Not wanting to argue further, Zong Yanxi reminded, “Please remember our deal. Once you have said your piece, never ever appear in front of me again.”
Lowering his gaze to hide his disappointment, Jiang Mohan grunted in agreement. “Let’s go.”
Zong Yanxi followed him in silence.
Jiang Mohan walked into a Chinese restaurant. However, Zong Yanxi remained expressionless and maintained her cool facade.
Coincidentally, Tawan was meeting a friend there. He was about to leave when he bumped into them.
At that moment, Jiang Mohan saw him too and both men stopped in their tracks.
Zong Yanxi was visibly surprised. Just when she was about to greet Tawan, Tawan spoke first. But, his words were directed at Jiang Mohan. “I didn’t expect you to join us.”
Just as he spoke, he pulled Zong Yanxi to his side.
Zong Yanxi reacted quickly. Holding onto his arm, she lifted her chin and smiled. In a familiar tone, she pretended as if she knew Tawan would be there. “Is this the restaurant where you mentioned you would be having dinner with your friends?
She was just guessing or perhaps even pretending in front of Jiang Mohan. She wanted to show him how close she was to Tawan.
The truth was Tawan was indeed there to meet his friends. Nevertheless, he knew Zong Yanxi was acting. Hence, he added, “We’re done.”
“Mr. Jiang is treating me to dinner, so why don’t you come with me?” Zong Yanxi suggested as she looked at him.
Tawan nodded immediately as he looked at Jiang Mohan. “Mr. Jiang, it seems you haven’t given up on my girlfriend.”
Jiang Mohan shifted his gaze from Zong Yanxi holding Tawan’s arm to Tawan himself. Staring at each other, he didn’t believe Tawan was her boyfriend despite both of them claiming it to be true.
Without uttering another word, he walked into a private room. Once they took their seats, he motioned to the waiter to hand Tawan the menu. “Mr. Thitipoom, you’re a guest who has come from afar. Hence, the honor to order is yours.”
In Thailand, Jiang Mohan had done a thorough background check on Tawan. Previously, he did worry due to how exceptional Tawan was. However, he still believed in Zong Yanxi. Even if she hated him, she would not fall in love again so easily.
The waiter handed Tawan the menu. Despite how well he spoke Mandarin, he was unable to read any of it. As there were no pictures on the menu, he couldn’t decipher what was available.
As he frowned slightly, Zong Yanxi leaned over and offered, “Let me help you.”
“Why don’t we order these two? It’s their specialty and we can’t get it anywhere else.”
Tawan nodded in agreement. Taking into consideration Tawan was Thai, she ordered a few more local dishes for him to try. “These are a few dishes that are famous locally. Why don’t you give them a try? If you like them, we can come back here later on.”
When Jiang Mohan heard what she said, he clenched his fists under the table.
Tawan lowered his eyes as Zong Yanxi leaned closer. He could smell the fragrance of her perfume which had a faint yet refreshing scent. He pointed at a dish containing golden silkworm pupae. “What is that?”
Zong Yanxi was caught by surprise. “Those are silkworm pupae.”
The waiter explained, “They have a high nutritional content. The silkworm pupae are filled with amino acids and vitamins, which are all great for health. Why don’t you try some.”
Realizing it was a nutritious dish, he suggested to Zong Yanxi, “Why don’t we try one?”
She nodded and instructed the waiter, “We’ll have it. But, please make it more appetizing. I don’t want to see them in their original form.”
Zong Yanxi was worried Tawan couldn’t stomach it if it weren’t cooked in a more palatable style.
The silkworm pupae were not considered ugly or frightening, it was just that she didn’t like the way they looked.
The waiter smiled. “I understand. You’re not the first guest to make such a request.”
After the orders were complete, the waiter asked, “Is there anything else?”
Jiang Mohan added another dish which was one of Zong Yanxi’s favorites. He concluded, “That’s all.”
Zong Yanxi pretended not to have heard and chatted with Tawan on purpose. “Let’s go see my parents later at night.”
Tawan’s heart began to palpitate suddenly. But, when he realized that Zong Yanxi was saying that to spite Jiang Mohan, he quickly calmed down. For a brief moment, he thought she meant it. Luckily, he still had his wits with him and replied, “Sure.”
Zong Yanxi smiled as she was amused by Tawan’s reaction. It was silly yet adorable at the same time.
When one saw one’s beloved with someone else and one was powerless to stop it, it literally felt like hell on earth.
After a while, the food began to arrive. The waiter who took orders earlier put everything that Jiang Mohan ordered in front of him.
“These are for Ms. Zong. Please put them in front of her.”
The waiter nodded and moved the food accordingly. However, Zong Yanxi stopped him. “My tastes have changed. Please return them to him.”
Tawan looked at Zong Yanxi immediately when he realized that he didn’t know what she liked to eat.
Zong Yanxi turned her attention to Tawan. “I like Thai food. You should cook for me next time.”
Tawan nodded at once. “Sure.”
