CHAPTER 98: PEACEFUL DINNER

Su Meilin gazed at Zhao Yiming for a while, watching the way his brows furrowed, his mouth slightly frowned, and the faint dark circles beginning to form beneath his eyes.

But what touched her the most was that—despite all the stress, the pressure, and the quiet fury building up inside him—he never once lashed out at her.

That alone made her sigh in relief... but also hesitate.

’It’s fine... he’s busy right now. I can handle it myself,’ she told herself.

’I’m not sixteen anymore. This time, I’ll solve this on my own.’

Quietly, she reached over and circled her hand around his. She knew, this was when he needed comfort the most.

"If you need help," she said softly, "I’ll always be here."

Zhao Yiming smiled, some of the weight on his shoulders lifting as he throw the ciggarrete in his fingers. He leaned his head gently against hers.

"It’s fine. You being here already helps more than enough."

She laughed, eyes sparkling. "What a cheesy line!"

He raised an eyebrow. "Cheesy? Like... cheese?"

"That’s not what I meant!" Meilin frowned, smacking his arm lightly. "You’re not that old, come on! Don’t pretend you don’t know modern slang!"

"Though... lately, your way of talking has changed," she added, eyeing him curiously. "You sound more like your age now."

Zhao Yiming blinked, a bit surprised. He hadn’t even realized it—but it was true. His words, his rhythm... even his thoughts felt younger somehow.

"Ah... maybe because I spend more time with you and the others." He scratched his cheek awkwardly.

Not that he’d admit he’d been practicing in front of the mirror almost every day just to sound less like an old grandpa. The hours spent posing, adjusting his tone, it was paying off.

"Anyway!" Meilin perked up. "I made dinner! Why don’t we eat together with Mr. Wu and Madam He too? I cooked too much again."

She grinned and hugged him tightly, clinging to his side like a koala.

Zhao Yiming couldn’t suppress the warmth rising in his chest. She was too cute.

Unable to hold back, he kissed her lips gently. "Sure. Let’s eat."

She blushed and muttered, "Pervert..."

Together, they walked back into the apartment, plates full of warm dishes waiting on the table.

Mr. Wu and Madam He were already peeking from inside, clearly having seen their little romantic moment.

The old couple sat down with them, though their cheeks were slightly flushed and the air was awkward at first.

"It must be nice to be young and rich," Mr. Wu grumbled, sipping his tea.

"Isn’t it great?" Madam He smiled. "They’re young, and living in a giant apartment... maybe it’s time to start having children?"

Su Meilin nearly choked, her face turning bright red. "W-We’re not even married yet..."

The old couple gasped.

Mr. Wu’s sharp gaze turned to Zhao Yiming, full of judgment. "She cleans, cooks, makes your bed—and you still haven’t married her?! Brat, you’re trash!"

Zhao Yiming, who was drinking water, choked hard and coughed violently.

Meilin rushed to rub his back and handed him tissues as he struggled to breathe.

"I-It’s not like that, Mr. Wu!" she protested. "We just started dating! That’s all! Really!"

"That’s not a reason! Even worse! you just started dating and she’s already acting like a maid?! Unbelievable!" Mr. Wu clicked his tongue.

"It’s me! I’m the one who offered to help!" Meilin defended him quickly.

But Zhao Yiming gently took her hand and said, "Well... Mr. Wu is kind of right. If you want help with the housework, I can hire someone. You don’t have to do everything."

"Uhh... I don’t need that. I don’t even pay rent here... how could I just do nothing?" Meilin said quietly.

"Girl, you’re not doing nothing. You’re giving him your time and that’s priceless," Madam He said with a knowing smile.

"But you don’t have to scold him so hard, husband. Sometimes, women show love through actions."

"Hmph. Still, if I were that rich, I wouldn’t even let you touch a broom!" Mr. Wu huffed. "You better treat her like a queen, young man!"

Zhao Yiming smiled and nodded. "Don’t worry, Mr. Wu. I’ll make sure she’s happy for the rest of her life."

Meilin’s cheeks flushed again, but this time, she didn’t shy away from his gaze. She just nodded shyly, squeezing his hand back.

In the end, dinner turned out to be warm and joyful. As if the trauma of the day had never happened, they sat together around the table, sharing food, laughter, and quiet comfort.

It felt like home.

***

As morning arrived, Zhao Yiming had already finished preparing the safe house with help from the system.

The place was heavily secured. Equipped with trained maids, round-the-clock bodyguards, and even high-tech security at the front gate to ensure that anyone without authorization wouldn’t be able to enter.

Standing at the apartment entrance with Mr. Wu and Madam He beside him, Zhao Yiming turned toward the woman by the door.

"Meilin, you sure you won’t come with us?"

She shook her head gently. "I’ve got a dentist appointment today. It took forever to book it, so I really can’t miss it. But take care, alright? And let’s hope nothing bad happens again."

"Hmph! Young lady, remember! Make sure to spend his money before another woman does!" Mr. Wu huffed with a smirk.

Zhao Yiming and Meilin both laughed awkwardly. After all, the old man wasn’t entirely wrong... Zhao did have side chicks.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Miss Meilin," Madam He added with a warm smile. "I hope next time, we can sit and chat peacefully with a nice pot of tea beside us."

With that, the three of them left the apartment, the door slowly closing behind Meilin as she stood in silence. She had her own matters to deal with.

She had to meet someone, her father.

***

Su Meilin’s father, Su Jinhe, had forced her to meet him today. Of course, it had to be in a ridiculously luxurious VVIP restaurant, the kind that offered private rooms and gold-lined menus.

She didn’t want to go—every part of her screamed not to—but she knew her father. If she didn’t show up, he’d blow up her phone, her life, and possibly her apartment.

At least he didn’t ask to meet in Jin Haolong’s apartment.

That place was empty now. She hadn’t sold it yet... but she had cleared it out completely. That Chapter was over.

After finishing her makeup and changing into something simple yet elegant, she took a taxi toward the restaurant. Her phone buzzed nonstop the entire way.

("Where the hell are you? The waitress won’t let me in!")

("What kind of damn restaurant is this? These lowly workers dared to stop me! FIRE THEM!")

She sighed deeply and finally turned off her phone, resting her head against the window.

The city blurred past her as she stared out in silence.

Something told her today was going to be the worst day of the week. Maybe even the month.