Breakup Kitchen - Chapter 5

After bidding farewell to the last student, Jiang Taihao let out a sigh of relief. He turned to look at the cooking studio, rolled up his sleeves, and began tidying up. By the time he finished checking the gas, turning off the lights, and locking up, it was already 9:30 PM.

The cooking studio was located in the heart of D City, a prime location just a five-minute walk from the subway station. After weighing factors like target audience, rent, safety, and building permits, he had decided to rent the space on the fourth floor of this building. The area was bustling with office buildings, and the nearby alleys were filled with cafes and bars, making it a lively spot both day and night.

Two years ago, Jiang Taihao had founded this cooking studio, using his savings and a loan of over two million from his parents. At the age of 29, he had boldly ventured into entrepreneurship.

—Well, perhaps it wasn’t entirely "alone." He had a girlfriend back then.

But during the initial stages of starting the business, he was so busy that he barely had time to sleep, let alone spend time with her. Eventually, they broke up. He chuckled self-deprecatingly at the memory.

As he walked toward the elevator, his phone buzzed in the quiet hallway. He glanced at the screen and smiled when he saw the caller’s name. "Why are you calling at this hour? Shouldn’t you be in class?"

The person on the other end laughed. "It’s break time. I just thought it’s been a while since we had a drink. Are you free anytime soon?"

Jiang Taihao replied without hesitation, "Nope."

"You’re so cold!"

"Because you always end up dragging me to dance," Jiang Taihao sighed, rubbing his forehead. "And not just with you, but with your students too."

The friend laughed again. "Still shy, huh, Jiang Bomei?"

"..." Jiang Taihao was speechless. "I’m getting in the elevator. Talk later." He pressed the button, and the elevator doors opened immediately.

"Wait, wait! Let me finish!" Cheng Muzhe hurriedly stopped him from hanging up. "I’m begging you, please come out for a drink with me this weekend!"

Hearing the desperation in his friend’s voice, Jiang Taihao couldn’t help but laugh. "Alright, how about Sunday? Same time and place as usual?"

Now he was genuinely curious. What could have made his friend so desperate?

After saying goodbye, Jiang Taihao hung up and stepped into the elevator.

§

It took Jiang Taihao nearly thirty minutes to get home from the cooking studio. He lived near the border between D City’s first and second districts, an area not dominated by skyscrapers but filled with standalone houses. The neighborhood was quiet compared to the bustling city center, and at night, you could even spot small animals wandering around.

"I’m home," Jiang Taihao called out as he opened the door to his dimly lit living room.

In response, a soft rustling sound came from the distance, followed by a cheerful bark. A small, fluffy, light-brown Pomeranian came trotting over to him.

Jiang Taihao crouched down and hugged the dog. "I’m back, Polka."

Polka licked his face enthusiastically, wagging his tail.

The nickname "Jiang Bomei" (Jiang Pomeranian) had been given to him by his mischievous friends, partly because of Polka but mostly because of his personality.

"Polka, Polka, come here," Cheng Muzhe once tried to lure the dog with a treat.

Polka glanced at him calmly before walking over to Jiang Taihao and curling up at his feet.

"See? Polka treats me like I’m some kind of dirt," Cheng Muzhe lamented, then perked up. "This is exactly like you! The dog takes after its owner!"

Jiang Taihao frowned. "Isn’t that just how Pomeranians are? Polka’s just not used to you yet. He’s a bit shy."

Hearing his name, Polka stood up and wagged his tail, barking happily.

Cheng Muzhe pointed at the dog, feigning outrage. "See? This is exactly what I mean!"

Jiang Taihao gave him a look that said, "Go on, entertain me."

"When he’s shy, he’s so calm and aloof!" Cheng Muzhe pulled down the corners of his eyes to mimic a stoic expression. "But once he warms up, he’s as cheerful as a beach boy!" He let go of his face and flashed a bright smile, forming a "7" under his chin.

Seeing that neither the dog nor Jiang Taihao was paying him any attention, Cheng Muzhe slammed the table in mock anger. "This is fraud, fraud! From now on, you should be called 'Jiang Bomei'!"

Little did he know, the nickname would spread like wildfire. Back in university, Jiang Taihao had been a well-known figure, the department’s公认的 "flawed but handsome" guy—a dog lover, aloof and shy at first, but once you got to know him, his smile could light up a room. Thanks to Cheng Muzhe’s prank of changing Jiang Taihao’s social media name to "Jiang Bomei," his juniors, seniors, and even some professors only knew him by that name.

—Some even thought it was his real name!

Jiang Taihao patted Polka’s head, turned on the living room lights, and set down his bag. He checked the automatic feeder in the kitchen to make sure Polka had enough food and water, then carried the dog upstairs and placed him in his little bed at the foot of the bed.

He gently stroked Polka’s back. "Sleep well, Polka. I’ll take a shower, finish some work, and then join you."

He hummed a lullaby, sometimes fast-paced, sometimes soft and flowing, like a gentle stream, soothing and warm.

Polka, lulled by the familiar tune, dozed off, his breathing gradually slowing.

Once Jiang Taihao was sure Polka was asleep, he left the room and began organizing the day’s materials and preparing for tomorrow’s classes.

As he pulled out a folder from his bag, a pale yellow piece of paper fell to the floor. He picked it up and realized it was the business card Gao Huimei had given him.

The card didn’t have Gao Huimei’s name or any personal information, just the company’s name, phone number, business hours, and services offered. The company was located in D City’s second district, about twenty to thirty minutes from the cooking studio in the first district. Judging by the address, it was near the artificial canal, a bustling nightlife area.

Jiang Taihao lowered his gaze, holding the card. The image of Gao Huimei’s expression from that afternoon was still fresh in his mind.

"What should I do?"

The living room was silent except for the ticking of the clock, offering no answers.

§

Gao Huimei sat on the sofa in the break room, her hands still aching from the pressure she had applied during her last massage.

It was 3 AM.

She picked up her phone, glanced at the screen, and zoned out for a moment. The sound of the break room door opening snapped her back to reality. She looked over and saw Zhang Zhang walking in with her work bag.

"Counting today’s earnings?" Zhang Zhang sat down cross-legged, set her bag aside, and stretched her arms. "Ugh, I just had a client with super tight muscles. I had to use all my strength. Thank goodness it’s Thursday. If it were Friday, I wouldn’t even have time to rest."

Gao Huimei smiled as she entered her earnings into her phone’s notes app. "Yeah, those clients are tough. You work so hard, and they don’t even feel it. It’s frustrating."

"But some of them are pretty generous with tips. Oh, I heard something interesting," Zhang Zhang lowered her voice and glanced around. Only Wang Hao and Aiai were in the room, the others busy elsewhere. "Apparently, one of our masseuses has been meeting clients privately. I heard it from one of my clients."

"Could it be a misunderstanding?" Gao Huimei asked.

"The client didn’t say which masseuse it was, since the person was wearing a mask. But she overheard their conversation and confirmed it was one of ours."

Gao Huimei’s eyes widened in surprise, and even Wang Hao turned to listen.

Although Mossage was a legitimate massage parlor with no involvement in any illicit services, the company strictly prohibited masseuses from meeting clients privately to avoid misunderstandings and protect its reputation.

"This..." Gao Huimei hesitated, wondering if they should drop the topic.

"Zhang Zhang, let’s not discuss this until it’s confirmed," Aiai interjected, looking up from her phone. "Speculating like this could cause unnecessary tension and even get the boss and manager involved, damaging our relationships."

"Alright, alright. I only brought it up because it was just us here," Zhang Zhang chuckled awkwardly, sensing the discomfort in the room. "I won’t mention it again."

Gao Huimei didn’t dwell on the matter, treating it as just another piece of gossip. She continued entering her earnings into her phone, calculating her income for the month. After all, she still had loans to pay.

Speaking of debts—she opened a text message from the *Breakup Kitchen* production team, notifying her of the second episode’s filming date, which was a week away.

She muttered to herself, "So many people to contact..."

§

The next day, at the usual time and place, Jiang Taihao taught Gao Huimei how to make baked cod fillet and a strawberry-banana-orange smoothie.

When Gao Huimei heard about the strawberry and banana combination, her face showed a hint of skepticism. Jiang Taihao noticed but assured her she wouldn’t regret it.

Gao Huimei placed the cod fillet, seasoned with garlic and chili, into the oven preheated to 175 degrees Celsius and set the timer for thirty minutes.

She returned to the cooking station to wash the strawberries and oranges.

Jiang Taihao, peeling bananas nearby, kept glancing at her. Gao Huimei sensed his hesitation but chose to ignore it, not wanting to bring up the previous day’s awkwardness.

The incident with Gao Huimei’s heavy makeup hadn’t escalated into an argument, but it had left both of them unsure how to address it.

Gao Huimei reflected on the situation and realized she might have overreacted. Perhaps Jiang Taihao hadn’t meant anything by his comment, but her response had made things awkward.

Jiang Taihao, on the other hand, felt a mix of emotions. After researching Mossage online and asking friends who frequented massage parlors, he realized he had harbored unfair prejudices about the industry. He wanted to apologize but didn’t know how to broach the topic—especially since Gao Huimei seemed to be acting as if nothing had happened.

He sighed inwardly, scolding himself for his incompetence. He glanced at Gao Huimei, who today looked fresh-faced, her lips pale, her under-eye bags barely noticeable, and her skin smooth and glowing—just as he usually saw her.

He handed her a cutting board specifically for fruits. As Gao Huimei reached for it, she leaned slightly toward him. He could see her long, curled lashes up close, but before he could react, she had already straightened up and started cutting the oranges and bananas.

"Oh, I forgot to mention, but I assume you already know. We’re filming the second episode of *Breakup Kitchen* next Saturday," Gao Huimei said as she added the fruits to the blender according to the recipe, then poured in water and turned it on.

The pink, yellow, and orange fruits blended into a smooth, frothy mixture within seconds.

Gao Huimei poured the smoothie into two glasses.

Jiang Taihao nodded, taking one of the glasses. "I got the notice from the production team. It’s on Saturday afternoon. We still have a few more lessons before then, and based on your progress, you’ve improved a lot. Don’t worry."

Gao Huimei teased, "So you’re not worried I’ll burn down your precious studio anymore?"

Hearing her self-deprecating joke, Jiang Taihao raised his hands in surrender. "My bad. I shouldn’t have said that."

Gao Huimei took a sip of the smoothie and was pleasantly surprised. The flavors of the three fruits balanced perfectly, with the strawberry taking the lead while the banana and orange enhanced its sweetness.

Jiang Taihao smiled confidently. "Not bad, right? When I was in the UK, I saw this flavor at a supermarket and was skeptical too, but curiosity got the better of me. After trying it, I fell in love with it."

He chuckled, then paused. "Actually, if you ignore—" He stopped mid-sentence. "Ignore"? What was he about to say?

Gao Huimei sipped her smoothie, waiting for him to continue, but instead, he set down his glass and looked at her seriously.

She raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Uh, Gao Huimei..." Jiang Taihao took a deep breath. "About yesterday... I was out of line. I misunderstood you, and I’m sorry for hurting your feelings."

Gao Huimei’s eyes widened. She hadn’t expected him to bring it up so directly. She had assumed they would just let the matter fade away.

She felt a wave of nervousness, unsure how to respond. *Isn’t this how things are usually handled?*

She glanced at the oven, where the cod was still baking, its aroma filling the room.

"It was my prejudice," Jiang Taihao admitted, scratching his cheek awkwardly. He wanted to look away but forced himself to maintain eye contact. "I don’t know much about the industry, and even though we’ve spent some time together, the thought that you might be doing more than just 'massage' caught me off guard." He quickly added, "But I didn’t mean any harm."

"Honestly, you don’t fit the image I had of a masseuse," he said shyly. "Your demeanor is different."

This was the first time Gao Huimei had heard something like this. In her four years as a masseuse, no outsider had ever expressed such a sincere opinion about her profession, let alone apologized for their assumptions.

This was...

Gao Huimei stifled a laugh, keeping a straight face. "You’re mistaken. I don’t just 'massage' clients." She wiggled her index and middle fingers, emphasizing the word "massage."

Now it was Jiang Taihao’s turn to be confused. "Not just massage?"

Gao Huimei nodded, barely containing her laughter. "Yeah, besides providing massage services, I also—" Seeing Jiang Taihao’s serious expression, she couldn’t hold back anymore and burst out laughing. "I also offer 'counseling.'"

Jiang Taihao: "...Huh?"

"Although our company doesn’t offer any illicit services, we get all kinds of clients," Gao Huimei counted on her fingers. "Some come not for a massage but just to chat, sometimes for over an hour. Others seek life advice during their sessions..."

Her expression softened. "Working in this industry, you hear a lot of people’s stories. I think that’s what I’ve learned the most from."

Just then, the oven timer went off, and the rich aroma of baked cod filled the room.

Gao Huimei put on oven mitts and took out the baking tray, placing it on a heat-resistant pad. The cod fillets were golden brown, sizzling and fragrant.

She turned to Jiang Taihao. "This one’s not a failure, right?"

Jiang Taihao looked at her smiling face and nodded after a moment. "No, it’s a success."