23: Chapter 019: Dinner Date 23: Chapter 019: Dinner Date After the waiter left, the atmosphere suddenly quieted down.
They were not seated at a large round table but at a delicate rectangular one, which could only accommodate four people dining together.
Sitting face to face, they could see each other very clearly.
Ye Fan stared intently at Lu Xiaoman’s pretty face, closely observing her bright eyes, her delicate and straight nose, her soft and tender red lips, her small and exquisite chin, and her tender, fair melon-seed-shaped face…
Feeling Ye Fan’s burning gaze, Lu Xiaoman’s heart uncooperatively started pounding rapidly.
She lowered her head and let her eyelids fall, not daring to meet Ye Fan’s eyes.
“…Why are you staring at someone like that?” she said softly, her bashfulness making her voice quiet, feeling her pretty face getting hotter and hotter, “Stop it.”
However, she wasn’t angry at all; instead, she secretly took delight in it.
Seeing Lu Xiaoman’s bashful look, a wonderfully happy feeling rose in Ye Fan’s heart, thinking she was just too beautiful.
He said with a playful grin, “Because you’re too pretty.”
“Don’t talk nonsense!” Lu Xiaoman suddenly looked up, shooting Ye Fan a quick glare, and chided coquettishly.
“Ha ha,” Ye Fan couldn’t help but laugh, and then he suddenly blurted out, “You were right when you said we shouldn’t have ordered those extra dishes earlier.”
Lu Xiaoman was slightly stunned, feeling Ye Fan’s thought process was quite erratic, but she still replied, “Better to realize now.
How much can two people eat?
You just started working, so you can’t develop the bad habit of overspending.”
Ye Fan shook his head with a smile and said, “The ancients said, ‘Beauty is feast enough.’ With such unrivaled beauty before me, I am satiated just by looking at you, how can I have any appetite left for more food?”
“Ah!” Lu Xiaoman couldn’t hold back her surprise, her face flushed a bright red, a mix of shyness and joy.
However, out of modesty and shyness, she couldn’t help but glare and chide him, “You’re behaving like a rascal, I won’t talk to you anymore!
With that, she turned her pretty face away, hiding her expression from Ye Fan.
Ye Fan laughed heartily, noticing Lu Xiaoman’s tender white hand on the table, he reached over to gently grasp it.
At the touch of her tender hand, he saw Lu Xiaoman visibly shudder, her hand instinctively retracting, but he wouldn’t let her pull away and firmly held on.
After struggling for a bit, Lu Xiaoman gave up, letting Ye Fan gently hold her soft hand.
She kept her face turned towards the wall to her left, her head slightly lowered, her cheeks blushing so intensely they could drip blood, even the slender white of her neck was flushed, as were her delicate ears.
However, the pleasant moment didn’t last long.
It wasn’t much later that the waiter came over with a plate of sauteed pork with vegetables.
When Lu Xiaoman heard footsteps approaching, her hand retracted like lightning, too quick for Ye Fan to catch.
Interrupted just when he was getting into it, Ye Fan felt disappointed.
He turned his head and stared at the approaching waiter, scaring him so much that he almost ran away after setting down the dish.
The meal turned out to be quite prolonged, lasting over an hour, with both enjoying a lively conversation.
Despite that, Ye Fan was inwardly vexed as he had no further chance to hold Lu Xiaoman’s tender hand.
As they were about to settle the bill and leave, Ye Fan, seizing the moment, suggested, “Sister Xiaoman, how about we go watch a movie or take a walk at the riverside square after this?”
“Sorry, it’s almost eight o’clock now, I really need to hurry back,” Lu Xiaoman said apologetically, “I have things to take care of at home.”
She had to rush back to look after her mother, who was suffering from breast cancer, and to do housework.
Initially, she only planned to have dinner with Ye Fan until seven o’clock before heading home.
But to her surprise, she had such a good time chatting with Ye Fan that she completely lost track of time, and it was almost eight.
Now, she felt guilty for dining too long and was definitely not inclined to go for a walk or watch a movie.
Saying so, she quickly grabbed her handbag and stood up.
Seeing the urgency in Lu Xiaoman’s expression, Ye Fan guessed there was indeed something urgent at her home, so he didn’t insist any further.
After paying, they got in the car, and Ye Fan started the engine while asking Lu Xiaoman, “Sister Xiaoman, where do you live?”
He intended to drive Lu Xiaoman home.
“Just drop me off near the subway station,” Lu Xiaoman hesitated before saying, “That way you won’t waste your time.”
She wasn’t yet prepared for the prospect of being Ye Fan’s girlfriend.
If he took her home, it would feel like things were moving too fast, and she wasn’t quite ready to accept that.
Especially since her mother was battling breast cancer, she didn’t have the heart or the time to truly engage in a romantic relationship.
I have plenty of time,” Ye Fan said.
Lu Xiaoman looked at Ye Fan, her beautiful eyes pleading, insisting, “Really, just to the subway station will do.”
“Alright,” Ye Fan agreed.
At nine o’clock in the evening, Ye Fan drove back to the Imperial Bay Villa Complex.
As soon as he entered, he noticed the bright lights in the living room.
On taking a closer look, he found an additional mature, enticing, and beautiful silhouette seated on the sofa.
Li Zhaojun was sitting on the couch, dressed in a light-purple silk house dress, with her back straight, her slender and graceful neck erect, and her slightly damp hair casually draped over her shoulders, unspeakably elegant and noble.
Ye Fan was taken aback, wondering why Zhao Jun was sitting in the downstairs living room watching TV, as she seldom stayed on the first floor.
Coming back to his senses, Ye Fan walked over while pretending to cough twice.
Regrettably, Li Zhaojun didn’t even turn to look at him, still focused on the TV news.
Seeing that Li Zhaojun wasn’t responding, Ye Fan was not upset; he sat down on another sofa, crossed his legs comfortably, leaned back, and casually asked, “So, what brings you here waiting for me?”
Finally, Li Zhaojun showed a hint of response.
She slightly turned her gorgeous face and glanced at Ye Fan with her narrow, seductive eyes.
Seeing such a carefree posture from Ye Fan, she immediately scowled, her face filled with scorn and contempt, and haughtily huffed, “Shallow!
“You knew that from the start.
If I weren’t shallow, how would that prove your keen insight and shrewd judgement?” Ye Fan replied with an indifferent smile.
“Shameless!” Li Zhaojun said Coldly, with disgust.
Ye Fan laughed, “Thank you, that’s the highest compliment for me.