Watching the waitress lead Han Qing into the private room, Yan felt as if her breathing, her heart, and even her brain had stopped functioning—everything seemed to blank out as she sat frozen on the spot. Although it had been a while since they last saw each other, he seemed no different than before. He was tall and broad-shouldered; his face was cold and handsome; his clothes were immaculate, and every button on his suit was neatly buttoned. One glance was enough to discern his scrupulous attention to detail and his discipline.
Meanwhile, Little Bean giggled guilefully by the side. Han Qing’s expression was originally aloof, and he walked in with a neutral expression. Seeming to notice something out of the corner of the eye, he paused momentarily. However, that was the only reaction he showed before he returned to normal and entered the room as if nothing had happened. “This is it, President Han.”
“Uncle Qing!” Little Bean yelled out in his childlike voice as he rushed over, stealing a glance at Yan while he was at it.
Presently, Yan’s eyes were lowered, and her fringe fell forward to hide the emotions in her eyes. From her outward appearance, she looked as if she had lowered her head in embarrassment. Only she was aware of the unease in her heart and the uncontrollable trembling of her hands that were under the table. Fighting her instinct to stand up and leave, she suppressed her emotions and forced herself to remain seated. Why…
It took her so long to erase this person from her heart. During this time, she had made herself busy. Busy enough that the times and frequency she thought of him became less and less—so much so that it was only a matter of time before she put him behind her. Yet, he appeared before her again… and forcefully stirred up the feelings in her heart once more.
She was caught unaware by Little Bean’s plans. No wonder he was typing on his phone furiously just now; no wonder he insisted on coming to eat the steamed fish at this restaurant. When he called her previously, he mentioned that he wanted to eat her cooking, but he changed his mind suddenly—something must have happened in between.
She really was a fool; to think she came here so trustingly, so defenselessly, and without putting much thought into it. What would he think about her? How would he see her? He must find me hateful. After all, he had made his stance clear to her, yet she appeared here again.
She felt a wave of dizziness wash over her at the thought. Fortunately, she was seated; if she had been standing, she was certain her legs would have given out. She did not understand why her resolution was so weak, but… the truth was that she had always been like this. Despite how long she tried, thinking that she had gotten over him, one look at him was all it took for all her efforts to crumble apart.
“Uncle Qing, I’ve already ordered for you, so you don’t need to order anything else.” Little Bean’s voice sounded from beside her, bringing her consciousness back to the present bit by bit. Taking a deep breath, she struggled to calm her turbulent emotions.
“Okay,” Han Qing replied, his voice cool. However, when he faced Little Bean, his voice softened. “When did you return? Why didn’t you let me know? I could have gone to pick you up.”
“There’s no need, Uncle Qing. Mommy mentioned that you were busy with work, so she didn’t inform you about it. Mommy loves you so much; you have to take good care of yourself, Uncle Qing!”
“Sure, I will.”
As the two of them conversed, Little Bean realized that Yan was unusually quiet. He glanced over at her again and found that she still had her head lowered. Blinking his eyes, he couldn’t help asking, “Aunt Yan, why are you so quiet?”
Yan took a deep breath and slowly lifted her head when her name was called. She then directed a carefree smile toward Han Qing. “H-Hi, President Han.”
Han Qing swept a glance at her smiling expression, which looked worse than if she had cried, then nodded faintly. “Hi.”
The distance between them felt almost as if they were strangers. Her hands, hidden under the table, clenched into fists as she lightly bit her lower lip. Based on the time they had known each other, they should not be this estranged, yet… the relationship between them now was worse than strangers. Not to mention this was all due to her unrequited love.
If… If only I did not cling to him all the time and try to push my feelings onto him, things wouldn’t have turned out like this. At the very least, the relationship between the two of them would not be this awkward. That’s not right! In her heart, she shook her head furiously at herself. Yan, how can you still be thinking such thoughts at this point?! Didn’t you decide to put the man in front of you in the past? Then, why are you still sitting here? Are you still planning to have any relations with him? Do you plan to continue this unending, messy relationship with him? Do you want to return to being the hateful Yan who had no self-esteem? No! I can’t continue with this farce! I must leave this place today.
Yan made up her mind to leave after convincing herself. Pretending to remember something, she spoke up suddenly, “I-I just remembered that I have an appointment with somebody else today; I’m about to be late for it. Since you have arrived, President Han, please help me send Little Bean home later, so that his mommy won’t be worried about him. I-I’m leaving now.” At the end of her sentence, she immediately stood up. However, she stood up so suddenly that her chair clattered to the floor. In an instant, her expression changed, and she hurriedly picked up the chair in a fluster.
Little Bean finally noticed that something was wrong, and he wrinkled his little nose. What’s going on? Did I… do something unwelcomed?
“I’m sorry… You can go ahead with your meal. I-I’m leaving…” After picking up the chair, she picked up her bag and strode toward the door. Her steps were hurried and flustered as she escaped frantically.
“Aunt Yan…” he called out. However, she didn’t seem to hear him as she disappeared after leaving the private room.
After this series of incidents, his mood plummeted. As Yan had left, he could only turn his gaze to Han Qing. “Uncle Qing…”
Han Qing gave him a small smile. “Since she has something to do, you should make sure to eat well. After we finish eating, I’ll send you home.” Then, Han Qing poured a cup of tea for him.
Little Bean said nothing in response. I wonder if it is just my imagination, but Uncle Qing seems to be rather moody too!
In the past, he had promised Aunt Yan that he would help her. So, he invited Uncle Qing along for lunch, thinking that he could help them create an opportunity to bond. However, the way they both reacted indicated that something was wrong. Did something I was unaware of happen during the time I spent with my great-grandfather? Little Bean had a thousand questions in his heart, but he didn’t dare to ask Han Qing a single one.
On the other hand, after Yan hurriedly left the private room, she sped up her steps. After walking quite a distance away, she realized that there was no strength left in her legs and she could not go any further. Luckily, a waitress was walking toward her. Stopping the waitress, she questioned, “Excuse me, where is the restroom?”
