Ye Zhengchen stopped talking, pulling away the newspaper from my hand and reading it without paying attention to me. tThe driver looked at me several times through the rearview mirror, filled with curiosity. tI looked out the window, where his blurry shadow was reflected on the glass. He had an inviolable solemnity and clearly embodied the disciplined demeanor of a military officer. If not for that face I would recognize anywhere, I might have suspected I had mistaken the person.
The car drove beyond the Fourth Ring Road and stopped beneath an upscale residential complex. I stiffened, looking at the surrounding mansions. “Aren’t we going to have lunch?”
“There’s a good private kitchen here,” he replied, noticing my nervousness, a hint of a smile flashing in his dark eyes.
Just as the driver opened the door, he moved closer to me, his tone calm: “Don’t worry, in this uniform, I wouldn’t dare do anything.”
I let out a cold snort. “You’ve done everything you’re not supposed to do.”
The driver rang the doorbell, and by the time we reached the door, it was already open. Ye Zhengchen led me to the second floor, where a young female staff greeted us with a surprised smile: “Captain Ye, please come in!”
When she noticed me, her joy faded. The service staff led us into a private room. Unlike other restaurants, the decor was simple and elegant, without any trace of smoke or alcohol, carrying a warm, homey fragrance.
“Please wait, I’ll brew some tea.”
” Watching the service staff about to exit, I wanted to sarcastically remark: Captain Ye, did you forget to tell her you’re married? But I thought better of it.
Shortly after, the female service staff brought in a pot of top-grade Tieguanyin tea, pouring it for us and presenting the menu. Seeing Ye Zhengchen nod at me, she handed the menu to me.
I looked – it was all Sichuan cuisine. “Is this a Sichuan restaurant?”
“No, we do both Chinese and Western cuisine. However…” she glanced at Ye Zhengchen, her big, watery eyes full of affection. “Captain Ye only eats Sichuan cuisine.”
