Meng Qinghuai’s words left Guan Yingtang utterly stunned for several seconds.
She only managed to react after a long pause, her tone incredulous, “What are you doing here?”
Meng Qinghuai replied, “Just happened to be here to discuss some business.”
“…?”
Guan Yingtang suddenly didn’t know how to respond.
She keenly sensed the many curious glances falling upon them from all around.
It was no wonder— just one beautiful woman with the aura of a celebrity and a mask would already attract plenty of attention, and now there was also a handsome man with a noble and courteous air.
With two outstandingly charismatic people in the same frame, it was impossible not to be noticed.
Guan Yingtang suddenly became anxious. She fished out her sunglasses from her bag, pulled her mask up higher, and after covering herself tightly, she quickly grabbed Meng Qinghuai and hurried outside.
Only when they reached a secluded spot with no passersby did she finally stop.
“Why would Mr. Meng come to a dessert shop for business?” Guan Yingtang didn’t believe a word of it.
Yawan Company Headquarters was such a huge company— how could he possibly come to such a small dessert shop for business?
Meng Qinghuai lowered his gaze, looking at the wrist she was holding.
Guan Yingtang also realized and immediately let go, stepping back a bit to keep her distance.
The air grew subtly still for two seconds.
“Then how does Miss Guan want me to answer?” Two seconds later, Meng Qinghuai looked up and said calmly, “Actually, I came here specifically to find Miss Guan—to apologize for what happened this morning?”
Meeting his eyes, Guan Yingtang’s heart skipped a beat. “How would I know you…”
“Then is Miss Guan no longer angry?” Meng Qinghuai didn’t deny it.
Guan Yingtang’s heart beat even faster, and she felt an uncontrollable urge to smile as if she’d just won a battle. “I’m not angry at all.” She was generous and gentle. “Mr. Meng is busy with work, I understand.”
“…”
He really was immensely grateful for that.
Taking a breath, Meng Qinghuai brought the conversation back to the main point. “About the butler, the solution I just suggested— what does Miss Guan think?”
Guan Yingtang stared at him with her beautiful eyes, clearly having already forgotten the terrifying multiple-choice question Meng Qinghuai had just posed.
“Mr. Meng,” she immediately declined, “my request is for the butler to leave Jinghua Mansion.”
Guan Yingtang hoped Meng Qinghuai would understand the part she hadn’t said aloud—
She wanted the butler to go, but she hadn’t said anything about him moving in!
Meng Qinghuai looked straight at her, his tone calm and unwavering. “Since you don’t agree to let the butler come in to take care of your daily safety, then I can only come myself.”
“…”
“Anyway, Miss Guan also feels she doesn’t know me well enough. If I move in, it’ll give you a perfect opportunity to get to know me fully.”
???
No way.
Guan Yingtang moved her lips to speak, but Meng Qinghuai cut her off—
“Miss Guan came to Guangzhou to get used to married life in advance.”
“Since it’s about marriage, naturally both parties should be the focus.”
“Don’t you think so?”
Guan Yingtang couldn’t get a word in.
“So will Miss Guan let the butler stay, or—” Meng Qinghuai moved a little closer, his gentle voice falling from above with a subtle pressure, “Me.”
Guan Yingtang’s heart inexplicably trembled. She reflexively stepped back until her back hit the wall and she couldn’t retreat any further. Suddenly, some distant memories surfaced in her mind.
…If she remembered correctly.
This man had made his name when he first entered school by taking first place in a Simulated Business Negotiation Debate with overwhelming dominance.
–
When she returned to Jinghua Mansion, Guan Yingtang felt as if she’d lost all her strength and composure.
She’d sent the butler away, only to welcome Meng Qinghuai. She’d left alone, but now returned as a married couple coming home together. For a moment, Guan Yingtang didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
With Meng Qinghuai’s multiple-choice question, she never actually had a choice.
She was the one who’d suggested experiencing married life in advance, and now it had come back around like a boomerang, catching her off guard.
But this cohabitation was just too sudden.
At 6 p.m., the house was very quiet. The air was tinged with a complex mix of awkwardness, restraint, and a hard-to-describe feeling.
“If you don’t want the butler here, how do you plan to eat?” Meng Qinghuai took off his suit jacket and turned to ask Guan Yingtang, “Or does Miss Guan know how to cook?”
Guan Yingtang had never even peeled an orange herself, let alone set foot in a kitchen.
She cleared her throat. “Takeout in Guangzhou is pretty convenient, and Property Management will even deliver it to your door.”
“……”
Meng Qinghuai used silence in place of speech. He opened the fridge, and sure enough, the fresh ingredients delivered two days ago hadn’t been touched at all.
So if he hadn’t come, was this young lady planning to feed herself takeout every day?
Meng Qinghuai casually pulled off his tie and tossed it onto the sofa, then rolled up his shirt sleeves and said to Guan Yingtang, “Sit for a while.”
Guan Yingtang instinctively looked over and saw the man walk into the kitchen. The transparent glass door slid shut, and all she could see was his broad, solid back.
He… could cook?
Just as she was staring in a daze, a call from Jiang Kewei came in. “I’m off work. Are you still at the dessert shop? I’ll come find you.”
Guan Yingtang covered her phone and walked away. “No, I’m home.”
“Huh? Didn’t you say you wouldn’t go home unless the butler left—” Jiang Kewei paused, as if she’d figured something out. “Wow, looks like Meng Qinghuai really listens to his wife.”
“Listen to what?” Guan Yingtang sounded deflated. “The butler’s gone, but he’s moved into Jinghua Mansion to live with me.”
Jiang Kewei paused, holding back a gossipy laugh. “That’s great! The two of you can work on your relationship.”
“Work on what? I barely know him.”
“Sleep together and you’ll get to know him.”
“……” Guan Yingtang was speechless. “Can’t you say something realistic?”
On the other end, Jiang Kewei’s delighted laughter was completely unrestrained. “Come on, you’re already married—are you planning to be celibate with Meng Qinghuai?”
Guan Yingtang wasn’t that conservative.
It was just that, up to this day, she still hadn’t really felt married. That certificate seemed more like a permit to enter Guangzhou than proof of a life change.
Her relationship with Meng Qinghuai, their legal marriage— maybe it all happened too fast, or maybe she was just avoiding it, but she’d never really faced it.
Until now— the man’s tall figure, the faint aroma wafting from the kitchen, and for the first time, the sense of home that belonged to both of them in this house.
It stirred something subtle in her heart.
“Enough, we’ll talk when we meet tomorrow.” It was the weekend and Jiang Kewei didn’t have to work, so they’d already made plans to go out together the next day.
Twenty minutes after hanging up, there were three dishes and a soup on the dining table.
Guan Yingtang had to admit, compared to the butler’s elaborate luxury spread that morning, Meng Qinghuai’s simple home-cooked dishes instantly awakened her appetite.
“You can cook?” She found it unbelievable. In Hong Kong, any young master with even a little family background probably couldn’t tell chives from garlic.
Let alone someone like him, the heir of a top wealthy family.
Meng Qinghuai handed her a pair of chopsticks. “Is it that hard?”
Guan Yingtang: “……” Wow, you’re really something.
She wanted to retort, but faced with delicious food, Guan Yingtang swallowed her words and chose to eat quietly.
The Meng Family was powerful, but their approach to their children’s education wasn’t extravagant.
Every child in the Meng Family was required to learn all the basic life skills from a young age. They didn’t have to master them, but they had to know how.
A few simple home-cooked dishes were nothing difficult for Meng Qinghuai. It was just that it had been many years since he’d cooked, the last time being when he was Overseas Study.
Tonight was a rare occasion.
Guan Yingtang had always been taught to eat only until she was seventy percent full, but today, faced with Meng Qinghuai’s spread, she ended up letting out a very unladylike burp when she finally put down her chopsticks.
She couldn’t believe she’d made such a sound. Guan Yingtang immediately covered her mouth, and when she looked up—
The air was quiet for a few seconds.
Sitting across from her, Meng Qinghuai’s lips curled slightly. “Should I thank Miss Guan for her approval?”
Guan Yingtang: “……”
Feeling awkward, Guan Yingtang grabbed a napkin to pretend to wipe her mouth, then quickly stood up to escape. “I’ll help with the dishes.”
Meng Qinghuai stopped her. “No need.”
There was an automatic dishwasher at home anyway, so there was no need for the young lady’s delicate hands to get dirty.
Meng Qinghuai stacked up the dishes and was about to take them to the kitchen when he suddenly caught sight of two car headlights gradually approaching outside the window.
He frowned slightly and walked forward a bit. After confirming something, he immediately said to Guan Yingtang, “Go upstairs first.”
“What’s wrong?” Guan Yingtang hadn’t realized trouble was coming.
“My dad’s car.”
“……”
Guan Yingtang was so startled she almost burped again, her eyes wide. “Why is he here?”
“Probably business.” Meng Qinghuai wasn’t sure of the reason, but he remained unusually calm. “Just don’t come downstairs.”
Guan Yingtang felt an unfamiliar and powerful presence growing closer. Without thinking, she turned and ran upstairs.
Meng Qinghuai took the dishes into the kitchen. When he came back out, Meng Songnian had already gotten out of the car, and the driver was helping ring the doorbell.
Without a word, Meng Qinghuai kicked Guan Yingtang’s shoes into a hidden corner before opening the door.
A wind had picked up outside at some point. Meng Songnian, in a suit and looking travel-worn, carried a faint scent of alcohol. The driver quietly told Meng Qinghuai,
“Chairman Meng met some friends tonight and had a few drinks. On the way home, he said he wanted to stop by and see you.”
Usually, when a driver says ‘a few drinks,’ it’s never just ‘a few.’
As soon as he entered, Meng Songnian saw the table hadn’t been cleared yet. He turned to ask Meng Qinghuai, “Tao Yi said you haven’t been home for dinner in three days. I thought you had social engagements outside, so—” He glanced around. “Who’s here at Jinghua Mansion that’s worth you cooking yourself?”
Meng Qinghuai’s expression didn’t change. “Just been busy lately, wanted some peace and quiet.”
He’d bought Jinghua Mansion not only for its excellent environment but also because it was close to the Company Headquarters. If he worked late, he could rest here without making the long trip back to Meng Garden.
Meng Songnian knew there had been a lot going on at the Company recently, so he wasn’t suspicious.
After all, his eldest son had always been reliable and measured— unlike the troublesome second son, he could trust Meng Qinghuai much more.
“But you can’t always be busy with work.” Meng Songnian sat down on the sofa. “About Miss Guan—what are your thoughts, exactly?”
Upstairs, Guan Yingtang was hiding in the shadows, her eyelids twitching as she shrank back against the wall.
“What do you mean, what thoughts?”
“Do you have feelings for her?”
“……”
Guan Yingtang’s heart pounded, and she didn’t dare make a sound.
But Meng Qinghuai was silent for a few seconds—
“It’s getting late. I’ll have the driver take you home to rest.”
He clearly didn’t want to answer.
His eldest son’s marriage had always been a major concern. Tonight, after meeting with friends— most of whom had already drunk daughter-in-law tea and even had grandchildren— he and Guan Zhiheng had gone to great lengths to set up their two children.
Yet now, one avoided the subject, and the other had gone Overseas Study without a word. It looked like neither had taken a liking to the other.
Meng Songnian was unwilling to give up. “Really not even a little bit of affection?”
Once a middle-aged man who’s had a few drinks starts talking, it’s hard to stop.
Meng Qinghuai closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “You’ve had too much to drink. I’ll answer when you’re sober.”
Meng Songnian glanced at Meng Qinghuai. He seemed about to say something else, but paused, pointed a finger at him, and said, “Fine.”
He got up and headed straight upstairs. Meng Qinghuai was stunned for a moment and hurried after him. “Dad, you—”
“I’m staying here tonight. Wait for me.”
“……”