"Alright, I can really afford to treat you to a meal. Let's go, let's finish eating early and go home early."

Chu Xing pursed his lips and remained silent. Looking at the small, slender hand resting on his wrist, his heart softened for no reason.

Fine, let her be for today.

The waiter initially had a cold and aloof demeanor towards Song Mai, but upon seeing Chu Xing behind her, his attitude immediately became respectful and enthusiastic.

"cloud……"

The man quickly gestured for silence and shook his head at the waiter who was about to address him.

The waiters in such upscale restaurants are all quick-witted and shrewd people, and they immediately understood what the man meant.

Is that spot reserved?

The man pointed to a spot in front of the floor-to-ceiling window.

After checking, the waiter said, "There's one seat left."

"How about we take this one?"

Song Mai immediately nodded: "Okay."

This Western restaurant is a famous five-star restaurant. The chef is a Michelin-starred chef specially invited from France, and the chef's foie gras is especially outstanding.

Therefore, this restaurant is usually packed with people, and even if you have money, you can't get a reservation.

With Valentine's Day approaching, the restaurant was packed with people both inside and out.

Song Mai was unaware of any of this. She rarely went to any high-end restaurants, and the ones she did go to were mostly for work. She usually cooked for herself most of the time, and when she did eat out, it was usually at roadside stalls or small restaurants where the average cost per person was no more than 50 yuan.

She could say she knew very little about this type of restaurant.

However, in order to enjoy this meal and properly thank Chu Xing, she had done her research beforehand. After confirming that Chu Xing was available, she immediately selected a restaurant and made a reservation.

She made the appointment early, and by sheer luck, she managed to get a table at the restaurant.

What Song Mai didn't know was that every seat in this restaurant was carefully chosen.

The restaurant is located by the lake, which has an interesting name: Moon Bay. The grassy area leading from Moon Bay to the restaurant is called Lover's Slope, named after the many guests who like to go on dates by the lake after their meals.

The best spots in the entire restaurant are undoubtedly the two or three seats by the window, where you can see the shimmering lake during the day and the small boats and twinkling lights on the lake at night.

Sometimes people will decorate the lake with roses, balloons, etc., and take the opportunity to propose, which is extremely romantic.

Therefore, when making reservations, many people first want to book a seat in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, which are also the restaurant's VIP seats.

You need to be a black card holder at the restaurant to be eligible to make a reservation.

For someone like Song Mai, who was visiting for the first time, it was already quite good that she could get a table in a corner or corner; she could forget about getting a VIP table.

However, since she had come all this way, Chu Xing naturally wanted to give her the best experience.

Moreover, he is a gold card member here, so he doesn't need to make an appointment in advance.

After the two sat down, Song Mai looked around the restaurant and then at the moonlit scenery on the lake. At that moment, she suddenly understood the meaning of making money.

Perhaps making money isn't just about survival, but more about wanting to live a comfortable life.

The man noticed that the woman remained silent for a long time, gazing out the window with a distant look in her eyes.

"What are you thinking about?"

Song Mai then came to her senses and smiled.

"It's nothing, let's order."

Her smile was pure and open; she was incredibly clear-headed about her contract husband, with whom she had only signed a one-year contract.

For a moment, Chu Xing couldn't help but recall the old man's words: "You'll understand later, you won't regret listening to me."

He has indeed gradually adapted to living with her and gotten used to the feeling of being with her.

But if I had to say I regret it, I probably would have a little.

Sincere as she was, perhaps he shouldn't have lied to her so much from the very beginning.

So much so that even now he has to use countless lies to cover it up.

But then I thought, well, she is a good person, but that doesn’t mean she’s right for him.

Although there was no direct financial interest involved between them, their relationship was essentially one of mutual benefit.

Even without a contract, two people who come together in this way will eventually drift apart.

Chu Xing didn't order much, only a sirloin steak and a mushroom soup.

Song Mai thought that since she was already here, she might as well have a big meal and make the trip worthwhile.

But when she opened the menu and saw the prices listed after the dishes, she couldn't help but gasp.

【expensive!】

So expensive!

[They could have just grabbed it, but they insisted on giving me two dishes instead...]

She knew that eating here would be a bit pricey, but she didn't expect it to be this expensive.

She practically spat out the words through gritted teeth: "Just like him."

The man was amused by her mixture of heartache and stubbornness.

"I'll pay the bill. Order whatever you want."

Song Mai shook her head vigorously: "How can that be? I'm treating you to dinner, how can I let you pay the bill? Besides, you don't have any income yet, you're still in the early stages of starting your business, how can I let you spend money? I should be the one telling you this, order whatever you want, don't worry about saving money for me."

The man picked up his water glass and took a sip.

"That's enough."

Song Mai still looked unconvinced: "Really? I'm serious, you really don't need to be polite with me."

Although Chu Xing had said enough, she herself still felt a little embarrassed.

How can you invite someone to dinner and expect them to try to save you money?

So, at Song Mai's insistence, she added two more dishes.

Although it hurt a little, she has come to terms with it now.

Since she wouldn't get rich even if she didn't spend the money, she might as well enjoy herself without any restraint today.

The service at the five-star restaurant was excellent. Soon after, a waiter pushed a cart and arranged the dishes ordered by the two of them, and didn't forget to wish them a pleasant meal.

Song Mai rarely eats Western food. In the past, when she went to Western restaurants for work, she had the opportunity to eat something, but that was work after all. She had to devote more of her energy and time to work and had no mood to eat. So, although she knew how to use a knife and fork, she found it a bit clumsy to use them.

The woman struggled to cut the steak, taking a long time to finally cut off a piece.

It tastes good, but it's a bit tiring to eat.

Chu Xing, however, was incredibly skilled. He wielded the knife and fork with the same dexterity as chopsticks, and cutting steak seemed to be an easy and effortless task for him.

Looking at him, Song Mai felt a sense of pleasure, like watching the male lead in an idol drama eat.

As she watched, she even forgot about herself.

Chu Xing took the plate in front of her and slowly cut the steak, looking as beautiful as a painting.