Lin Zhenzhen paused in her act of scooping soup.

Huo Yeshuo sat upright opposite him, his face expressionless. The white overhead light shone on his left wristwatch, occasionally reflecting a dazzling silver light.

Lin Zhenzhen put down her bowl and looked into his eyes: "I know him. My mother used to work for the Lu family."

Huo Yeshuo nodded slightly, his gaze unchanged: "No wonder."

Lin Zhenzhen stared at him: "Why did you suddenly ask about this?"

Huo Yeshuo picked up a slice of fish, took a small sip, and lowered his eyelids slightly: "When we met last time, I think he mentioned your name."

"I see," Lin Zhenzhen said with a smile. "I also lived with my mother in the Lu family for a few years, so it's normal that Mr. Lu still remembers me."

"However," Lin Zhenzhen changed the subject, "Are President Huo and Mr. Lu very familiar with each other?"

“Not familiar,” Huo Yeshuo’s brows furrowed slightly, “we’re related by blood, though.”

"Oh..." Both of their answers were vague, and the atmosphere at the table suddenly became tense.

Lin Zhenzhen absentmindedly buried herself in her food, and by the time she realized it, the whole bowl of boiled fish had been completely eaten.

It wasn't until we got here that the spiciness started to kick in a bit.

Lin Zhenzhen hurriedly picked up the water glass next to her and took a big gulp.

Unexpectedly, the cup contained only warm water. Instead of relieving the burning sensation, it exacerbated the problem, spreading the spiciness from the throat to the tip of the tongue.

"Ouch, it's so spicy!"

Lin Zhenzhen opened her mouth, sticking out a small tip of her pink tongue, and waved her hands rapidly, trying to cool herself down physically.

Unfortunately, this method had little effect. She was so tormented that her eyelids were slightly red and her eyes were moist. She was as fragile as a piece of rice paper that had been soaked in water, and it would break at the slightest touch.

Huo Yeshuo's Adam's apple bobbed a few times before he finally spoke: "Is it that spicy?"

Lin Zhenzhen was sniffling, trying hard to stop the snot bubbles from flowing out of her nose, looking aggrieved and pitiful.

"It's spicy, too spicy," Lin Zhenzhen mumbled. "Could you give me a glass of ice water?"

Huo Yeshuo got up and went to the kitchen, and soon returned with a canned beverage.

Lin Zhenzhen quickly took it, tore open the pink packaging, and poured it into her mouth.

The cool liquid slid down my throat, finally suppressing the burning discomfort in my stomach.

Lin Zhenzhen put down the empty bottle and licked her lips, seemingly still wanting more.

Only then could I taste a bit of the original flavor of the beverage, sweet and sour, like strawberry milk.

Are you feeling better?

Lin Zhenzhen looked up, pretending not to see the dangerous glint in Huo Yeshuo's eyes, and obediently nodded.

"Much better."

"I'm sorry, it was an oversight on my part while cooking."

"It's okay." Lin Zhenzhen smiled. "But I didn't expect you to be able to handle so much spicy food."

“My maternal grandfather was from Chengdu. My mother and I have similar tastes; we both like spicy food.”

"However, a diet high in oil and spice is indeed unhealthy. I indulge occasionally, but my usual diet is mainly light and bland."

Lin Zhenzhen rested her chin on her hands and suddenly burst out laughing.

Huo Yeshuo paused, his dark eyes looking at her with a puzzled expression.

"It's nothing. I just think it's kind of cute for you to have some unhealthy lifestyle habits."

"Cute?" Huo Yeshuo raised an eyebrow slightly, clearly not feeling much joy from the compliment.

"Yes, you're cute." Lin Zhenzhen nodded and emphasized again, "You're more real when you're a little more down-to-earth, which makes me feel closer to you."

"Closeness" is a very special word, usually used between good friends, family members, and lovers.

At least for Huo Yeshuo, this is a word he uses very infrequently.

"Really?" Huo Yeshuo's eyes flickered slightly. "This question might be a little offensive to you, but do you often say things like this to others?"

Lin Zhenzhen frowned: "What do you mean?"

Huo Yeshuo clasped his hands together and placed them under his chin: "I mean, do you often want to stay close to others?"

Lin Zhenzhen was slightly stunned. Her red lips parted slightly, and her moist eyes widened a bit, as if she couldn't understand the meaning of his words.

After a moment, she frowned slightly, her eyelids drooping, looking unhappy, but in the end she pursed her lips and answered.

“Of course not.” She looked up. “I’m not that kind of person. I can’t be indecisive.”

"You misunderstood, that's not what I meant."

Huo Yeshuo shook the water glass beside him, and the transparent liquid swayed in the container with his movement, splashing out droplets of water.

"However, I'm not sure if this is just social politeness."

Lin Zhenzhen pursed her lips, and the soft flesh on her cheeks puffed out.

She put down her chopsticks and said, "I'm full."

Huo Yeshuo looked at her and said, "There are still desserts in the refrigerator."

"I'm not eating anymore, I should go back." With that, Lin Zhenzhen stood up and made a move to grab her bag.

Huo Yeshuo grabbed her wrist: "I'll take you."

His grip was very tight, and Lin Zhenzhen tried several times but couldn't shake it off.

She turned her body away from him and said stiffly, "No need, I'll just take a taxi."

Huo Yeshuo stood up, his hot breath spraying onto her head.

"If what I just said made you unhappy, then I apologize."

Lin Zhenzhen didn't reply immediately. From Huo Yeshuo's perspective, her thick, butterfly-wing-like eyelashes trembled incessantly, as if a few crystal tears would spill out at any moment.

"I'm sorry." Huo Yeshuo felt a surge of inexplicable irritation. "I shouldn't have said that."