The atmosphere during this meal was somewhat strange.
To pretend to be boyfriend and girlfriend, Ye Cangtian and Xu Weiwei had to feign affection while eating.
Especially Ye Cangtian, who not only served dishes to Xu Weiwei, calling her "baby" and "darling" repeatedly, but also occasionally rested his hand on her waist.
Not only did Xu Weiwei feel a little awkward, but Yang Li was also thoroughly annoyed by this display of affection.
Yang Li was furious. This guy was acting intimately with the woman he had secretly admired for many years right in front of him. What was more, he could sense that the other party was absolutely doing it on purpose.
If Xu Weiwei hadn't been there, if they hadn't been in a restaurant, he would have rushed forward to challenge the man to a fight.
"Slap!"
Yang Li put down his water glass, took a deep breath, and stood up, saying, "Weiwei, I have something to attend to and need to leave. You two enjoy the rest of your meal!"
Before Xu Weiwei could speak, Ye Cangtian grinned and said, "Brother Yang, haven't you barely eaten? Are you already full?"
Yang Li's face darkened. Would he say that he was stuffed from all the public displays of affection?
He remained silent, merely nodding at Xu Weiwei, then turned and left.
"Brother Yang!" Xu Weiwei called out, but he didn't turn back, walking straight out of the restaurant.
She sighed and turned to look at Ye Cangtian, "Why are you so infuriating!"
Ye Cangtian looked up, feigning confusion, "I didn't say anything. Who knows why he got angry."
Xu Weiwei sneered. You didn't say anything, but you kept calling me "baby." Anyone would find that awkward, wouldn't they?
Moreover, she was very aware of Yang Li's admiration for her. Flaunting affection in front of him was like rubbing salt into his wounds!
Ye Cangtian rested a hand on her waist and smiled, "Didn't we agree that we'd pretend to be boyfriend and girlfriend? This way, your suitor will back off and stop bothering you."
Xu Weiwei snorted, gritting her teeth, "But I didn't ask you to be so disgusting. Also, the person is gone. If you don't take your hand off, believe it or not, I'll kill you!"
"Ahem!"
Ye Cangtian chuckled awkwardly and withdrew his hand. The feel had been too good; he had forgotten.
"Also, from now on... from now on, don't call me like that again!"
Xu Weiwei said, her pretty face blushing. Although she was cooperating with the act just now, even hearing the repeated "baby" made her skin crawl.
Ye Cangtian blinked in surprise and asked subconsciously, "Didn't you say it was just for this one time? Are we going to pretend to be boyfriend and girlfriend in the future?"
Upon hearing this, Xu Weiwei felt a surge of shame and anger. She had only said that in passing!
After a long moment!
Xu Weiwei sighed. In fact, she had mixed feelings about Yang Li.
The man was very capable, both in the military and in his personal life, so she had once regarded him as an idol.
But when it came to the age of marriage, especially when he had repeatedly tested the waters with his affections for her, Xu Weiwei found that she only saw him as an older brother.
So, when he came to Yangzhou, and especially when he proposed a meal together, Xu Weiwei thought of finding Ye Cangtian to pretend to be her boyfriend.
Her mind conjured images of both Yang Li and Ye Cangtian. She found that her impression of the former was somewhat hazy, while the latter was exceptionally clear, even so clear that his roguish smile could infuriate her.
Snapping back to reality, she saw Ye Cangtian burying his head in the food on the table and felt a bit displeased. "Eat, eat, eat. All you do is eat. Are you a pig?"
Ye Cangtian slurped up a piece of noodle from the corner of his mouth and smiled, "Wouldn't it be a waste not to eat all these dishes?"
"If there are more opportunities to eat for free in the future, remember to call me!"
"..." Xu Weiwei's face was etched with fury.
Just then, her phone rang.
Xu Weiwei answered, "What is it?"
"Deputy Director, we've made some progress on those two assassination cases. Surveillance shows a masked individual appearing in the vicinity before each incident. Although we initially suspect the 'Brave Tiger' gang, there's no direct evidence."
"Brave Tiger? He's a strong suspect. Continue the investigation!" Xu Weiwei said in a deep voice.
After hanging up, she couldn't help but rub her temples, feeling somewhat vexed.
There had been too many incidents in the underworld recently, especially involving this "Brave Tiger." She had received too many complaints and reports related to him.
Underground casinos, exorbitant management fees, drug trafficking, intentional homicide, and so on.
But that guy was very cunning. Although every incident was linked to him, the police could only apprehend minor players each time, lacking any direct or substantial evidence against Brave Tiger himself.
Last night, two high-ranking figures from different underworld factions were assassinated consecutively. While it was suspected that Brave Tiger had hired someone, the police were still unable to pin it on him.
Xu Weiwei, being a stubborn person, felt her temper flare when facing such a powerful underworld figure. She was determined not to let him escape justice.
Ye Cangtian, overhearing her brief conversation, was somewhat surprised.
Brave Tiger had eliminated two more factions? It seemed Liu Ruomei and Liu Zhendong were in danger.
What surprised him was what Brave Tiger's true objective could be.
Although he didn't pay much attention to the underworld, he could sense that Brave Tiger's motives were somewhat peculiar.
To eliminate all other factions and then dominate the underworld?
Even so, wasn't Brave Tiger being too hasty?
Furthermore, the incident at the casino last time, and the demand for exorbitant management fees in the industrial zone this time, also struck Ye Cangtian as odd.
This guy was constantly expanding his territory, accelerating the unification of the underworld, and amassing wealth at an insane rate. What was he trying to achieve?
And those four incredibly powerful "King Kongs" from last time? Such high-level experts willing to serve as henchmen for Brave Tiger?
Now, hearing Xu Weiwei say that two more underworld bosses were assassinated in their heavily guarded homes indicated that the man had quite a few formidable individuals around him.
Connecting these events made things quite intriguing!
However, Ye Cangtian smiled faintly. These matters had nothing to do with him! As long as Brave Tiger didn't provoke him, he didn't really care how the underworld fought amongst themselves.
At most, if Liu Ruomei and Liu Zhendong were in danger and sought his help, he would be willing to lend a hand to save their lives.
After they finished their meal, it was only eight or nine o'clock.
It wasn't too late to take a taxi home. Tang Xinwan might not even be angry.
As Ye Cangtian and Xu Weiwei walked out of the restaurant and were about to hail a taxi, they suddenly noticed a familiar Maserati parked by the roadside.
In front of the car window, Tang Xinwan was staring at him and Xu Weiwei with an icy expression.
Ye Cangtian was shocked!
Didn't this girl go home? Why was she here?
He looked at Tang Xinwan and gave a sheepish grin, explaining dryly, "If I told you I was actually helping, would you believe me?"
Even acting as a shield for Xu Weiwei and pretending to be a couple was considered helping, right?
To his surprise, a look of sarcasm flickered across Tang Xinwan's face. Her icy expression showed no hint of emotional fluctuation as she cast a calm glance at Ye Cangtian and Xu Weiwei.
Then, the car window rolled up, and the Maserati drove away.
Ye Cangtian stood there, dumbfounded. This misunderstanding had escalated!
Xu Weiwei, standing beside him, couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle. She patted his shoulder, "You can explain it slowly when you get back! I'll be going now!"
Ye Cangtian: "..."
This whole thing started because of you, so what's with the schadenfreude?
I have a phrase, 'My mother's b*tch,' that I'm not sure if I should say.