Chapter 135: First Date
Jin Shi Yue had a cigarette dangling from his lips, his eyes narrowed as he looked at her, a roguish smile on his face, “Who is Junior Sister looking for?”
Lian Li turned her head away, ignoring him.
A scoundrel is a scoundrel, no matter how good-looking.
Jin Shi Yue, however, smiled meaningfully, “Don’t recognize your boyfriend again?”
“I don’t have a boyfriend.” Lian Li lowered her head to fiddle with her mobile phone, continuing to edit her message.
Jin Shi Yue’s jaw tightened, his eyes glancing at her, “Preparing to marry me?”
For a normal person, transitioning from having a boyfriend to not having one is equivalent to a breakup. He, on the other hand, goes from boyfriend to husband.
It’s as if he’s fallen for her this lifetime and isn’t leaving.
Lian Li remained silent, because talking to him made her type wrong characters, requiring deletion and retyping.
As she was editing the last two characters, the light above her head was suddenly blocked, casting a heavy shadow.
Lian Li slowly raised her head, her gaze falling upon Jin Shi Yue, who had walked up to her.
He held a bouquet of vibrant, blooming purple roses in one hand, his demeanor casual and composed, and handed the flowers to her.
Others held flowers with both hands, but the Second Young Master Jin was too noble, holding them with one hand, as if he were scattering flowers rather than giving them.
Indeed, he had the capital for such nobility, born into the Jin Family, at the pinnacle of power, and controlling a vast Military Industry Group.
Lian Li held the purple roses to her chest, their fragrance instantly filling her nostrils. The air was cold, and the faint floral scent was tinged with a layer of frost, subtle, not overpowering, and very pleasant.
Jin Shi Yue looked at his girlfriend and the flowers, “Still angry?”
“Not angry.”
Lian Li’s eyes curved slightly, her fingertip plucking a delicate petal, she looked up at him, “Aren’t you allergic to pollen?”
“I’m allergic to other people’s things.”
“…” She had never heard of such an allergen; this must be a sickness exclusive to the Eldest Young Master.
Jin Shi Yue’s thin eyelids flickered, a hint of wild charm in the corners of his eyes, his lips curving slightly, “You’re an exception.”
Hearing this, Lian Li tilted her head up to glance at him.
Jin Shi Yue put his arm around her shoulder and walked towards the black Bentley parked by the roadside.
The Grand Theater was closed, and the vicinity was deserted, so there was no need to worry about being seen. Lian Li didn’t struggle, allowing the dashing Eldest Young Master to usher her into the car and buckle her seatbelt.
Lian Li thought Jin Shi Yue was taking her back to the hotel, but when the car stopped, she found herself at a Michelin three-star restaurant.
Lian Li turned to look at him and asked, “Are we here to eat?”
“No.”
“Then to acquire the restaurant?”
Jin Shi Yue smiled.
Lian Li looked at him seriously.
The brilliant neon lights of the city cast their glow on the man’s broad shoulders. His deep, dark eyes held a smile, clearly reflecting her face.
She wasn’t sure if it was her reflection in his eyes that captivated her, or the man himself that drew her body and soul.
Jin Shi Yue slightly raised his eyelids and said two words: “A date.”
Not dinner, but a date.
The former solves physiological needs, while the latter enriches the emotional world.
Lian Li realized this for the first time.
The same thing, given different phrasing, could have such a significant difference.
The restaurant was booked out, the vast space empty and luxurious. A pianist in a tuxedo was playing a lively waltz.
Jin Shi Yue gentlemanly pulled out a chair for Lian Li, gesturing for her to sit. She didn’t hesitate and sat down elegantly.
The restaurant’s location was superb, situated by the Huangpu River. Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows were the dazzling skyscrapers and the Oriental Pearl Tower, their faint blue lights rippling in the river.
The soothing piano music flowed through the air. On the dining table were fresh flower bouquets beaded with dew and four exquisite and delicious appetizers.
A waiter took two crystal wine glasses from a rack and expertly opened a bottle of champagne. The bright liquid flowed down the sides of the glass to the bottom.
Champagne, an aperitif.
Jin Shi Yue slowly wiped his fingers with a silk handkerchief, then glanced at her, “Call me to pick you up when you go out from now on.”
Even if he was busy, he could have his trusted subordinates pick her up.
Lian Li took a small sip of the French appetizer and replied, “Who dares to ask you to do anything.”
Jin Shi Yue lazily curled his lips, a smile spreading across his face, “You’re my girlfriend, more important than anyone else. You can ask me.”
His tone was casual, with a hint of seriousness, as if he were speaking offhandedly, yet also making a solemn promise.
Lian Li paused for a moment, looked at him, then averted her gaze, her mind drifting as she took a few sips of champagne.
The entire restaurant was serving only one table, so everything proceeded quickly, and the service was three times more meticulous than usual.
The head chef himself brought out the evening’s feast. He was French and spoke fluent Chinese.
The main course was herb-baked blue lobster, paired with a lime-infused white sauce. The other dishes were equally exquisite and luxurious: cigar-shaped foie gras mousse, sea bass, pan-seared wagyu, and bouillabaisse capsules.
Lian Li tasted them one by one. The foie gras mousse was smooth, the bouillabaisse was savory and fragrant with basil, creating a rich layering of flavors…
During the meal, Jin Shi Yue opened a bottle of Hennessy and slowly poured some for Lian Li. She accepted it, raised her wine glass, and clinked it with his.
The moment the crisp clinking sound echoed, their gazes met in mid-air. The piano music stopped at that precise moment, and the restaurant was filled only with the sound of circulating air and the magnetic energy pulling them together.
Imperceptible, yet undeniably real.
Lian Li thought that even if they parted ways in the future, she would never forget this night, this moment of eye contact.
Some gazes were infinitely ambiguous, igniting the body and soul with heat; others were exceptionally pure, stirring the soul.
The feast for taste, sight, and hearing concluded an hour later.
Lian Li was a bit full and wanted to walk back to aid digestion.
Jin Shi Yue went along with her wish, walking side by side.
The restaurant wasn’t far from the hotel; the car was driven back by the driver.
The evening breeze from the Huangpu River blew, lifting her long hair and tugging at his hem. The two of them were close, a subtle, almost imperceptible intimacy.
The streetlights stretched their figures, creating a romantic scene.
Lian Li occasionally glanced at the man beside her. Six months ago, she could never have imagined she would have any entanglement with him.
Her involvement with Jin Yan Ting was due to nearly ten years of interaction. But with Jin Shi Yue?
Was it due to unbearable loneliness, or physiological needs?
Noticing her looking at him, Jin Shi Yue raised an eyebrow, his voice casual, “What are you peeking at? It’s not like I won’t let you look. Look openly.”
Lian Li, unafraid of death, said, “You look more pleasing to the eye from this angle.”
Jin Shi Yue smiled indifferently, then gently pinched her nose with his long fingers, “Are you tired of living, Lian Li?”
He told her to look at him openly, but she, with her stubborn bones, insisted on openly scolding him.
The distance wasn’t far, but Lian Li had always been bad at sports. After walking for a while, she felt tired and didn’t want to walk anymore.
On the deserted road late at night, Lian Li stood still, looking at the man in front of her and saying, “I have no strength.”
Jin Shi Yue looked at her, a reprimand escaping his throat, his voice cold, “Can’t you just say ‘Boyfriend, carry me’?”
Lian Li shook her head, saying no.
“It’s like saying a sentence will cost you your life.”
Jin Shi Yue, his handsome face impassive, bent down and carried her back.
The man’s back was firm and straight, broad and warm. Lian Li rested on him, her cheek against the comfortable, faintly scented fabric, gazing into the distance.
Her view was of Shanghai’s most beautiful riverside nightscape, with twinkling neon lights illuminating the vibrant Oriental Pearl Tower.
On one side, the gentle flow of the river; on the other, the bustling city. The two intertwined to form a brilliant and colorful panorama.
Recalling Jin Shi Yue’s words in the restaurant, Lian Li’s luminous eyes rolled gently, and she slowly spoke, “Can you stop causing trouble so often?”
She asked earnestly, and he, unusually, answered seriously, “Often?”
“Not that often, it just feels like it’s more frequent since we’ve been together.”
Jin Shi Yue hadn’t calculated it carefully. As he was recalling and calculating the number of times in his mind, Lian Li added, “This makes me feel like dating you is a terrible thing.”
He asked her who her boyfriend was.
Lian Li disliked this question. It felt like it was questioning the validity of their relationship, implying she was just being overly sentimental.
Although he was likely doing it on purpose, she couldn’t fathom his thoughts, couldn’t tell if he was genuinely angry, or if his anger was due to something else, or because of her.
Humans are peculiar creatures capable of creating conflict within themselves, commonly known as being contradictory.
There are no two people who are naturally suited for dating; friction is normal.
But friction shouldn’t involve the foundation.
Once the foundation crumbles, no amount of repair can restore a skyscraper to its original state.
Her thoughts, her feelings shared with him, were all beyond his expectations.
“Terrible sounds like a pastry that brings happiness,” Jin Shi Yue said, his hand cupping her knee, his voice low and dangerous, “No wonder you’re becoming more and more likable. So you’ve been secretly indulging behind my back.”
Lian Li laughed and said, “You’re framing me.”
After a moment, she rested her chin on his shoulder, “Are you happy with me?”
“You want me to be happy?” Jin Shi Yue asked.
“Yes.”
Lian Li said, “I’ve been quite happy during the time we’ve been dating. How about you? Are you happy?”
The usually arrogant Jin Shi Yue suddenly fell silent.
After a moment of silence, his thin lips parted, and he said with a smile, “I’m so easily pleased, of course I’m the happiest person in the world.”
