Chapter 61: He Never Asked If I Liked It
“What? If you’re hungry, shouldn’t you eat first?”
Ji Songting shot him a glacial glance, then dragged him straight into a private dining room in the restaurant. He pressed the youth down into a seat and raised a hand to summon a waiter.
The man before him possessed an overbearing aura, exuding a chilling and biting coldness from head to toe. The surrounding air seemed to instantly freeze into icicles, making one shiver uncontrollably.
Terrified by the biting chill radiating from him, the waiter shrank his shoulders and instinctively took two steps back. He couldn’t help but ask with a trembling voice, “Sir… hello, sir. What would you like to eat?”
He didn’t dare to breathe too loudly, simply standing there cautiously, terrified that this seemingly gentle yet actually ruthless man would fly into a rage, swallow him whole, and throw him out to feed the dogs.
Ji Songting didn’t answer. Leaning back in his dining chair, his fingers intentionally or otherwise tapped lightly against the tabletop, making crisp sounds.
His expression was somewhat dark, his gaze fixed tightly on the nervous youth opposite him. It was impossible to read the emotion in his eyes; his deep pupils only appeared even more apathetic.
Then, the leather-bound menu was spun and slid across to the other side of the dining table. Ji Songting withdrew his hand, seeming uninterested in any of the food, and said flatly:
“Order whatever you want to eat.”
Hearing this, the anxiety and urgency in Jian An’s heart flared up like a lit flame. He felt as if he were going to go mad from anxiety in the next second; he simply couldn’t calm down!
He gritted his teeth tightly, looking at the man in the black suit before him with deep anger in his eyes.
Just what was this man trying to do?
His own mother was in someone else’s hands, her life or death unknown. How could he possibly be in the mood to eat right now!
He was just about to rise from his chair, but the moment his body moved, he was immediately pressed back into his seat by Xiao Wang, who was standing behind him.
Being constantly monitored by such a burly driver, he simply didn’t even have the chance to escape!
Jian An repeatedly clenched his fists and bit his lower lip, trying to control his explosive emotions. However, the more he endured, the more agonizing it became.
His bloodshot eyes locked dead onto Ji Songting. Reaching out, he tossed the menu back and forcefully suppressed the fury in his voice, saying:
“I can’t eat. Tell me the address of where my mom is right now, and I’ll go save her myself!”
“Just you? Going to throw your life away?” A look of disdain appeared in Ji Songting’s eyes. He looked at the youth who was overestimating his own capabilities, his words dripping with mockery.
He then opened the tossed-back menu, quickly flipped past two pages, his handsome eyes scanning the dishes. Tapping his finger on the page, he said to the waiter, “I’ll have these dishes, and fetch a glass of plain water for that gentleman.”
“Certainly. Please wait a moment, you two.”
With that, the waiter hurriedly rushed out of the private room with his notepad, not wanting to stay a second longer.
Seeing the man’s calm and unhurried demeanor, showing not the slightest intention of leaving, Jian An grew even more furious and raised his voice:
“Ji Songting, what exactly do you want? I truly don’t have time to waste with you here. I need to go save my mom! Did you hear me?!”
Unexpectedly, the other party simply wore an expression that said it was none of his business, and replied flatly, “After we eat.”
“Sir, here are the dishes you ordered. Please enjoy.”
The waiter brought the food in one by one, respectfully presenting the tray before the man.
“Mn.”
Ji Songting reached out for his knife and fork, his eyes slightly lowered. His long eyelashes cast shadows on his lower eyelids as he slowly and methodically cut the steak, placing it into his mouth to chew.
His gaze was detached, making him look exceptionally well-bred. When cutting the steak, his movements were so elegant it was pleasing to the eye. Yet, the intimidating sharpness hidden deep within his eyes made the entire atmosphere incredibly heavy.
Seeing the person across from him sitting rigidly without touching his cutlery, and glaring at him with that murderous look, Ji Songting clicked his tongue against his back molars. A slight arc curled upon his handsome face, his eyes brimming with deep interest as he asked playfully:
“Why aren’t you eating? Don’t like it?”
This question gave Jian An a bit of a headache. He simply glanced around at the expensive Western cuisine on the table; any single dish was something he couldn’t afford in his lifetime.
He truly couldn’t fathom, and found it somewhat unbelievable, why Ji Songting would suddenly ask him this.
In the past, that man never asked if he liked something or not, and certainly would never order a table full of food for him like he was doing now. But whatever Ji Songting gave him, he would accept.
Yet now, he couldn’t afford it anymore, nor could he bring himself to like it. He truly wasn’t sure how this man was going to toy with him again, trying to humiliate him in public.
Moreover, his severe gastric compression and gastritis meant Jian An could only sustain his energy on plain water and thin porridge. The sight of that spicy, greasy Western food made him nauseous.
So, was Ji Songting doing this just to worsen his illness? Just like Shen Chuyan, he couldn’t stand to see him well, determined to completely break down his already battered body.
Guessing this possibility, an indescribable feeling welled up in Jian An’s heart. It was as if he had downed a full mouthful of traditional Chinese medicine—so bitter he could hardly bear it, yet he still had to force himself to swallow it.
But he quickly calmed down. His lips moved, and in a place where no one could see, he gave a self-deprecating smile. Then, looking up at the man, a trace of helplessness laced his voice:
“I don’t like it.”
Hearing these words, Ji Songting’s movement of chewing the steak paused slightly, but he quickly returned to normal.
After finishing his meal, an inexplicable heat flushed his back. He gently set down his cutlery and took off his suit jacket, leaving only a black dress shirt.
His sleeves were rolled up a fraction, revealing his robust and muscular forearms. The muscle lines were taut, proportionate, and powerful.
This sexual tension left Xiao Wang dumbfounded. He couldn’t help but sigh inwardly; despite his boss’s erratic temper and tendency to arbitrarily punish employees over work, his personal charisma was undeniably overwhelming.
Ji Songting slowly looked up at the person opposite him. The emotion in his eyes was clear and unruffled; he didn’t fly into a rage because of the youth’s “I don’t like it.” For the first time, he actually had the patience to ask:
“Then what do you like?”
Even Jian An was stunned by this question. His body stiffened instinctively. The expression on his face shifted from anxious anger to disbelief, then to shock and bewilderment, before finally settling back into calmness.
In his impression, Ji Songting always prioritized his own interests. He never considered, nor did he ever ask, what Jian An liked or hated. The power to decide never fell into his hands. So now, what on earth was this man talking about?
Whether he liked it or not probably didn’t matter anymore…
Ji Songting caught those subtle emotional shifts on his face. He felt surprised by his own abrupt question. His gaze immediately turned cold as he said:
“Don’t want to eat, is that it? If you don’t finish everything on this table, you won’t see your mother. I do what I say.”
“You…!”
Jian An never expected the man would force him to such an extent. Shouldn’t Ji Songting think that putting such expensive food into his stomach was a pure waste?
He curled his fingers, his gaze falling on the seemingly exquisite but entirely taboo Western dishes. His voice was slightly choked: “I don’t want to eat, and I can’t eat. What does this have to do with saving my mom? Why must you force me like this…”
“Force you?”
A scrutinizing gleam appeared in Ji Songting’s eyes as his gaze fell upon him like a sharp blade.
Had this been any other time Jian An accused him of forcing or bullying him, he would have simply brushed it off, perhaps even with arrogant disdain.
But for some reason, hearing the other party criticize and condemn him like this now stirred a sense of neglected loneliness and resentment in his heart.
He didn’t know why he felt this way.
Clearly, while in the car, he had merely caught an accidental glimpse of Jian An’s terribly emaciated arm and felt an unprovoked sense of irritation and displeasure. He thought about taking this person out for a good meal, making up for the mistake of refusing a blood donation that day. But to be so misunderstood by the other party—it seemed it was entirely unnecessary.
Ji Songting’s prior interest vanished in an instant, and his gaze lost every ounce of warmth. He said:
“Why can’t you eat? Is your stomach ulcerated? Or is your mouth broken? Will eating it kill you?”
This barrage of interrogations felt like steel bearings scattered over the tip of his heart; the rolling sensation brought a gradual pain that made Jian An’s entire heart tremble. For a moment, he couldn’t speak.
Wasn’t it the truth? What was the difference between his stomach, ruined by long-term sleep deprivation and irregular meals, and being ulcerated?
He hadn’t expected that hearing this truth from the man’s mouth would carry such a tone of irony and mockery…
Then what was there left to explain?
Seeing his hesitant and unspeakable demeanor, Ji Songting looked as if he had long seen through his falsehoods. He let out a cold snort, propped his cheek with one hand, and carelessly glanced at the youth, saying flatly:
“Since it won’t, then eat it. Your mother’s life is in your hands right now. If you want to save her, you have to eat everything on this table clean.”
Jian An never thought the other party would threaten him like this, but apart from compromising, he was completely out of options.
Sometimes, he truly hated his own incompetence, hated himself for being so cowardly that others could grab his fatal weakness and viciously humiliate him.
Jian An let out a deep, long sigh. His eyes, having cried so much, blinked with difficulty. His pupils were dim and lifeless as he said numbly:
“Let me confirm this one last time. As long as I finish this food, you’ll agree to take me there?”
The man gave a slight nod, his gaze unreadable, and said flatly, “Yes. I never break my word.”
“Alright. I’ll eat. Remember your words.”
Jian An shot a resentful glare at his face, reached out, and pulled the several plates of food in front of him. Unable to find chopsticks anywhere, he had no choice but to use a fork to spear the food and quickly shovel it into his mouth.
He didn’t even have time to chew properly; his cheeks bulged as he forcefully swallowed most of it down. The fiery, spicy sensation stimulated the corners of his eyes, bringing forth physiological tears.
“Cough, cough, cough…!”
Jian An’s pupils suddenly contracted. A piece of meat got lodged in his throat, and no matter how hard he swallowed, it wouldn’t go down. His face instantly flushed red as he desperately beat his chest with his hand.
Seeing this, a negligible trace of worry flickered in the depths of Ji Songting’s eyes. He then silently shot a look at the driver. The words of concern on the tip of his tongue twisted into something else entirely:
“That cheap bitch can make you this anxious?”
Xiao Wang understood implicitly. He hastily grabbed the glass of plain water from the table and handed it to the youth, “Mr. Jian, slow down.”
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