Chapter 14  

"Quickly, tell me! How was it yesterday?" Fang Qing Kui said with both her hands on the table and her eyes sparkling with curiosity. The person sitting opposite her was eating her breakfast with full concentration.

"Yesterday?" Jia Shao who was biting on the noodles mumbled vaguely with her mouth full. "What about yesterday?"

Her long finger pointed at the café not too far away and Fang Qing Kui blinked her eyes displaying an expression that said......you know, I know.

The person who was still hungry and forgetful, picked up the noodles with her chopsticks and foolishly asked. "What?"

The almond eyes stared at her. "Where were you yesterday? What happened?"

"What happened?" Jia Shao sucked in a mouthful of noodles. In her mind, the only memory she had was the two baskets of shrimp dumplings that she had eaten from the café. "Yesterday, they put in green vegetables instead of parsley in the shrimp dumplings."

"Who asked you about shrimp dumplings?!!"

Jia Shao swallowed the last mouthful of noodles, rubbed her half-full tummy and said. "Ah, yesterday's seafood risotto from the café was very delicious."

It was really good. After finishing the risotto, she still felt hungry.

Her cheeks were fiercely pinched and pulled outwards by jaded fingers. "Are you joking with me? I asked you what happened to your blind date yesterday. How was the other party?"

Jia Shao longing for more food patted the empty food box and then threw it into the trash bin. Then she patted her belly and gave a clear reply in three words. "I don't remember."

"Don't remember?!" Fang Qing Kui's voice suddenly rose up 8 degrees. "What do you remember?"

"Er......" Jia Shao recalled hard. "Yesterday's steak was done perfectly."

It is really a pity.......Zhen Lang, that guy ate all of it.

After so many years as friends, Fang Qing Kui could easily understand her. From Jia Shao's reaction, this woman is still hungry.

Fang Qing Kui walked away gracefully and after a while, she came back bearing a bowl of bean curd. Holding the bowl below Jia Shao's nose, she moved it in a circle and said. "Come, Jia Shao be good. Quickly think about it. How was that man yesterday?"

(Bean curd is a product of soybean and they are available in various forms, firm, soft or pudding-like. The bean curd mentioned here is the pudding type served either sweet or savory.)

The fragrance of the white and tender bean curd immediately captured Jia Shao's soul. Her eyeballs stared at the bean curd and followed the movement of the bowl. "Yesterday that man said that it is alright if I don't work, he will support me."

"Wa!" Fang Qing Kui exclaimed loudly in approval. "Did you meet a wealthy lord?"

In Jia Shao's eyes, there was only the image of the bowl of bean curd and she replied subconsciously. "Every month he will give me $200 and told me to be thrifty."

"Pu!" Fang Qing Kui laughed without a care for her image. "$200?"

"Um......$200......" Catching the moment Fang Qing Kui was not paying attention, Jia Shao hastily leaned forward, snatched the bowl and drank a mouthful. She felt so happy and closing her eyes in appreciation, she exclaimed. "So fragrant!"

Fang Qing Kui stared at the person who was slurping noisily. "Such a stingy man and he still treated you to shrimp dumplings and seafood risotto? Did you pay the bill?"

"No!" She raised her head and suddenly smiled happily. "I snatched the risotto that was supposed to be Zhen Lang's supper. Last night, he went hungry."

"Huh?" A light flashed across Fang Qing Kui's eyes. "What was Zhen Lang's reaction yesterday?"

Jia Shao snorted and rolled her eyes. "He knew I had to maintain my image and he actually sat where I could see him to eat his steak. Lowly!"

"And then?" Fang Qing Kui somewhat had a little understanding of the situation. "Then you just look at his steak to judge the degree it was cooked, looked at him order the seafood risotto, look at his shrimp dumplings and totally forgot about your blind date?"

Jia Shao pursed her lips and was unwilling to admit that Fang Qing Kui had pointed out the truth.

Fang Qing Kui propped up her forehead with her hand and could not help but sigh. "You really are a strip of tendon without brains. Don't you know what Zhen Lang is playing at?"

"What is he playing?" Jia Shao was baffled. "Isn't he just eating at the places I can see him, making me covet, making me sad?"

"You are a pig!" Fang Qing Kui could not help but scold her. "He is using food to attract all your attention so that you will not look carefully at your blind date and you will not be able to get married!"

('You are a pig' means JS is brainless.)

Jia Shao blinked her long eyelashes and the calm expression on her face began to distort. Her fists slowly clenched tightly.......clenched tightly.......

Fang Qing Kui no longer cared for her elegant image and laid her whole body protectively on her exquisite little round table. "Taking into consideration I have done you a favor by reminding you, don't break my table!"

"I won't break it!" Jia Shao gritted her teeth and turned her eyes towards the hospital building on the opposite side of the street. "Do you think he will get a discount if he is hospitalized in his own hospital?"

Fang Qing Kui who was lying on top of the table covered her face with her hands. She was hiding the expression which showed her trying hard to prevent herself from bursting into laughter. "Why don't you eat a full meal before you go on your next blind date? Then he will not be able to attract your attention."

Jia Shao: "......"

The next time when Zhen Lang stepped into Golden Sunflower Studio, he was greeted by a large array of food. Sitting at the little round table, Jia Shao was stuffing her mouth with fried rice while holding up a fork that was pierced with a Lion's Head* and she was slowing biting on it.

(Lion's Head is minced meatball mixed with mushrooms, carrots, rapeseed, water chestnut scallions, and ginger. The meatballs are boiled, fried or braised. The name Lion's Head is derived from the size of the balls which can be as big as a golf ball or even bigger.)

When she saw him coming in, Jia Shao raised her face, suddenly stopped eating and jumped up fiercely. "Why are you here?"

His expression did not change and gently patted the rice grain that had flown on his suit. "I came to look for you."

"I'm hungry." Chewing on the rice, Jia Shao held up the Lion's Head in her hand and waved it like a weapon in front of Zhen Lang. "Wait for a while........"

Zhen Lang's smile widened and nodded to indicate he understood clearly.

Does he want to continue sitting opposite her and eat as he did yesterday to attract her attention? No way!

Looking at the dinner in front of her that was ordered for the staff of the whole studio who was working overtime, she suddenly made a decision.

She pouted her greasy mouth, broke into a distorted smile and stuffed the remaining portion of Lion's Head into her mouth. "Today, you will not be able to tempt me."

Zhen Lang raised his eyebrows and casually pulled up a stool and sat down. He smoothly draped one leg over the other and watched Jia Shao.

Someone who swore not to be tempted by him then lifted up a plate to eat like a starving ghost.

After the food on the table was swept clean, Jia Shao touched her stomach feeling she was about to puke.

It seems she had eaten a bit too much.

She was not willing to admit to Zhen Lang......she had overeaten.

With a happy expression, she wiped her mouth and grinned at him. "We can go now."

"Ah......." Zhen Lang seemed to have just woken up from deep meditation and said faintly. "I forgot. Today I have a consultation. I came down to inform you that you have to go by yourself."

Wh.........what?!

The air of anger lodged in her throat and the food she had just swallowed nearly turned into blood spurting from her mouth.

He is not following her? He will not be using delicious food to tempt her? Then just now she had almost stuffed herself to death with those foods was all in vain?

"You......" Clusters of fire were burning in her pair of eyes and her teeth were gnashing. "Why didn't you tell me just now?!"

Zhen Lang beamed an innocent smile. "Didn't you tell me to wait just now?"

"Ou!" This time it was not the air and she really nearly vomited.

"Tsk.......tsk........" Zhen Lang shook his head. "Last time, that cream cake made you avoid eating desserts. Will this make you avoid eating food in the future?"

"I'll beat you to death!" Jia Shao sprung to her feet and kicked her leg up in mid-air.

Zhen Lang stood still in his place and saw her toes coming closer and closer, rushing towards his face.

*Dong!*

"......"

"......"

When Fang Qing Kui rushed down from the stairs in a panic, this was the scene she saw.

Zhen Lang was leaning against the wall with both his hands hugging his shoulders and there was a slight smile on his face.

A leg was strangely placed on the wall to the right of his face. The snow-white wall was dented around the toes and the paint had cracked. The powdery substance was floating and falling on Zhen Lang's shoulders.

One centimeter, exactly one centimeter away, the handsome face would have to do reconstructive surgery.

His smile gradually became wider and he stared at Jia Shao. "Is there anything else? If not, I will have to leave first."

Her chest was heaving violently and Jia Shao's fists were crackling with the sounds of her knuckles tightening. She glared at that smile on his face and regretted she could not rush up to him to tear off that smile and stomp on it ten thousand times over.

Her legs withdrew neatly. "Wait until my Mom has gone home then we will settle this slowly."

She did not look at that person again and rushed upstairs with agility. As she brushed past Fang Qing Kui, she heard her friend's voice flying over. "You are not allowed to smash the walls, not allowed to slam the doors and not allowed to destroy any decoration. The expenses incurred for repainting the wall downstairs will be deducted from your income."

Responding to Fang Qing Kui was a sound as loud as thunder coming from upstairs.

As the dust floated down, Fang Qing Kui displayed her professional smile in the shower of dust falling from the sky. "Senior Brother......."

***#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#***

Jia Shao was bloated, so bloated that with every step she took, she felt that her stomach was pumping and those food stuffed in her stomach would spray out at any time.

She lifted up her chin, forced herself to keep a straight back and only then would her stomach feel slightly better.

She was careful as she took each step and such a gesture looked calm and dignified to others. Only she herself knew that this was to prevent the food in her stomach from churning out.

Initially, she had intended to eat only two mouthfuls to pad her stomach but because of Zhen Lang's appearance, she had messed up her plans and ate all the food meant for the seven people who were working overtime, in one sweep. Looking at everyone's horrified expression and the admiration in their eyes, only two words were deeply etched in her mind........rice bucket*.

(When someone is referred to as Rice Bucket, it means the person is a big eater or a glutton.)

Just endure for a while and after two hours, the food will be digested. It will not feel so uncomfortable.

Jia Shao comforted herself in this way but when she stepped into the café, her face changed color.

It was dinner time and the mixed aroma of the various foods rose and drifted to her nostrils. She felt terrible and swallowed twice to push down the food that had risen up to her throat.

"Miss Jia." The man sitting opposite her said softly. "The steak here is very good. I had ordered a plate for you, I hope you don't mind."

Her brows were twitching vigorously and the smell of black pepper rose up and stimulated the abnormal turbulence in her stomach. All of her attention was concentrated on controlling her throat and was not in the mood to study carefully the man in front of her.

In particular, when the person opposite her cut a piece of meat and put it into his mouth, Jia Shao's stomach suddenly pumped and she was forced to keep her eyes closed.

She wanted to leave and flee this place as quickly as possible. She did not want to smell meat for the next three days.

"Miss Jia, is the food I ordered not to your liking? Do you want to change your food? Do you like Chinese style or Western style?" The man's easy-going nature and his enthusiasm made Jia Shao's stomach pumped again.

"No!" Her out-of-control voice caused the waiter's hand which was putting down the dessert, to shake and the man opposite her looked at her in astonishment.

Dessert!!!!

Jia Shao's head felt dizzy. She mechanically picked up the knife and fork and cut the steak in front of the man. Under his watchful eyes, she put the meat into her mouth and chewed bitterly.

She chewed......she chewed........she chewed........chewed.......chewed..........

No matter how the physiological response is irresistible. That piece of meat no matter how could not be swallowed. On the contrary, the man opposite her was eating happily and occasionally he would look up at Jia Shao with a gentle smile.

Compared to the man who liked to nag the last time, Jia Shao was thinking this man seemed to be better.

"Miss Jia, this is the first time we are meeting. Please forgive me for brazenly asking......." The man propped up his chin with both his hands and in a low voice, he asked. "Are you a virgin?"

Jia Shao's eyeballs nearly popped out and fall on the iron plate in front of her.

The man continued to speak with his voice lowered. "Actually I don't really care that much. If you are not, are you willing to do a reconstructive surgery?"

"Pu!......." Jia Shao spat out the meat that she was chewing for a long time and finally found a way to channel her emotions.

It seems she had come to a conclusion too early!!!