You may ignore the TL Notes.
Chapter 3/5
“Yes, you need a food-card. This cafeteria is not open to outsiders. Are you an employee in this building?” asked the Mala Tang Boss.
“I am from the New Century Group. It’s my first time coming here…” I explained.
“Then you can go to the Personnel Department and ask them to make a food-card for you. We don’t accept cash here!” The Boss said as he swayed the spicy Mala Tang.
Get a card? Wouldn’t the cafeteria already be closed by the time I got a food-card!
“Director Liu, what’s the matter?” a beautiful voice was heard from behind me. As I turned back to look, it was Yang Mei from the company!
“Oh… I don’t have a food-card.” I said while smiling awkwardly.
“Ah, is that the matter. Then I will treat you to a meal!” Tang Mei said and generously took out her food-card, swapping it in the card reader.
The Mala Tang Master handed over the spicy Mala Tang to me after the payment was completed. After that, I went to the next window and bought two biscuits. Yang Mei was the one who paid for them as well.
As for herself, Yang Mei got a big bowl of rice with spare ribs. I couldn’t comprehend how she could eat so much with her small stature. It was inexplicable.
“Sorry, I made you pay for me,” I said to Yang Mei. A grown man like me actually had to depend on a young female student for a meal. It wasn’t a good feeling.
“Heh, it’s not even worth ten dollars. No need to worry!” Yang Mei said with an exaggerated smile.
“Then I will treat you to a meal tomorrow.” I casually said to Yang Mei. {TL Note: [Must get this chick into my harem.]}
“Okay! That’s a promise then!” Yang Mei hurriedly said. {TL Note: [I must get this husband, hehe. I won’t let you run away.]}
“Don’t worry, I won’t renege on my words!” I promised her.
Holding the food, I and Yang Mei found an empty table and sat down.
I took a bite of the Mala Tang before and knitted my brows. The taste wasn’t even near that of Chen Wei’er’s family. It wasn’t any good.
“Director Liu, what happened? Is it not good?” Yang Mei asked as she saw me frown.
“No need to call me Director Liu outside work, just call me Liu Lei.” I said, “Indeed, this Mala Tang isn’t as good as the one back home.”
“Then, I will call you Liu Lei!” Yang Mei nodded, “Where are you from Liu Lei?”
“I am from Songjiang Province, Songjiang City,” I said.
“Songjiang? As for as I know, Mala Tang isn’t a specialty in Songjiang!” Yang Mei said as she felt strange.
“It is not, but my friends family opened a Sichuan restaurant. The Mala Tang they make has an authentic flavor to it, and is very delicious.” I said.
“Which friend?” Yang Mei caught the small change in my expression and asked.
“Oh, just a friend from University.” I didn’t want to talk too much about my matters with people I didn’t know too well. {TL Note: You just wanna dupe her.}
“Female Friend?” Yang Mei asked as she blinked.
“Yeah.” I nodded subconsciously.
“Hehe, there must be something else! Is she your girlfriend?” Yang Mei questioned.
“Why are you asking so much, do you want to investigate my permanent address as well!” I flicked Yang Mei’s small forehead and said, “Hurry and finish your meal!”
“Aiya! Don’t flick my forehead like that, I am not a little girl!” Yang Mei rubbed her perfect forehead and intentionally said in a childish tone.
Sure enough, Yang Mei stopped talking for a while. But after eating a few mouthfuls of her meal, she spoke again, “Liu Lei, suppose you met a girl even more beautiful than your girlfriend one day, what will you do then?”
“I haven’t met any of them yet.” I didn’t want to talk about this inexplicable issue with Yang Mei, and so, replied.
“I mean if, if you ever met!” Yang Mei wasn’t happy. After all, she was a beautiful lady, yet he says that he hasn’t met anyone more beautiful than his girlfriend before her!
“I will see that if I meet someone like that!” I replied.
“Will you leave your girlfriend then?” Yang Mei continued to question.
“Haven’t you had enough! Why are you trying to investigate my personal privacy issue, does it have anything to do with you?” I said angrily, “If I asked you whether you have a boyfriend, and if you have kissed him, and gone to bed with him, will you answer my questions!”
“If you don’t wanna say, then don’t say! I was just curious!” Yang Mei spits out her tongue and said to me, “If you wanna know then I don’t mind telling you!”
“OK, I have no interest in knowing others private matters. Nor are you my girlfriend that I would want to know about you in detail!” The Mala Tang in front of me had already cooled down, but this girl’s endless questions were still ongoing.
Yang Mei had an expression of suffering from great injustice as she looked towards me. Pouting her mouth, she lowered her head and started to eat her meal. In her heart though, she swore, ‘Humph. Just you wait, one day, I will make you want to know about me! Humph.’
At this time, not far away from us, people from other companies were whispering in low voice,
“Isn’t that Yang Mei from New Century? Who is that man sitting with her?”
“Right! Yang Mei always eats her meal alone, how come there’s a man sitting with her today?”
“Who knows? Maybe, he’s a customer of the company.”
“Customers can eat their meal in the company cafeteria?”
“Or maybe, he’s her boyfriend!”
“What? Ah! It seems that I have no hope!”
“That man looks so handsome, you can forget about competing against him.”
“…”
I never thought that Yang Mei was so famous in this building! Yang Mei obviously heard the words of the people around her and looked towards me proudly. Her expression was overflowing with, ‘See, eating together with me is a matter of honor for you. Be honored now!’
I just smiled and let her satisfy her self-esteem. But I regretted it the very next moment! Because Yang Mei also started to speak again immediately.
“How is it? Want an opportunity to pursue me?” Yang Mei said as she raised her eyebrow.
“Forget it. I am afraid of being killed by my wife.” I thought that Yang Mei was only joking with me, and so, also said in jest. Who knows when this girl is serious or just joking.
“Your wife can’t be that ferocious, right?” Yang Mei said as she put on a fearful expression.
“Of course she can. I don’t want to be disfigured by her!” I also said with a fearful expression.
“That’s not possible, right? I will just never meet her then!” Yang Mei said, “Can’t you hide the matter from her?”
“Yang Mei, this is a very serious issue, you know!” I decided to frighten her a bit.
“What issue?” Yang Mei asked while staring at me.
“Are you going to be okay being my Mistress or a Lover?” I continued.
“What do you mean?” Yang Mei asked and continued to stare.
“Meaning is, I will not leave my girlfriend! So you shouldn’t have any high hopes.” I finished eating the biscuits in my hand and said.
“Haha, did you take it seriously. This Lady was just cracking a joke with you. Is there any doubt that I won’t find a boyfriend!” Yang Mei said with a carefree smile.
“Haha, I was also cracking a joke with you. Looking at your clothes, this perfume, and the accessories; if you really became my lover, I won’t be able to support you.” I said while pointing towards Yang Mei.
“Humph. Cheapskate.” Yang Mei also finished her meal. Carrying the empty dishes, she went to the exit of the cafeteria, threw them in the bin, and left.
