Yu Minglang, skeptical about Mr Liu’s treatnt plan, left Mr Liu’s house to pick up Qian for lunch.
Lunch was settled at a self-service hot pot restaurant opposite the school, where the owner was Yu Minglang’s childhood friend, Hai Zhao.
Hai Zhao originally did ho appliance business in Q City, but in the past two years, the profit on appliances has been decreasing, and the inventory is too large. He felt there was no future in it, so Yu Minglang advised him to switch to the restaurant business.
The restaurant business, as long as well managed with excellent quality, will always have custors. Originally, they planned to open in Q City, but two local restaurant owners there were too dominant making it difficult to compete.
Therefore, Yu Minglang suggested that he co to Lishi to develop, not only to avoid the restaurant kings of Q City but also for another thoughtful reason.
"Bro, how’s this place doing?" Hai Zhao draped an arm around Yu Minglang’s shoulder as the three sat in the private room.
In the scorching weather, enjoying the steaming hot pot in an air-conditioned room is definitely a pleasure.
"Everywhere has a sense of decay, indeed like sothing concocted by your vulgar taste." Yu Minglang diligently picked atballs for Qian, while also teasing his childhood friend.
"That’s a bit much. My vulgar taste is only to cater to you two! Qian, you don’t know, when choosing the location—"
"Eat!" Yu Minglang quickly stuffed a atball into Hai Zhao’s mouth. Hai Zhao instinctively bit into it and was burned by the hot liquid inside, his eyes widening.
"Oh... damn!"
Yu Minglang really played his childhood friend; Hai Zhao felt like his tongue was about to burn off.
"Did you help him choose this place?"
Qian asked Yu Minglang, who just smiled without answering.
This place is indeed good, adjacent to the university town and not far from the developnt zone, ensuring a steady flow of custors.
But more importantly, by choosing this location, his picky eater i wouldn’t have to worry about where to eat.
Qian always claid she wasn’t fussy, but in truth, she really was and couldn’t eat canteen food. In recent years, Mrs. Yu often brought Panpan over during holidays, and fed Qian in passing, preventing her from starving thin.
Yu Minglang heard from his brother that after Panpan secures a postgraduate recomndation in his first year, he might transfer here. By then, Mrs. Yu definitely couldn’t visit every week, so who would feed his lovely i?
By having Hai Zhao open a self-service place here, his chef could make special als for i. Even though there are plenty of restaurants outside, now and then they expose scandals, even upscale ones using gutter oil!
Still, a restaurant run by a childhood friend is reassuring. Just a word and they’ll make special nutritious als for Qian.
Qian understood; this was Yu Minglang’s little act of thoughtfulness.
He thought things through more thoroughly than she did, considering things she hadn’t even thought of.
Seeing the affectionate gaze between the two, Hai Zhao couldn’t take it anymore and spoke up.
"You two are sothing else. Using my place to burn my tongue and coming over to tease , a single guy. So, when’s the wedding? I need to prepare the gift money. Watching you make nauseous for so many years, it’s about ti, isn’t it?"
He knew why Yu Minglang was here, even calling him earlier to help choose a diamond ring.
Qian froze, her body instinctively reacting at the ntion of marriage.
"No rush, she’s still little, still a baby. Here, baby, have a atball, careful it’s hot~" Yu Minglang pretended not to notice Qian’s discomfort, calmly serving her food.
Qian didn’t expect his response, looking at him in surprise as he blew on the atball before feeding it to her.
"Baby’s good, big bro cherishes you. No rush!"
He seed to be saying not to rush in eating, but it also felt like he ant not to rush with marriage. Qian’s anxious heart finally settled, feeling both relieved and a bit lost.
A strange feeling.
Seeing the confused look in her eyes, Yu Minglang couldn’t help but admire Mr Liu’s judgnt.
Pre-wedding jitters sound like a fear of marriage, but actually, fear and anticipation coexist.
She doesn’t reject him, and looks forward to living together, but also has so resistance to the future marriage life. This contradictory and complex feeling is vividly expressed in her.
If Qian were to help diagnose soone else’s pre-marital anxiety, she could easily determine if they had it in minutes. As Mr Liu said, it’s a minor issue, not even a real psychological disorder.
But she can’t see it in herself.
Looking into Yu Minglang’s reassuring gaze, she wondered. Didn’t he want to get married before? Why the sudden lack of urgency? Minglang looked at her gently, comforting her.
"Good things are worth waiting for. I’ll wait as long as it takes. If you’re not ready now, we’ll wait until you are."
"Xiaoqiang, I..." Qian, her cheek puffed with the atball, looked particularly cute, and gazed at Yu Minglang, touched. He reached out and poked the bulge on her cheek.
"Reassured now? Eat more. No one will ever force you to do anything you don’t want. Don’t have any burden in your heart. Your happiness is my joy. Co, eat more~"
"Damn, is it necessary to get that philosophical over a atball? I should tell the chef to stop washing his hands and use gutter oil when you guys co..."
Hai Zhao didn’t understand what kind of hidden conversation Yu Minglang and Qian were having; he just felt a bit bitter.
"Hey, when is your sister coming back?" Feeling provoked seeing Qian and Yu Minglang’s interaction, Hai Zhao decided to change the topic to sothing he liked more.
"Next week. She’ll be back at my dad’s. She sent a ssage for you."
Hai Zhao imdiately decided to return to Q City and prepare. Since Xiaoxi was coming back, he had to get her favorite snacks ready, along with the bags and watches he bought abroad.
"What did she want you to tell ?"
Yu Minglang pointed at the empty dish in front of Qian, looking cheeky.
"Look at you, do you even look like you’re in the business? Can’t you tell my dear i is out of cilantro? What’s hot pot without cilantro?"
"My bad, here, here, cilantro~" Hai Zhao hurriedly stood up to hand over the dish of cilantro, willing to do it for the firsthand update on Xiaoxi.
"Fill the drinks!"
Yu Minglang’s smug expression perfectly illustrated what people call a minor achievent, but what could Hai Zhao, in need of a favor, say?
With the drink filled and attitude set, Yu Minglang, chewing on a toothpick, said leisurely.
"She wanted to tell you she’s coming back for a matchmaking event next week, and wants you to help—"
Crash, the cup in Hai Zhao’s hand shattered on the floor.
She’s going for a matchmaking event, and asking him to help! The shattered pieces were everywhere, but his heart broke more than the glass, turning to dust.
Seeing Hai Zhao so badly hit, Yu Minglang didn’t leave him hanging.
"She said she wants you to go and rescue her by pretending to be her boyfriend."
"Damn! Can you not make things so suspenseful?" Hai Zhao finally felt relieved, breathing a long sigh of relief. It scared the life out of him!
"Isn’t Hai Zhao unsuitable?" Qian joined in playfully, seeing how much fun Yu Minglang was having.
"How am I unsuitable? Is there anyone more suitable than ?" Hai Zhao protested.
Not just pretending, even without the ’pretend’, Hai Zhao felt he fit the role!
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