His physiological preference

"My mom said, 'We're all family, how can you be so heartless?'" Yang Zhiyan said this, mimicking her mother's tone, but she didn't quite get it right because her mother's voice was high-pitched, which she couldn't imitate.

"What did you reply?" Qin Yuzheng asked.

"I said, 'Don't you know who's heartless?'" After she finished speaking, she laughed a little, this time a little more genuinely, "and then I hung up."

Qin Yuzheng looked at her approvingly, "If it's not your responsibility, there's no need to take it on yourself."

"You are not a heartless person," he said.

Yang Zhiyan looked up at him.

"You're too sentimental," Qin Yuzheng said, "that's why they got you into trouble."

Yang Zhiyan's nose suddenly stung with tears.

She lowered her head, picked up the water glass on the table, and took a sip. The water was cold, and the coolness traveled from her throat all the way to her stomach, suppressing the sourness.

"Let's not talk about this," she put down her water glass, looked up, her eyes bright, "You treated me to dinner today, I should say thank you."

"You're welcome," Qin Yuzheng leaned back in his chair, his posture more relaxed than before. "We're just dining buddies."

Yang Zhiyan's lips curved slightly; this time, it was a genuine smile.

The appetizer arrived. The lobster bisque was served in a shallow white dish, with a layer of pale orange foam floating on top. Stirring it with a spoon revealed a rich, golden broth underneath.

The foie gras was served with a small piece of toasted bread, the surface of which had been seared into a caramel-colored crust. When cut open, the inside was creamy and almost liquid.

Yang Zhiyan picked up her knife and fork, cut a small piece of bread, spread some foie gras on it, and put it in her mouth.

Her eyes lit up.

"Is it delicious?" Qin Yuzheng asked.

She nodded, still chewing, unable to speak. Only after swallowing did she say, "Delicious. This foie gras is so tender."

"Try this soup too," Qin Yuzheng said, pointing to the lobster soup.

She took a sip, and her eyes lit up again.

"This soup is so delicious," she said. "It has a strong shrimp flavor, but it's not fishy at all."

Qin Yuzheng thought the way she ate was more appealing than any dish.

She squints her eyes when she eats something delicious; it's a very subtle movement, but she does it every time she eats something tasty.

The main course was steak. It was medium-rare, and when cut open, the cross-section was a beautiful pink, with juices seeping out and spreading across the white plate.

The side dishes are asparagus and cherry tomatoes. The asparagus is blanched and crisp, while the cherry tomatoes are roasted, so their skins are wrinkled and burst with juice when you bite into them.

Yang Zhiyan's movements as she cut the steak were not very skillful, and the knife made a slight scraping sound on the plate.

She looked up at Qin Yuzheng shyly. Qin Yuzheng didn't say anything, cut his steak, and handed her the plate.

"You can have my plate," he said. "It's all cut up."

Yang Zhiyan looked at the plate of sliced ​​steak in front of her. Each piece was roughly the same size and neatly arranged on the plate. Then she looked at her original plate, which was cut into uneven sizes, with some pieces cut crookedly and still attached to the tendons.

"Thank you," she said shyly.

She ate a piece of steak he had cut. The meat was very tender, with almost no resistance when she bit into it, and the juices spread in her mouth, mixed with the flavors of black pepper and sea salt, rich and full-bodied.

This was the first time someone had cut her steak.

It feels so good to be taken care of. You don't have to say anything, you don't have to ask anything; someone has already done it for you before you even realize you need it.

She lowered her head and ate another piece.

The restaurant gradually filled up with customers, but because of the partitions, each seat felt like an independent little world.

As Qin Yuzheng was cutting the last piece of steak, a figure stopped at their table.

"Ah Zheng?"

Qin Yuzheng looked up. Mu Cheng stood beside the partition, one hand in his trouser pocket and the other holding his girlfriend's hand.

He was wearing a black shirt today, without a tie, and the top two buttons of his shirt were undone. He looked much more casual than when we last met at the Cantonese restaurant.

The woman beside him wore a red dress, had long, wavy hair, and exquisite makeup. She stood next to Mu Cheng, tilting her head slightly, with a perfectly timed smile on her lips.

"Chairman Mu." Qin Yuzheng put down his knife and fork and leaned back in his chair.

Mu Cheng's gaze shifted from Qin Yuzheng to Yang Zhiyan, pausing for a moment. His look at Qin Yuzheng again was meaningful.

"You guys eat first," Mu Cheng patted Qin Yuzheng on the shoulder, "I've already given the instructions, put it on my tab."

"Need not……"

"Why are you being so polite with me?" Mu Cheng interrupted him, smiled, and winked at Qin Yuzheng.

The wink was so quick that it was almost invisible unless you were looking directly at his face. His gaze then fell on Yang Zhiyan, and he nodded slightly. "Enjoy your meal, sister-in-law."

sister in law.

Yang Zhiyan was stunned by those two words. She opened her mouth to say "no," but Mu Cheng had already led the woman away. His figure walked through the hall and disappeared around the corner at the end of the corridor.

She turned to look at Qin Yuzheng.

Qin Yuzheng was drinking water, his face expressionless.

Yang Zhiyan's ears began to burn. She lowered her head, poked a piece of tomato with her fork, put it in her mouth, chewed it a couple of times, but couldn't taste anything.

"He was just yelling nonsense," Qin Yuzheng finally spoke, putting down his water glass and speaking in a flat tone, "Don't mind him."

Then she added, "This might be the first time you've seen me bring a girl to dinner, please don't mind."

"I don't mind," Yang Zhiyan said, her voice barely audible.

Does she mind? She doesn't know. Her heart skipped a beat the moment she was called "sister-in-law".

But it's impossible for them; the gap between them is too great, whether in age or social status.

As the meal was coming to an end, the waiter brought out dessert: a chocolate lava cake.

The cake has a slightly crisp chocolate shell on the outside. When you scoop it open with a spoon, the thick, dark brown chocolate syrup inside flows out, like molten lava.

It came with a small spoonful of vanilla ice cream, white and icy cold, which met the hot chocolate in my mouth. Cold and hot intertwined, as did sweet and bitter.

After finishing the last bite of cake, Yang Zhiyan leaned back in her chair and let out a long sigh.

"Are you full?" Qin Yuzheng asked.

"I'm stuffed," she said, rubbing her stomach and smiling sheepishly. "It was so delicious, I couldn't resist."

Qin Yuzheng called the waiter to settle the bill. The waiter came over and bowed slightly: "Sir, Mr. Mu said that this bill is waived."

Qin Yuzheng took out a card from his wallet and handed it over: "No need, I'll pay."

"Mr. Mu gave the instructions..." The waiter looked at him awkwardly.

"I'll tell Mu Cheng you can just swipe your card." Qin Yuzheng's tone wasn't harsh, but there was an unyielding quality to it. The waiter took the card and went to settle the bill.

What a joke! He invited the girl he loved to dinner for the first time, and she beat him to it.