Chen Jinzhao had originally just wanted to have a meal with her and ask some questions.
Now that he needed her help, he had to agree.
Fortunately.
Tao Qiyue wasn't as wealthy as Yu Mengzhi, and they only visited affordable stores, at least within Chen Jinzhao's budget.
Of course, she had no intention of letting Chen Jinzhao pay; Tao Qiyue didn't have such bad habits.
During their shopping trip, they behaved like normal friends, with neither overly intimate actions nor the distant politeness of strangers.
Tao Qiyue was also discreet when chatting with Chen Jinzhao, knowing what was appropriate and what wasn't.
It was lunchtime.
They found a Chinese restaurant and sat facing each other by the window.
Outside the window was the central business district of Ninghai City, with bustling traffic below. Coming to a place like this for a meal was more than just about eating.
Tao Qiyue handed the menu to Chen Jinzhao, "You order first, but don't order anything too expensive. I've only been working for a few months and don't have much money."
Chen Jinzhao found Tao Qiyue quite interesting in her daily life and couldn't help but smile, "Miss Tao, are you joking? With your family's background, you wouldn't say something like that."
Tao Qiyue snorted, "Don't spout nonsense. My family has been honest for three generations."
"I do have a retirement fee, but I've saved it up for a down payment on a house in the future."
Chen Jinzhao chuckled and casually ordered a few dishes.
Tao Qiyue glanced at the dishes Chen Jinzhao ordered, added a few more, and then placed the order. She then propped her chin on her hand and observed Chen Jinzhao. Only when Chen Jinzhao shifted his gaze did Tao Qiyue smile, "It's really unexpected that a busy person like you would accept my invitation. If I'm not mistaken, you wouldn't have agreed if you didn't have something you wanted to ask me."
"Uh..."
Chen Jinzhao felt awkward. She could tell that?
He thought this to himself but couldn't say it aloud, as it would only make the atmosphere uncomfortable.
"Not at all, I just wanted to relax," Chen Jinzhao said against his will.
Tao Qiyue looked him up and down, from side to side, and felt that Chen Jinzhao wasn't as sad as she had imagined. But then again, Chen Jinzhao's background was definitely not that of an ordinary security guard; he had strong psychological resilience.
Neither of them noticed—
A sneaky figure stood on tiptoe at the front desk, peering at the two by the window, then took out a phone and snapped a few photos.
"Sir, are you dining here?" the waiter asked.
The man quickly put away his phone, "No, I was just looking for someone and couldn't find them. I'm very sorry."
He quickly walked out of the restaurant, took out his phone, and dialed a number. When it was connected, he said urgently, "Young Master Yu, I just saw Miss Tao at the IFC Mall. She was with a strange man."
"Oh?"
Yu Huaixuan frowned, which displeased him.
Although he didn't have any romantic feelings for Tao Qiyue, he had to admit that marrying her was a perfect match. He had long considered Tao Qiyue his woman.
Besides—
Who said a successful man could only have one woman?
Now his fiancée was dining with a stranger? If this were to get out, it certainly wouldn't be a glorious affair.
Thinking of this, Yu Huaixuan's tone suddenly turned cold, "Do you have photos?"
"Yes! I secretly took a few."
"Send them to me now."
He hung up the phone.
Yu Huaixuan's face turned ashen, feeling that Tao Qiyue had cheated on him.
A moment later, a few photos popped up in the chat window, taken secretly by the man from various angles.
Yu Huaixuan opened the photos and after a careful look, his expression changed again. He frowned and muttered, "Why him? Chen Jinzhao is such a troublemaker, he's everywhere!"
Just dumped by Yu Mengzhi, and now he's hooked up with Tao Qiyue!
It's truly infuriating!
Yu Huaixuan naturally couldn't let this go. After thinking for a moment, he picked up the phone and called Tao Qiyue.
Tao Qiyue didn't want to answer. After hanging up a few times, Yu Huaixuan insisted on calling, so she had no choice but to answer. Before Tao Qiyue could speak, Yu Huaixuan attacked first.
"Qiyue, who are you having dinner with now?" he asked point-blank, with a tone of interrogation.
Hearing Yu Huaixuan's tone, Tao Qiyue also felt uncomfortable. She frowned and said, "Who I have dinner with is my freedom. It doesn't seem like your place to dictate, does it?"
Yu Huaixuan's anger surged.
Even so, he suppressed his anger and said, "I naturally don't care who you have dinner with, but you are my fiancée, and a public figure with a reputation. Can't you consider the impact this might have on you and me? If this gets out, it might harm my reputation, do you understand?"
Tao Qiyue glanced at Chen Jinzhao sitting opposite her and suddenly smiled.
"You sent someone to follow me?"
"Then I'll tell you the truth too. I'm having dinner with Chen Jinzhao right now, who is Sister Yu's ex-boyfriend."
*Crack!*
Yu Huaixuan clenched his fists, veins bulging on his forehead.
If it weren't for his apprehension of the Tao family's influence, Yu Huaixuan would have already erupted in fury. He gritted his teeth and said, "Qiyue, can you not be so willful?"
Tao Qiyue smiled cheerfully.
Her tone softened, and she said with a smile, "Yu Huaixuan, I forgot to tell you something. I've already told my grandfather that I don't want to marry you. Don't use me and you for marketing purposes in the future. We owe each other nothing."
"That's all. Goodbye."
"Oh, no, it's better if we never see each other again."
*Beep—*
Tao Qiyue hung up the phone, leaving Yu Huaixuan with nowhere to vent his anger.
Chinese Restaurant.
Chen Jinzhao looked at Tao Qiyue in surprise. He hadn't expected her to be Yu Huaixuan's fiancée, which made his situation awkward.
Tao Qiyue gave him an apologetic look, "I didn't expect him to send someone to follow me. I'm very sorry for dragging you into this, but I'll ask my grandfather to call off my engagement with him in a few days. If that fellow Yu Huaixuan dares to make a move against you in secret, tell me, and I promise I won't let him get away with it."
"Haha, with a righteous fiancée like you, Yu Huaixuan must have cultivated for eight lifetimes, right?" Chen Jinzhao teased.
As for Yu Huaixuan's revenge? He didn't care at all!
They looked at each other and smiled, both tacitly agreeing not to mention Yu Huaixuan again, as if Yu Huaixuan were an insignificant person in their eyes.
The dishes were served.
Tao Qiyue took out her phone and took a few photos before letting Chen Jinzhao start eating, clearly not treating him as an outsider.
"This lunch is my way of thanking you for helping me uproot Yu Shenxing. The cases Yu Shenxing committed were too cruel and bloody; he was like a tumor on Ninghai City. If it weren't for you, who knows how many more people Yu Shenxing would have harmed," Tao Qiyue said. She also mentioned Sister Hong and others, all of whom were released except for Sister Hong.
As for Sister Hong...
Tao Qiyue was also working hard to clear Sister Hong's name, and had made good progress.
"Oh, right."
She suddenly remembered something, "Didn't you say you wanted to ask me something? Tell me, as long as I know, I'll tell you everything."
Chen Jinzhao found it difficult to ask. He stammered for a long time, then scratched his head and asked, "Do you know of any underground fighting rings in Ninghai? I want to go fight illegal boxing matches, earn some money."
Tao Qiyue was stunned.
Was he that fearless? Couldn't he show some respect for her profession?