Yue Linze stared at her for a while, pursing his lips in a slight smile: “Compared to this, ‘Mr. Yue’ seems even more distant.”
“Mr. Yue, throughout history, respecting someone means addressing them as ‘Mr.’. I respect you and am willing to call you Mr. Yue,” Tao Yu played dumb, while secretly feeling their conversation was heading in an uncontrollable direction and wanting to stop it quickly.
Yue Linze didn’t force her, in a good mood: “Since we’re no longer in a doctor-patient relationship, let’s be more relaxed in our interactions. I regretted not being able to treat you to a meal earlier. Now that the equipment is broken, I have a chance. Would A Yu be willing to join me for a meal?”
“It would be my honor. I’m quite hungry after being busy all afternoon,” Tao Yu laughed dryly, unable to think of any other polite words besides “it would be my honor”.
Yue Linze glanced out the window at the night sky, saying regretfully: “It’s too late to go out now. Let’s just eat something at home today. This doesn’t count. I’ll formally treat A Yu to a meal tomorrow.”
“…You want to go out?” Tao Yu was horrified. She couldn’t go out now – she might be chased by loan sharks!
Yue Linze raised an eyebrow: “Is that not okay?”
“Mr. Yue is influential in the business world. For safety’s sake, it’s best to stay home,” Tao Yu put on a concerned expression.
Yue Linze suppressed a laugh, feigning ignorance: “But I always have bodyguards when I go out. After the car accident, the security team has been upgraded. Nothing will happen. A Yu can rest assured.”
Tao Yu couldn’t feel at ease. After years of being on edge, having just provoked loan sharks, she absolutely didn’t want to go out.
But it wasn’t up to her not to go out. Yue Linze lowered his eyes, his voice turning cold: “It seems I was being overly sentimental. Miss Tao has no intention of being friends with me. Forget it. I’ll have someone take you to the airport tomorrow, and others can handle things here.”
“No, don’t misunderstand, I didn’t mean that,” Tao Yu panicked at the thought of being kicked out, desperately trying to explain her hesitation, “I was just thinking about what to eat!”
“Have you decided?” Yue Linze looked up and asked.
Tao Yu answered without thinking: “Hot pot!”
“Okay,” Yue Linze nodded in agreement.
Tao Ya could see that he was truly unfamiliar, so she didn’t hold back and ordered several dishes she liked, along with some that she remembered Yue Linze enjoyed. Yue Linze listened to her ordering, with a tenderness in his eyes that no one could see.
After ordering, the room fell silent. Tao Ya was thinking about how to start a conversation when Yue Linze spoke first: “You know my preferences quite well.”
His tone was not questioning, clearly confident that his statement was correct. And indeed, it was correct. Tao Ya’s heart skipped a beat, and she laughed: “Your alternate personality is also produced by your brain, so preferences and such are naturally quite similar. I’ve been with them for so long, of course I understand some things.”
This was the explanation she had used to brush things off before, hoping it would work this time as well.
Yue Linze added hot water to both their cups before looking at Tao Ya: “I’ve wanted to ask a question before – while you’ve been with those alternate personalities for so long, have any of them ever developed feelings for you?”
His words were like a thunderbolt, shocking Tao Ya so much that her entire body bristled, her mind racing about why he would ask such a question. She worked hard to calm the roaring pressure inside her, and forced a smile: “Of course not. Why would you ask such a thing?”
“I don’t really eat hot pot, not because I dislike it, but because I feel a meal isn’t worth being fumigated by the pot’s steam for hours,” Yue Linze answered obliquely, “But seeing you seem so happy, I suddenly realized a meal isn’t worth it, but you are.”
Tao Ya was stunned, her brow gradually furrowing. The previous pressure had diminished somewhat, but she didn’t dare relax at all. Most critically, she understood each word he said, yet couldn’t comprehend the meaning behind them.
Yue Linze curved his lips: “You just said my preferences are similar to my alternate personalities, so I’m asking if those personalities ever had feelings for you, because right now, my heart can’t control itself when I look at you.”
Tao Ya continued to stare blankly, her gaze vacant.
“Miss Tao, I’m not very experienced in this area. Have you noticed? Am I pursuing you?
Tao Yuyan saw Yue Linze not speaking, her facial expression relaxed slightly, and she smiled and said: “Mr. Yue, don’t be too sad. Your current emotional reactions are all normal responses. After a few days, when this sense of dependence disappears, you won’t have this kind of illusion anymore.”
“I feel very unhappy,” Yue Linze slowly said in response to her words.
Tao Yuyan’s smile stiffened: “Hm?”
“Miss Tao, you not only doubt my judgment but also question my feelings,” Yue Linze curled his lips, “Perhaps you find it difficult to accept me now, but I hope you won’t reject my pursuit within reasonable limits.”
Tao Yuyan stared at him blankly, and after a long moment, she said with difficulty: “Mr. Yue holds a high position, how would I dare to refuse? I originally hoped to be friends with Mr. Yue, but if you insist on this, I’m afraid I have no choice.”
No matter what caused his sudden madness, she could never accept it. This was the real world, not a place where she was qualified to dream. First, the gap in status was too large, and secondly, she had told many lies, which made her not dare to have any improper thoughts.
If she hadn’t needed the money and wasn’t being pursued by high-interest loans, she would have tried to escape as soon as she heard Yue Linze’s first confession.
The red oil hotpot was already bubbling, and the entire room was filled with gurgling sounds. Wisps of white steam gradually rose along with a rich fragrance. The people on both sides of the table quietly looked at each other. Yue Linze suddenly asked: “What should we cook first?”
“Hm? Ah…” Tao Yuyan hurriedly straightened up and reached out to grab the beef rolls, but Yue Linze had already picked up the plate before her. Her fingers accidentally brushed against his cold hand, and she withdrew as if shocked.
Yue Linze’s eyes held a slight smile: “We’re cooking this first, right?”
“…I don’t have any particular preferences for hotpot. I like to throw a bunch of things in to cook. Mr. Yue, just do as you please. We can cook anything first,” Tao Yuyan said uncomfortably, not understanding why Yue Linze’s thoughts were so jumpy, but she still went along with changing the subject.
During their conversation, the clear soup pot also began to boil. Yue Linze put some items on both sides and poured a glass of water for Tao Yuyan. Every time she tried to help, he stopped her with just a glance, leaving her to finally sit uneasily and thank him.
The meal was somewhat indigestible. When she put down her chopsticks, there were still most of the ingredients left. She looked regretfully at these items, thinking that she would never have wasted them if Yue Linze hadn’t said all those inexplicable things.
Her biggest regret was not being able to take the leftovers home.
Tao Yuyan sighed, just about to get up and leave, when she heard Yue Linze say: “Call the waiter and have them pack it.”
Tao Yuyan froze for a moment, looking at him in surprise, first suspecting whether he had installed a listening device in her brain.
Yue Linze looked at her expression amusedly: “Money from rich people isn’t blown over by the wind.”
“…Mr. Yue is thrifty and housekeeping, truly a good man,” Tao Yuyan laughed awkwardly in praise.
Yue Linze gave her a meaningful look: “Unfortunately, even such a man can be rejected sometimes.”
