“Are you hungry?” Chen Ziming asked Su Yue, who had finished dressing.
He had tidied himself up relatively quickly, while Su Yue, feeling tired, had taken her time and refused his help. So, he had waited for her in the living room.
She was indeed feeling hungry. It was already eight o'clock, and her hunger was causing a slight stomachache, so she reluctantly hummed in agreement.
“I’ll take you out to eat,” he said, standing up.
“Officer Chen, don’t you want to cook anymore?” Su Yue’s first thought was that men lost their patience after they got what they wanted. Coupled with her hunger-induced anxiety, her mood soured.
Chen Ziming was a little speechless. He walked over, gently patted her head, and said softly, “I just want to take you out for something good, to help you recover. If you’d prefer my cooking, I can make it now. It’s up to you.”
The phrase “help you recover” was quite suggestive, but Su Yue’s heart felt less heavy. The allure of good food was strong, and after a moment’s thought, she said, “Then let’s go out.”
What she didn’t say was that going out to eat was also because she considered his potential fatigue.
Su Yue was surprised to find herself feeling considerate and caring towards him. It was different from her usual knack for taking care of others. She was thinking of his well-being not to maintain a good image, but as she would for Li Niannian or a close friend – genuinely worried about him getting tired.
Pathetic… she chided herself internally. She was worried about him getting tired after he let her sleep in the mediation room.
Chen Ziming took her to a courtyard house. The place was quite hidden and appeared to have been meticulously renovated. It looked antique from the outside, but the interior was decorated in a new Chinese style, exuding elegance.
They chose a window seat, shielded by a roller blind, creating a relatively private space. The floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked a small garden. Although it was night, the garden was lit by lampposts, revealing the green bamboo leaves swaying gently in the evening breeze and the tranquility of the pebble-paved path.
Su Yue was not unfamiliar with such places; she knew there were no menus. Usually, the day’s offerings were written on a small blackboard at the entrance and updated on a mini-program. Guests could directly order their preferences through the mini-program.
Despite the spacious seating and area, Chen Ziming sat close to her.
Su Yue didn’t refuse; this arrangement conveniently allowed them to look at the menu together.
As they were ordering their dishes, someone lifted the roller blind and entered. Su Yue looked up and saw a beautiful woman with wavy, shoulder-length hair, wearing a high-end-looking dress. She had a moderate figure, wore exquisite makeup, and had a warm smile on her face as she sat down opposite them.
“Officer Chen, you’re here! You didn’t let me know in advance,” she greeted Chen Ziming first. Chen Ziming smiled. She then looked at Su Yue, “No wonder you’ve been unimpressed by everyone; you have such a beautiful girl by your side. Tsk, tsk, tsk, my sister will be heartbroken…”
Su Yue felt a little awkward. Chen Ziming signaled with his eyes for the woman to stop.
The woman, being perceptive, didn’t dwell on the topic. “Darling, I’m the owner here. My name is Jiang Guan. You can call me Boss Jiang or Sister Jiang. Your boyfriend and I are good friends. He’s never brought a woman here alone, and we all thought his orientation was unique. Since he brought you today, sister will treat you to a meal.”
Finally, she asked, “What’s your name? Where do you work?”
“Are you asking for such detailed information to report to someone?” Chen Ziming asked, standing in front of Su Yue as a form of refusal.
Jiang Guan didn’t press further. She smiled with pursed lips and said, “You’re quite protective. Alright, I won’t disturb you. I have important guests coming tonight and need to attend to them. Eat at ease, and when you’re done, just tell the front desk to put it under my name. Bye~”
As Jiang Guan left, Su Yue’s mind was filled with the boyfriend she had just mentioned.
Was he her boyfriend?
Su Yue’s answer was no. Rather than a boyfriend, she was more inclined to believe that he merely wanted to sleep with her.
She felt a little dejected. Although she wasn’t looking for a relationship, the feeling of having one’s agency in someone else’s hands, and one’s heart belonging to another, was truly unpleasant. However, she didn’t show it.
She didn’t want to be too passive anymore.