CIATB Chapter 108 The tears that inadvertently welled up in her eyes were gently wiped away by her raised
Chapter 108 The tears that inadvertently welled up in her eyes were gently wiped away by her raised
She paused, then added.
"And what I told you last night, that I don't want to marry into a family like yours, is also true."
"I didn't lie. I didn't receive much education growing up and I lack basic manners. Apart from having a decent set of values, I'm practically useless."
"No matter why you and Lin Man broke up, I can't escape responsibility, so let me treat you to this meal as an apology."
After saying this, Su Wan stopped looking at him and ate her food one bite after another, as if she had hidden all her emotions in the hot soup.
But for some reason, the more I ate, the more my eyes felt sore and my throat felt blocked, as if I had been choked by chili peppers.
She picked up the water glass on the table and drank several mouthfuls of warm water before the discomfort was slightly relieved.
She raised her hand and gently wiped away the tears that had inadvertently welled up in the corners of her eyes.
He then casually fanned the air in front of him and muttered under his breath.
"This dipping sauce is way too spicy today."
Lu Chenyuan didn't say a word from beginning to end, he just stared at her.
His gaze was complex and hard to decipher, containing heartache, resentment, and a hint of unspeakable panic.
He didn't touch any of the food on the table, but when her water glass was empty, he silently picked up the kettle and refilled it for her.
When the waiter saw this, he tried to come forward to refill the water, but he waved him away, his voice calm but carrying an undeniable distance.
"We'll do it ourselves, thank you."
He seemed to be used to being polite to people, but that politeness didn't reach his eyes.
It's more like an instinct etched into one's bones, exuding a sense of distance that makes one feel out of place with the world around them.
Su Wan lowered her head, pursed her lips, suppressed the strange feeling in her heart, and put down her chopsticks.
"I'm stuffed."
Since he wouldn't give her a straight answer, she didn't need to dwell on it anymore.
She grabbed the black canvas bag beside her and stood up.
"I'm going to the restroom first, I'll be back in a bit to settle the bill. You enjoy your meal, I'll be right back."
I'll go with you.
Lu Chenyuan also stood up.
Su Wan quickly refused.
"No need, Lu Chenyuan. The restroom is in the women's room, it's inconvenient for you."
"I need to use the restroom too."
His tone was calm, but he had already caught up with her.
Su Wan sighed helplessly and ultimately did not refute it further.
She couldn't figure out what he was thinking. They had agreed to settle things after the meal, but he was pressing her like this.
The restroom is not inside the hot pot restaurant, but at the end of a corridor next to a barbecue restaurant not far in front of the restaurant.
Su Wan quickly walked into the restroom and came out a few minutes later, only to see that Lu Chenyuan hadn't gone in at all, but was just leaning against the wall in the corridor smoking.
The cigarette between his fingers was half-burned, and the smoke swirled around him, blurring his expression.
There were no-smoking signs posted here, but he seemed completely oblivious.
What made Su Wan's heart skip a beat was that she seemed to see a faint redness at the corners of his eyes, and his eyes were also a little moist, as if he was suppressing some emotion.
Before she could think it through, Lu Chenyuan stubbed out his cigarette, walked up to her, and spoke in a calm tone.
"I've already paid the bill. Now that you're full, let's go downstairs for a stroll. It's still early, so it won't make it too late for you to go to work."
He raised his hand to look at his watch; the exquisite dial gleamed subtly under the light.
It was a famous watch whose name Su Wan couldn't suddenly recall, and it was quite expensive.
Su Wan tugged at the corners of her mouth, revealing a distant smile.
"No, I don't think so. I have an appointment with a client this morning, and I need to prepare documents this afternoon. I also need to take the client to see properties around 4 or 5 pm. You can take your time looking around and see what you want to buy."
She rejected him again and turned to leave him.
Lu Chenyuan suddenly reached out and grabbed her wrist. The force wasn't strong, but it carried a hint of urgency.
"Su Wan, don't do this."
Su Wan was stunned. She looked down at his hand that was gripping her wrist, a hint of anger flashing in her eyes.
"What did I do? Didn't we agree that after this meal, I wouldn't bother you anymore? What exactly do you want?"
Her expression gradually turned cold, and Lu Chenyuan realized that he had lost his composure and made the same mistake as last night.
He hurriedly released his hand, his fingertips trembling slightly, and his voice carried a barely perceptible pleading tone.
"I was thinking of... giving you a gift, is that alright?"
"Sending a gift? Downstairs?"
Su Wan smiled, but the rejection in her smile was obvious, and her eyes were full of estrangement.
"The items here are all quite expensive. Besides, I don't need or find many of them practical. For example, the makeup and high-end skincare products on the first floor are actually quite good domestic alternatives. I really don't need them."
She paused, her tone becoming increasingly calm.
"I don't like to go to these kinds of places. It's not that I disagree with the spending habits of the wealthy, it's just that I've long been used to living within my means."
Su Wan silently added a sentence in her mind.
Just like I used to think that you were someone I could reach by simply standing on tiptoe, but now I realize that the gap between us is too big, so big that I don't even have the thought of getting close to you, let alone wanting to have you.
After saying that, she walked straight to the elevator in the middle of the corridor and pressed the down button.
At this time, there weren't many people going downstairs, and the elevator arrived quickly.
Su Wan stepped inside, and Lu Chenyuan followed her in almost without hesitation.
He remained silent throughout, simply standing quietly beside her, his aura so oppressive it was almost suffocating.
The elevator quickly arrived at the first floor. Su Wan stepped out of the elevator car, planning to take a taxi back to the company as soon as she left the mall.
It's easy to get a taxi here, but the fare is higher than usual, roughly equivalent to her lunch cost. But right now, all she wants is to leave as soon as possible.
Her years in real estate sales, constantly wearing high heels, have made her accustomed to keeping her back straight.
Despite their hurried pace and hidden emotions, they still maintained a dignified demeanor.
As soon as I stepped out of the elevator, there was a Chayan Yuese tea shop right across the street, and the rich aroma of tea mixed with the scent of milk wafted over.
Su Wan paused subconsciously, a thought flashing through her mind—hot pot and milk tea should be a perfect match.
But then he remembered that he had been trying to control his weight recently, so he shook his head and walked straight ahead.
Lu Chenyuan stopped in his tracks, his gaze falling on the signboard of the milk tea shop, and asked softly.
"Would you like a drink?"
His voice was soft, tinged with a cautious probing, completely lacking his usual assertiveness.
"No need, thank you, I'm in a hurry."
Su Wan walked forward without looking back, her back so resolute that it seemed she truly intended to make this lunch the last time the two of them crossed paths.
She didn't give him another second glance, her steps quick and hurried, as if a raging flood was chasing after her.
In fact, she was afraid.
They were afraid that Lu Chenyuan might suddenly change his mind, or that he might lose control again.
She feared that her hard-won resolve would waver again because of his slightest action.
She walked quickly for more than ten steps, getting further and further away from him, and the presence behind her gradually faded away, but the inexplicable unease in her heart still lingered.