The overly natural joke seemed like an already accepted fact.
Ning Yanzhi's steps into the door paused slightly. The book tube hanging from his waist swayed forward violently.
It happened to hit Qu Yue's waist. She was already frightened by the boss's words, and now she stepped on her own skirt and fell forward.
She winced in pain, a soft moan escaping her lips, like a startled fledgling, looking dazedly pitiful.
But this also gave Qu Yue something to hold on to as she straightened up. Then she reached backward and grabbed something, pulling hard—
Ning Yanzhi's collar was tugged. His whole body leaned forward. If he hadn't reacted quickly enough and forced himself to lean back to control his balance, they would have both fallen to the ground by now.
Qu Yue didn't expect that she would fall in front of this man twice in one night, especially when he already disliked her.
For a moment, she was flustered. She took small steps backward and whispered an apology.
Ning Yanzhi stared fiercely at Qu Yue with his cold eyes.
But when he saw her shrugging her shoulders and looking timid, his breath caught sharply.
The sarcastic and scolding words he had been brewing in his mouth for a long time turned into a warning: "This is the second time."
She didn't do it on purpose...
Qu Yue felt like she had eaten bitter herbs without being able to tell anyone. Her already sore waist was hurting so much that it was even difficult for her to walk.
The boss wiped the chairs where they usually sat and asked, "Did you have a fight?"
Qu Yue was afraid that if the boss said more, Ning Yanzhi would directly order to close the shop and leave. She quickly explained, "Boss, we're not husband and wife. He's my husband's brother."
The boss dropped the rag in his hand. "Oh, I see?"
Then why did this young master always accompany her here to eat wontons before?
He also always secretly added money to ask the boss to put a few more wontons in the girl's bowl.
The boss's gaze lingered on the two of them for a moment, then silently turned around and went into the kitchen to make wontons.
Ning Yanzhi reminded, "The usual order."
The boss nodded understandingly.
Since this girl and the young master came together, it was basically the young master who placed the order. He knew exactly what she liked to eat.
The boss shook his drunken head. Forget it. Maybe he was just taking care of his brother's wife.
Ning Yanzhi walked to their usual window seat and habitually wiped the stool for Qu Yue.
Qu Yue sat down obediently. "Thank you."
Ning Yanzhi sat down expressionlessly across from her.
The boss was skilled and fast. Soon he brought over two bowls of steaming wontons.
Ning Yanzhi raised his eyes and glanced across the table.
He saw Qu Yue in her coarse hemp mourning clothes with her hands under the table. Her beautiful face couldn't hide anything. As the boss got closer, her two shining eyes were almost glued to him.
Ning Yanzhi: "..."
If he guessed right, she was going to rush to pay the bill.
Sure enough, as soon as the boss put down the bowls, she suddenly reached out from under the table and held out her small purse to the boss.
She spoke so fast that she swallowed several words: "Boss! How much are the two bowls of wontons today?"
"I... I'll pay!"
Ning Yanzhi's gaze fell on the light green purse. Some vulgar pictures suddenly flashed through his mind.
His originally cold and expressionless dark pupils suddenly filled with frost. "I won't use money from an unknown source."
Qu Yue had taken out the small purse because she thought that since he had given her the ointment, she should invite him to dinner.
But his words left her at a loss.
She carefully curled the hand holding the purse. "This is my..."
"Dengzi."
Before Qu Yue could finish her sentence, Ning Yanzhi had already called the servant waiting nearby in a deep voice.
His eyes were cold. "Pay the bill."
Dengzi pouted and reluctantly took out his money bag.
The young master clearly didn't want the other party to treat.
But Qu Yue didn't understand. Instead, because of Ning Yanzhi's sarcasm, her face suddenly turned ashen.
She had meant well but was being sarcasmed like this. Her nose couldn't help but turn sour. "T... Thank you for the treat then..."
Qu Yue embarrassedly took back the money bag and put it back on her waist. She silently lowered her head, pulled her bowl of wontons in front of her, picked up a chopstick with her small hand, and silently scooped up a wonton to eat.
But today's wontons were too hot. As soon as it entered her mouth, it scalded her tongue numb. It even caused a reaction in other organs, and her eyes were filled with water.
When Ning Yanzhi saw Qu Yue put away her purse, the coldness between his eyebrows faded slightly.
He picked up a spoon and was about to eat when he heard a faint sniffing sound from across the table.
Was she crying?
Ning Yanzhi's spoon hit the bowl, making a soft sound.
Had his words been too harsh just now?
But he was just telling the truth.
That fleeting glance in the brothel... He would never forget it.
The woman with her clothes half off, looking like a peach blossom, smiling sweetly at the strange man opposite. Just thinking that such beauty had been appreciated by others first made his heart ache with hatred.
So he knew exactly where her money came from.
Ning Yanzhi picked up the spoon again, scooped up a wonton and put it in his mouth. But he didn't enjoy the smooth taste.
All his thoughts were on making Qu Yue cry.
After swallowing two wontons in a hurry, Ning Yanzhi said, "Who are you trying to show by making such a fuss over a bowl of wontons?"
"Huh?" Qu Yue raised her head from the wontons.
Her eyes, which were naturally full of sparkling water, were as bright as stars. Her long eyelashes fluttered wildly, unable to cover the redness of her eyelids. Her whole fair cheek was pink.
The teardrops gathering around her eyes seemed about to fall at any moment.
Ning Yanzhi's breath caught.
He signaled Dengzi, who had just paid the bill and was still waiting for his wontons.
Dengzi: "..."
He didn't want to understand this look.
With a straight face, he walked to Qu Yue's side and took out a handkerchief to hand to her.
Qu Yue didn't quite understand. She raised her eyes and looked at Ning Yanzhi across the table.
The latter was holding a spoon with his slender fingers, stirring the big and plump wontons in the bowl. "No one will pity you here."
Qu Yue tilted her head. She didn't think there was anything about her that needed pity.
Could it be that he knew that she secretly decided to eat fewer wontons to mourn Mu Yuan?
She thought it was unlikely, so she shook her head and refused the handkerchief he offered.
But because of her refusal, Ning Yanzhi frowned slightly.
Did he have to wipe her face himself?
He kicked the chair away and walked straight up to Qu Yue. The book tube on his waist swayed gently. His vermilion robe exuded a cold and aloof air. "You're so troublesome."
Qu Yue had just stuffed a wonton into her mouth when suddenly her face was turned by someone.
The next moment, the silk handkerchief gently wiped along her lips.
Ning Yanzhi had never done such a thing before. With a cold face, his movements were not gentle.
Especially when he wiped over Qu Yue's slightly upturned lips, he couldn't help but press down slightly.
Soft and elastic.
The feeling was excellent.
Realizing what he was doing, he immediately quickened his movements. But his finger accidentally brushed against something wet.
He looked along and saw that Qu Yue, whose eyes had just been slightly red, was now crying.
Ning Yanzhi was flustered, but he didn't even dare to raise his voice. "I'm already wiping your face for you. Why are you still crying?"
Qu Yue pushed away the hand on her lips. "The wontons... are too hot...!"