A luxury car stopped outside an high-end Western restaurant. Two people stepped out of the car; one of them was a tall and handsome man with a stern, expressionless face.
About half a head shorter, a slender young man followed beside him, secretly observing the man’s expression out of the corner of his eye from time to time. He felt there was nothing wrong with the answer just now, but it seemed like Mr. Gu wasn’t satisfied with it.
Under the waiter’s guidance, they sat in a quiet spot. Gu Fei looked at the menu, but his mind kept replaying the words the young man had just said in the car.
It was a particularly sincere sentence: “You are very good to me, caring for me like an elder. Even my parents haven’t been this good to me.”
Lin Qingyan couldn’t help but sneak another glance at Gu Fei. After a moment of hesitation, he finally asked in a soft, weak voice, “Brother Fei, are you upset?”
“No.” Gu Fei looked at the person across from him, whose nervousness was written all over his fair face, with those beautiful eyes fixed on him. He couldn’t help but sigh inwardly—it was just a sentence. Why be bothered like a child?
The man’s expression softened, though it didn’t change much; it was still the same neutral look, just less cold. “Don’t think too much. Take a look at the menu and order whatever you want.”
Lin Qingyan breathed a sigh of relief. “Okay!”
The food at this Western restaurant was really good, so Lin Qingyan quickly focused on eating, putting all other thoughts aside.
A few minutes later, other customers entered the restaurant. Lin Qingyan was facing the entrance, and when he glanced at the new arrivals, his pupils suddenly constricted and his hands stopped.
“Right this way, please.” The waiter guided the two new guests—a handsome, seemingly gentle young man dressed in an expensive shirt and trousers and a beautiful young woman.
The two sat at a table opposite to Lin Qingyan and Gu Fei, neither too close nor too far. The young man’s gaze naturally fell on the boy, and his intense stare never left. His eyes were filled with a mix of emotions—excitement, surprise, regret, frustration, confusion—but most of all, excitement and surprise beyond words.
However, Lin Qingyan didn’t notice any of this.
Lin Qingyan quickly lowered his gaze, gripping his knife and fork as he continued cutting the steak in front of him. The veins on his pale hand stood out, revealing the effort he placed into suppressing his emotions.
But no matter how tight his grip was or how hard he tried, the tender and juicy steak seemed to work against him, and he couldn’t cut it properly, which showed his inner turmoil and anxiety.
Even after being reborn, it was impossible not to care. Lin Qingyan’s mind was a mess until he felt a warm palm covering his hand—Gu Fei had placed his hand over his.
A cool, magnetic voice sounded in his ear, “What did this steak do to offend you? Stop torturing it.” As he spoke, Gu Fei exchanged the neatly cut steak from his plate with Lin Qingyan’s. “Eat.”
Lin Qingyan knew that his reactions couldn’t escape Gu Fei’s notice. The man was very observant and had likely already figured out that his unease was related to Wen Yan, who had just walked in. But there was nothing he could say.
With Gu Fei by his side, Lin Qingyan actually felt a bit more at ease. His emotions steadied, and he quietly whispered a thank you before lowering his head to eat the steak that Gu Fei had cut for him.
The food that had tasted delicious just moments ago now seemed flavorless as it entered his mouth. He didn’t look in Wen Yan’s direction again. In his past life, he had met Wen Yan three years later; now, in this life, he didn’t know Wen Yan and Wen Yan didn’t know him.
So, he decided to treat him as a stranger.
He had no desire to cross paths with that man again in this lifetime.
With that thought, Lin Qingyan’s heart gradually calmed down.
“Mr. Wen, what are you looking at?”
Wen Yan withdrew his gaze and gave the girl beside him a gentle smile. “Nothing, let’s order first.” He lowered his head and absentmindedly scanned the menu, but in his periphery, he couldn’t help but look in the direction of the young man.
The boy looked slightly more youthful than he remembered, with his eyes lowered and the soft, delicate lines of his profile giving off a clean, cool aura even from a distance.
Wen Yan was lost in his thoughts staring at the boy, when suddenly, the man sitting across from Lin Qingyan glanced in his direction. Though the man’s gaze was calm, it sent a chill down Wen Yan’s spine, as if he’d been caught in the sight of a cold-blooded predator; his blood nearly froze in that instant.
It was just a fleeting glance, and the man quickly looked away, but Wen Yan’s heart couldn’t settle. Why was Gu Fei with the boy? It didn’t make sense…
After eating half the steak, Lin Qingyan set down his fork and stood up, pressing his lips into a forced smile. “Brother Fei, I’m going to the restroom.”
Gu Fei nodded and watched as Lin Qingyan disappeared around the corner. Then he calmly returned to cutting his steak, his movements unhurried and elegant.
In the restroom, Lin Qingyan bent over the sink to splash cold water on his face. He silently stared at his reflection in the mirror as droplets of water slid down his cheeks. His damp bangs clung to his forehead, giving him a somewhat embarrassed appearance.
He raised his hand to undo the top two buttons of his shirt. The open collar revealed some of his collarbone, and he finally felt like he could breathe a bit easier.
However, before he could fully calm down, the restroom door swung open. Through the mirror, he saw someone walk in and stand beside him.
“Are you alright?” Wen Yan asked with concern, watching the boy’s expression closely. He took out a handkerchief and offered it to him, his voice warm and gentle. “Here, wipe your face. It’s all wet.”
“No need, thank you.” Lin Qingyan’s tone was cold and distant as he turned to leave, but the next moment, the other man grabbed his wrist. “Let go.” He frowned and looked at the man in front of him warily.
Wen Yan even saw a hint of disgust in his gaze.
It wasn’t supposed to be like this.
“Sorry, I meant no harm,” Wen Yan said, pulling out a business card from his pocket and offering it to Lin Qingyan. He spoke sincerely, “I’m a photographer, and I think you have great potential. I just wanted to ask if you could—”
“No,” Lin Qingyan cut him off abruptly. As he turned to leave, Wen Yan grabbed his wrist again, making him even more impatient. “Sir, please let go of my hand.”
Wen Yan remained unmoved, his probing gaze fixed intensely on the boy. “You seem to dislike me a lot. Why is that? We’ve never met before, right?”
His emotions became more and more riled up before he suddenly grabbed Lin Qingyan by the waist and pulled him into his arms. Wen Yan hugged him tightly and whispered in a trembling voice, “Yan Yan, I miss you so much…” 1one word disgusting !
Thank you reading >w<
