I am a Chef in the Modern Era

Chapter 66: Fruit Wood Roast Duck
Translated by Jouissance of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

The next day, the entire family participated. After eating, they decided to go with the two to the press conference.

The original plan was that Shen Fu’s parents and Shen Yan weren’t going to go, because all that was required was an explanation from the two involved and Old Master Shen appearing to give his approval. However, after Lin ShuYi arrived, the Shen family all thought that Lin ShuYi was a little innocent cinnamon bun. He would get bullied if they didn’t carefully protect him!

The entire family ignored She Fu. Though it was his fiancé they were fussing over, it was still kind of depressing.

As for Lin ShuYi? Originally, he hadn’t been nervous, but now that he knew that they were all going… he started panicking a little.

Shen Fu’s mother kept trying to comfort him, too, by saying, “Don’t worry, we’ll all be there to back you up, you can do it… Ow, dear, be gentle, you’re pulling on my hair.”

Shen Fu’s father had black lines down his face. He was trying to help her put on a necklace but she kept moving over to Lin ShuYi and back. It was no wonder her hair got caught. He was very happy with his son in law, but since his wife was also very happy, it was a little depressing.

The depressed father and son weren’t just ignored by the rest of the family, when they left, they were also squished to the back.

Shen Fu: …

Shen Fu’s father: …

Watching as Lin ShuYi walked out, surrounded by people, Shen Fu and his father both felt that darkness was beginning to encroach on their lives.

When the two got outside, it was clear that Old Master Shen had already announced the seating arrangements for the journey there. Old Master Shen was already sitting in the front passenger seat of the second car and Shen Fu’s mother pulled Lin ShuYi over to sit in the back row.

Shen Fu watched wide eyed as Shen Yan walked over with an evil smile before dragging him by the collar and throwing him into the first car. Shen Fu’s father smiled smugly at his poor son before walking towards the second car and opening the door.

Just as he opened the door, Shen Fu’s mother pushed him out again. “Go and sit in the other car, we still have something to discuss with Xiao Yi.”

And then the car door slammed shut.

Shen Fu’s father’s expression crumpled. He had no choice but to head to the first car. The poor father and son duo once again sat together.

Shen Yan sat in the shotgun seat and glanced back. Both men had “I want to sit with my wife” practically written on their faces. Shen Fu’s older brother rolled his eyes elegantly. Pathetic…

The first car slowly began to pull away. The second, however, stayed immobile.

Old Master Shen had his own reasons for such an arrangement.

This was, naturally, something that Shen Fu had to explain personally. Though it was good for Lin ShuYi to go with, going together would mean exposing both of them to the barrage the reporters would inevitably launch on them. Those reporters were well practiced, their questions would be sly, harder and harder to answer. Though they were careful in choosing the reporters who would be attending, they couldn’t promise that no one with ill intentions would manage to sneak their way in. If any of them were reporters who liked gossip and scandals, then it wouldn’t just be tricky questions, things might go further downhill.

So Old Master Shen had made the decision to have Shen Fu’s father and Shen Yan go ahead first with Shen Fu. Shen Fu had yet to become a high-ranking official of the Shen Conglomerate, so he had little in ways of prestige or reputation to these reporters, but with the Chairman and president there, they would be careful with what they asked.

He and Shen Fu’s mother, on the other hand, would go with Lin ShuYi. This was enough to make the Shen Family’s position on this clear. Though he had retired from the Shen Conglomerate long ago, his word still had far more sway than Shen Fu’s father on many other things. His presence would be enough to clarify things for these people.

Though Old Master Shen didn’t approve of them in the past, he now thought that Lin ShuYi was more than good enough for his grandson, sans not being able to give birth and give him a great grandson. On the contrary, he doubted his grandson’s ability to keep Lin ShuYi interested.

Plus, even if you took things way back, even if Old Master Shen couldn’t accept Lin ShuYi, then he was the only one allowed to say so. Outsiders shouldn’t butt into the Shen Family’s business.

By the time Shen Fu and company arrived at the press conference venue, everything had been prepared. The reporters were already in formation, just waiting for the main characters to appear.

Shen Fu didn’t have anything to worry about, but he still asked Shen Yan, who had organized the press conference, “Brother, there aren’t any tabloid reporters here, are there?”

Tabloid reporters would often publish sensational gossip full of scandal to gain profits, and some even fabricated the truth.

Shen Yan had printed out the gist of questions he would probably be asked as well as the correct answer for them on a few pieces of paper and was looking through them when he heard Shen Fu ask this. He smacked Shen Fu in the face with them. “Memorize these and don’t make an embarrassment of yourself. You don’t need to worry about anything else.”

Shen Fu immediately flattered the other. “Big bro, you’re the best, I’ll treat you to Fruit Wood Roast Duck tonight.”

Shen Yan huffed, giving him a look that was clearly telling him to hurry up and look through the papers.

And so the press conference got to a smooth start.

Shen Fu entered with his father and brother.

Unsurprisingly, they drew everyone’s attention upon entering. All the reporters simultaneously began calling for their cameramen as if having planned this, locking their viewfinders on the handsome man in the middle, smiling gently but distantly. He was everyone’s target today, the Shen Family’s second young master, Shen Fu.

The Shen Family was a well-known family of prestige in H City. They had founded the Shen Conglomerate, starting out from housing and land investment, and now they were one of the few great corporations in H City. The current head of the Shen Family looked gentle, but was sly, intelligent and decisive man, taking the Shen Conglomerate to new heights. With him in charge, no one could touch the Shen Conglomerate, not the old powers that had more years than him, or the new talents who were at the heights of their power.

Under these circumstances, the Shen Family was naturally one that everyone wanted to get on good terms with.

Especially those two bachelors of the Shen Family. The most desire bachelor brothers in the circle, Shen Yan and Shen Fu had become the dream lovers of the unmarried young women of H City. Unfortunately, before anyone could get their hands on the second young master of the Shen Family, rumors that he was gay began to spread.

This was heartbreaking for many girls, but what was even more heartbreaking was that not long after these rumors began to circulate, he had personally decided to host a press conference and come clean that he really, truly was as bent as they came.

Such important news had to be properly reported.

After some not-very-necessary introductions, the questioning began. The microphones were stretched over and then the reporters began to fire off questions in an orderly manner. All the questions were on the papers his brother had prepared. He didn’t even need to think about it, just regurgitate what had been written on the papers. These were the most solid and standard answers. He didn’t need to explain anything.

They all wanted to know the details, but it was clear that this young master Shen wasn’t planning on giving them anything more. They had no choice but to wait for the other main character of the show.

Speaking of, this press conference wasn’t just to announce second young master Shen’s sexual orientation, but more importantly to introduce the one second young master Shen liked. This was the juicy piece of gossip everyone was salivating over. Was he the same one from the gossip on Weibo?

Then Lin ShuYi finally arrived.

Old Master Shen walked in beside Lin ShuYi imposingly, walking stick in hand and clearly protective over this new family member. Lin ShuYi had been a little nervous, but seeing Old Master Shen like this, he couldn’t help but laugh, and then he wasn’t so nervous.

On the other hand, Shen Fu’s mother rarely appeared in the press, so though she had come with Lin ShuYi, she wasn’t planning on heading inside. She spoke to Lin ShuYi outside. “Don’t be nervous, alright? You have them if anything happens. No matter what you’re asked just smile as if you haven’t heard anything. There’ll be people to deal with it for you.”

Lin ShuYi hugged Shen Fu’s mother in return for her worried comforting. “Auntie, don’t worry, it’ll be fine.”

Shen Fu’s mother was stunned for a moment before she smiled. “I’m not worried, you should hurry inside now.”

Shen Fu’s mother smiled as Lin ShuYi left. He could tell she was worried. He was a very sensitive child. They always did say that the longer a mother spent with their son-in-law the more she’d like him. She was liking her son’s boyfriend more and more as well.

As soon as Lin ShuYi walked in, the people there reacted with even more excitement than they had with Shen Fu’s arrival, because they could all tell that this was the very person from that photo back then. He really was Shen Fu’s lover.

Both askers and questions increased rapidly.

“May we know how you two met?”

“Do both your parents know?”

“What’s Old Master Shen’s view on this?”

“Do you two have any plans to adopt in the future?”

Questions along the same vein rushed forth endlessly.

Lin ShuYi didn’t speak. He merely sat between Shen Yan and Shen Fu, gripping Shen Fu’s hand on the table.

Shen Fu’s heart practically exploded with joy. He was still answering questions like a robot with that polite smile, but he was also softly rubbing Lin ShuYi’s palm with his fingers. Lin ShuYi had tensed at this, but didn’t retract his hand with all these people watching.

Shen Yan, sitting close enough to see all this, got a face full of PDA and wasn’t so happy anymore.

Things went surprisingly smooth.

All the way until an unfamiliar voice coming from a man, who had yet to ask anything, spoke up, sharp and mocking. “Don’t you two think homosexuality is disgusting? Aren’t you two afraid of getting AIDs, being together? Is this public announcement meant to be a challenge of this country’s laws?”

Everyone was all struck dumb. Shen Fu narrowed his eyes and stopped his little movements, looking towards the man.

Everyone had moved out of the way very cooperatively, revealing the small thin man holding a camera in hand. Seeing how everyone was watching him, he raised his head with a rather creepy smile, “I’m just asking what everyone wants to know. What are you looking at me for? There’s no need to thank me.”

Shen Yan was stunned for a moment before he stood, his expression freezing over and his tone terrifying. “What company are you from?”

The man didn’t look at Shen Yan, his cold, poisonous gaze still fixed on Shen Fu and Lin ShuYi. “How come you’re afraid to answer me, huh? You already dared to start getting intimate right on the streets, what are you pretending to be innocent for? Who here doesn’t know what gays are like?” The man started laughing maliciously. He didn’t seem to be here to ask questions at all, more like to purposefully cause trouble, because there were already some tabloid reporters with their cameras pointed at the man, switching between him and Shen Fu.

Old Master Shen as well as Shen Fu’s parents had come in, hearing the commotion, only to see Shen Yan raise his walkie-talkie. “Guards, throw this man out!”

Shen Fu’s brother rarely ever showed his anger openly in public like this, so the guards didn’t hesitate to run inside, but that was when Lin ShuYi stood up. “… Wait.”

Shen Yan: …

The guards had just charged in and grabbed the man, but now froze.

Shen Fu hadn’t spoken. He didn’t want to embarrass the Shen Family in public. However, he had already thought of how that man was going to die, so when Shen Yan said to throw him out, he didn’t object. However, neither of the two brothers had thought that Lin ShuYi would step forward to object.

Shen Fu looked at Lin ShuYi, confused at what he was going to do. Lin ShuYi was smiling, but in reality, he ready to blow a hole in the roof with his anger.

He walked up to the man and looked down at him, being slightly taller. “You think being gay is disgusting? I don’t think so. People like you who spew words of hate are disgusting. I think that the first thing one should do on this planet is learn some basic human decency, but clearly you lack that.”

The man gritted his teeth upon hearing Lin ShuYi’s mockery that didn’t contain any curses. “You’re just a faggot that likes to take it up the ass! What do you have to be smug about?! Huh?! You fucking poof! Little bitch!”

With this, Shen Fu stood up suddenly, his face dark and cold, making the man shudder subconsciously. “What did you say? Say that again, I dare you!”

The man was about to continue, but startled at seeing Lin ShuYi’s smile. What was he smiling about? Was he fucking crazy?

Lin ShuYi waved his hand in front of the man’s face, eyes narrowed. The man flinched back, thinking that Lin ShuYi was going to hit him, but then realized that it didn’t seem like that was his intentions.

Lin ShuYi raised his hand, a thin reporter’s id between his fingers. It looked of bad quality, clearly a fake. Lin ShuYi’s smile widened. “Your every word has been recorded by our cameras and will be used by our lawyers as evidence in court for libel. As for your forgery of this reporter id, I believe that counts as a scam. I don’t care who sent you, because you’ll tell us everything soon enough.”

Everyone was struck dumb.

Shen Fu just wanted to give his wife a big thumbs up. He was so smart! When did he see that fake reporter’s id?

Shen Yan looked at Lin ShuYi and then at his brother, somewhat disdainfully. Shen Fu’s parents and Old Master Shen all looked at each other. Who said Shen Fu’s lover was easy to bully? Huh? He was practically a wolf in sheep’s skin!

After Lin ShuYi finished, the guards finally recovered and took the guy away. The reporters all came out of their stupor one by one and decided to end things here. They wouldn’t be able to compete against this fox, goodbye…

After everyone left, Lin ShuYi walked back to Shen Fu’s side, looking for praise.

None of the dumbstruck people would know that Lin ShuYi had learned these lines from a tv show last night about crime. He had managed to remember it word for word, too! Wasn’t he great?

In reality, Lin ShuYi didn’t really know what the crimes he listed really were. You couldn’t win against a clueless black heart’s IQ.

Everyone practically cried when they eventually found out the truth.

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*Jouissance: Fruit Wood Roast Duck (don’t think there’s an official translation) has a history that isn’t very well known. The original way of cooking Peking Duck had very specific requirements, one of which was that wood from date palms had to be used. However, as demand for Peking Duck grew, the supply of date palm wood couldn’t keep up, so this method of cooking fell out of favor.

Later on, there was a boom in the supply of apples. There were so many excess apples that farmers started cutting down apple trees and selling them, which was then used in the production of Peking Duck, reviving the idea of “fruit wood” roasted duck. For a while, basically all Peking Duck was produced with apple tree wood, and it was considered nontraditional if you didn’t use it (even though it wasn’t actually the traditional way), so the stores all had the dish labelled as “Fruit Wood Roast Duck” instead of “Peking Duck”.