Hui Yin gazed up at the swanky restaurant in front of her and nearly turned around to go back.
She should have known!
Hui Yin had already expected for Lu Shen to pick one of the most expensive restaurants in Shanghai, so she brought a lot of cash with her. She had resolved herself not to let that man pay for her share, as she wanted to talk to him as an equal. If she allowed him to pay for lunch, then where would her dignity go?
But she still hadn't expected this!
Reserving the most expensive restaurant in Shanghai just so that the two of them could be alone...isn't this too overbearing? Oh...wait, that's right. This was a tyrant she had an appointment with, so this kind of high-handed gesture was only to be expected from him.
Her shoulders sagged, and Hui Yin dragged herself to the door of the restaurant. Fine, whatever. Let him pay for lunch then. He picked the restaurant, so he should be the one treating her to a free meal. Who told him to be insanely rich?
Lu Shen was already waiting for her inside. He had picked a table that was rather secluded, so Hui Yin didn't see him at first glance. He took the chance to study her.
Hui Yin was wearing a yellow shirt, denim jeans rolled up to her ankles, and a pair of worn out sneakers. She didn't plan on impressing Lu Shen, so she deliberately dressed in a casual style.
But he didn't mind. He knew she didn't like to wear formal clothing, so it was best if she dressed like herself. He liked seeing her in her natural element.
When she finally saw him, Hui Yin felt a bit uncomfortable at the hungry look in his eyes. My lord, I'm not your lunch. Look at the menu, not me!
She stopped in front of him. "Lu Shen."
He tilted his head to the side, and gave her a brief nod. "Xiao Yin."
Hui Yin took the seat opposite his.
His eyes followed her, and Hui Yin let her hair fall like a curtain between them as she pretended to look at the menu.
"Have you already ordered?"
"Mmm. I told them to cook your favorite dishes."
His voice was low and deep, and he was still staring at her. Hui Yin felt her face twitch. She came here for a confrontation, but she was already showing her weakness in front of the enemy.
Hui Yin clenched her fists and resolutely lifted her chin. You want to look? Fine, look at me! I'll look at you too!
And so she engaged into a staring contest with him.
Hui Yin realized after observing him for a while that he looked a bit gaunt. He was still unbelievably handsome, but Hui Yin had been immune to his looks a long time ago. Most people who looked at him would probably be distracted with his beauty, not noticing the exhaustion behind it. But Hui Yin was not most people. She had been looking at him for years—he could not hide from her.
But she didn't want to ask for the reason why.
Maybe he had been working too hard, or maybe that scandal had stressed him out. Either way, it was none of her business.
Lu Shen looked at the girl he had been thinking non-stop about for the past month. From the moment she came into the restaurant, he had already seen her. How could he not? When he had been craving for a glimpse of her for so long. He wanted to pull her into his arms and burrow his face into her neck. He wanted to kiss her. He wanted to do more than just kiss her.
But for now...even a simple hug would be enough.
Hui Yin didn't know what Lu Shen was thinking. But it had already been ten minutes, and he was still not tired from looking at her. She sighed and silently admitted defeat. Maybe a pimple had formed in the middle of her forehead. That would explain things.
The waiter finally came with the food and put it on the table between them. All of her favorite dishes were placed in front of her, steaming with a mouth-watering aroma.
Lu Shen had even ordered abalone and sea cucumbers, which Hui Yin knew Lu Shen didn't like. He held no fondness for seafood delicacies. Conversely, Hui Yin adored them.
Lu Shen lifted his chopsticks and put a large piece of abalone on her plate. Hui Yin was weirded out. Why was he being so considerate?
"What do you want to talk about?" he asked after a while, and Hui Yin paused while eating.
Lu Shen found the silence intolerable. They had not seen each other for a while. Didn't she want to ask him how he'd been? He wanted her to show that she at least cared for him, even it it was only the slightest bit.
Hui Yin put down her chopsticks and patted her lips with a table napkin. She met his eyes.
"I want to talk to you about Luo Lan."