Chapter 157: The Anger Begins to Melt
Zhao Chen's movements didn't pause at all. He calmly wiped his hands with a tissue, as if Lidya Su was just asking him about the weather today.
Then, he reached out and picked up the plate of grilled chicken wings covered with chili powder in front of Yu Ling, pulled out the half-broken bamboo skewer, picked up a new bunch of sizzling chicken wings sprinkled with cumin, and put it on Yu Ling's plate.
After doing all this, he slowly raised his eyes and looked at Su Xiao, who had a look on his face that said, "I've discovered a shocking secret." His eyes behind the gold-rimmed glasses were calm and even had a hint of... doubt?
"What Shiba Inu head?" Zhao Chen frowned slightly, then raised his hand and touched the back of his left ear very naturally. His fingertips gently rubbed the mark, then he opened his hand—his fingertips were clean, with nothing on them. "Oh, that one?"
His tone was so flat, as if he was asking "What did you eat today?"
"I played that new Ark team game with Lin Feng and the others last night and stayed up all night. The team won, and those guys insisted on posting this."
He pointed to a gaming team logo sticker stuck to the corner of Su Xiao's file bag on the table. It also happened to be a cartoon dog head with bared teeth, a rugged design that was a stark contrast to the delicate, tiny Shiba Inu head behind Zhao Chen's ear. "Maybe it got some ink on it and didn't wash it off properly. What a fuss!"
Su Xiao: “…”
She looked at Zhao Chen's fingertips, then at the rough dog head sticker on the file bag, and then at Zhao Chen's innocent expression that said, "Wife, look, she's going crazy again." She felt a breath stuck in her chest and almost got internal injuries!
The ink on the stickers wasn't cleaned off! That placement! That level of detail! That subtle texture! This is a lie!
"You..." Su Xiao pointed at Zhao Chen, his fingers trembling, and was about to expose this clumsy lie.
"Madam boss! Give me fifty more skewers of chicken wings! Ten skewers of kidneys! Two bottles of cold beer!" A steady male voice sounded beside him, interrupting Su Xiao's questioning at the right moment.
Lin Feng had already stood by the table, dressed in a smart casual suit, looking out of place yet fitting in. He was holding a large plastic bag with "Lao Wang BBQ" printed on it, filled with a variety of freshly grilled meat skewers that exuded an enticing aroma.
He placed the heavy bag of skewers in the middle of the table very naturally, and took out two bottles of cold beer and placed them in front of Su Xiao and Yu Ling, his voice calm and unperturbed:
"Miss Su, here are your chicken wings. The boss said it's his treat, just to calm you down."
Su Xiao looked at Lin Feng who had suddenly appeared, then at the fragrant barbecue skewers that had instantly piled up like a mountain on the table, then at Zhao Chen's calm face across from him, who had the air of "I'm just an ordinary gaming nerd husband," and at Yu Ling next to him, who, though still stern, was involuntarily drawn to the honey fried egg...
She opened her mouth, and in the end, all the words that exposed her truth turned into a resigned wail. She grabbed a bunch of chicken wings and bit into them hard!
"Damn! Eat! Turn my anger into appetite!" Su Xiao muttered incoherently, chewing the chicken wings viciously, as if chewing Gu Qianqian's bones. "Lingzi! With the evidence in hand, the world is yours! Find a lawyer tomorrow! Sue that crazy woman to death! Make her spend the rest of her life in jail!"
Yu Ling took a deep breath. Amidst the smoky smell of the barbecue stall, the sweet aroma of honey fried eggs lingered stubbornly at her nose.
Her crimson eyes swept across the thick stack of evidence on the table, then settled on Zhao Chen's calm face. Rage still burned within her chest, but the sudden, warm midnight snack and the silent presence of the person beside her seemed to have soothed her.
She didn't touch the freshly grilled chicken wings, but instead picked up the chopsticks Zhao Chen handed her. Her movements were a little stiff, but she accurately picked up a small piece of fried egg coated in golden honey and put it into her mouth.
Warm, caramelized egg whites, mixed with the rich and crisp sweetness of premium honey, and a subtle sour layer from aged black vinegar... melt instantly on your tongue.
An indescribable warmth, with a soothing power, miraculously slid down the esophagus, slightly extinguishing the burning flames in my heart.
The corners of Zhao Chen's mouth curved up almost imperceptibly. He stopped talking, picked up disposable gloves from the table, and began peeling the bright red, succulent crayfish that had just been served. His slender fingers moved deftly, extracting the tender, whole meat. He dipped it in the broth and placed it, perfectly natural, on the plate in front of Yu Ling.
Su Xiao angrily gnawed at his chicken wings while keeping an eye on all directions, taking in Zhao Chen's smooth "shrimp peeling service." He then looked at Yu Ling's profile, which, though still stern, had noticeably softened, and the shrimp meat that was rapidly piling up on the plate...
The frustration she felt at being "fooled" by Zhao Chen was instantly replaced by another emotion—damn, so sweet! So sour! This dog food is so forced!
She decided to turn her grief and anger into a greater appetite. She grabbed the bottle of ice beer that Lin Feng had just put down, took a long sip from the bottle, and then slammed the table with great enthusiasm:
"Boss! Grill twenty more skewers of the treasure in your palm! Ten skewers of grilled steamed bread slices! Lingzi! Eat! Only when you are full will you have the strength to deal with that bitch!" She grabbed a handful of roasted meat skewers and stuffed them into Yu Ling's other empty hand.
"Zhao Chen! Don't just peel the shrimps! Eat! This meal... is on me!" She waved her hand heroically, with an air of making a fortune out of it.
Lin Feng silently took out a bulging leather wallet from the inside pocket of his suit and placed it next to Lidya Su's hand. He said in a steady voice, "Ms. Su, cash. The boss said he only accepts cash."
Lidya Su: “…” She looked at the wallet that was thicker than her monthly salary, then looked at Lin Feng’s serious face, and was completely speechless. Okay, you rich people’s “ordinariness”, I surrender!
Yu Ling ignored the silent exchange between the two people beside her. She slowly ate the fried egg, feeling the perfect sweetness permeate her mouth, soothing her nerves burned by anger.
On the plate, Zhao Chen's peeled shrimp meat piled up like a small mountain. She picked up a skewer of meat Su Xiao had thrust into her hands and took a bite. The rich flavor of cumin and chili pepper mixed with the lingering aroma of honey created a strange, down-to-earth feeling.
She swallowed the food in her mouth and looked at the open file bag on the table again. The anger in her eyes settled and turned into a cold, sharp gleam.
"Sue her?" Yu Ling's voice had returned to calm, but it was even more disturbing than her previous roar. She picked up Zhang Wei's bank statement and slowly traced her fingertips over the words "Miss G Charity Foundation." A cold, unsmiling curve appeared at the corner of her mouth.
"It's too cheap for her."
"I want her to be ruined and left with nothing." Yu Ling's voice was soft, but it was clearly heard by the other three. It was filled with a determination to perish together with her. "Just like she did to me."
Zhao Chen did not stop peeling the shrimp at all, and just put another plump shrimp into Yu Ling's plate.
"Yeah." He replied calmly, picked up the wet towel beside him and wiped his oily fingers. His eyes behind the gold-rimmed glasses calmly met Yu Ling's gaze. His voice was low and steady, with a reassuring promise:
"Debts must be collected one by one. Interest cannot be avoided."
He picked up the chopsticks, picked up a piece of shrimp he had just peeled from Yu Ling's plate, dipped it in the soup very naturally, and then, very naturally, brought it to Yu Ling's mouth.
The movements were smooth and flowing, as if they had been rehearsed thousands of times.
Yu Ling was stunned for a moment, looking at the shrimp meat beside her mouth, stained with red oil and emitting an alluring aroma, and then looking at Zhao Chen's eyes that were calmly watching her. The hustle and bustle of the city was all around her, and the tip of her nose was filled with the rich aroma of grilled skewers and the gentle aftertaste of honey.
The last bit of frozen anger in her eyes finally melted away quietly in the face of this extreme tenderness and silent protection.
She opened her mouth and bit the shrimp.
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