The silence in the car allowed Qiao Xiaon'an to continuously gaze at Yun Mo's handsome figure. Regardless of the wild wind blowing outside the vehicle, his hair remained perfectly styled, slightly ruffled, adding an aura of calm and restraint to his handsome features.
However, Qiao Xiaon'an started to grow upset. No matter how much she spoke to him, he wouldn't reply to her. Deciding to let it go, she turned her gaze back to the slowly moving traffic outside the window.
It was Weiwei who advised her once to drive a luxury car to avoid being hit by another vehicle. If one does hit you, the repair cost would bankrupt them. This is why other cars seemed to give way to Yun Mo's car from afar.
She wondered, just how expensive was his car?
Qiao Xiaon'an looked around curiously.
After a while, the silent Yun Mo finally broke the silence. "We're here. Get out."
As Qiao Xiaon'an, who was unfamiliar with luxury cars, struggled to find the door handle, Yun Mo got out of the car and waited for her. Seeing Qiao Xiaon'an previously clueless clueless about how to open the door of the "Phantom", Yun Mo realized that she was indeed unfamiliar with such cars.
Indeed, the "Phantom" was a limited-edition vehicle worldwide. The door handles, window controls, and everything else inside were different from a regular car. The most luxurious car that Xiaon'an had previously ridden in was Chu Nantian's Hummer.
"Get out." Yun Mo told her, taking a half step back after he opened the passenger door from the outside, waiting for her. As soon as her white loafers touched the ground, she grumbled, "What's up with your car, it took forever to get out."
"You'll get used to it."
With her feet firmly on the ground, Qiao Xiaon'an looked ahead. Isn't this the very same street where she ran into Yun Mo when she was drunk? The two quickly made their way to Qiao Xiaon'an's chosen old restaurant. It was Yun Mo's first time in such a small restaurant. He felt somewhat out of place in everything he saw, even though, in Qiao Xiaon'an's eyes, the place was clean. Tables covered in tablecloths, a layer of glass on top, chopsticks and bowls properly disinfected and wrapped. But to Yun Mo, who was used to high-end places, it all seemed unclean.
However, he didn't show any signs of discomfort, after a quick look around, he just sat there, quietly.
In the early spring night, the restaurant was half full. The scent of the hot pot wafting from every table seemed delicious, but Yun Mo, smelling it, felt discomfort. It was too spicy.
Moreover, never in the rich and expensive places where Young Master Yun used to dine had he found so many people, including audible chatter from neighboring tables.
There's no way he could get used to this, could he?
"Cough..."
At his cough, which seemed to come from an itchy throat, Qiao Xiaon'an, who was returning with a full plate of food, paused and looked at him. However, he quickly suppressed his cough.
Perhaps he couldn't stand the smoky, spicy air from the hot pot, and couldn't help but cough again.
Qiao Xiaon'an, who just put the meat and vegetables on the table, looked at him, "Do you have a cold?"
"No."
Yun Mo maintained his composure as Qiao Xiaon'an handed him a cup of orange juice. To soothe his itchy throat, he took a few sips of the cheap juice.
It was only when he was finally able to suppress the strange feeling in his throat that he put down the cup.
Looking up, he met Qiao Xiaon'an's bright eyes. She smiled at him.
"Yun Mutou?"
"..."
"Are you not used to this place?"
"No."
"Let's eat then. This place is famous for its hot pot. It's so delicious and spicy, you'd crave for more after the first bite. I guarantee you'll want to come back."
"…"
Qiao Xiaon'an, blissfully unaware of Yun Mo's discomfort as she eagerly cooked various types of food in the hot pot. According to Yun Mo, eating hot pot is a meticulous process: having a fresh and delicious soup base prepared by a chef, good quality ingredients, and expensive medicinal herbs. It's definitely not just a pot of spicy red soup.
He quietly observed Qiao Xiaon'an, finding her to be an earnest and down-to-earth girl. She didn't wolf down her food, but her eagerness made it seem like she was starving.
She didn't even notice he hadn't touched his chopsticks.
It wasn't until her hunger pangs subsided that she looked up at him. "Aren't you eating?"
"…."
Yun Mo's silence made Qiao Xiaon'an shake her head and go back to her food, grumbling about his wooden behavior and lack of responses.
"Are you not upset?" His delayed answer, though out of nowhere, was directed at her.
"Huh?" Qiao Xiaon'an looked up again, "Upset about what?"
Yun Mo's intense gaze fell on her. He stared at her without blinking, and then finally offered a clue, "Chu Nantian."
"…" Unsure of how to respond to Yun Mo, Qiao Xiaon'an was momentarily stunned. A thousand horses seemed to march through her confused and hurt heart. But she managed to mask her pain with a wide smile, "What's there to feel upset about? Chu Nantian is not worth my time. If I were to feel upset about him, wouldn't that make me a fool?"
Liars always tend to feel guilty. Qiao Xiaon'an resumed eating, one bite after another. She didn't dare to look at Yun Mo, also, perhaps, she was genuinely feeling a little upset.
Damn Chu Nantian. Didn't he know that she only wanted to love one man in her life? To love him through thick and thin, forever unchanging?
But that dream was shattered now.
Now that she's married to Yun Mo, she wondered how her life was going to be like. Now that they are husband and wife, she would strive to make the relationship work, regardless of the huge wealth and status gap between them. He is, after all, her legal husband by law.
But what if she fell in love with Yun Mo in the future?
Having loved the scum Chu Nantian, she could no longer offer her first love to Yun Mo. Wouldn't that be unfair to him?
If she could be with the person she fell in love with from the beginning, get married, have children, and grow old together.
That would be wonderful.
Qiao Xiaon'an's thoughts were all over the place. She added spoonful after spoonful of hot pepper to her dipping sauce. It wasn't until after she took a bite of her cooked vegetables, her mouth burning from the spicy flavor, that her thoughts returned to the present. Laughing at Yun Mo, she said, "It's so spicy, and so good... whoa, I can barely breathe! Want to try some?"
"…"
When he didn't respond, she continued eating.
After a while, Yun Mo picked up a cooked bamboo shoot from the hot pot and tried it.
It was really spicy!
So, she liked this kind of flavor, one that's so spicy it makes people choke. He noticed a fleeting sadness in her eyes. But to his surprise, this petite girl showed no sign of weakness. Despite her ex-boyfriend's betrayal, she managed to maintain a sunny disposition. She showed no depression, no self-pity. Her courage to start anew was truly admirable.
The sharp, spicy taste of the hot pot ran from Yun Mo's throat to his stomach, causing him great discomfort. Yet, he managed not to cough. Raising his eyes, he gave Qiao Xiaon'an a serious look — she appeared so delicate, and yet inside she was so strong.