Xi Jun knocked on the door, and the door was quickly opened from the inside.
The moment the door opened, the man froze on the spot.
The woman wore a plain white embroidered herringbone-front long-sleeved cheongsam, her black hair was tied back, and a simple wooden hairpin was inserted diagonally. Her makeup was light and elegant, and her almond-shaped eyes were like a deep autumn lake, clear yet captivating.
In that instant, Xi Jun seemed to see a lily growing on a high mountain peak, isolated from the world.
He stood there, stunned, forgetting to say a word.
When Lu Ying opened the door and saw Xi Jun, she was slightly taken aback.
The man was wearing a pure white short-sleeved shirt, beige trousers, and a pair of slightly worn white sneakers.
With his clean-cut face and a pair of black-rimmed glasses, he looked very fresh and youthful; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he was a male college student.
In their previous meetings, the man always looked somewhat disheveled, so seeing him so clean and tidy, Lu Ying couldn't help but be a little surprised.
She stepped back slightly and gestured to the man standing in the doorway, "Please come in quickly."
Xi Jun snapped out of her daze, her ears already bright red. Suppressing her nervousness and excitement, she awkwardly moved into the private room, saying, "Th-thank you."
Lu Ying noticed his reaction, but couldn't help but smile.
She didn't know what to say. How could this person be so easily embarrassed?
Even though he's over thirty, he still gives off the impression of a naive college student.
Lu Ying thought to herself, and couldn't help but find the man somewhat endearing.
The restaurant wasn't particularly upscale, but the ambiance was excellent.
Each private room is designed in a different style of Japanese house, and the decorations and furnishings inside are all very particular.
After entering the house, Xi Jun quickly scanned the room and noticed the Japanese-style slippers the woman was wearing. Her gaze then quickly fell on another pair of slippers placed next to the steps.
Above the steps was a small, single-layer shoe cabinet with only one pair of white low-heeled shoes neatly arranged at one end.
When he took off his shoes and put them on the shoe cabinet, he hesitated for a moment, but still placed them below the low-heeled shoes.
Considering that Chinese people are not used to this, the restaurant has provided thick seat cushions.
As Xi Jun walked towards the table, the woman was already sitting upright at the table.
After he sat down, Lu Ying handed him the menu, saying, "Take a look and see what you'd like to eat."
The man took the black notebook with both hands, glanced at Lu Ying, who had a polite smile on her lips, and quickly lowered his eyes again.
"Th-thank you!"
Lu Ying smiled politely, "You're welcome. You've helped me anyway, so it's only right that I treat you to a meal."
The room was quiet; it was just the two of them.
Thinking of this, Xi Jun felt her heart beating very fast. The heat behind her ears had never subsided since she saw Lu Ying, and it even showed signs of continuing to rise.
He tried to tell himself to say, "You're welcome, it's just a small favor," but what came out of his mouth was, "It's nothing, it's all voluntary, you don't need to be so polite."
Lu Ying was clearly taken aback by his words, and her gaze toward the man became somewhat inquisitive.
Xi Jun quickly realized what had happened and cursed herself for blurting out her true feelings. Now, not only were her ears burning, but her face was too.
Seeing the smile on the woman's face fade slightly, he felt annoyed and anxious. He opened his mouth to explain, "I...I mean..."
“It’s okay, I know.” Lu Ying interrupted him, meeting his somewhat uneasy gaze, and smiled, “Your thoughts are written all over your face, it’s hard for me to pretend I don’t know.”
The woman had a faint smile on her face and spoke in a relaxed and carefree tone. Xi Jun breathed a sigh of relief, but her wildly beating heart also sank a little.
He didn't know how to explain his feelings for Lu Ying. He was afraid that if he said it directly, the woman would stop smiling and give him the same cold look she gave him as she did those disgusting men, and then reject him clearly and decisively.
Then she would say that she has a happy and fulfilling family, with a loving and caring husband and well-behaved children.
Finally, he said it was shameful for him to be obsessed with a married woman, and that he made her feel disgusted.
Just thinking about those things made Xi Jun feel as if she were being stabbed with a knife.
He couldn't deny his feelings, but he still couldn't help but look at Lu Ying.
Since the woman hadn't talked about her private life, he pretended not to know, and in the dark and quiet night, he recalled the woman's smiling face time and time again.
He was lustful towards women with a clear-headed yet servile attitude.
And all of this has nothing to do with women.
Noticing that the man seemed a little down, Lu Ying didn't say anything more.
He then put on a polite and appropriate smile and said, "Let's order first. It's getting late, let's have something to eat before we talk about other things."
Hearing the woman's words, Xi Jun snapped out of his daze. Realizing that the woman had been waiting for him for a long time and must be starving, he stopped daydreaming and opened the menu to look through it.
However, the moment the menu was opened, he was dumbfounded.
Because he had never eaten Japanese food before, he couldn't understand what any of the dishes on the menu were.
What a bunch of random sashimi, tempura, sukiyaki...
What is sashimi? Is it food covered in thorns?
What is tempura? Is it edible?
What is sukiyaki? Judging from the name, it should be a barbecue dish?
For the first time, Xi Jun felt so inferior. He was over thirty years old and didn't even know what sashimi was. He had really wasted the last few decades of his life.
At least he knew what sushi was. He was looking at the sushi when he glanced behind him and his eyes widened instantly.
A classic sushi costs 298!
Just how classic is it?! It costs 298 yuan!
He has to wait until Monday to eat mala tang with Xi Qingxu, and this one serving of sushi is enough for him to eat mala tang several times over!
Without thinking, Xi Jun closed the menu and said to the woman opposite her, "How about we go to another restaurant? This one is too expensive."
The man's eyes were open and honest, showing no embarrassment or shame at not being able to afford it; on the contrary, they conveyed a sincere desire not to let her spend money.
Lu Ying took the menu from Xi Jun, opened the book and flipped through it herself, saying, "It is indeed a bit expensive, but it is normal for the prices to be higher in this kind of place. The environment here is quite nice."
As she spoke, she looked up at Xi Jun, her eyes devoid of any extra emotion, and said with a faint smile, "If you don't want to order, I'll order for you. After all, it's to repay a favor, and I can't neglect you."
Watching the woman doodle in the notebook, Xi Jun wanted to refuse, but the words stuck in her throat.
People say it's about returning a favor; if he refuses, he might never see him again.
Thinking this, the man could only purse his lips and remain silent.
He was secretly relieved that he had just received his salary a few days ago, so that he wouldn't be unable to afford even a meal.
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