Chapter 112: You're a restaurant decoy
Qi Meili’s eyes lit up instantly. “Really?”
The smile in Liang Zheng’s eyes deepened. “Why would I turn down a free meal?”
“Huanhuan! Come on! Let’s take this handsome guy out for dinner!”
Qi Meili immediately turned around and called for He Huanhuan to get in the car, only to find Huanhuan staring at her stiffly. “Sis, are you all right?”
Isn’t this Liang Ye’s brother? Why did she suddenly rush over to him like that?
Qi Meili shamelessly examined Liang Zheng’s face. Handsome—handsome enough to bring the heavens crashing down. Handsome enough that she could have her ID and household register ready in one second and get married at once.
With a beaming smile, she said to He Huanhuan, “Oh, come on, Huanhuan, don’t be so stingy. It’s fine to spend a little money on a handsome man this good-looking.”
She had just suffered the trauma of a misleading online photo earlier that day. Right now, she desperately needed to hit on an extremely handsome man to soothe her wounded soul.
He Huanhuan was speechless. “Don’t you think he looks familiar? This is—”
Before she could finish, Qi Meili giggled. “You noticed too? All top-tier beauties look somewhat alike. They’re not like ugly people, who come in every imaginable variety of ugly.”
......
Was that what she meant?
“This is Liang—”
Once again, she was interrupted. Liang Zheng glanced at He Huanhuan and asked, “What are you two doing out here so late?”
His gaze was intimidating, and He Huanhuan answered instinctively, “I came home to pick up a few things.”
Liang Zheng smiled. “Then we won’t keep you. We’ll go eat first.”
He Huanhuan: ......
Bro, are you being a little too obvious?
Those words had clearly landed right in Qi Meili’s sweet spot. She quickly climbed into the back seat and waved at Huanhuan. “Huanhuan, you go on home. I’ll come find you after I eat~”
“But...”
Her words once again went unfinished. The car started up and quickly disappeared before her eyes.
......
Face blindness, an outgoing personality, and lecherous tendencies all rolled into one. She really was something else!
She turned around angrily and started walking home, but the sound of a car came from behind her again.
“Why is there another... Han Mo! What are you doing here?”
Her voice rose involuntarily. She hurried into the car and urged Han Mo, “Quick, quick, quick... We have to follow Meili! She went to dinner with Liang Ye’s brother!”
But the car didn’t move. Han Mo smiled at her. “It’s only dinner. There’s no need to follow them, is there?”
“Oh, you don’t understand!” He Huanhuan was beside herself with anxiety. “Meili didn’t recognize him. She thinks he’s just some random handsome stranger!”
Han Mo nodded. “Isn’t that even better? If she were going out to eat with someone she didn’t know, then we’d really have to worry, wouldn’t we?”
“Huh?”
He Huanhuan suddenly came to her senses. “Oh... I guess so?”
Then what was she so worried about?
Looking at her dazed expression, the amusement in Han Mo’s eyes became impossible to suppress. “Are you going back to the hotel, or are you planning to move straight back home?”
He Huanhuan shook her head. “I think Second Brother’s hotel is pretty comfortable. I don’t want to go back for now.”
She felt more at ease staying at the hotel than at home. Gu Chengye and his wife truly weren’t bad to her. Every night, Jiang Yulan would come ask what she wanted to eat the next day, what she liked, and what she didn’t like...
Yes, she asked every single day.
She had been back for quite a while, yet Jiang Yulan still hadn’t remembered what she liked or disliked.
Gu Chengye was the same. He treated her with excessive concern, but none of it felt sincere.
It was like an employee placating their boss—going through the motions every day just to check a task off the list.
But she wasn’t their boss. She only found it annoying.
Han Mo didn’t ask any further questions. He simply nodded. “If you don’t want to go back, then stay at the hotel. Stay as long as you like.”
Brother Bao’s plan in Sawa had failed, so he would undoubtedly make another move soon.
The safest option was definitely for her to return to the Gu family home. The Gu family had security guards patrolling every day, and ordinary people couldn’t get in.
But she didn’t want to go back, so she wouldn’t.
Hiring a few extra bodyguards was all it would take. It was nothing.
He asked, “Want me to drive you around and help you clear your head?”
He Huanhuan shook her head. “I don’t want to sit in a car. Let’s get out and walk.”
It seemed like it had been a long time since she’d done any training. Her skills were almost getting rusty.
Han Mo nodded. “All right.”
Under the streetlights, their two shadows stretched longer and longer, then gradually shrank again.
He Huanhuan chatted with him intermittently as they walked, jumping from one topic to another and talking about whatever came to mind.
“What do you think Meili and Liang Ye’s brother are doing right now?”
“Eating, probably.”
“Do you think she’s realized who he is?”
“Probably not.”
“......”
And sure enough, Qi Meili hadn’t recognized him at all. She was too busy admiring his looks.
The car turned into a somewhat narrow alley and stopped in front of a restaurant.
Qi Meili looked up at the tiny storefront. A blissful smile immediately spread across her face. “Not only is he ridiculously handsome, he’s considerate enough to take me somewhere like this~”
He was even trying to save her money. What a perfect husband!
They had to get married. Immediately!
Liang Zheng smiled, pushed open the door, and got out. “Let’s go.”
The shop was small, but the service was excellent. As soon as they got out of the car, a handsome waiter over six feet tall approached them.
“Welcome, esteemed guests.”
Qi Meili couldn’t help staring. “Oh my...”
A displeased gaze instantly swept over from beside her. Qi Meili smiled sweetly and patted Liang Zheng on the arm. “Don’t be jealous. He’s not as handsome as you.”
Though that was what she said, her eyes followed the waiter involuntarily as he walked away.
That youthful, handsome energy was simply too alluring.
Liang Zheng’s face darkened instantly. He shot the waiter a glance, and the waiter immediately understood. He nodded and said, “Please wait a moment. I’ll have the manager come and assist you.”
He then quickly turned around and left, replaced by a beautiful woman who was both gentle and efficient.
The manager inclined her head slightly. “Your private room is this way. I’ll show you to it.”
She addressed them as “esteemed guests” at every turn, treating them with the utmost respect.
Qi Meili gave her a thumbs-up. “Your service is really good. No wonder this place can stay open despite being so tiny.”
The manager paused slightly.
Being this small? And still managing to stay open?
Their restaurant was a private kitchen that only accepted reservations. Its appeal lay in being tucked away amid the bustle of the city, while remaining refined and elegant. Naturally, they had no reason to make the place enormous.
She smiled politely at Qi Meili. “Thank you for your kind words. We’ll be sure to maintain our standards and continue working hard to provide our guests with even better service.”
After opening the door, the manager led them into the private room and quickly handed them two brand-new menus.
“We just received some wild Yunnan matsutake mushrooms this afternoon, as well as several five-year-old tender abalone. They’re all listed on the menu. Please take a look.”
After introducing the dishes, she quietly stepped aside and waited for Qi Meili and Liang Zheng to order.
Qi Meili opened the menu and glanced at it.
Her vision instantly went black, and she nearly fainted on the spot!
Holy crap! This place was a scam!
One abalone cost forty-eight thousand yuan!
Without hesitation, she glared at Liang Zheng. “So you’re a restaurant tout!”
No wonder he was so handsome and had agreed to take her out after just one invitation.
No wonder he’d looked familiar. He must have been exposed online before!
She stood up and was about to leave, but Liang Zheng looked up with a smile. “Relax. I’m paying.”
Qi Meili clutched her lower back and shook her head. “I’m afraid you’re eyeing my kidneys.”
Even if they cut out both her kidneys, she still couldn’t afford an abalone that cost forty-eight thousand yuan.