Her eyes widened upon looking at the four dishes before her eyes. The delicious delicacies ordered by Li Da Zhan at the chicken grill restaurant caught her speechless. Therefore, even though the bowl of rice was placed in front of her a few minutes ago, she still hesitated to lift her chopstick and pick up any of the food into her bowl.
She rolled her eyes to peer against Li Da Zhan who she found excited to taste them all.
Chen Rou Jiao breathed out softly while staring at Li Da Zhan's behaviour.
"Enjoy the food. Call me if you need anything." said the old lady who served their food. Chen Rou Jiao nodded at the waitress and thanked her. So did Li Da Zhan.
"Thank you, auntie." Li Da Zhan exclaimed with a broad smile. The old lady nodded softly and left them in delighted smiles.
Chen Rou Jiao watched the old lady go down the stairs from the second floor; where they were at this moment. Calm and delicate without rushing here and there.
The restaurant is designated like an ancient restaurant with beautiful decoration and the atmosphere also made her feel like she was in the ancient world. Enjoying their meal while talking about poetry or art. Plus it was not crowded right now. A great place to have a quiet lunch and they could concentrate on their meeting.
However, when she turned to their table, Chen Rou Jiao could only breathe deeply and was staring at Li Da Zhan, who's eyes were sparkling and glistening at the food without seeming to care about the main point of coming here. They were supposed to discuss the project, and eating was their second priority.
Li Da Zhan lifted his delighted face and looked at Chen Rou Jiao across her with a sweet smile. "Let's eat, Miss Chen."
Chen Rou Jiao shifted her attention towards Li Da Zhan. His innocent appearance almost made her put her guard down.
Chen Rou Jiao sighed once again. She decided to put her chopstick down and crossed her arms. She made a serious face because she thought the man across her right now was playing with her.
"Can we talk about work first?"
Li Da Zhan chuckled. He put the just cook of grilled chicken into her bowl, before putting another into his. "Let's eat first. We can have a better discussion after we fill our stomach."
Chen Rou Jiao knitted her brows. Quite unused with his attitude. She couldn't accept such manipulation and packed her things to leave the place.
"Then enjoy your meal, I will wait for you at my office."
The smile on his face, slowly faded away and quickly looked up at Chen Rou Jiao, at that time already rose from her seat. "Can't you accompany your client only for this time?" Li Da Zhan was almost like begging her with his eyes.
Chen Rou Jiao, once looked at his eyes, she chewed the inside of her mouth. Debating with herself, whether to leave and ignore him or comply with the request and sit again.
A few seconds of fighting with her mind, finally she gave up and sat again. But still no smile on her pretty face.
Li Da Zhan automatically smiled wider and quickly filled her bowl with another piece of grilled chicken.
"I am just being professional here. Do not think about anything else."
"Fine, Miss Chen. Now let's dig in before the food gets cold." It was the fourth time he invited her. He wondered how many times did he need to say to make Chen Rou Jiao pick up her chopstick again.
Chen Rou Jiao had enough for arguing with him and took a bite of the dishes and rice in her own bowl. He secretly smiled seeing her behaviour.
Just about two bites away, she heard a sound from her partner. She looked up and saw Li Da Zhan seemed satisfied with the food he ordered. The way he kept on eating although his mouth was already full tells it all. Chen Rou Jiao took another mouthful of rice very slowly.
"You really have great tastes when choosing a restaurant." Li Da Zhan said while tasting the steam duck with chilli sauce.
Chen Rou Jiao lost her patient.
She looked him straight into his eyes. "Open up to me, why did you ask me here? Is it really to accompany you?"
Li Da Zhan swallowed his food before he had an opportunity to answer her curiosity. But before that, he nodded first.
"What else, then?"
Chen Rou Jiao shrugged. She had no strength to look him in his eyes but she must. "I don't know. You tell me."
"Hmmm… yes. You are right. I have another reason."
Chen Rou Jiao secretly smirks. She knew all along that Li Da Zhan had something he hid. Although she never expected Li Da Zhan would surrender that fast, she was all ears and desperately wanted to know what his motive was.
"You tend to fall sick if you ignore your meal time." Li Da Zhan pressed his lips after uttering those words. He dared not to face Chen Rou Jiao right now.
Chen Rou Jiao knitted her brows together. Her mind wondered how he knew that.
Chen Rou Jiao had a weak stomach since her childhood. Therefore, she needs to eat accordingly to maintain her health.
However, during her college days, when she had to work part time and study at the same time, she did not have time to have a full meal and was often admitted to the emergency room for IV drip. She had the same problem during her working time too, but it was countable. Especially when Xie Rong always looked after her. Making sure she had eaten at the right time.
Nevertheless, she never mentioned this to anyone, even to Xie Rong. Xie Rong only acknowledged her condition because she was the person who would accompany her to hospital. Now she was curious how the person in front of her knew her weakness.
"Are you stalking me or what?" Chen Rou Jiao leaned forward and put her arms on the table. She peered at Li Da Zhan like a detective.
"Huh?!" Li Da Zhan lifted his gaze and chuckled with her accusation. "No way. I will never trespass your privacy."
"Then did you know about my condition?"
Li Da Zhan froze for a few seconds. He tried to put the words carefully before he explained to her. Afraid if he speaks wrongly, Chen Rou Jiao might think he is such a jerk.
"Err.." He poured the hot tea into his cup and took a careful gulp before he emptied the cup in a second.
Chen Rou Jiao waited patiently while crossing her arms. The intense look on his face made her feel uneasy.
"Look… I have known about that since we were in college."
Chen Rou Jiao was secretly shocked but she tried to not make it obvious. She pursed her lips but she still let Li Da Zhan continue.
"Do you remember the times when we and others went to an orphanage in Jianba Village? before …. Well,.." Li Da Zhan had a hard time telling her about that moment because a month later, the incident where he misunderstood her happened. The time where he bore a hatred towards the innocent Chen Rou Jiao.
"Well... before you defend me from our seniors."
Chen Rou Jiao, her eyes moving upwards, tried to remember it. And she did recall the incident. Just she did not know where he wanted to lead her with such a trivial memory.
"Okay.. carry on."
"We all bid farewell to the children before suddenly you collapsed on the ground. It was me and Yu Yao who brought you to the nearest hospital while our professors and the other students returned to City A."
Chen Rou Jiao gasped. Her eyes widened when she totally remembered that. Though it was kind of a blur in her memory of the person who brought her to the hospital, but never crossed her mind that that person was her crush, Li Da Zhan caused no one to ever mention that to her afterward. Not even Li Da Zhan himself.
Her eyes were a bit calm now. "Why… you never tell me?"
Li Da Zhan scoffed at hearing that. He took a glance at her with a wide smile on his face, and was about to laugh. He sat straight, while both of his arms rested on the table.
"We were having a misunderstanding back then, how come I want to talk about that?"
Chen Rou Jiao nodded, at last. She found it understandable. That incident happened before Li Da Zhan started to become cold toward her. Surely he did not mention what he had done for her then.
Li Da Zhan slowly ponders his smile. He chewed his lower lips. While playing with his food, he sighed. Chen Rou Jiao was deep in thought, thus she did not realise the change of her client.
"When…." her eyes lifted up to look at him. Waiting him to continue whatever he wanted to convey more.
"You were hospitalised a few days ago. I fear if the old thing happens again." he grinned foolishly. The crystal clear in his eyes, made her heart hurt. "Then your assistant told me the real situation. About Sheng-ge. Heh. I don't know why I was happy about that."
Chen Rou Jiao shot him a glare. Li Da Zhan quickly shook his head.
"No. I didn't mean I am happy about your getting hurt by Sheng-ge. Please do not misunderstand me."
Chen Rou Jiao chuckled. "Then, what are you happy for?"
"Err.. I am happy about the reason you got hospitalised. You are not neglecting your health. That's all. But Yu Sheng-ge is still wrong to hurt you." Li Da Zhan was furious and at the same time curious, why on earth Yu Sheng did that to Chen Rou Jiao.
He completely understands if he heard bad rumours about Chen Rou Jiao, and takes precautions for his beloved girlfriend, nevertheless, he went too far.
He did not have time to ask Yu Sheng about that as he knew, Yu Yao's second brother was called back to City A right after he got out of the police station. Then he had not heard anything from him or Yu Yao anymore.
Maybe after he went back to City A, he could try to ask Yu Yao then.
Chen Rou Jiao had no words to say toward the kindness Li Da Zhan had given her. She felt that it was only a vague dream which she hoped to stay in that dream forever.
Would a simple thanks wrapped it up or there was more than that? Should she do something to repay him? She had no idea what to do.
"Do not pressure yourself about it." Li Da Zhan said calmly, and placed a stew button mushroom into her small plate. "I did when I found it necessary. We were in the same club at that time after all."
Chen Rou Jiao bit her lips. She stared at his charming phoenix eyes. Gave him a simple smile and continued their lunch in silence as both of them were totally shy towards each other right now.
"Thank you for what you had done to me back then." Chen Rou Jiao curled a smile towards Li Da Zhan.
Li Da Zhan nodded softly. "Do not mention it. Now let's eat. Then we can talk about the project."
Chen Rou Jiao nodded. She picked up the chopstick next to her and continued eating.