Shopping malls have never lacked couples, so it was only natural to see many of them here on dates, sharing meals, or watching movies.
Especially during the Lunar New Year, the bustling crowds filled the hallways. If one wasn’t careful, they could easily lose sight of their companion.
Perhaps relationships were the same; with a single moment of distraction, the other person could be swept away by the surging tide of people.
From the moment she entered the mall until she found a Western restaurant with available seating, Lin Xiaojue had already witnessed over ten couples breaking up.
“I just can’t be with you! You’re my girlfriend, so why did you seduce my wife?! Tell me, why?!” a man in a trench coat roared with glaring eyes.
The woman opposite him, who was a few inches taller, met his gaze with a cold expression before taking the hand of a petite woman beside her.
“You’re already married to her, so why did you go out and find yourself a husband? And if a husband wasn’t enough, you had to find yourself a girlfriend too?”
“It’s a good thing I never kissed you, or I wouldn’t know how to deal with the disgust!”
The man in the trench coat let out a shrill cry. Suddenly, a burly man walked up from behind and wrapped his arms around the smaller man’s waist.
“Ah~ Hubby~”
“Disgusting!” The tall woman curled her lip and interlaced her fingers with the petite woman, letting out a cold snort. “Hmph, I’m taking your wife with me. Go spend your time with your man.”
“Big sister, but I’m still pregnant with a child…” The petite woman touched her stomach, her eyes downcast.
“Then give birth to it. It’s mine anyway, little sister.”
The tall woman tilted the petite woman’s chin up and gave her a deep, affectionate kiss.
“Mmh~ As expected of Big Sister.”
“Is your cousin’s kiss good?”
“It’s good.”
With that, the two left under the stunned gazes of the bystanders.
In their shock, many people pulled out their phones to type on their keyboards.
Accompanied by photos and what could only be described as an explosive video, this would surely become the year’s biggest viral hit.
What a melodramatic reality.
Lin Xiaojue dazed for a moment. If this plot were put into a TV drama, it would probably last for at least hundreds of episodes.
Hearing that someone who already had a wife would also have a girlfriend made her shudder. Was she doing something similar? No, that didn’t seem right.
She and Su Yaqing hadn’t truly confirmed their relationship yet. They were still at a stage below being lovers, far from the point of marriage.
Lin Xiaojue constantly scrutinized herself. She only wanted to help Xia Yao escape that family; she didn’t want Xia Yao to end up like that again. She wanted her to at least live a stable life.
‘I’m not cheating.’
Reaching this conclusion, Lin Xiaojue nodded with satisfaction. She pulled Xia Yao into the Western restaurant and found a seat.
There weren’t many customers in this restaurant. It couldn’t be called deserted, but it wasn’t bustling either; it was just average.
The interior was luxuriously decorated. A massive crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, reflecting fragmented sparkles of light.
Waiters in uniforms moved back and forth, and the people enjoying their meals were exceptionally quiet.
Because the New Year was approaching, red appliques were pasted on the floor-to-ceiling windows. A large character for “Fortune” happened to block the view outside.
Although it ruined the Western atmosphere of the restaurant, it allowed Lin Xiaojue to shift her gaze away from the passing crowds and focus on Xia Yao.
Xia Yao’s red, amber-like eyes stared blankly as she curiously took in her surroundings. It seemed she had never seen a place like this before.
Lin Xiaojue tilted her head. An impulse to ask Xia Yao about it rose in her heart, but she suppressed it firmly.
Asking someone “Is this your first time here?” at a time like this would only bring them trouble.
Lin Xiaojue did not want to cause Xia Yao any trouble.
Therefore, she picked up the menu from the corner of the table and carefully scrutinized the price list.
Creamy bacon mushroom pasta—188
Angus ribeye steak—399
Italian minimalist fried egg—58
Lin Xiaojue put down the menu, feeling a sudden urge to walk right back out the door.
She finally understood why there were so few people here.
“Pre… Predecessor.” Xia Yao clutched her chest, her eyes filled with worry. “Maybe we should go somewhere else. This place looks… very expensive.”
For Xia Yao, this was the first restaurant of its kind she had seen in her life.
The most high-end place she had been to before was the Grill house with the Predecessor.
Although that could hardly be called a restaurant, to Xia Yao, it was already the largest dining establishment she had ever seen.
Aside from that, every place more upscale than that made Xia Yao feel as if she couldn’t breathe.
She only dared to be cautious, trying her best not to cause trouble for her teammate.
But in reality, she had already caused the Predecessor so much trouble.
No matter how many times she tried, she could never make up for it.
Xia Yao slowly lowered her head, her eyelids fluttering as they grew misty with unshed tears.
“We don’t need to change, Xiao Xia. Today is my treat. We have to eat the best food.”
Lin Xiaojue set the menu down and called over a waiter to order several dishes. Then, she turned back to look at Xia Yao.
“Is steak okay for you, Xiao Xia?”
“Uh, I… anything is fine.”
Xia Yao toyed with her hair, answering in a voice as soft as a mosquito’s buzz.
It seemed that steak was the only thing she was somewhat familiar with here.
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