First, then, love.

Shu Yao sat in the chair, looking at her father on the left, whose face was flushed as he was calling people "brother," and then at her mother on the right, who was chatting enthusiastically with a billionaire woman.

I feel like a superfluous ornament.

She picked up her chopsticks, took a piece of steamed fish from the table in front of her, and put it in her mouth.

Chew slowly and carefully.

The food was served quickly today, and the table is already full of hot dishes.

Braised sea cucumber with scallions, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, squirrel-shaped mandarin fish, crispy roast duck...

All of them were main dishes.

It has a glossy, smooth texture and a wonderful aroma.

Shu Yao has a poor appetite.

She usually eats little for dinner.

After a few bites, I felt about 70% full.

She put down her chopsticks, picked up a napkin, and gently touched the corner of her mouth.

A crisp sound of peeling came from the side.

He Zheng was wearing transparent gloves and holding an Alaskan king crab leg that was larger than his palm.

He didn't use scissors; he simply grabbed both ends of the crab legs with his hands and snapped them open.

The hard crab shell snapped in two.

He pulled out the whole piece of plump, red and white crab meat.

I picked up a small dish and poured in some ginger vinegar.

I rolled the crab meat in vinegar and put it in the empty bowl in front of Shu Yao.

"Let's eat crabs," he said, his voice barely audible to the two of them.

Shu Yao turned to look at him.

He Zheng didn't even lift his eyelids, and continued peeling off a crab leg.

Its movements are mechanical and steady, like a shelling machine.

Shu Yao picked up her chopsticks, took a piece of crab meat, and took a bite.

The meat is sweet and tender, and the ginger juice removes any fishy smell and enhances the flavor, making it extremely delicious.

She finished eating silently.

He Zheng put another peeled tiger prawn into her bowl.

"I'm full, I can't eat anymore," Shu Yao protested softly.

He Zheng stopped moving, turned his head to look at her, and his gaze swept over her flat stomach.

"Even a cat eats more than you," he retorted.

I took off my gloves, threw them on the table, and wiped my hands with a hot towel.

The two fell silent.

The elders were chatting enthusiastically, and no one paid any attention to the two of them.

Shu Yao felt utterly bored.

The most torturous part of these dinner parties is for the younger generation.

Unable to get a word in edgewise, and unable to leave early, I could only sit there idly.

She shrank back in her chair, reached into her bag, and pulled out her phone.

The phone was hidden in the shadow of the edge of the tablecloth, the screen dimmed, and placed on my lap.

Open a match-3 mobile game.

Turn on mute.

Swipe your finger quickly across the screen to eliminate targets and score points.

One hurdle after another.

Play with complete focus.

The air conditioning in the private room was set low, and she was wearing a sundress that revealed her calves. After sitting for a while, she felt a bit chilly.

She unconsciously swung her leg, and the tip of her right high heel accidentally brushed against something.

Hard and warm.

She didn't notice and nudged him again.

Beside him, He Zheng was slowly drinking a glass of water.

Suddenly I felt something sharp poke my calf twice.

His eyelids twitched, and he put down his water glass.

His gaze subtly swept to the side.

Shu Yao huddled in the chair, head down, her long curly hair hanging down and obscuring half her face.

With both hands under the table, thumbs rapidly tapped the screen.

The faint light from the phone screen illuminated half of her face, revealing her slightly pouting red lips as she got stuck in the game.

The legs were still dangling restlessly.

The tip of his shoe grazed his calf once again.

He Zheng didn't move.

He smiled as he looked at her, so bored that she could only hide under the table to play games.

The voices of the elders echoed in the private room.

"Lao Shu, cheers!"

"Sister Minghua, this jadeite is absolutely stunning!"

Noisy and bustling.

This excitement belongs to others, not to the two of them.

He Zheng suddenly felt that this dinner party was utterly boring.

He wanted to smoke, but even more, he wanted to take the woman beside him and leave this place to do something they loved.

He turned slightly to the side, leaning his shoulder closer to Shu Yao.

His tall stature blocked the view of the elders who might look over, creating a hidden blind spot.

He lowered his head, his hot breath close to her ear, carrying the fragrance of tea and the unique scent of male hormones.

"Want to go out for some fresh air?"

*

The private room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Shu Yao held her phone, her finger hovering over the screen, her eyes fixed on the man who had suddenly pressed down on her.

He was too close.

He Zheng lowered his head, and his warm breath hit her earlobe directly, causing a fine layer of goosebumps to rise.

His voice was kept very low, masked by the noisy laughter of his elders.

This whisper, which only the two of them could hear, carried an air of mystery and ambiguity that was difficult to define.

Shu Yao's ear tips went numb instantly, and her face turned red all the way down to the base of her neck.

She turned her face away.

The two were less than three centimeters apart, their noses almost touching.

He Zheng stared at her with his dark, deep eyes, his gaze direct and undisguised.

Just look at her and wait for her answer.

Shu Yao had been sitting in that chair for a long time, her back aching, listening to the four people, whose combined age was nearly two hundred, talk about antiques and politics.

She couldn't get a word in edgewise; it was worse than torture.

She nodded immediately, with a large gesture.

I was afraid he would change his mind.

A hint of a smile flickered in He Zheng's eyes.

He didn't say anything, and straightened up.

At this moment, He's father was reminiscing with Shu Jianguo about the work style of government offices in the 1990s.

Shen Minghua and Lin Shufen were looking at pictures on a jade carving master's WeChat Moments on their phones.

The four of them were chatting enthusiastically, and no one was paying attention to the two younger people.

He Zheng pushed the chair away very quietly, stood up, and casually grabbed the black casual suit jacket draped over the back of the chair, placing it on his left forearm.

He lowered his head and gestured with his chin towards the door of the private room.

Shu Yao understood.

She stuffed her phone into her lambskin bag, grabbed the straps with both hands, and quickly stood up from the chair, bending over.

The two of them, one in front of the other, pressed against the wall like two truant students, and quietly slipped towards the door of the private room.

"Click".

He Zheng grasped the brass handle, gently turned it, and pushed the door open.

Shu Yao crawled out, and he followed closely behind, casually closing the heavy, carved wooden door tightly shut.

The lively noise and clinking of glasses in the private room were all shut out through the door.

The corridor was extremely quiet.

The warm yellow light from the wall lamps shone on the walls, and the thick, hand-woven carpet on the floor absorbed all footsteps, while a faint scent of sandalwood filled the air.

Shu Yao let out a long breath.

The poise and tension he had maintained at the dinner table completely crumbled.

"I'm alive again," she muttered softly, reaching out to rub her face, which had stiffened from forcing a smile.

He Zheng walked beside her, his coat draped over his arm.

Hearing her words, he twitched the corner of his mouth and let out a low, muffled laugh.

"Let's go, to the front."

He strode ahead, leading the way.

Shu Yao followed behind him in high heels.

Looking at his broad and upright back, the black shirt was stretched flat by the muscles of his back. He had broad shoulders and a narrow waist, and his walk exuded a sense of composure and strength unique to soldiers.

The two walked through the long corridor to its end.

Push open a heavy glass door.

It is a huge semi-open-air balcony.

The wooden, anti-corrosion floor was surrounded by several expensive, waist-high green plants, and two sets of rattan tables and chairs were placed in the corner.

The balcony is completely open, with no glass partitions.

The early autumn night wind blew straight in.

The wind carried a distinct coolness, instantly dispelling the greasy smell of the food on my clothes and the stuffiness of the room.

Shu Yao walked to the wooden railing and placed her hands on it.

I took a deep breath.

The air is fresh.

This is the top floor, with a very high elevation and an unobstructed view.

Looking down, you see a bustling city night view.

The elevated highway was bustling with traffic, the headlights forming red and white stripes like a flowing river. In the distance, brightly lit office buildings with flashing neon lights illuminated the night sky in a kaleidoscope of colors.

It was full of the warmth and life of everyday people.

He Zheng walked to her side and leaned against the railing.

He didn't look at the night view; his gaze fell on her wind-blown hair.

Shu Yao had her hair up in a shark clip today. When the wind blew, a few strands of black hair fell down and brushed against her fair and slender neck.

He Zheng looked away and reached into the pocket of his casual trousers.

He pulled out a slightly dented cigarette case, and then a black metal lighter.

He tapped the bottom of the cigarette pack with one hand, and half of a white cigarette popped out.

He lowered his head, put the cigarette in his mouth, and pulled it out.

His movements were practiced, revealing a thuggish air about him.

"Smack."

The lighter cap was flicked open by the thumb, and the grinding wheel rubbed against it.

A cluster of eerie blue flames shot up, instantly illuminating his cold, sharp features.

He lowered his head slightly, cupped the fire in his hands, brought the flames close, and took a deep breath.

The cigarette butt instantly glowed with a scarlet light.

He Zheng moved the lighter away and closed the lid.

He tilted his head back, facing the night sky, his Adam's apple bobbing, and slowly exhaled a puff of bluish-white smoke.

The smoke was blown away by the wind and quickly dispersed into the air.

He squinted, his brows relaxed, and he looked somewhat at ease.

All the rules and repression from the dinner table were exhaled with this puff of smoke.

Shu Yao turned her head and watched him smoke.