his elbow. “My arm is broken.”
Panic flickered across Zhang Quanquan’s face as he rushed to help Liu Guohua. “Why are you so careless and clumsy?” he snapped, then added, “Luckily this man saved Xu Ying, or she’d be on the ground now.” Xu Ying, rubbing her arm, looked at Zhang Quanquan with growing suspicion. The thought of falling and breaking her own arm sent a shiver down her spine.
“Why did you fall? The ground isn’t slippery!” Xu Ying exclaimed, bending down to touch a greasy patch. Bringing her fingers to her nose, she flared. “Who poured oil on the ground?” The commotion had drawn others from the front hall. Gao Guihua and the others shook their heads. “It wasn’t us. We never touched the oil.” Zhang Quanquan frowned. “Oil on the floor? In the kitchen? No wonder Guohua couldn’t stand straight.”
“No, I felt someone push me, that’s why I lost my balance,” Liu Guohua insisted, anxious. “And I don’t know about the oil. I’ve been washing potatoes all morning; I didn’t touch it.” Zhang Quanquan’s face darkened. “I was standing right next to you. Are you saying I pushed you?” Liu Guohua, new to the job and not wanting to offend, bravely stuck to his story. “I just felt someone push me. You were so close, who knows!” Zhang Quanquan vehemently denied it.
Chef Ge, a seasoned veteran, saw through the denials. He knew the kitchen was thoroughly cleaned nightly. The front office staff hadn’t been near the oil. Only he, Xu Ying, and Zhang Quanquan had been in the back kitchen. Liu Guohua had been washing potatoes, and Xu Ying had been right in front of him. The suspect was clear.
“You, come with me to the back,” Chef Ge said, his voice grim, as he led Zhang Quanquan away. Liu Guohua, meanwhile, turned to Xu Ying. “Chef Xu, I really didn’t mean to harm you.” Xu Ying nodded, telling him to get his arm checked at the hospital. She had a chilling suspicion about Zhang Quanquan’s motive – to incapacitate her so he could keep his job. The sheer malice of splattering hot oil just to do so appalled her. If Huo Chen hadn’t intervened, she could have been disfigured.
“Are you okay?” Huo Chen asked, noticing her distress. Xu Ying, her anger boiling, turned to him. “Go and call the police for me. I need to find out who tried to kill me.” Huo Chen agreed. The man’s actions were undeniably cruel.
Huo Chen swiftly returned with a group of police officers. Zhang Quanquan initially denied everything, but Chef Ge, his face etched with disappointment, handed him over to the authorities. After thorough investigation and interrogation, the truth emerged: it was indeed Zhang Quanquan.
He pleaded frantically, tears streaming down his face. “Xu Ying, I’m so sorry, I had no choice. Director Hong said he’d transfer me, and I’d be back to being an apprentice. My wife is about to give birth, and raising a child costs so much money! How can I do that with no money? Please, let me go! What will happen to my wife and children if I go to jail?”
Gao Guihua, feeling a pang of sympathy, turned to Xu Ying. “Xu Ying, you’re not hurt, are you? Look how pitiful Zhang Quanquan is. Why don’t you just let him go?” Gao Xianghong chimed in, “Yes, Xu Ying, what will happen to his wife and children if he’s caught?”
Sun Lifang scoffed, cutting in before Xu Ying could speak. “It’s easy for you two to say ‘let him go’! Did you forget that if Xu Ying hadn’t been saved, a whole pot of hot oil would have splattered all over her? She was closest, and that oil could have disfigured her and left her covered in burns. Will you pay for her medical bills then? Why don’t you burn your own faces!”
Gao Guihua quickly covered her face, looking at Sun Lifang’s furious expression. “But she’s not injured!”
“If you do bad things, you should be punished,” Xu Ying said, her voice cold. “Otherwise, if a simple ‘sorry’ makes everything okay, what’s the point of the police? Since Sister Gao is so kind, why don’t you use your future wages to support his wife? That way you can save his family!”
Gao Guihua’s face instantly hardened. “Why should I use my salary? Why not yours?”
“I’m not as kind-hearted as you,” Xu Ying retorted, her big eyes clear and unwavering. Gao Guihua met her gaze for a moment, then quickly looked away, silent.