Chapter 160: Su Xiao Eats Watermelon
Yu Ling's eyes unconsciously swept across the greasy tabletop, the plates piled with bamboo sticks, and the empty Shiba Inu thermos box... Finally, they landed on the greasy old refrigerator behind Zhao Chen - the refrigerator of Lao Wang, the owner of the barbecue stall, which was covered with various takeout orders, lock-opening advertisements and children's graffiti.
A brand new, bright yellow refrigerator magnet had appeared near the handle of the refrigerator door at some point.
It was a very simple, cute Shiba Inu head with smooth, rounded lines. It looked adorable, with a silly grin on its face.
The brand new tiles look out of place and yet stand out against the greasy and old background.
Yu Ling's heart suddenly jumped!
Shiba Inu…
Shiba Inu on an insulated box.
Zhao Chen "accidentally rubbed" the Shiba Inu mark behind his ear.
The Shiba Inu logo of the gaming team (?)…
And that mysterious "Bankrupt Pancake Man Foundation" with a rather naive name but utterly wieldy methods...
Countless images flashed through Ling's mind:
When Zhao Chen first helped her solve the plagiarism crisis, he casually mentioned a "friend's case"...
When his aunt came to make trouble, he "accidentally" mentioned the news about the financial scam...
She saw a dress she was reluctant to buy, and the next day she won the grand prize in a lottery at the mall...
When the crisis of Starlight Technology was reversed overnight, he casually said, "My lawyer friend is very capable"...
And just now, that glimpse of the cold message from the "Bankrupt Pancake Man Foundation" announcing that the Gu family's core assets were frozen in the Cayman Islands...
All the "coincidences", all the "help from friends", all the "good luck", all the "screen names", "stickers", "power leveling"...
In the end, they all pointed to the same symbol strangely - the Shiba Inu with a silly grin!
The fog seemed to be parted by an invisible hand, leaving a crack. Behind the crack, no longer was Zhao Chen's calm and gentle face, the one that said, "I'm just an ordinary husband," but instead, a vast, precise, unfathomable shadow! The Shiba Inu was like a playful paw print accidentally revealed by this enormous shadow!
A chill crept up Yu Ling's spine.
She looked at Zhao Chen again. He was picking up a bunch of golden, greasy chicken wings, blowing on them carefully, and then very naturally passed them to Yu Ling's mouth. His voice was low and gentle, with a hint of coaxing:
"Honey, try this. Lao Wang's grilled chicken wings are amazing. They won't be crispy when they're cold."
His eyes were still clear and gentle, as if nothing had happened, as if he was just an ordinary husband who was worried about his wife being hungry.
Yu Ling looked at the chicken wings being passed to her mouth. The charred skin was coated with an alluring sheen, and the aroma of cumin and chili filled her nostrils. She then looked at the brand new, grinning Shiba Inu magnet on the refrigerator door.
She didn't open her mouth to bite the chicken wing.
She stretched out her hand, not to catch the chicken wings, but extremely suddenly and with a desperate attempt, she grabbed the mobile phone that Zhao Chen had placed on the table!
She moved quickly, with suppressed anger and a desperate impulse!
However, Zhao Chen's reaction was faster!
Almost the moment Yu Ling's fingertips touched the cold outer shell of the phone, a slender and powerful hand, like a pair of iron pliers, firmly and irresistibly covered the back of her hand, firmly holding her hand and the phone together!
The moment their skin touched, Yu Ling felt the warmth from his palm, and also felt the unshakable strength like a rock beneath that gentleness!
Zhao Chen's hand didn't hurt her, but simply held her down firmly, preventing her from moving an inch. His other hand was still holding the skewer of chicken wings, and his expression didn't change much. Only his eyes behind his gold-rimmed glasses suddenly calmed, reflecting Yu Ling's stunned yet stubborn face.
"Lingling," Zhao Chen's voice deepened, carrying an unprecedented, unquestionable force, yet he maintained a gentle surface. "There are work secrets on the phone." He paused, looking deeply into Yu Ling's eyes, and spoke clearly, word for word:
"For some games, knowing the rules is enough. Playing in person...it's easy to get hurt."
His words were ambiguous, like a gentle warning, but also like a cold boundary.
Su Xiao, holding a half-sliced toasted bun in her mouth, was completely petrified. She looked at their clasped hands, then at Zhao Chen's unfathomable gaze, then at Yu Ling's face, a mixture of anger, grievance, and a hint of embarrassment at being seen through... She felt like her heart was about to stop after eating this barbecue! The amount of information! The tension! It was ten thousand times more thrilling than the eight o'clock dramas!
Yu Ling's hand trembled slightly under Zhao Chen's palm. She could feel the warmth of his palm, and also the steel-like will beneath that gentleness.
The words "it's easy to get hurt if you do it yourself" were like an ice-cold needle, piercing her impulse to uncover the truth and also piercing the last bit of hope in her heart.
The grievance, like a flood bursting through a dam, instantly washed away her forced calmness and composure. Her eyes grew uncontrollably hot, and her nose felt sore. She strained to pull her hand back!
However, Zhao Chen let go of her hand the moment she exerted force.
The force faded so quickly that Yu Ling was caught off guard, her body leaning back slightly due to inertia. In this moment of swaying, Zhao Chen gently touched Yu Ling's lips with the golden and charred chicken wings he had been holding in his other hand.
The warm oil and overbearing aroma instantly overwhelmed her senses.
"Be good, eat first." Zhao Chen's voice returned to its usual gentleness, as if the cold confrontation had never happened. He even picked up a clean tissue and wiped the back of Yu Ling's hand, which he had just held down—as if it was stained with something dirty.
Yu Ling froze there, the warmth and aroma of the roasted chicken wings still lingering on her lips, the feel of his hand wiping hers distinctly. A wave of frustration, anger, the frustration of being fooled, and a hint of powerlessness, trapped by this ultimate tenderness, surged through her chest.
She looked at Zhao Chen's face, so close to her, which was filled with the sincere (?) expression of "I just want you to eat well", and then looked at the brand new, grinning Shiba Inu magnet on the refrigerator door...
A deep feeling of fatigue, like a cold tide, instantly overwhelmed her.
She is tired.
In this marriage game woven of lies, pretense, and unfathomable fog, she is like a blindfolded player, stumbling and getting bruised all over, while her opponent always seems to be at ease and always one step ahead of her.
She lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes casting a small shadow under her eyes, covering up all the surging emotions. She didn't look at her phone again, nor did she look at Zhao Chen again.
She just silently and mechanically opened her mouth and bit the grilled chicken wings against her lips.
Bit it hard.
The hot, burnt and spicy taste, mixed with a hint of subtle bitterness, instantly filled the mouth.
Zhao Chen looked at her and finally agreed to eat, and he breathed a sigh of relief imperceptibly. The eyes behind his gold-rimmed glasses flickered slightly, and a complex and indistinguishable emotion flashed across his eyes.
He stopped talking, just sat quietly, picked up a new skewer, and began to eat slowly, as if the silent confrontation just now was just an insignificant episode in this bustling city.
Su Xiao looked at Yu Ling who was eating in silence, then at Zhao Chen who was eating skewers with a calm expression, and then at the brand new Shiba Inu magnet on the refrigerator door... She silently drank the remaining half bottle of beer in one breath.
This life is unbearable! This melon makes her stomach hurt!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
