She said nothing more, lost in thought.
However, when her aunt brought the noodles, she said cheerfully, "The old lady has been looking forward to her grandson bringing his granddaughter-in-law to see her. When she heard that Zi Ming had found a girlfriend, she was overjoyed and specifically asked me to bring a lot of food. Look at the sea cucumber in these noodles; it's the best variety she handpicked."
!!!
Su Yue stared at the plump, dark brown sea cucumber, her eyes widening in surprise, and then she fell into a contemplative silence.
Could Chen Zi Ming's family already know about her existence?
A wave of anxiety and guilt washed over her.
Although she couldn't be sure what his family did, it was definitely a powerful and wealthy household.
She felt a prickle of fear.
So, she dared not ask any more questions, picked up her chopsticks, and finished her meal quickly before leaving.
During the day, she took photos for a new home experience center that had been inviting her. After returning home in the afternoon, she took some selfies for brands that had sent her products.
Taking photos, editing them, and posting notes…
By a little past six in the evening, she was finally done.
Su Yue slumped onto the sofa, suddenly remembering that she hadn't discussed the remuneration with the hotel's contact person.
She made the call.
It connected quickly. She introduced herself and briefly explained the situation.
To her surprise, the person on the other end replied, "You must be Miss Su Yue. Please don't make me do this; Mr. Jin will kill me."
"..."
"Mr. Jin specifically instructed me that you would be coming to take photos recently and asked me to take extra good care of you, raising the remuneration to one hundred thousand. You can come with confidence tomorrow!"
Su Yue was shocked.
After hanging up, she sat up, feeling dejected.
After much thought, she decided to discuss it with Chen Zi Ming.
However, Friday evenings were usually busy, and he was unlikely to return too early.
Unexpectedly, just as she was feeling troubled, the door opened.
"Yue Yue," a gentle voice sounded from the doorway.
Su Yue felt a surge of pleasant surprise. She jumped off the sofa and ran to him, instinctively asking, "You're back so early today?"
Her face revealed an unconcealed joy.
"Yes, I couldn't bear to leave my treasure at home alone," he smiled too, lowered his head, and kissed her cheek.
Cheesy…
"Let me take a shower and change my clothes, then I'll take you out for dinner, okay?"
"Okay~" She had felt a bit stifled after staying home all afternoon.
"Then you go change into something more formal," he said, ruffling her hair with a hint of indulgence.
She suddenly became alert.
Recalling what the aunt had said during the day…
What was he planning to do?!
He wasn't actually going to take her to meet his parents, was he!!
"Don't worry, we're not meeting my family," he said, seeing her expression and knowing what she was thinking again.
Indeed, he could see through her even if she tried to hide things with a thousand calculations.
But it was better that he didn't know about her and Su Minghua.
Although she was still confused, as long as it wasn't meeting his family, she wasn't as nervous.
So, she picked out a simple and elegant dress she had bought when shopping for supplies with him, applied light makeup.
And went out with him.
The car stopped at a high-end shopping mall.
Lan Yu Plaza.
Su Yue knew this place.
It was a gathering place for famous luxury brands in the country.
She suddenly remembered that the last time Chen Zi Ming bought her a necklace and a dress, it was also from Lan Yu Plaza, but not this particular store.
The more common shopping malls, which Su Yue frequented, were called "shopping malls."
Plazas… were something she only visited occasionally.
As usual, someone took his car to park. He held her hand and they walked in through the main entrance.
The elevator took them directly to the eighth floor.
The entire half-floor was occupied by renowned high-end restaurants – the domain of Wen Ye.
The restaurant manager heard the elevator and hurried over to greet them and lead them to a private room.
The moment Su Yue entered the room, she froze.
A man and a woman, both around forty years old, were seated inside.
The woman also froze.
"Officer Chen has arrived," the man stood up to greet them.
"This is your girlfriend? Studying journalism at the Communication University?" the man then looked at him, smiling, and extended his hand.
"Hello, student. My name is Xin Moqing, I am the owner of this restaurant. This is my wife, Bai Li Qing."
After speaking, he turned his head and gave the woman a look.
The woman snapped back to reality, stood up, and with a smile of pleasant surprise, walked up to Su Yue.
"Yue Yue, it's been a long time."
Bai Li Qing, the reporter who had influenced Su Yue's destiny.