The moment the last order left the kitchen, the three chefs sighed in relief. The end of the service would be there soon. They had heard from Lin Xiaoyu that the customers had enjoyed most of the dishes, especially the desserts Yang Fangjin made today.

Meanwhile, the rest of the staff had held their breaths and been waiting in anticipation, as to how this day would end. They were all aware that they only had another week left to prove themselves worthy to stay here at Savory Alley, as Shen Lingqing would do an overall assessment of their performances at the end of this month.

Shen Lingqing’s method of running the restaurant was still new to them. They were so used to having the customers come and go whenever they wanted as soon as the restaurant opened.

However, now, their customers needed to make a reservation first. Shen Lingqing wanted to provide only the best service Savory Alley could give to them, without compromising the quality of the dishes being served by the restaurant.

The clock struck ten in the evening, officially closing the restaurant on this first day. Loud cheering could be heard inside the kitchen. Lin Xiao shook hands with his fellow chefs and hooked his arm around Yang Fangjin’s neck, as he raved about how good the compliments given to the younger chef’s creations were.

“Ah, Chef Lin. You are praising me too much! You and Chef Liu also did well today,” Yang Fangjin said, his face slightly flushed by being praised so suddenly by his colleagues.

Meanwhile, Shen Lingqing and Qiao Lian bid the last customers goodbye and thanked them for visiting the restaurant. Lin Xiaoyu then ran towards the kitchen and hugged her father excitedly.

“Dad! Dad! You don’t know how happy the customers were earlier! Miss Qiao said that we are also fully booked for the next three days!” She beamed a smile at her father.

“Then, that’s good to hear.” Lin Xiao patted her head. “I’m glad everything went according to Director Shen’s plan.”

At that moment, Shen Lingqing arrived in the kitchen with Qiao Lian. Qiao Lian had a wide smile on her face, while her boss had a neutral expression; though it was obvious that Shen Lingqing was satisfied with today’s events.

“Good job, everyone. We managed to successfully reopen the restaurant today. Please keep up the good work.”

Shen Lingqing was glad that they were able to survive this day without encountering any problems along the way. The last thing she wanted was an unforeseen problem arising out of nowhere.

“Thank you, Director Shen… and congratulations!” Lin Xiao led everyone and gave Shen Lingqing a polite bow, much to her shock.

“Why are you congratulating me?” She asked in confusion. Did she miss something?

Lin Xiao smiled widely.

“It’s because of Director Shen that we were able to perform well today,” he explained, “We also knew how you work late at night to make sure that everything was ready. It’s because of Director Shen that we don’t worry too much about trivial things while we work on our tasks.”

“So congratulations, Director Shen. You also did a good job today,” Liu Jinfei added and clapped his hands for Shen Lingqing. The rest followed his lead and congratulated her.

Shen Lingqing was rendered speechless. She had never experienced something like this before. Most of the time, her efforts were being overlooked, as people expected her to exceed their expectations. So for her to receive such a compliment from the new staff she was managing was something new for the Shen princess.

“Thank you,” she said in a low voice, and Qiao Lian could swear she had seen a slight blush on Shen Lingqing’s face.

“Aww, Qingqing. Don’t be shy! It’s true that you also worked hard for this,” she told her boss. “How about we have some hotpot tonight, everyone? Let’s celebrate without getting drunk!”

“Right! Right! I’ll go get the ingredients ready!” Lin Xiaoyu exclaimed.

“Let me help you, Miss Lin!” Yang Fangjin said and followed Lin Xiaoyu to the newly made pantry that was built next to the kitchen.

Everyone then started cleaning their stations, while Shen Lingqing reviewed the inventory of the pantry and today’s sales, still trying to suppress the blush that bloomed in her face.

She supposed that it was because she wasn’t used to being complimented by other people that weren’t blood-related to her. It was the first time she felt appreciated because of her efforts and not because they were trying to get on her good side.

Was this one of the things her father wanted for her to experience when he gave her this challenge? Was he trying to teach her something more than managing a restaurant and a company?

Shen Lingqing knew that her father always had logical reasons for his every decision, and she could understand why her mother was supportive of him. They had such an unbreakable bond and trust that set them apart from other wealthy couples that had divorced over time.

“Qingqing, are you going to join us? No alcohol, of course,” Qiao Lian asked.

Shen Lingqing hummed. “Sure. I suddenly feel hungry after long hours of work.”

Qiao Lian laughed at that. Shen Lingqing used to avoid joining their peers on occasions like this in the past.

“That’s more like it, Qingqing. Take a break once in a while. It won’t hurt,” her assistant said before she disappeared into the kitchen to help everyone tidy up the place before they could have a hotpot together.

By eleven in the evening, everyone was done with today’s work, and they moved to the diner’s area to have their hotpot. Shen Lingqing watched silently, as they celebrated the success of their reopening day. However, she knew well that it wasn’t time for them to lower their guards and be lax in their work. She still had so much work to do, and they had just taken the first step to reach her goal.