He clearly realized that Chu Hongyu was different from other women.
Even though both women aspire to achieve success in their careers, Chu Hongyu's focus differs from that of her elder sister, Ning Man'an.
Chu Hongyu possessed neither Ning Man'an's pure ambition and lust for power, nor Cha Meiling's ruthlessness in achieving her goals by any means necessary.
She was more like a leaping flame.
In the process of reinventing oneself, the "ambition" is to illuminate a farther and deeper path ahead.
A strange glint flashed in Ning Bingyu's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure and said, "Let's go, it'll be too late if we don't leave now, and you have to go to work tomorrow."
"Okay." Chu Hongyu also realized that it was getting late, and coughed lightly.
He walked to the door, gentlemanly and deftly opened the door that had been a challenge for Chu Hongyu, and gestured for her to enter.
Chu Hongyu followed behind and learned how to open the door. She was quite at ease with herself; if she didn't know how, she didn't know how, and there was nothing to be ashamed of.
The two went out one after the other, went downstairs and got into Ning Bingyu's Bentley, which drove towards Pottinger Street.
Since the journey wasn't far, Ning Bingyu soon parked his car on the side of the street.
After parking the car, he smiled and introduced, "We've arrived at Pottinger Street, also known as Stone Slab Street."
Chu Hongyu had only passed through this place a few times during the day.
At night, Pottinger Street is lined with shops, flashing neon lights, and bustling with activity.
Many of them run food businesses, and it's currently the time when they set up their stalls to sell late-night snacks.
After getting off the bus, Chu Hongyu walked with him for a while.
Then Ning Bingyu led her to stop in front of an inconspicuous little shop.
The air was filled with the aroma of food, a rich and smoky atmosphere.
He turned to Chu Hongyu and said softly, "This boat congee is extremely authentic, would you like to try it?"
Looking at the bustling crowd around her and the small shop that looked dirty and old, clearly frequented by low-income people, Chu Hongyu couldn't help but feel secretly surprised.
She asked hesitantly, "Young Master, are you sure you want to have a late-night snack here?"
Ning Bingyu loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt, revealing his sexy collarbone. His tone was relaxed and casual: "What? Does Assistant Chu think this place is unworthy of your status?"
Chu Hongyu quickly explained, "I just didn't expect that a young master like you would frequent a place like this." After all, this place was worlds apart from the high-end restaurants that Ning Bingyu usually frequented.
Ning Bingyu chuckled softly: "The more ordinary a place seems, the more authentic and genuine its food often is."
The shop's customers were clearly mostly neighbors coming for a late-night snack, and they greeted each other.
"Sister Lan!" Ning Bingyu greeted the owner at the door familiarly, seemingly a regular customer, without any airs of a wealthy young master.
Upon seeing Ning Bingyu, the proprietress, who was in her sixties, greeted him warmly: "Ah Yu is here! What would you like to eat today?"
"Sister Lan, the usual, a bowl of freshly cooked fish congee, and a serving of boat congee," Ning Bingyu replied with a smile.
"You're in luck! We have some great fish today!" the owner replied cheerfully, then turned and went off to get busy.
The restaurant was packed with customers, and they couldn't find an empty seat for a while.
"Sister Lan, business is so booming, I don't even have a seat. I came here as a VIP!" Ning Bingyu looked around and frowned slightly.
Chu Hongyu noticed the barely suppressed smile on Ning Bingyu's lips; he was clearly trying to amuse the landlady on purpose.
While busy collecting money, the proprietress glanced at Chu Hongyu and instructed Ning Bingyu with a smile, "You good-for-nothing, go to the back and bring out a table and two chairs. It's your first time bringing your girlfriend here, you can't keep her waiting!"
Chu Hongyu was taken aback at first; it was the first time she had ever seen someone dare to call Ning Bingyu a loser to his face. However, the proprietress had clearly misunderstood.
A blush instantly spread across her cheeks, and she explained quickly, "Sister Lan, I'm not... I'm not his girlfriend, he's my boss." Having spent half a year in the Hong Kong government, even her Mandarin had taken on a Hong Kong accent.
Sister Lan wiped her hands with the rag draped over her shoulder, then looked at Chu Hongyu with interest, a hint of mockery in her eyes—
"Subordinates? I've run this shop for over ten years, and I've never seen Ah Yu bring any subordinates here for a late-night snack!"
"Sister Lan, here's a rag!" Ning Bingyu was too lazy to explain. He simply rolled up his shirt sleeves and naturally reached out to take the rag from the proprietress's hand.
He then turned around and went into the shop, brought out a table with a chipped corner, and took out two low plastic stools.
Watching Ning Bingyu wipe the old table and chairs with such ease and skill, Chu Hongyu felt as if she had seen a ghost.
Isn't Young Master Ning usually so particular? How come he's acting like a spoiled brat without a trace of his former status? But as a subordinate, how can one expect their superior to serve them?
She snapped out of her daze, immediately rolled up her sleeves, and stepped forward in her high heels to try and take the rag: "Young Master, you stand there, I'll do it, I'll do it!"
Ning Bingyu glanced at her indifferently: "You? If you bend over, you'll expose yourself. Neither I nor the uncles and aunties around here want to know what color your underwear is."
Chu Hongyu froze instantly, realizing that the low tables and stools here were extremely disadvantageous for her, who was wearing a skirt suit, and it would be very easy for her to expose herself!
“You…” She instinctively pressed her hand against her “Diaopai” bodycon mini skirt, her face turning bright red.
How come this person becomes such a "rogue" as soon as he leaves an elegant environment!
Besides, he was the one who had someone buy this short skirt that covered her buttocks. She had mentally prepared herself for a long time before putting it on!
Seeing her rare display of panic and embarrassment, Ning Bingyu chuckled softly and casually took off his suit jacket, tossing it to her: "Wrap it around your waist."
Chu Hongyu hesitated for a moment, then blushed and grabbed her coat, wrapping it around her waist. In her heart, she couldn't help but curse Ning Bingyu's ancestors again.
Seeing that she sat down somewhat reservedly, Ning Bingyu quickly tidied up the table and chairs on his own, and then went to the proprietress to get the porridge.
When the proprietress saw him coming, she handed him a bowl of porridge and instructed, "Ayu, your porridge will have to wait a little while. Please take this bowl of porridge to Granny Lin first."
Then Chu Hongyu saw Ning Bingyu take the porridge from the tray without complaint and walk to an old woman who was sitting alone on the steps by the street selling cigarettes.
The man, who was usually aloof and seemingly refined, yet whose words and actions sometimes made people uncomfortable, bent down and said softly, "Grandma Lin, your porridge is ready. It's hot, so drink it slowly."
The old woman took the porridge, a hint of a smile flashing in her cloudy eyes: "Oh, it's Yu. Thank you. The fish porridge is very good today. Eat more. Young people work hard and need to nourish themselves."
Ning Bingyu smiled gently: "Okay."
Then he continued to help the proprietress, seemingly enjoying it.
Chu Hongyu could barely understand Cantonese, and seeing Ning Bingyu greeting and laughing with the neighbors so familiarly, she found it all very unbelievable.
The dim light of the small shop shone on Ning Bingyu, casting a warm glow on him and making him appear even more gentle.
He was dressed head to toe in high-end custom-made clothing. Standing in this small shop full of local flavor, busy with his work, he had shed his aloof exterior and had a strange feeling of being out of place yet strangely integrated into the atmosphere.
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