Chapter 10: The Stingy Boyfriend in the Friend Group

After hanging up the phone, Meng Chu checked her chat history, hoping to jog her memory.

Unsurprisingly, there was nothing.

That day, when she mentioned having a meal, it was on the balcony of that Bund restaurant.

Naturally, no written record remained.

No wonder major companies now required employees to keep work diaries-written evidence was essential, or else things could easily become unclear.

Like now, she was completely in the dark.

Had she actually said “next week,” or had Cheng Jinyu misheard her?

But in the end, none of it mattered.

She quickly pulled out her phone and began searching for restaurants near the company.

As she filtered for options with a per-person cost of over 500 yuan, she also messaged her assistant, Jiang Xinya, asking her to call familiar restaurant managers.

These days, decent restaurants all required reservations.

Finally, she secured a table at a Cantonese restaurant.

Setting her phone down, Meng Chu leaned back in her chair, relaxing for the first time, only to recall the earlier moment.

When Cheng Jinyu mentioned driving back, she had instinctively lied.

Because she truly couldn’t be sure whether she had said “next week” or “next time.”

Not to mention the Australian lobster he had gifted her even the diamond ring still sitting in her home safe was enough to justify treating him to ten, eight, or even a hundred meals.

Decorum!

He was nothing but polite and proper in every way.

Of course, she had to match that same level of decorum.

It was just one meal. Even if he had misheard, she would have had to treat him sooner or later anyway.

Today was as good a time as any.

When it came to favors, the sooner they were repaid, the better.

Meng Chu then opened her phone’s camera, using it as a mirror to check if her hair was still neat and her makeup intact after a busy morning.

She usually didn’t wear much makeup to work, but then Gu Ting had once pulled her aside.

He reminded her that as the Operations Director, she frequently interacted with clients.

She should make the most of her natural advantages in appearance.

Gu Ting advised her to prioritize the company’s image above all else—after all, she was also a co-founder.

Since then, Meng Chu made sure to apply light makeup daily, ensuring she always looked polished.

About twenty minutes later, her phone rang again.

The moment she answered, she stood and headed for the office.

“I’m heading downstairs now,” Meng Chu said.

Cheng Jinyu chuckled softly on the other end, his tone calm. “No rush.”

Meng Chu’s hurried steps faltered.

Wait.

How did such a simple sentence, when spoken by him, sound so different?

It made her seem like she was desperate to see him.

Meng Chu slowed her pace and said lazily, “There are traffic cops downstairs. Parking illegally costs 200 yuan, but I suppose that’s nothing to you.”

Even though she knew he couldn’t see her expression, Meng Chu still forced a polite, empty smile.

“I’ll take my time coming down.”

As she waited by the elevator, Cheng Jinyu’s amused words echoed in her mind.

But now that she thought about it, it wasn’t that strange.

With his family background and looks, he must have been fawned over endlessly since childhood.

No wonder he had developed this attitude, assuming everyone had ulterior motives toward him.

Really, it wasn’t surprising.

Who wouldn’t crave a taste of the “Tang Monk’s flesh”?

Even demons fought tooth and nail for it.

Meng Chu stared at the elevator doors before her, their polished surfaces reflecting her image with startling clarity.

She suddenly laughed.

Because she was wondering—just where did she stand in his heart?

The one who’d already snatched him up?

*

Though Meng Chu had said she’d come down slowly, she didn’t deliberately drag her feet.

When she stepped outside, she saw the sleek and striking Aston Martin parked by the curb.

Passing men couldn’t help but glance back at it.

Meng Chu quickly walked over and pulled open the passenger door without hesitation.

As soon as she got in, she said, “I’ll send you the restaurant address.”

“Mm.” Cheng Jinyu responded indifferently.

Only after sending him the location did Meng Chu fasten her seatbelt.

A moment later, Cheng Jinyu set up the navigation. 

Without much conversation, he started the car.

It was midday, with crowds of people and heavy traffic.

The car inched forward at a painfully slow pace.

The silence inside the vehicle grew almost oppressive.

After a brief hesitation, Meng Chu spoke first. 

“I didn’t expect you to know where my company is.”

Unexpectedly, Cheng Jinyu glanced at her and countered, “Do you know the name of my company?”

“Yunji Capital.”

The answer slipped out instantly.

Cheng Jinyu gave a faint hum, then tapped his index finger lightly against the steering wheel. 

“If you searched online, you could also find out where my company is.”

Meng Chu: “…”

So just say you looked it up.

Did you really have to go in circles like that?

Fortunately, Meng Chu had always been the composed type.

Though she mentally grumbled, her expression remained unchanged.

She simply turned her head slightly to gaze out the window.

The sunlight was unusually intense today. 

Even with the air conditioning on, the heat outside was palpable.

Even in September, Shanghai’s warmth showed no signs of fading.

Luckily, the restaurant Meng Chu had chosen wasn’t far—just a twenty-minute drive.

After parking in the garage, the two headed upstairs.

At the entrance, Meng Chu gave her reservation number, and the waiter politely escorted them inside.

“I booked a table in the main dining area. Is that okay?” Meng Chu asked as they sat down.

This time, Cheng Jinyu seemed unfazed, shaking his head lightly. “It’s fine.”

Good.

Meng Chu exhaled in relief.

The waiter soon brought over two elegant menus and handed one to each of them.

As Meng Chu flipped open the first page, she asked, “Any dietary restrictions?”

Cheng Jinyu shook his head. 

“None.”

“Don’t hold back on my account,” she added.

After all, the man before her hardly seemed like someone without preferences.

Perhaps realizing they’d likely share more meals in the future, Cheng Jinyu lifted his gaze slightly. 

Though he hadn’t spoken yet, his expression clearly said, Since you asked, I won’t hold back.

“No offal.”

Understandable.

“No garlic.”

Strong flavor-also understandable.

“No cilantro.”

Plenty of people disliked that—not too demanding.

“No spicy food.”

Rich people really do prefer bland tastes…

*    *    *

Once Cheng Jinyu finished, he looked at Meng Chu, his voice cool and refined.

“That’s all.”

Meng Chu blinked her eyes, gathering her thoughts for a long moment before finally saying, “No wonder it’s clear you’re a very decisive person.”

After much deliberation, she truly couldn’t think of anything else to say.

“Hmm,” Cheng Jinyu didn’t seem to take this as criticism either.

After his acknowledgment, silence settled between them.

Meng Chu was about to lower her head to look at the menu.

But then she remembered-she’d been so focused on asking about his dietary restrictions that she hadn’t even asked what he wanted to eat.

When she lifted her gaze, it collided directly with Cheng Jinyu’s eyes.

Clear and straightforward.

They stared right at her without hesitation.

“What I don’t like, I absolutely won’t accept.”

Cheng Jinyu’s voice sounded calm on the surface, yet there was an inexplicable undercurrent of intensity that swept over her, pulling her

into its depths before she realized it.

Translated differently, his words meant:

-I only want what I like.

Meng Chu’s fingers tightened around the menu, gripping it harder and harder.

Like an endless tidal wave engulfing her completely, she could hear her heart pounding wildly.

*

Meng Chu kept her head down, quietly studying the menu.

Whether it was her imagination or not, she couldn’t shake the feeling that the person across from her hadn’t stopped looking at her.

She hadn’t responded to Cheng Jinyu’s earlier statement.

Perhaps she was overthinking it again.

Hadn’t she always been prone to overanalyzing, only to make things awkward?

He was probably just talking about food—not eating what he didn’t like.

Actually, many adults were quite picky eaters.

She herself absolutely refused to eat leeks, disliking how the taste lingered in her mouth.

Thinking this way did make her feel considerably lighter.

Then she raised her head with her usual composure.

“How about trying this restaurant’s Australian lobster?” 

Meng Chu suggested, spotting it on the menu.

“Sure, whatever.”

Cheng Jinyu’s lashes were slightly lowered at that moment. 

One had to admit—heaven had truly favored him. 

For a man, his eyelashes were unusually thick and long. 

With them lowered like this, she couldn’t discern any emotion in his eyes.

But the atmosphere around him seemed several degrees colder than before.

That aloof, detached aura had abruptly returned.

Meng Chu took a deep breath. 

“Then let’s also order the black pepper snowflake beef, mountain spring water vegetables, and scallop conch soup…”

Just as she hesitated whether to add more dishes, Cheng Jinyu spoke up: “That’s enough.”

“Okay.” 

She nodded in agreement and called the waiter over.

During the wait for their food, Cheng Jinyu didn’t speak.

So Meng Chu didn’t attempt conversation either.

When the dishes finally arrived—the restaurant was impressively fast—she hesitated before asking, “Um, would you mind if I took a photo first?”

Cheng Jinyu glanced at her lazily. 

“Do as you like.”

After she took one picture of the dishes, his eyelids lifted slightly. 

“Just one?”

“Huh?” 

Surprised he’d follow up, she explained, “It’s for my mom.”

Seeing he was still watching her, Meng Chu suddenly felt the need to clarify.

“Actually, for the past three months, I’ve occasionally posted on social media to let my mom know I have a stable…” 

She paused here, carefully choosing her words, “partner. So it won’t come as a complete shock later.”

The “later” she referred to was when she would officially announce their marriage to her mother.

Meng Chu had been carefully laying the groundwork for this all along.

“I get it,” Cheng Jinyu said, the usual coolness in his demeanor softening slightly.

But then he looked at Meng Chu and asked, “Why haven’t I seen any of your posts on Moments?”

Meng Chu blinked and replied, “Those posts were only for my mom. They were set to ‘visible to her alone.””

“Can I see them?”

Cheng Jinyu suddenly spoke up.

Meng Chu was stunned. She hadn’t expected him to ask to see those posts.

But she couldn’t bring herself to refuse.

After all, those posts did have something to do with him.

After some hesitation, she said, “Wait a moment,” and lowered her head to fiddle with her phone.

A short while later, she said, “I’ve added you to that group.”

So Cheng Jinyu picked up his phone, opened WeChat, and clicked into Meng Chu’s Moments.

Sure enough, compared to her previous posts-which had made her account look like an official corporate page for Xingyuan Tech-there was now a touch of real life in them.

Meng Chu sat across from him, watching as his fingers lightly scrolled through the screen.

Wait.

Why did this feel like being back in high school, waiting for a teacher to grade her test?

She was practically squirming in her seat.

Just as Meng Chu was wondering when this agonizingly long ordeal would end, the man across from her finally looked up.

But the expression in Cheng Jinyu’s eyes was indescribable.

Well, it made sense. Someone had been secretly posting about him in their Moments for three months without his knowledge.

That was definitely… odd.

It was normal if he didn’t like it.

So she steeled herself and said, “If you don’t—”

What she meant was:

If he wasn’t okay with it, she wouldn’t post anymore.

But before she could finish, Cheng Jinyu interrupted her. “Meng Chu.”

Hearing him suddenly call her name, Meng Chu instinctively straightened in her seat.

But that unreadable emotion in his eyes remained.

Until he finally spoke slowly.

“This boyfriend of yours in your Moments… seems a little stingy.”

Meng Chu: “…”

Huh???

Cheng Jinyu then placed his phone face-down on the table, propped his elbow on the surface, and rested his cheek against his hand, staring straight at her with what sounded like an amused sigh in his voice.

“Only one bouquet of flowers in three months.”

Meng Chu:

Finally, as if settling the matter, he concluded, “Looks like he’ll have to step up his game.”