Chapter 8: Self-Torture
Yunding Restaurant, the highest restaurant in the imperial capital, offers a panoramic view of the most prosperous scenery in the city center. Unfortunately, today's weather was drizzly, and Wen Lan Sheng couldn't see his beloved urban skyline. However, the thin cotton-like clouds outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, along with the misty rain, had their own charm.
"Xia Xia, let's sit here." Wen Lan Sheng pulled her to sit by the window.
A male waiter quickly approached with the menu.
Fan Xia didn't look at the menu closely. Her life in the orphanage meant she didn't have high requirements for food; as long as it was edible, it was fine. She simply chose the restaurant's recommended set meal. Wen Lan Sheng, on the other hand, was torn between Italian panna cotta and Sicilian cheese rolls as he held the menu.
She raised her slender, fair hand, lightly supporting her chin, looking at the lingering drizzle outside the window. The rain fell in fine threads on the transparent glass, each raindrop crystal clear. The inside of the window seemed to be tinged with a faint, moist vapor, as if a gentle breeze carrying misty rain was blowing in.
"Forget it, I'll have the Sicilian cheese roll," Wen Lan Sheng said, putting down the menu reluctantly.
Suddenly, he felt an extremely uncomfortable gaze from behind Fan Xia, like a rusty knife cutting into his body. Though blunt and unable to break the skin, he could feel the intense malice it emitted, as if poisonously wishing to kill him.
Wen Lan Sheng looked in that direction. Among the hurrying crowd, Rong Xiu sat by the window, his deep black suit as thick as ink, his back as straight as a pine tree. He was looking out the window, his fair and cold profile almost blending with the chilly drizzle outside.
Wen Lan Sheng gnashed his teeth in disgust, almost certain that the gaze filled with strong malice had come from Rong Xiu. It must have been him.
He's like a ghost that won't go away!
Fortunately, Rong Xiu's position was behind Fan Xia, in a direction she couldn't see, so Fan Xia hadn't noticed Rong Xiu's presence at all.
Wen Lan Sheng glanced at him sideways but didn't tell Fan Xia.
He had finally managed to have some time alone with her, and he didn't want Rong Xiu, that rat dropping, to ruin it.
Looking at Fan Xia, who was still gazing at the scenery outside, and then at the appetizers that had just been served, Wen Lan Sheng's eyes suddenly lit up with an idea.
You want to peek? Fine, I'll let you look your fill.
"Xia Xia, this salmon tartare is so delicious, you should try some." Wen Lan Sheng scooped some up with a corn chip and held it to Fan Xia's lips.
Fan Xia withdrew her gaze from the distance, looked around, and said quietly, "Lan Sheng, this is a restaurant, not home. I can eat by myself." Wen Lan Sheng insisted, even deliberately trapping her foot between his legs under the table as he whined, "Just one bite. If you eat it, I won't feed you anymore. If you don't, I'll keep holding it up."
Fan Xia sighed helplessly and slightly opened her mouth to eat it.
"Is it good?" Wen Lan Sheng asked.
"It's good." Fan Xia nodded. The combination of salmon and avocado was very refreshing.
"Look at you, you've got some on your mouth." Wen Lan Sheng chuckled, leaning forward and gently wiping Fan Xia's mouth corner with a napkin. He deliberately bent down, almost pressing against Fan Xia's face, intimate without a hint of space, even their breathing seemed ambiguous.
Wen Lan Sheng glanced smugly in Rong Xiu's direction, seeing his hand tightly gripping the cutlery, the veins on his wrist clearly visible, obviously stimulated.
Wen Lan Sheng smiled contemptuously and triumphantly.
"Rong Xiu? Rong Xiu? What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" Xu Jingya spoke up, seeing Rong Xiu's sudden emotional change.
"It's nothing." Rong Xiu frowned deeply, his slender fingers impatiently tapping on the table to alleviate the irritation in his heart.
Wen Lan Sheng's provocation was like a knife cutting through wind and snow, its tip stabbing straight at his eyes, too sharp to look at directly. But even so, he couldn't help but secretly look in Fan Xia's direction, even if it was just her back.
"That's good. You suddenly turned pale just now, I thought you weren't feeling well. How do you find the taste of this restaurant? It's owned by a friend of mine, and the chef was specially invited from abroad. The taste is quite good. But I know you've been pampered since childhood and must have eaten all sorts of delicacies. If you don't like it, I'll have my private chef make you a special meal this afternoon as compensation..."
"Miss Xu, I thought we were having lunch today to discuss the development project for the island sanatorium," Rong Xiu interrupted Xu Jingya's chatter, his tone unusually cold and without any regard for her feelings.
Xu Jingya paused briefly, then smiled and said, "Of course we'll discuss the island project, but it's rare for us to have a meal alone, and it's the weekend. We can talk about other things before getting to business."
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