A luxury car pulled up in front of the upscale Western restaurant, and two people got out. The taller, more handsome man had a taut, expressionless face.
A slender young man, half a head shorter than him, followed beside him, occasionally glancing furtively at the man's expression. He felt that his answer was correct, but Master Gu seemed dissatisfied with it.
Guided by the waiter, the two sat down at a quiet table. Gu Fei looked at the menu, and the boy's words in the car earlier automatically came to mind again—a particularly sincere statement:
"You've been so good to me, caring for me like an elder. Even my parents haven't been this good to me."
...So this child thinks he's his father.
Gu Fei didn't say another word then.
Lin Qingyan couldn't help but steal glances at Gu Fei again. She tried to hold back but couldn't, and asked in a weak, low voice, "Brother Fei, are you unhappy?"
"No." Gu Fei looked at the person opposite him. His nervousness was written all over his fair face. A pair of beautiful eyes were staring intently at him. He couldn't help but sigh in his heart. It was just a sentence. Why bother arguing with a child?
The man's expression softened, remaining largely unchanged from before—always expressionless—but his tone was less harsh. "Don't overthink it. See what you'd like to eat; you can order anything."
Lin Qingyan breathed a sigh of relief, "Mm!"
The food at this Western restaurant was delicious, so Lin Qingyan stopped thinking about anything else and focused on eating. (Original URL)
A few minutes later, other customers came into the store. Lin Qingyan was sitting facing the door. He glanced at the customers who came in, and the next moment his pupils contracted sharply, and his hand stopped moving.
"This way, please, both of you."
The waiter led the two guests in: a handsome young man in an expensive shirt and trousers who looked very gentle, and a young and beautiful girl.
The two sat at the table opposite Lin Qingyan and Gu Fei, at a distance that was neither too close nor too far. The young man's gaze was fixed on the boy, his burning eyes never leaving him.
Those eyes conveyed a multitude of emotions: excitement, surprise, regret, annoyance, and doubt, but above all, an overwhelming sense of excitement and delight.
However, Lin Qingyan didn't see any of these.
He had already lowered his eyes, gripping his knife and fork as he continued cutting the steak in front of him. The veins on the back of his fair hands bulged slightly as he tried to hide all his emotions.
But Lin Qingyan increased the pressure in his hands, and the tender and juicy steak seemed to be working against him, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't cut it properly, showing his inner anxiety and unease.
He never expected to run into Wen Yan here.
The man he loved for two years in his past life, the man who made him feel cared for, who lifted him to the clouds, yet with a gentle smile, ruthlessly threw him into the abyss.
Even though he had been given a second chance at life, it was impossible for Lin Qingyan not to care. His mind was in turmoil until a warm touch covered his palm. It was Gu Fei who had taken his hand.
A man's clear, magnetic voice rang in her ears: "What did this steak do to offend you? Don't torture it." With that, the man swapped the neatly cut steak in front of him with Lin Qingyan's.
"Eat."
Lin Qingyan knew that his reactions wouldn't escape Gu Fei's notice. This man was very observant and would definitely have noticed that his abnormality was related to Wen Yan who had just come in, but he couldn't say anything.
With Gu Fei by his side, Lin Qingyan felt a little more at ease. His emotions stabilized considerably. He whispered a thank you and then lowered his head to eat the steak that the man had cut himself.
The food that had tasted delicious just moments before now tasted bland. He stopped looking in Wen Yan's direction. In his previous life, he met Wen Yan three years later. He didn't know Wen Yan now, and Wen Yan didn't know him either.
So let's just treat each other as strangers.
He never wanted to have anything to do with this man again in his life.
Thinking this way, Lin Qingyan gradually calmed down.
"Teacher Wen, what are you looking at?"
Wen Yan withdrew his gaze and smiled gently at the girl accompanying him. "It's nothing, let's order first." He looked down at the menu absentmindedly, but his eyes couldn't help but glance in the direction of the boy.
The boy looked a little more youthful than I remembered. His eyes were lowered, and the curves of his profile were soft and delicate. From a distance, he exuded a clean and aloof aura.
Wen Yan was engrossed in watching when the man sitting opposite the boy suddenly glanced in his direction. Despite the calm look in his eyes, Wen Yan felt a chill run down his spine, as if he were being stared at by a cold-blooded predator, and his blood almost froze in that instant.
With just a fleeting glance, the man looked away, but Wen Yan's heart remained unsettled. Why was Gu Fei standing beside the young man? It shouldn't be like this…
Lin Qingyan had eaten half of the steak on his plate when he put down his fork and suddenly stood up, pursing his lips slightly and giving a somewhat forced smile. "Brother Fei, I'm going to the restroom."
Gu Fei hummed in agreement, watching the boy's figure disappear around the corner. Then, she turned her gaze away and casually began cutting the steak in front of her, her movements unhurried and elegant.
In the restroom, Lin Qingyan stood in front of the sink, bent down and washed his face with cold water. He silently looked at himself in the mirror, water droplets sliding down his cheeks, his wet bangs hanging down his forehead, looking somewhat disheveled.
He reached up and unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt, leaving the collar open to reveal a small section of his collarbone, and only then did he feel a little better able to breathe.
However, before he could completely calm down, the bathroom door was pushed open from the outside, and he could see the person walk in and stand beside him in the mirror.
"Are you alright?" Wen Yan looked at the boy with concern, took out a handkerchief and handed it to him, her voice kind and gentle: "Wipe your face, it's all wet."
"No need, thank you."
Lin Qingyan's tone was cold and distant. He turned and walked out, but the next moment his wrist was grabbed. "Let go." He frowned unhappily, looking at the man in front of him warily.
Wen Yan even saw a hint of disgust in his eyes.
That shouldn't be the case.
"I'm sorry, I meant you no harm." Wen Yan took out a business card from her pocket and handed it to Lin Qingyan, saying sincerely, "I'm a photographer, and I think you're very talented. I just wanted to ask if you could..."
"No." Lin Qingyan interrupted him abruptly. As he turned to leave, his wrist was grabbed again, making him even more impatient. "Sir, please let go of my hand."
Wen Yan remained unmoved, staring intently at the boy with a probing gaze. "You seem to dislike me. Why is that? We didn't know each other before, right?"
His emotions grew increasingly intense. He suddenly pulled the boy into his arms, holding him tightly, and murmured in a trembling voice, "Yan Yan, I missed you so much..."
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