Chapter 60. Tonight, I beg for your favor, how about it? ...

The argument between Song's mother and Song Yalin was interrupted, and she seemed to be stunned for a moment before her expression hardened and she angrily shouted, "I don't want it anymore! Give it back!"

The waiter, carrying the dishes, was now in an even greater dilemma, unsure whether to stay or leave.

Song Yalin apologized to the waiter again, his face ashen.

By now, two or three groups of people had gathered outside the private room, standing at a distance, hesitant to go in but curiously talking and watching.

Chenzhoudu stood on the two steps, gazing at Xia Chan from afar.

"Mr. Shen, this way."

The waiter beside him gestured for him to move aside, but Chen Zhoudu turned around, smiled faintly, and shook his head, letting her go first.

He walked alone through the crowd of onlookers into the private room and called out clearly and deeply, "Xia Chan."

Xia Chan's heart skipped a beat the moment he walked over.

He took off his mask, revealing a cool and handsome face.

Without any makeup, her gaze and expression possessed a lofty tranquility, as if the stream in the empty valley could transcend all worldly noise and reflect only clearly and firmly upon her.

Some people present seemed to recognize him, pointing at him and suddenly widening their eyes before whispering in surprise.

The moment he removed his mask, Xia Chan's heart pounded like a drum, so hard she didn't even know how to react. After a moment of stunned silence, she finally stood up with a cold look in her eyes and said with a smile, "Auntie."

She still had a smile on her lips, but at this moment her gaze seemed to solidify into cold thorns, piercing straight at Song's mother and Song Yalin.

"I think you may have misunderstood. My relationship with Senior Brother Song... is not what you're describing. I don't know what Senior Brother Song said to you, but since I'm here today, I'll explain it to you myself!"

Her gaze swept over Song Yalin intentionally or unintentionally; Song Yalin's face was so ashen that he could hardly breathe.

Xia Chan spoke each word clearly and coldly.

"Today... it was Senior Brother Song who invited me to dinner. Over the years, I have indeed been grateful to Senior Brother Song for his help back then, so I wanted to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to him. That's why we have this dinner today."

"I didn't know you would come. I was originally planning to sneak out halfway through to pay the bill, so that I could express my gratitude to Senior Brother Song by treating him to this meal. But now it seems that the thanks are unnecessary."

Song's mother looked bewildered.

Outside the private room, onlookers were also whispering amongst themselves.

Chen Zhoudu's brows furrowed as he fixed his gaze on her.

Xia Chan: "You're right, I really have nothing. No money, no Shanghai residency; no house, no car... But even if I were a blade of grass, it's none of your business to point fingers at me."

"I sincerely wish you both find the girl of your dreams. Of course, that person can't be me, so please immediately cease any future attempts to slander or speculate about me. As for more details, Aunt Song, if you have any questions, please ask Senior Brother Song! Of course, if he can't explain it clearly, you can also ask me, but I won't be very friendly. My friend has arrived, so I apologize for keeping you both company. I hope you have a pleasant afternoon. Goodbye!"

After she finished speaking, she picked up her bag, brushed past the two of them, and walked out. But after taking a few steps, she stopped again, turned back, picked up the perfume she had just given to Song Yalin, and smiled at him.

Then she walked up to Chenzhoudu and hesitated for a moment when she met his deep, calm eyes.

She grabbed his hand and pulled him outside.

Several gasps echoed down the corridor, startling everyone.

Song Yalin was stunned, almost in shock, as he watched Xia Chan pull Chen Zhou away.

Several gasps of surprise echoed down the corridor.

Chen Zhoudu was slightly taken aback, staring blankly at the hand that was holding hers.

In an instant, a smile appeared on his lips, and he tightened his grip on her hand, obediently letting her lead him away. The moment he put on his mask, a smile involuntarily crept onto his lips.

A louder discussion soon followed behind, and Song's mother and Song Yalin seemed to be arguing even more furiously.

"Is that the Sunken Boat Ferry? She's pulling someone across the Sunken Boat Ferry?!"

"It shouldn't be! They just look alike, right? How could Chenzhoudu dare to..."

"But he's so handsome, and that girl is so pretty! I thought she and this senior were a couple. That guy is so cunning..."

"What's going on! What's going on! Didn't you say she was your girlfriend? How come she has another boyfriend?!"

"Mom! I told you to come and see what you think of her first! Didn't you promise you wouldn't say anything out of line? Why did you mess this up like this!"

"Did I mess this up?! Explain yourself! Who is that guy?! What exactly is going on between you guys...?"

...

Xia Chan was too lazy to listen to what happened next. She dragged Chen Zhoudu downstairs quickly, found a slightly secluded corner, and threw the perfume into the trash can.

Then she took a deep, deep breath and exhaled slowly.

call……

Cool!

It would be even better if it could flip the table and kick it a couple of times.

It's a pity about the money spent on the perfume...

Chen Zhoudu simply watched her from the side, chuckling softly, his gaze also showing a hint of composure. "This time, why aren't you afraid?"

Xia Chan naturally understood what he meant, and she was not entirely without reservation.

She had been so caught up in the moment of impulsive revenge that a hint of worry crept in as she looked at him with pleading eyes and asked timidly, "What should I do... I'm not going to end up trending on social media, am I?"

Chen Zhoudu smiled even more deeply and lightly hooked the tip of her nose with his fingertip.

"Don't worry, the confidentiality agreement for this restaurant is even stricter than that for my family, and it's owned by Zixi's uncle, so no one will gossip."

She was relieved. Chen Zhoudu's gaze then fell on the perfume she had just thrown into the trash can.

The location was a bit out of the way, and there were fewer things thrown in the trash cans, so the brand's gold-plated logo on the perfume box shone with a faint silver light.

It's a high-end brand with a hefty price tag, and it's a currently trending style.

Xia Chan noticed his gaze and smiled faintly, "If you want it, I'll take it out for you."

Chen Zhoudu stared at her, slightly taken aback.

She raised an eyebrow with a half-smile, "Anyway, this trash can isn't too dirty. You can throw the box away and the contents inside will still be usable."

He pursed his thin lips slightly, naturally guessing that it was probably something she had just given to that man, and that she couldn't possibly want it. He hesitated for a moment, wanting to ask but afraid of offending her, and after a long struggle, finally spoke slowly, "...Who is he?"

Xia Chan paused for a moment, secretly amused, but outwardly remained nonchalant. "Didn't you just hear what happened? My senior brother." Her tone was also somewhat casual.

Chen Zhoudu pursed his lips and asked again, "How did you all end up here?"

"Didn't you hear it too?" Xia Chan: "He invited me to dinner, so I came."

"Why did he invite you to dinner?" He frowned slightly, his gaze fixed on her face, as if he wanted to get straight to the point but was afraid of upsetting her, so he spoke in a low and gentle voice.

"What do you think?" Xia Chan raised an eyebrow and retorted.

"..." Shen Zhoudu fell silent, his eyelashes slowly drooping as if he wanted to say something but stopped himself.

Xia Chan couldn't help but laugh at his expression. Suddenly, she reached out and ruffled his hair haphazardly, like petting a puppy, and scolded with a laugh, "Alright, Consort Shen!"

She said, "It was just a normal meal, and I really wanted to express my gratitude, but I didn't expect it to be a trap. How unlucky! Don't be jealous."

A huge weight lifted from his heart, and he immediately smiled with relief. But then he seized on her previous question and asked abruptly, "Is there an empress?"

"What?" Xia Chan didn't react.

"Consort Shen." Shen Zhoudu blinked, her eyes bright. "Then, is there an Empress? Who is the Empress?"

Xia Chan paused, then couldn't help but chuckle, crossing her arms and glancing at him, saying, "So what if I do?"

"Then I'll kill him!" Shen Zhoudu moved closer to her silently, his lips brushing against her ear. "I'll go back and cram on 'Empresses in the Palace' tonight."

Xia Chan chuckled and lightly poked his forehead with her fingertip. "Nothing?"

"If not, I will offer myself as a concubine and ask for a higher rank."

Xia Chan was so amused that she couldn't help but reach out and ruffle his hair again. "Alright, Consort Niohuru Zhoudu, no, okay?"

Shen Zhoudu couldn't help but laugh. He nimbly grabbed her wrist and then very gently lowered his eyes to kiss her fingertips.

Xia Chan was worried about being monitored and even more afraid of being seen, so she pulled her hand back and slapped him hard. Shen Zhoudu took the hit but only hugged her tighter and they pushed and shoved each other, laughing and joking around.

Xia Chan received a call from Du Na midway through her journey, saying that there was a new situation at the hotel and she had to leave. She hung up the phone and sighed.

"Alright, I have to go back. You should go back early too. Public figures shouldn't be wandering around outside like that; you almost ended up trending on social media..."

Shen Zhoudu certainly remembered that Guan Bohan had said he had gone to Tianze store to find her, but at this moment he suddenly grabbed her wrist and wouldn't let her leave.

Xia Chan looked puzzled and questioned with her eyes.

Judging by the time... Guan Bohan should be arriving at Tianze Store soon.

If she goes back at this time...

He hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to say, when just then his phone rang.

It's Guan Bohan's WeChat.

"Manager Xia isn't here [frustrated][sigh]"

Chen Zhoudu's lips curled into a smile for a moment, then he pursed his lips, suppressed his urge, put away his phone, and said to her, "Go."

?

Xia Chan was genuinely surprised for a moment, stared at him strangely for a second, then held out her hand and asked him for her phone.

Shen Zhoudu turned his back and hid the phone even tighter, refusing to give it up no matter what.

Xia Chan waited for a while, then her eyes flashed with a hint of anger and coldness. "I don't want it anymore," she said, putting down her hand and turning to leave.

"Hey..." Seeing that she was angry, he immediately stepped forward and hurriedly grabbed her again.

His expression conveyed a sense of helplessness, as if he were caught in a dilemma.

She secretly curled the corners of her lips when she had her back to him, but when she turned around to face him again, her expression returned to its usual tense state, and she spread her hands out to him.

Hesitantly, Chen Zhoudu slowly handed the phone to her, turning his face away as if he couldn't bear to look at her.

Upon seeing Guan Bohan's WeChat message, Xia Chan couldn't help but chuckle. Chen Zhoudu stared at her with a resentful expression.

"Is he a primary school kid?" She tossed the phone back into his arms and laughed, but Chen Zhoudu suddenly became domineering, pulling her close and saying in a low voice, "I don't want you to see him."

She couldn't help but laugh and lightly punched him, saying that she really had to leave.

He watched her departing figure, pursed his lips, and suddenly his eyes darkened. He stepped forward, pulled her back, and pressed her against the wall.

There was a stone wall in the narrow path next to it, and the bluestone bricks were scorching hot in the sun.

His hand pressed against her back, blocking her from the wall, and as he lowered his head, he almost kissed her lips.

Xia Chan was startled and instinctively raised her hand to slap his chest, "Are you crazy! You..."

"Don't move." Chen Zhoudu chuckled softly, his lips hovering close to hers. "There are surveillance cameras; this is the only blind spot."

Xia Chan froze for a moment and dared not move again. He stared at her lips and couldn't help but smile again. Then he gently and slowly lowered his eyes, almost touching her lips.

Xia Chan tensed up instantly, instinctively holding her breath, her eyes fixed on him. He, however, gave her a mischievous smile.

Then his lips brushed lightly against hers, sliding down to her earlobe, warm and soft, as he whispered in her ear, "Your Majesty."

"Tonight... I beg for your favor, won't you?"