Chapter 70: An Uninvited Guest
Gu Xinglan stopped his movements and licked the corner of his lips hungrily.
He looked down, his gaze narrowing as it fixed on the person in his arms.
His face was flushed with an unrestrained, lingering desire. “Since you’re in such a hurry, wifey… how about we spend the whole night together once we get home? Does that sound good?”
Qin Wan let out a long, ragged breath.
His small face crumpled.
He could never truly escape Gu Xinglan’s traps!
Seeing that he remained silent, Gu Xinglan let out a low chuckle.
“Chef Number Fifteen, your skills still need some improvement!”
Qin Wan’s cheeks puffed out in a pout.
Gu Xinglan reached out and gently poked his cheek.
His eyes were bright with amusement.
“However, I heard there’s an unspoken rule here. When you request a meeting with the chef, you’re supposed to give them a red envelope as a tip.”
As he spoke, he pulled a card from his pocket.
“You’ve worked hard, Chef Number Fifteen. It’s just a small token of my appreciation—please, take it,” Gu Xinglan said with a beaming smile.
Qin Wan looked at the card, feeling a bit bewildered.
Gu Xinglan kept one arm around his waist, his hand tracing slow, possessive patterns.
He explained softly, “Baby, I know you’ve been working hard lately. This million is just a little reward for you.”
Qin Wan’s mouth hung slightly open in shock.
“Gege, you… you’re giving me… this much money again?”
Gu Xinglan pulled Qin Wan into a tight embrace, resting his head in the crook of the boy’s neck.
It was strange; not only was there no scent of kitchen grease or smoke on him, but he also carried the faint, clean fragrance of body wash.
He took a deep, lingering breath.
His nose brushed gently against the side of Qin Wan’s neck. “My Wan-bao is a little money-grubber, so of course, as your husband, I have to cater to your interests. Don’t you agree?”
Qin Wan’s heart skipped a beat.
Gu Xinglan’s words, filled with such intimacy and exclusive meaning, always managed to throw his emotions into a frantic disarray.
It stirred his heart so much he couldn’t find peace.
He wanted to ask a question.
But he truly didn’t know how to start.
His long eyelashes fluttered downward.
Gu Xinglan pressed the card into the palm of his hand.
“Thank you, Gege.”
Gu Xinglan corrected him: “Call me husband.”
“…Thank you, husband…”
Desire shimmered in Gu Xinglan’s eyes as he pressed another kiss onto his rosy cheek.
“Alright, Chef Number Fifteen, go back to work.”
Only then did Qin Wan climb off his lap.
He tucked the bank card into his pocket.
“Then… I’m leaving.”
Gu Xinglan’s lips curled into a smile as he nodded.
Qin Wan gave a small wave and walked out of the private room.
Feeling quite refreshed, Gu Xinglan also got up to leave.
As he walked through the corridor toward the main hall, he crossed paths with a young man.
The man was dressed in a high-end bespoke suit, his figure tall and upright.
A black mask covered most of his face.
His short hair was cut sharp and clean, looking natural yet voluminous.
The peach-blossom eyes revealed above the mask were not only beautiful but carried an innate sense of aloofness and cold detachment.
In Li Ye’s restaurant, the diners coming and going were always the wealthy and influential.
Yet, the air of noble elegance radiating from this man still made the people around him turn their heads.
Gu Xinglan also gave him a second look.
He felt as though those eyes were familiar, as if he had seen them somewhere before.
But he couldn’t quite place it at that moment.
He slowed his pace slightly. As they passed each other, he shifted his gaze toward the man once more.
The next second, Gu Xinglan’s heart sank violently.
He remembered where he had seen those eyes.
In the files his special assistant, Tan Feng, had given him regarding the Sheng family of Jiang City.
Sheng Siyue!
When he had looked at Sheng Siyue’s photos, he had spent a long time scrutinizing those peach-blossom eyes.
The eyes of the man before him were an exact match for the ones in that photo.
Was it really Sheng Siyue?
What was he doing here?
Could he be looking for Qin Wan?
Had they already reunited?
Gu Xinglan’s usually unshakable composure shattered in an instant.
An intense wave of jealousy mixed with fury surged from his heart.
He immediately pulled out his phone and dialed Xiao Han.
“Get to Jinghong Yan immediately. I need you to shadow someone…”
Half an hour ago, Sheng Siyue had driven to the street alone.
He parked his car on the access road not far from Jinghong Yan.
Sitting in the car, he lit a cigarette and watched the smoke drift lazily through the air.
His business in the Imperial Capital was finished, and he was preparing to return to Jiang City.
But ever since he learned that Qin Wan was working as a chef at Jinghong Yan, his heart had known no peace.
It was like a pebble tossed into a spring pool, the ripples spreading endlessly.
When the cigarette burned out, he let out a deep, heavy breath.
He wanted to go to Jinghong Yan one more time.
Even if they couldn’t meet.
Just being in the same relatively confined space as him, perceiving his presence, and imagining that he was nearby… even that was a form of self-consolation.
Sheng Siyue’s caution was not without reason.
Having grown up in that environment for so many years, he knew his eldest brother, Sheng Sinian’s, personality and methods all too well.
That man was dark-hearted and extremely cunning.
After taking over the Hengsheng Group, he had arranged for people to secretly monitor the high-level internal staff. He knew if anyone so much as breathed incorrectly.
He was even more distrustful of his own half-brother.
Sheng Sinian was like a lingering, pervasive ghost.
He monitored his every move, both openly and in the shadows.
That was why for the past five years, Sheng Siyue hadn’t dared to contact Qin Wan in any way.
He wanted to wait until he had enough power to contend with Sheng Sinian before taking him down in one fell swoop.
Only then could he bring Qin Wan to his side and live a stable life.
However, once a thought takes root, it is nearly impossible to suppress.
Knowing Qin Wan was in this restaurant, Sheng Siyue didn’t want to wait another day.
Taking down Sheng Sinian through legitimate means would take time, but there were other, faster ways to solve the problem.
At that thought, Sheng Siyue’s exquisitely shaped peach-blossom eyes narrowed slightly.
His refined, handsome face was shrouded in an inexplicable, ghostly chill.
He sat for a while longer before opening the door and getting out of the car.
He walked into Jinghong Yan.
This time, he didn’t go to a private room. Instead, he found a corner seat in the main hall, closest to the back kitchen.
Just as he sat down, Li Ye walked over from the end of the corridor.
Entering the hall, Li Ye spotted the man in the corner. His gentle, almond-shaped eyes flickered at the corners.
It was him?
What a coincidence!
Li Ye stood by the screen in the hall, staring at the man not far away. His soft gaze held a hint of inquisitive intrigue.
At that moment, a waiter walked over and took the man’s order.
When the waiter walked back, Li Ye called her over.
“What did the guest at Table Twelve order?”
The waiter replied, “A serving of Whitebait Fried Egg Wedges and a Black Sesame Soy Milk Pudding.”
Li Ye: “Only those two items?”
The waiter nodded.
It was common knowledge that a three-star Michelin restaurant focused on refinement and the experience, emphasizing “tasting” rather than “stuffing oneself.”
The portions were naturally very small.
For a normal adult, a meal of four or five dishes was standard.
Yet this man had only ordered one dish and a dessert.
He had a very small appetite.
Li Ye thought this to himself as his gaze subconsciously drifted back toward the man.
The man sat there perfectly upright. Unlike other diners, he wasn’t scrolling through his phone or making calls.
He just sat there, looking as if something was weighing on his mind. His gaze was fixed on a point in the air, looking slightly lost.
Today, he wore a high-quality black matte shirt and black trousers.
Even while sitting, his superior physique was impossible to hide.
The lines of his face were deep yet carried a certain softness, his features both three-dimensional and exquisite.
But just like their last encounter, Li Ye felt that this man radiated a sense of aloofness—a “stay away” vibe that kept others at a distance.
His eyes were tinged with a faint sorrow, and his expression carried a hint of melancholy.
Though it was subtle, it seemed as if it could never be washed away.
Li Ye narrowed his eyes slightly.
Very few people could pique such a deep interest and the impulse to understand them just from a chance meeting.
He thought for a moment, straightened his collar, and walked over.
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