When Xia Qingtian arrived at the Pavilion of Leisure, the door to 2701 was open. She pushed it open and walked in, immediately catching the aroma of cooking food. The clinking of cookware came from the kitchen.
After entering, Xia Qingtian closed the door behind her and looked towards the kitchen.
Hearing the door close, Mr. Gu poked his head out from the kitchen. Seeing Xia Qingtian with her delicate makeup, wearing a French-style, fitted, off-the-shoulder long dress with a small white fox fur shawl, he couldn't help but chuckle, "You're dressed so beautifully, I'm almost too embarrassed to ask you to help peel garlic."
"It's my dad… never mind." Xia Qingtian couldn't be bothered to explain. "It's just peeling garlic, I'll do it."
She placed her shawl and handbag on the sofa by the entrance and naturally walked into the kitchen to start peeling garlic.
It was true, every time she came for a meal, either it was already prepared and waiting for her, or she was only asked to do simple tasks like peeling garlic or getting bowls.
She had felt a little resistant before entering, but once she started working in the kitchen, that last bit of rebellious spirit vanished.
A long-lost sense of peace.
"I'm done peeling," Xia Qingtian handed the peeled garlic to Mr. Gu. "Anything else?"
"Rinse those bowls. There are washed strawberries over there, go ahead and eat some. Dinner will be ready soon." Mr. Gu handed Xia Qingtian two freshly brought bowls and went back to his tasks.
Xia Qingtian rinsed the bowls and placed them by the rice cooker. Then, she picked up the washed large strawberries and walked out, sitting at the dining table.
Taking a bite of the bright red strawberry, its sweet and sour juice burst in her mouth. Xia Qingtian couldn't help but squint her eyes.
At this moment, she suddenly remembered that it might not be right for her to be so relaxed.
Her gaze drifted towards the kitchen, where Mr. Gu was still busy.
How wonderful it would be if Mr. Gu was just Mr. Gu, and Mobius was just Mobius.
Even though everything before her eyes was so familiar, she knew in her heart that this was merely a harmonious illusion.
"Qingtian, the food is ready, serve it."
A familiar voice came from the kitchen. Xia Qingtian was suddenly overcome with a sense of sadness, a feeling of things having changed.
As the dishes were served, Mr. Gu spoke in a conversational tone, "The shrimp today are particularly fresh, bought from the same place as before. But that old man didn't come, his son did."
"The eggs were from a different place. The original one isn't open anymore. I heard the stall fees went up this year."
"Spring is indeed the time for bamboo shoots. However, bamboo shoots have a slight bitterness. I soaked them in light saltwater for a long time, you should try them."
"It's also time for toon sprouts. Toon sprout fried eggs are indeed the best."
"And..."
"Mr. Gu," Xia Qingtian interrupted him. "Thank you for the hospitality today."
The politeness and distance in Xia Qingtian's words made Mr. Gu's heart sink.
"However, I'm not accustomed to dining out. If you have something to say, please be direct, don't delay me from going home for dinner." Xia Qingtian wanted to draw a line between herself and Mr. Gu, to clarify their relationship.
She felt that as adults, there was no need to be too explicit; it wouldn't look good if things turned ugly.
Just like the reason she had to come today. Mr. Gu was still her boss, a partner to Xia's company, and possibly the most important partner for a while.
Moreover, if she wanted to build her own business empire in Z City, even if she didn't go into the entertainment industry, it would be difficult to avoid the formidable presence of Mr. Gu's company. There was no need to make an enemy.
Xia Qingtian believed that as long as she presented herself properly, Mr. Gu, being such an intelligent person, should understand her intentions.
After all, they were once friends. Even if they never saw each other again, there was no need for things to become too unpleasant.
"Not accustomed? Every time you come, don't you eat two bowls of rice? You eat even more noodles." Mr. Gu looked at Xia Qingtian, raising an eyebrow slightly.
"Who ate two bowls of rice! I only refilled my bowl by a tiny bit after finishing the first one!" Xia Qingtian protested, her face flushing. "And noodles don't have much with them, it's understandable that I'd eat more!"
"Then what's wrong with you today? Don't you like the taste of these dishes?" Mr. Gu asked.
How could she not like the taste!
These were all her favorite dishes, and she was practically salivating just by smelling them!
But this wasn't the time for eating!
"In any case, I came this time to..." Xia Qingtian was interrupted by Mr. Gu before she could finish.
"Eat first, have a chicken leg." Mr. Gu tore off the entire drumstick from the Italian herb roasted chicken and placed it on the plate in front of Xia Qingtian. "It won't taste as good when it's cold. The marinade is my secret recipe, you won't find this flavor anywhere else."
Xia Qingtian looked at the perfectly roasted chicken leg. Golden-transparent juices pooled on the white plate. The sinful chicken fat mingled with the sauce and spices, creating a beautiful flavor that represented desire, stirring Xia Qingtian's heart.
No carbon-based life form could resist such intoxicating deliciousness!
"I, I'm not hungry." Xia Qingtian swallowed hard, trying to look away, and said, "Let's discuss the main matter first."
"You say… if I call Mr. Xia and tell him I want to keep you for dinner, or say you have to stay late tonight and I'll send you back tomorrow morning..." Mr. Gu looked at Xia Qingtian with a smile.
"How can you say such wicked things with such an innocent face?" Xia Qingtian's lips twitched. "You're threatening me using my dad! And you know that unlawful detention is illegal!"
"Heh heh~" Mr. Gu didn't reply, just continued to look at Xia Qingtian with a smile.
Xia Qingtian's lips twitched slightly, and finally, she let out a soft hum and began to eat.
It had to be said, Mr. Gu's cooking was truly excellent. Even though she had mentally cursed him dozens of times, she couldn't deny that the meal was delicious.
After they finished lunch, when Xia Qingtian felt too full to move, she finally spoke, "I've finished eating, can I leave now!"
"Finished eating and leaving?" Mr. Gu glanced at Xia Qingtian with a hint of disdain while picking up the bowls. "I asked you to come for a face-to-face discussion, why are you only thinking about food? Honestly..."
"???" If Xia Qingtian hadn't been so full, she would have pointed at Mr. Gu and loudly questioned: Are you being polite!
It was she who had been trying to discuss business earlier!
Mr. Gu had been threatening and tempting her!
She had no choice but to accidentally overeat!
It was all Mr. Gu's fault!
With puffed cheeks, Xia Qingtian watched Mr. Gu clear the table. She narrowed her eyes, preparing to carry out a strategy of non-violent non-cooperation to the end.
After clearing the tableware, Mr. Gu walked back, picked up a strawberry, and held it to Xia Qingtian's lips. "It's very sweet."
Xia Qingtian froze, then bit into the strawberry. Only after that did she realize that this action seemed somewhat intimate, and she blushed. After eating the strawberry, she mumbled softly, "I can eat it myself."
"Alright, let's start discussing business." Pretending not to notice Xia Qingtian's embarrassment, Mr. Gu took a document from the study and handed it to her. "This is all the information we have on Song Junhan currently, including his financial flow and accounts. If I'm not mistaken, he is helping an organization launder money, and it's an abnormally large sum."
"!"