Chapter 47: Well-Behaved
The restaurant was a famous local eatery serving home-style dishes. The food was excellent, and being dinner time, it was crowded, so the dishes were served a bit slowly.
The private room was silent, and the waiter’s arrival broke the awkward atmosphere as he placed a plate of vinegar-braised cabbage on the table.
Huai Dan lowered his eyes and took a bite.
It was quite sour.
Ye Lin had really choked badly. He finally managed to recover a bit, but the tea still had some lingering effects. He tried hard to suppress it, but still coughed softly from time to time, his face flushed.
Luo Feng looked at Ye Lin, puzzled: “Do you need me to call an ambulance?”
Ye Lin: “…”
He waved his hand, covering his mouth with the other, tears almost welling up.
Luo Jing instinctively wanted to pour some water for Ye Lin, but suddenly remembered he had choked on water and hesitated.
With Ye Lin’s interruption, the topic seemed to have been dropped. Before Luo Jing could thank Ye Lin in his heart, the quiet person beside him suddenly spoke.
“So,” Huai Dan rubbed the side of his glass and asked, “Did you date anyone abroad?”
Luo Jing: “…”
Did he really have to bring it up again?
“I…”
He instinctively looked over and met Huai Dan’s gaze.
Huai Dan was looking at him, a playful smile in his eyes.
Luo Jing’s heart clenched.
Perhaps because he had come straight from work, Huai Dan was still wearing his suit.
Luo Jing had been too nervous earlier to look at him carefully.
But now, he had the chance…
Huai Dan was handsome, he knew that.
But when he focused solely on him, he seemed even more handsome.
The usually cold and indifferent person was willing to focus his gaze on him again and again. This contrast was hard to resist.
It even gave Luo Jing an illusion.
Could it be that he also liked him, even just a little?
Those calm eyes seemed to hold a captivating power as he looked at him intently, his long eyelashes slightly lowered.
Luo Jing felt like he was drowning.
The sounds of Ye Lin’s coughing and Luo Feng’s teasing suddenly became distant. It was as if only he and the person in front of him were left in the room, along with the increasingly loud beating of his own heart.
Luo Jing looked away flusteredly.
“No,” he heard himself say. “I didn’t date anyone.”
He felt that Huai Dan should be held entirely responsible for him falling for him.
Huai Dan smiled, seemingly satisfied with his answer, resting his chin on one hand and gently ruffling Luo Jing’s hair with the other.
“Good boy,” he said.
His heart pounded in his chest. Luo Jing lowered his head, instinctively swallowed, and blinked.
His chaotic thoughts gradually cleared, and a thought surfaced.
…He wanted Huai Dan to only look at him from now on.
“What about you?” Luo Jing paused, then suddenly looked up at Huai Dan and asked.
Huai Dan seemed surprised by his question, raising an eyebrow slightly.
After a moment of silence, Huai Dan’s lips curved into a smile, his voice low: “What do you think?”
…He thought…
Luo Jing looked away, feeling dizzy again.
He took a sip of tea to hide his fluster, but unfortunately, he choked.
Luo Jing: “…”
He coughed awkwardly, trying to control it but failing.
Huai Dan reached out and patted his back, a hint of amusement in his voice: “Drink slowly.”
Feeling the warmth and touch on his back, Luo Jing coughed even harder, tears welling up in his eyes.
He looked up and glared at the culprit.
It was unreasonable, but Huai Dan accepted it readily.
On the other side, Luo Feng and Ye Lin finally finished their conversation.
Ye Lin had been secretly observing the situation while coughing, and after recovering, he looked at Huai Dan with a complicated expression.
He was speechless for a moment, then gave his friend a thumbs-up.
Impressive.
With the sister right there.
Luo Feng was busy laughing at her friend, completely missing the subtle atmosphere between the two and all the important cues. But she heard Luo Jing and Huai Dan’s answers.
To her, they were just exchanging simple pleasantries.
“Your college life must have been so boring,” she teased.
“Yours too,” she then added, equally teasing Huai Dan, very impartial.
Luo Jing: “…”
“You’re the most interesting,” he finally regained his composure and retorted instinctively.
After years in the workplace, Luo Feng had matured considerably and could now generously tolerate her brother’s retorts.
She pretended she hadn’t heard and continued to ask: “No one you liked?”
Luo Jing: “…”
“I’ve never seen you like anyone… Do you like boys or girls? It’s okay, our family is very open-minded,” Luo Feng continued to ask curiously.
Luo Jing continued to remain silent: “…”
He suspected Luo Feng was getting back at him.
Because he used to ask Luo Feng the same questions all the time when he was little.
His sister, who had seemed like an insurmountable mountain, always suppressing him, would always be pestered by relatives during the New Year, asking “Do you have a boyfriend?” and “Are you seeing anyone?”
Every time, Luo Feng would be a bit embarrassed and annoyed.
Luo Jing, watching from the side, learned this perfectly, so whenever he lost an argument with Luo Feng, he would bring this up.
“Just you wait, wait until you graduate from university, and see if I don’t pester you,” Luo Feng had said, exasperated, after being choked by Luo Jing’s words one time.
For some reason, Luo Jing remembered this clearly, even until now.
“Stop asking,” he said, regretting his past actions and feeling embarrassed and angry. “I… I’m sorry, okay? Do you have to…”
Luo Feng, however, didn’t seem to want to let him off so easily. Seeing Luo Jing not answering, she turned to Huai Dan: “You talk to him more, what’s his situation? Has he ever told you about anyone he likes?”
Ye Lin: “…”
Luo Jing: “…”
They both picked up their teacups and took a sip of water simultaneously.
Luo Jing met his gaze from behind his teacup: “?”
Ye Lin replied: “.”
Luo Feng had actually asked half-jokingly, but her question was very pointed.
Huai Dan very naturally took Luo Jing’s teacup and refilled it, successfully interrupting their eye contact: “He hasn’t told me.”
Then he put down the cup and asked casually, “Is there anyone you like?”
Luo Jing: “…”
He wanted to run away.
But he couldn’t.
His finally calmed heartbeat started racing again. He wanted to analyze something from these conversations, but his confused mind clearly wasn’t capable of doing so at the moment.
But remembering how Huai Dan always seemed calm and collected, while he was the only one who was always flustered, nervous, and awkward, Luo Jing felt inexplicably annoyed.
And he didn’t want to just casually reveal his feelings to everyone.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” he said after a pause, lowering his eyes, his tone slightly stiff.
Seeing that he had gone too far, Huai Dan frowned slightly and lowered his eyes.
“It’s my fault,” he said.
He slightly regretted it.
He had been too eager to know the answer.
Having grown up together, Luo Feng knew her brother’s personality very well. Seeing that he was truly about to get angry, she stopped: “Okay, okay, I won’t ask anymore. Let’s eat.”
Having gotten her revenge, Luo Feng magnanimously forgave Luo Jing’s past actions: “I forgive you, considering you were young then.”
Luo Jing breathed a sigh of relief.
The dishes were gradually served as they chatted. Ye Lin started talking about some things that happened during their university days, and Luo Jing started eating while listening.
Having drunk too much tea, Luo Jing suddenly needed to use the restroom, so he excused himself and left the table.
Although it was a home-style restaurant, perhaps because of its fame, the interior had been renovated, looking both ancient and elegant, with a thick, patterned carpet in the hallway that was very comfortable to walk on.
Luo Jing washed his hands and was about to return to the private room when a somewhat familiar voice called out to him.
It was Xie You.
“You’re here too,” Luo Jing was slightly surprised, then smiled and greeted him friendly, “Are you guys having dinner here?”
Remembering that he hadn’t replied to Xie You’s message, he felt a bit annoyed and was about to speak when Xie You spoke first.
“Yes, we just finished our training,” he paused, looked at Luo Jing, his expression unnaturally stiff for some reason. “So, are you free to come to our concert this weekend?”
As if afraid of Luo Jing refusing, his voice tightened slightly, and he added, “Xu Xing and the others also really hope you can come.”
“I’m free,” Luo Jing replied, then smiled. “I’ll go. Do you need me to help promote it?”
“Ah, probably not.” Remembering something, a smile appeared in his eyes. “You’re already very famous now, maybe I won’t even be able to get a seat.”
He was just joking. He could get a seat anywhere he wanted just by asking the company, but Xie You suddenly said, “No, you will.”
Then he looked up at him nervously: “C-can you wait for me here for a moment?”
“Sure,” Luo Jing readily agreed.
Xie You left, his steps a bit hurried, as if afraid he would leave.
After waiting for about two minutes, he returned, slightly out of breath, and handed Luo Jing a ticket.
Luo Jing took it and saw it was a VIP ticket, probably a very good seat.
He couldn’t help but chuckle: “You didn’t have to, but thank you anyway.”
Xie You looked at him, paused, about to say something, when a male voice suddenly called out: “Luo Luo.”
Luo Jing’s heart clenched, and he instinctively looked over: “…Brother.”
“Are you also going to the restroom? It’s over there.” He pointed in the direction.
Xie You saw his expression, lowered his eyes, and swallowed his words again.
Huai Dan walked over, his gaze lingering on Xie You for only half a second before turning to Luo Jing.
“I was afraid you were lost, so I came to find you.”
