Chapter 438 Miss Cui, do you hate me?

Zhou Mubin pulled over a chair for her to sit down, then squatted down and took a small spoon from the lower level of the food cart. He scooped up a spoonful, blew on it gently, and then held it to her lips. "Try it? I specifically asked the kitchen to use less sugar, and the lotus seeds are stewed until they're very soft."

Cui Xiao shrank back, her ear tips turning a light red. "I can do it myself."

As she reached for the spoon, her fingertips accidentally brushed against his fingertips. They both paused simultaneously. She hurriedly withdrew her hand, looked down at the lotus seeds in the bowl, and said in a voice barely audible, "Zhou Mubin, you don't need to do that."

Zhou Mubin didn't pull his hand back. Instead, he put the spoon into her palm, squatted down in front of her while supporting himself on the edge of the table, and looked at her intently. "I want to be good to you. It has nothing to do with you. It's my business."

He paused, then softened his voice, "When I was sick and hospitalized before, you did the same thing, staying by my bedside and feeding me. Cui Xiao, I remember it all."

Cui Xiao froze abruptly. After a long while, she put down her spoon, stood up, and was about to leave. "I used to be your assistant. These are all my duties. Lawyer Zhou, don't worry about it."

Zhou Mubin stepped in front of her quickly, without touching her. He simply leaned down slightly, his gaze level with hers, and said in a domineering tone tinged with grievance, "That would make me seem heartless. I'm not that kind of person."

Cui Xiao frowned helplessly, "Actually, if you put this energy into other women, you might have unexpected gains."

Zhou Mubin grinned roguishly, "I only care about you. What do other women have to do with me, no matter how good they are?"

He reached for the bowl of sweet soup on the table, handed it to her, and softened his tone, "The soup is still warm, have a couple of sips before you leave."

Cui Xiao didn't understand why he was so insistent on her drinking this soup, and looked at Zhou Mubin with some doubt.

Zhou Mubin raised an eyebrow, deliberately misinterpreting her meaning, "Why are you looking at me like that? Do you think I drugged you?"

"So, did you log off?" Cui Xiao asked back.

She had been with him for three years and knew better than anyone that Zhou Mubin, though seemingly cynical, possessed the pride of a scion of a prominent family and disdained such underhanded tactics.

“I’m going to wait until you drink it, then I’ll carry you upstairs and sleep with you.” Zhou Mubin laughed even harder, tapping the rim of the bowl with his fingertips.

Cui Xiao was hesitating whether to accept the gift when she was suddenly bumped lightly from behind, spilling a small portion of the red wine in her hand onto her skirt.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." A clear, hurried apology rang out, tinged with a hint of panic.

She turned around and saw a young girl in a waitress's uniform standing there helplessly, her tray wobbling slightly.

The girl had her hair in a ponytail, and her features bore a striking resemblance to mine, especially her almond-shaped eyes, which shared a remarkably similar charm.

Zhou Mubin recognized her first, his tone tinged with surprise, "Miao Miao?"

Miao Miao looked up and her eyes lit up when she saw Zhou Mubin, but then dimmed again. She nervously twisted the corner of her apron. "Mr. Zhou, Ms. Cui, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."

Since Zhou Mubin stopped providing financial assistance, Miao Miao has had to continue working part-time to earn a living. She heard that there were high-paying part-time waitress jobs here, so she came to try it out. Unexpectedly, she ran into Zhou Mubin and Cui Xiao.

Cui Xiao looked at her familiar features and immediately thought of her.

This girl even looked for her.

Cui Xiao looked at her with a calm expression. "It's okay, just be more careful next time."

She took out a tissue and wiped the hem of her skirt, showing no signs of anger.

Miao Miao became even more nervous. She secretly glanced at Zhou Mubin, afraid that he would misunderstand that she had deliberately approached him, and quickly explained, "I'm just here for a part-time job, I didn't know you were here too..."

Zhou Mubin frowned. In the end, it was his fault for doing something dishonest.

They promised to sponsor Miaomiao until she graduated from university, but they broke their promise, leaving her to struggle to make a living again.

He subconsciously looked at Cui Xiao and found her looking at Miao Miao thoughtfully. His heart skipped a beat. Could she have misunderstood?

Zhou Mubin immediately changed the subject, saying, "Would you like to change your clothes? We've prepared spare formal wear for the banquet."

As soon as she finished speaking, Miao Miao quickly chimed in, her eyes filled with eager flattery, "I know where the spare dress is. I helped tidy it up this afternoon, and I can take Miss Cui to the upstairs lounge to change."

Cui Xiao glanced at the stain on her skirt, then at Zhou Mubin's visibly relieved expression, and nodded in agreement: "Then I'll trouble you."

The two walked up the carpet to the upstairs lounge. Miao Miao walked in front, her back straight, but she couldn't help but glance at Cui Xiao behind her, her fingers twisting the hem of her waiter's uniform repeatedly.

The lounge was filled with various dresses on the racks. Miao Miao picked out a few that fit well and handed them over, then thoughtfully drew the curtain of the dressing room. "Miss Cui, please take your time changing. I'll wait outside."

Cui Xiao chose a moon-white silk dress with tiny pearls adorning the neckline, which made her look even more elegant.

As soon as the curtain was drawn back, Miao Miao was staring blankly at the mirror. Hearing the noise, she turned around abruptly, her panic in her eyes barely concealed.

Cui Xiao straightened her skirt in front of the mirror and said casually, "Miao Miao, you've looked at me seventeen times since we came here from downstairs. Every time you wanted to say something, you swallowed it back. Just say what you have to say."

Miao Miao's face flushed crimson instantly. She took a half-step back, awkwardly bumping into the chair behind her with a soft thud. "I...I didn't..."

She instinctively tried to defend herself, but when she met Cui Xiao's calm gaze, she swallowed back the words she was trying to say. In the end, she lowered her head and whispered, "Miss Cui, do you dislike me?"

Cui Xiao was somewhat surprised and raised an eyebrow, asking, "Why do you say that? Including this time, this is only the second time we've met. I have no reason to dislike a stranger I've only met twice."

Miao Miao's voice was choked with sobs as she fiddled with the edge of her apron. "Because I look a bit like you, Mr. Zhou even sponsored me... Do you think I'm deliberately using my face to climb up to Mr. Zhou? Actually, I really didn't, Miss Cui, you have to believe me."

She looked up, her eyes brimming with tears, yet her expression remained defiant. "I came here today for a part-time job, not to run into Mr. Zhou. I just need to make a living, to survive. If this has caused you any misunderstanding, I'm truly sorry."

Cui Xiao looked at her reddened eyes, which made her look like a pitiful little white rabbit.

Cui Xiao thought that if she were a man, she would definitely feel pity for her.

She couldn't help but recall her actions downstairs earlier, as well as the scene of their last meeting. Cui Xiao's lips curled up. "Miss Miao, you're overthinking it. Your relationship is none of my concern. However, there's one thing I really dislike: people treating me like a fool."

Miao Miao looked up in surprise, "What do you mean?"

Cui Xiao smiled, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. "Miss Miao, are you really as innocent and open as you appear?"