Chapter One Hundred and Fourteen

  When Li Yi Heng arrived, he had the driver drive the car and then told the driver to leave when they reached the entrance. At this moment, only Lai Jin could take him. The bar street was not far from the embassy street, and the two of them drove around in a circle before deciding to go eat French food. They found a nearby parking spot and stopped the car, walking over on foot. As soon as they entered, the originally well-dressed French store manager who was standing inside the restaurant like a human signboard instantly came up to greet them. Lai Jin observed his expression from afar, feeling that the light flashing in those bright green eyes wasn't much different from an old procuress of ancient times.

  It's also a pity for him to have studied Chinese culture so thoroughly.

  The madam, no, the shopkeeper maintained her elegance while quickly walking up to them. She first politely nodded at Li Jin, then used a tone that said "Sir, you haven't been here for ages" and said: "Mr. Li, long time no see."

  What the Chinese said sounds reasonable and convincing.

  Li Yiheng smiled and said: "Long time no see, Zhu Lian. Would you mind arranging a quieter seat for us? Thank you."

  Julian, the store manager, with a "please, sir" expression, led them inside, turning over a corridor, and this restaurant turned out to have another world. Li Jin wasn't here for the first time, let alone the treatment of not being personally received by the store manager, he didn't even know that there were several very secluded private rooms behind the restaurant.

  He looked up at Mr. Li's expression, but that person was calm and composed, as if he had seen it all before, and had come a thousand times.

  Then after they sat down, Li Jin asked: "Do you often come here to eat?"

  Li Yi Heng took the menu from the store owner and handed it to Li Jin, saying: "I've been busy lately, so I haven't come over much."

  The store owner stood by with a regretful face, but he didn't interrupt. He had been doing business here for a long time and had become a shrewd person. Seeing how respectfully Li Yi Heng treated Lai Jin, he knew that Mr. Li was probably just an accompanying guest today. Thinking again about the doting gaze Mr. Li had given Lai Jin on their way here, he understood what kind of relationship these two people were in and became even more attentive towards Lai Jin.

  "What would you like to eat?" asked Li Jin while looking at the menu.

  "It's all right." Li Yiheng replied.

  Li Jin glanced at him and asked the shop owner, "What does he like to eat?"

  The store owner then reported all of Li Yi-Heng's favorite dishes and finally said: "I remember Mr. Li especially likes lobster..."

  "Lobster?" Lei Jin furrowed his brow.

  The store owner responded with a proud introduction: "Right, the lobster ingredients used in our store are all air-freighted from France, ensuring freshness and deliciousness, and..."

  "Julian." Li Yiheng suddenly called out his name, smiling, "Don't sell anymore, that's all for now."

  The store owner was stunned for a moment, and then the mouth of Li Jin had relaxed his eyebrows, saying: "It's okay, I also like lobster very much, and I heard that this family's method is very unique. I just want to try it."

  Li Yi Heng said, "Li Jin, if you don't like it, no need to force yourself, we can eat something else too."

  "No way, I like it." He lifted his head and smiled at the store owner, "As for wine, champagne is fine. Thank you."

  He was actually lying.

  He used the clip to snap off the lobster's legs, that crisp and neat sound was like snapping the string in his brain, making him frown involuntarily.

  He felt uncomfortable as soon as he heard the word "lobster" when ordering, and now that a whole lobster was placed on the table, bright red in front of him, it made his skin crawl from head to toe.

  What's wrong with you? Why are you reacting so strongly to lobster?

  He felt a bit ridiculous.

  You've had it before, haven't you? When we went to France with Shu Mu for vacation, the two of us spent every day by the sea eating and drinking excessively. At that time, I still thought this stuff was tender and delicious, so why are you reacting so strongly now?

  It's as if his body has its own memory, and the sight of it makes him averse. When he puts a piece of meat in his mouth, it's like eating without savor, the taste is the same as chewing wax.

  He ate so painfully that Li Yiheng naturally saw it, snatched the knife and fork from his hand, and said, "If you don't like it, then don't force yourself."

  Now, Li Jin couldn't pretend anymore, so he drank a sip of champagne to calm himself down and said with a pout: "It's rare that I can invite Mr. Li, I don't want to spoil the mood, you know what I mean."

  Li Yi Heng laughed and said: "Idiot."

  Li Yiheng came over and didn't refuse, his chopsticks moving swiftly. Li Jin looked at his movements and felt that her slight resistance to the lobster was slowly disappearing.

  It turns out that Mr. Li Yi Heng was originally a foodie.

  He had long known that Li Yiheng was a gourmet who knew how to appreciate good food, but this man always maintained a dignified demeanor when eating with him, looking like a connoisseur. Now that they were together, his reserve had decreased significantly, and the distance between them had lessened, replaced by a warm and lively atmosphere. As Li Jin ate and chatted with him, he felt as though flowers were blooming in his heart, and when it was time to leave, he actually felt a little reluctant.

  As the year-end approached, both of them were extremely busy. Today, they managed to squeeze out some time to meet up, and who knows when they'll see each other again next time. In his subconscious mind, Li Jin didn't want to part with Li Yi Heng, so he took the initiative to send Mr. Li to the company, even deliberately choosing to take the most congested road during rush hour. Li Yi Heng seemed to know what was on his mind, or perhaps he too felt a strong attachment, and along the way, they didn't say another word, but at every red light, he would lean over and kiss him, kissing until Li Jin's lips were rosy red, and if they continued any further, things might get out of hand.

  Arriving at the Li's headquarters, Li Jin always drove the car deep into the underground parking lot before stopping. Although their relationship couldn't be hidden from others, they also didn't want to make it public, so when they could avoid outsiders, they would try to do so. When Li Yi Heng got out of the car, he walked around to the driver's seat and Lei Jin rolled down the window. He leaned over and gently kissed Lei Jin's cheek.

  "Where shall we go next?" he asked.

  Li Jin said: "Want to go to the scene to see Piao Fei."

  Li Yi Heng nodded: "That's very far, drive safely."

  "Don't worry." Li Jin waved his hand and said, "I'm leaving."

  He walked a long way, his cheeks still silently burning. Li Jin stopped the car in front of a Starbucks, rubbed his face hard, and only after confirming that he looked normal in the rearview mirror did he go in to order dozens of cups of coffee and have them packed up to take away. Luo Fei was really too much, the number of NGs was so high that it made the entire crew complain, if this agent didn't think of a way to placate everyone's anger, Luo Fei might not be able to make it in the industry anymore.

  The scene was in the suburbs, nearly a two-hour drive from downtown. That's when it happened.