Yingtai poured her heart out without leaving anything behind. The corners of her eyes were red with traces of tears. To cool herself down, she forcefully inhaled and exhaled deeply. "I know I was wrong. I shouldn't have said all of that. Honghui might get upset by my stupidity. The thing he hates the most is the conflict between the people he loves. So in order to make amends, can I divulge about you to him?"
Nonchalantly, Jianyu spoke out his opinions. "You are not stupid. It's just jealousy. It applies to your husband too. Personally, I reckon it's good that you let your thoughts out. You can't hide them in your heart for the rest of your life. The sooner it comes out, the faster problems can be solved. I am sure your husband's family also has their sides of the story. If not, at least, your husband won't just sit by and do nothing. He will settle it by hook or by crook."
He paused and scrutinized her gloomy expression. She hung her head low in despair. Then, he tapped on the table to make a sound so as to get a glance from her.
"Hey! What you did is great, Yingtai." He muttered with his eyes as clear as a day without a hint of cloudiness, making eye contact with her dim eyes.
The bittersweet feeling took place in his heart after hearing their story. Bickering over something insignificant, hiding your honest opinions that might hurtful to others, you can only do that with the ones who are the most intimate, who care for you as much as you do to them. He enjoyed others' company, but it wasn't indispensable. It felt new to him to long for the warmth of the family. Subconsciously, his eyes averted to his phone screen. He didn't pay attention to why he was being like this and it had been for a while. Like youngsters these days, he was incapable of staying away from his phone.
The tranquil atmosphere was disrupted when his phone rang. His smile widened before excusing himself to pick up the call.
"Did you get rid of my…" He didn't have a chance to finish his sentence before the phone got cut off.
Jianyu let out a soft chuckle and put his phone aside on the table.
He changed his beamed face to a serious one to continue the discussion with Yingtai. "I am sorry that you have to face it because of me. It's alright, you can blab as you want. Don't need to conceal anything. I appreciate what you did to keep my privacy."
His phone buzzed with a ding. Not sure what the notification said, but it certainly cracked a soft smile on his lips and eyes.
"Yaoyao?"
"Huh?" He was startled at the sudden mention of his daughter's name.
"You always wear that silly smile whenever you talk with your daughter."
"Really?"
"Do you think I should get a child?" Yingtai carefully asked.
"Definitely yes! A child is indispensable if you are going to get a family of your own. You should seriously consider it. You are not young anymore."
"I am afraid that I won't be a good mother. What if I got so selfish and hurt my kid's feelings?" Her voice weakened.
Jianyu uttered gently, "Just have a child first and you will naturally know how to take care of him. Don't tire yourself out in advance."
Yingtai nodded slowly in a daze before she jolted. "Let's go. I feel insecure being with another man alone. I don't want any misunderstanding if I encounter my husband's pals." She prepared to leave.
"Friends are no good. They don't even dream of feeding a hungry me."
Yingtai became impatient looking at his lazy and slow figure. "Are you coming or not?" She asked with a stern face and turned to leave without waiting for his response.
Jianyu chuckled and followed her. "Get me some food. If I die in emaciation, you are the culprit."
"Don't be silly!" In the end, he could bring a smile to her face. At least until they met a familiar couple.
***
Not being able to stand seeing them gloomy and dim, Zhang Xiulan volunteered to be the driver.
"Xiulan, I am going to a barber shop tomorrow to have a haircut. Would you come with me?" In the back seat, Hualing posed a question.
"Yup. I am also thinking of having my hair shortened because it can be annoying sometimes, especially if I am working."
"I know right!" Hualing could totally relate to it.
"Get off here. Get a room and order something in advance. I am almost dead from starvation. Hualing, text me the exact location." Xiulan forcefully left them at the entrance of the restaurant.
Honghui and Hualing couldn't help but shake their heads slowly in unison.
"She is hangry." Honghui broke the ice, teasing his younger sister.
"Yeah, she can't handle her hunger and anger well." Hualing smiled as she found her friend adorable.
"Let's just go inside and get something to soothe her temper."
"Great idea." She agreed.
After parking her car, Xiulan checked her phone if Hualing had sent her the address. To her surprise, her phone was muted and she had a missed call from an unknown caller. She clicked that number to make a call. The connection went on smoothly. "Hello. This is Zhang Xiulan. I just saw this missed call, so I call you back." Her eyelashes fluttered in curiosity.
"Did you get rid of my…"
She ended the call at the speed of light. Guilty, she peeked at her phone screen which displayed a certain unknown phone number. She hadn't saved his number. To be honest, she didn't have the will to save it.
'Did he call me to apologize?' She recalled what Grandpa Tang said.
She pouted and proceeded to send a text. In the typing box, she wrote. "Don't contact me again. I hate you."
'This is a little off.' She deleted it.
"No need to apologize, Mr.Li. I hope you don't contact me again." She was satisfied with her paraphrasing and sent it off.
'Goodbye, Jianyu.'
The restaurant was as extravagant as any other one the rich normally dined. Hualing was not familiar with it, so she scrutinized the place closely. She was so busy sightseeing that she failed to detect the deadly aura emitting from a particular man beside her.
What a small world!
Honghui noticed his wife happily chuckling with another man. What hit him hard was the thought that it could be that mysterious man. 'Did she refuse to come with me because she is meeting with that guy?' He frowned deeply.
As they were strolling in the same hallway, it was inevitable to bump into each other.
When Yingtai saw her husband being with Hualing, she couldn't reason herself properly anymore. Her body trembled in fury. She just didn't want to see her husband alone with her and irrationality took over her consciousness.
As soon as they came into Hualing's vision, she was grinning at an unexpected coincidence. She innocently greeted them in delight, beaming innocently. "Hello. Mr.Li and Mrs.Zhang. What a pleasure to encounter you guys here."
Her words and honestly her simple existence fanned the flame in Yingtai's heart. 'Does she need to be so pretty, smiling like that? And what's there to be amused about?' She furrowed her brow and her eyes filled with rage. One word from Hualing and lasers might come out of her eyes, destroying everything in its direction.
Uncomfortable at her sight, Yingtai tried to avoid them or she might have really exploded. She didn't even return a plastic smile back in courtesy and turned around to escape. But was unfortunately halted by Jianyu's invitation.
"Isn't this our famous chef, Zhang Honghui? I have been longing to meet you, Mr.Zhang. Finally, my wish comes true. We haven't had anything yet. If you and Hualing don't mind, can I and your wife join you guys?" Jianyu spoke with his usual smile which might have agitated Honghui 'a little bit'.
Hualing tilted her head to look at him for approval, simply because he was older than her so she was giving him face. By then, she realized the married couple was having an intense eye-contact contest. She blinked twice. Puzzled, she glanced at Jianyu who was giving her every signal possible to support his suggestion.
"That's great! The more the merrier." She followed his lead although she had no idea of the situation.
Four of them got a room and Hualing performed her duty which was to send the private room number they nipped into, to Xiulan.