Ling Ran hid inside the washroom. He heaved a sigh. After thinking over it, he took out his mobile phone and called Ye Yan.
Ye Yan was buying stuff outside. When he heard his phone ring, he answered the call. The next moment, he heard the person screaming like a banshee on the end of the line.
“Young Ye, Young Ye, where are you?! Where are you now…?”
Ling Ran’s hysterical scream got Ye Yan’s entire body shuddering. He nearly wanted to throw his phone away.
He sucked in a deep breath and calmed himself. Then, he enunciated each and every word, “If you call me by that name again, trust me, I’ll ask someone to toss you inside a sack and throw it into the river outside the city to feed the fishes.”
Ye Yan’s threatening remarks worked. Ling Ran’s sloppy voice once again came from the mobile phone with a hint of nervousness, “Darn it! I treat you like my own brother. After so many years of brotherhood and sharing all the good things with you, you actually dare to ask someone to stuff me into a sack and throw it into the river to feed the fishes without hesitation?! How can you be so heartless?! Is your heart made of stone?!”
“Ling! Ran!” Ye Yan’s veins on his forehead were popping visibly. He gritted his teeth as he said, “Speak properly. Or else, get lost and I’m going to hang up on you!”
“Wait, wait, wait! Alright. I’ll speak properly, okay? Where are you now? What are you doing?”
Ye Yan was choosing his stuff and putting it inside the trolley. He answered Ling Ran impatiently, “I’m buying things outside.”
“Outside? Where’s the location? Is it far away from the Thai restaurant located in the east?”
“Thai restaurant in the east? I suppose it’s not that far. It only takes twenty minutes to reach by car.” Ye Yan tossed the things inside the trolley. He frowned and said, “Actually, what do you want to say to me? If there’s nothing else, I’ll hang up first. I’m very busy over here.”
“Don’t! Don’t hang up first. Do you know what I’m doing here?”
“What are you doing there?”
Ling Ran grinned. He blurted out teasingly, “I’m on a blind date!”
“Oh, I wish you all the best, then. You should end your singlehood as soon as possible.” Right after Ye Yan spoke, he wanted to press the button, and hang up. Just then, the person on the other end screamed, “What the heck! Do you know who my blind date is?! She’s your dream girl, the one we saw during the former master of the Zhao family’s banquet! Eh, Young Ye, are you listening to me?! Give me some response!”
Ye Yan was about to press the stop button and upon hearing his words, he froze. He drew a circle on the screen and immediately placed the phone to his ears. “Which table?”
Ling Ran froze before he recovered his senses. He realized Ye Yan was asking him about the number of their dining table. So, he immediately told him the number.
As soon as Ye Yan got his answer, he said briefly, “I’m on my way now, You should leave.”
Right after Ye Yan spoke, he ignored his banshee-like scream and complaints and quickly hung up on him. He even let go of the trolley and immediately dashed out of the outlet.
Meanwhile, Ling Ran had originally wanted to seize the opportunity to show off before his good friend.
Little did he know that right after Ye Yan spoke, he did not even give him a chance to show off. Instead, he hung up on him without hesitation. Ling Ran glared at his phone when he heard the beeping sound.
“Fine! As your best buddy, that’s all I can do.” Ling Ran grumbled to himself before he kept his phone into his pocket. Then, he turned around and left the washroom in a flash. He escaped through the side door on the other end.
Zhao Youlin was sitting in the place and waiting for him. She was not aware of the unusual situation when Ling Ran had excused himself. By the time the first dish was served and Ling Ran had not returned, only then did she realize something had gone wrong.
She frowned. She got up and was about to ask someone about Ling Ran’s whereabouts. Just then, the wind chime hanging at the restaurant’s entrance clattered, and an unexpected figure entered from outside.
“Y-You… Why are you here?” Zhao Youlin widened her eyes so big and looked at the man who appeared out of nowhere in puzzlement as if she just saw a ghost.
Mu Tingfeng had not completely recovered from his wound. His face looked paler than before.
When he saw two sets of tableware placed on the dining table, his face darkened and he almost looked fearful. The cold aura exuded from him got the people surrounding him taken a few steps back.
Mu Tingfeng ignored Zhao Youlin’s question. He went up to her and grabbed her hand. He pulled her and dashed outside.
The attendant who was standing at the side hurriedly stopped the two. But, the attendant was terrified when she met Mu Tingfeng’s glare. She was trembling as she said, “Miss, you haven’t paid the bill…’
Mu Tingfeng frowned. He casually flung a gold card at the attendant. The attendant was struck dumb by Mu Tingfeng’s entitled behavior that belonged to a rich man.
By the time she returned to her senses and realized that she needed his password to swipe the card, the two had already disappeared.
Zhao Youlin stared wide-eyed when Mu Tingfeng had flung his gold card. It was a gold card. The person who owned a gold card must have at least millions of dollars in his bank account. He actually used it to pay for a simple meal that cost not more than a thousand dollars! How could he simply spend his money like this?!
Did the man know that there were many people in this world who could not afford to eat and have to starve daily?!
While Zhao Youlin was feeling heartache over Mu Tingfeng’s big splurge. His face had already turned black, and he dragged her to an empty alley outside the restaurant.
With a thud, Zhao Youlin’s back hit the wall. She was snapped out of her daze when she felt the pain, and she struggled violently.
Regardless, Mu Tingfeng was so strong that even when one of his hands was wounded, he could easily overpower Zhao Youlin.
“You rascal, let me…” Zhao Youlin struggled very hard, yet she failed to pull her hand out of his grip. She became angry and was about to cuss at him. The next moment, she swallowed her remaining words when the man suddenly bent down his body against her.
Again! He did this again! Whenever she was about to spit fire, he used the same trick to shut her mouth up!
Zhao Youlin grew angrier. When she was about to teach him a lesson like last time, she froze… when she saw him staring at her.
His eyes were different from his usual indifferent look when facing strangers, nor the strict look when he talked to his subordinates. Neither was he looking at her teasingly like he used to.
At that time, Mu Tingfeng’s gaze, which had grabbed much of Zhao Youlin’s attention, was filled with pain and terror.
By looking at him, one could feel him. He was in agony and overwhelmed with grief as if his heart had been dug out.
