Chapter 63: Breakfast

With his hands in his pockets, Xu Dian stood at the top of the staircase, watching that figure disappear around the corner. He fell silent for a moment, then the corners of his lips curled up, his entire expression filled with amusement. He turned and walked toward his car, pulling out his hand to reveal a red wound on the back of it. He licked the wound as he settled into the driver’s seat.

His long legs stretched out, his whole body exuding a lazy aura.

The phone on the passenger seat beeped twice.

Yan Xing: President Xu, there’s news about the pair of earrings you’ve been looking for.

Xu Dian picked up the phone, glanced at it, and replied.

Xu Dian: Good.

Yan Xing: Still downstairs at Miss Meng’s place, huh?

Yan Xing: It’s been so long, and still no progress…

Xu Dian: Hmph, no progress?

Hmph.

He didn’t bother to boast.

Soon after, Zhou Yang also sent a message.

Zhou Yang: Damn, how long are you planning to stay in Geneva? Meng Ying is going for half a year, so you’re staying for half a year too?

Zhou Yang: As expected of Young Master Xu, no matter how far you go, you’re never worried.

Zhou Yang’s family group had recently been in turmoil due to internal strife. Zhou Yang had pulled out the military technology division and established a media and news department, preparing to wage a tough battle against those old foxes.

Among the three of them, only the Jiang family remained the most stable. Back then, Jiang Yu had ousted his father, Jiang Lu, simply because of a clash of opinions and differing management philosophies. After the ousting, the Jiang family suffered almost no losses and instead gained a sharp edge. Jiang Lu, as the former CEO, couldn’t very well kill his own son, could he?

So he had no choice but to step aside and carve out a new path for himself.

The turmoil in the Xu family had come much earlier. During Xu Dian’s university years, the infighting had already been intense. Xu Yi, who was refined and scholarly, had been forced into retreat step by step. Back then, Xu Dian had no choice but to give up studying abroad and stay to fight against these people. Fortunately, he was decisive and ruthless, targeting their weaknesses. Although it took over half a year, he managed to clean things up.

The Zhou family had been stable in previous years, so Zhou Yang hadn’t even bothered to take over his family’s group. Instead, he used his connections to venture into military technology, collaborating with the government. Unexpectedly, the military tech business took off and stabilized, but then the group ran into trouble. Zhou Yang had no choice but to protect what he had built while also taking aim at those causing trouble. He didn’t even have the energy to think about dating.

Xu Dian: Not sure yet.

Zhou Yang: No progress at all?

Xu Dian: There is.

Zhou Yang: What kind of progress?

Xu Dian licked the corner of his lips and replied: The chance to pursue her.

Zhou Yang: …

Zhou Yang: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, thanks, I needed that laugh.

Xu Dian: Get lost.

Zhou Yang: You know what, if I’m in a bad mood tomorrow, say that to me again.

Back at the apartment, Meng Ying’s hair had already dried. Seeing that it was late, she walked over to close the glass door. Her gaze swept outside, and she noticed the black car was still parked downstairs. A faint orange glow flickered from the driver’s seat. Meng Ying stepped back, closed the door, drew the curtains, picked up her phone, and headed into the bedroom.

Since the bedroom window was small and set high up, the room was naturally dim. Meng Ying turned on the bedside lamp, lay down on the bed, and her phone buzzed.

She glanced at it.

Xu Dian: Goodnight.

Meng Ying: Goodnight.

After replying, she set the phone aside and pulled up the covers to sleep.

Perhaps because she hadn’t slept in her own room the previous night, Meng Ying woke up in the middle of the night. She went out to pour herself a glass of water, pulled back the curtains, and glanced down at the railing outside. The black car was still there. She was startled and checked the wall clock. It was already past midnight, and in four hours, it would be dawn.

She let the curtains fall, drank her water, and walked back into the room. Picking up her phone from the bedside table, she opened the chat and typed.

Meng Ying: Are you still downstairs? Is there another shooting tonight?

After a while, he replied.

Xu Dian: You said you’d give me a chance tonight. I just wanted to confirm.

She yawned, sat cross-legged, and typed.

Meng Ying: Yes.

Xu Dian: Okay.

Xu Dian: There’s no shooting. I just didn’t leave. I’m about to go now.

Meng Ying: Alright, goodnight.

On the other end, Xu Dian smirked, staring at the messages she sent and the back-and-forth chat history. He let out a low chuckle, then gripped the steering wheel, started the car, and drove off.

After finishing her water, Meng Ying set the glass down, put her phone away, and went back to sleep. The next day, the sunlight was bright. Meng Ying adjusted her collar and headed downstairs. She had woken up early. As she crossed the street, she noticed everyone was having breakfast in the villa’s courtyard. Mi Xue waved at her: “Come over! We’ve got Chinese breakfast—rice noodle rolls, BBQ pork buns, and so much more. Oh my god, it’s all authentic.”

Meng Ying walked over and took a look.

Sure enough.

It was a full Chinese breakfast.

Hu Ye pushed a four-layer thermal container toward her and said, “Xu Dian had his company’s chef prepare all this. It’s still warm. This portion was specially reserved for you.”

Meng Ying sat on a low stool, picked up her chopsticks, and lifted the lid.

Inside were rice noodle rolls, shrimp congee, two egg tarts, chicken feet, and spare ribs. Zhu Min’er leaned in for a closer look. “Wow, why do you have so much more than us?”

“You even have spare ribs,” Zhu Min’er drooled. “Can I have a piece?”

The spare ribs were steamed with taro.

“Sure,” Meng Ying opened the container and let her take a piece. Zhu Min’er picked one up, her mouth watering, and said, “President Xu is so good to you.”

Qiao Qi clicked his tongue, reluctantly lowering his head to eat.

Even though he was reluctant, he still ate it because it was much better than the breakfast they had here.

“Thanks to you,” Mi Xue licked the sauce from the chicken feet off her lips.

Meng Ying smiled and started eating.

This was the most comfortable breakfast she’d had since arriving here.

After breakfast, the group set out. This time, they weren’t heading to the city center but to ancient Roman architecture. That area also had shopping districts, restaurants, and entertainment venues, but they were more spread out. The environment was particularly nice, with many buildings rich in historical and cultural significance. After the car stopped.

Hu Ye, as before, left them to their own devices, letting them do as they pleased. Zhao Yue and Zhu Min’er seemed distracted after getting out of the car. Meng Ying walked over, but Zhao Yue didn’t even notice until she stood right in front of him. Only then did Zhao Yue snap out of it and look at Meng Ying. Meng Ying felt that Zhao Yue was very different from Qiao Qi. Zhao Yue was extremely passive.

Meng Ying thought she’d have to take it slow.

She pointed to a bench nearby and said, “Shall we go sit over there?”

Zhao Yue paused, glanced over, hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Alright.”

Before walking over, he glanced at Zhu Min’er, who was laughing at something Qiao Qi said. Zhao Yue pursed his lips and went to sit down. Meng Ying pulled over a small stool—Hu Ye’s—and sat on it, which made her much lower than Zhao Yue. Zhao Yue looked down at her, and Meng Ying looked up. Their eyes met.

The sunlight was a bit bright.

Zhao Yue looked at her, her face free of makeup, her skin fair, and her gaze focused on him. Suddenly, his face turned red.

The feeling of wanting to stay close to Zhu Min’er faded away. He was startled, thinking how quickly his feelings had changed. Meng Ying looked at him and smiled. “Do you think I’m pretty?”

“Yes…”

Meng Ying said, “You’re not bad-looking either. Qin Jun is also quite handsome.”

Zhao Yue was stunned.

Why was she bringing up Qin Jun?

“Gu Yan is also very handsome, and Qiao Qi has that bad boy vibe too,” Meng Ying said. Zhao Yue suddenly understood. He said, “I get it now.”

You’re also very beautiful, Zhu Min’er is pretty too, everyone is good-looking, but… that’s not love.

“Now that you understand, let’s get started,” Meng Ying smiled, knowing he had come to his senses. She stood up.

“What about me?” A deep voice came from behind. Meng Ying turned around and saw Xu Dian holding a bottle of milk, wearing glasses, and raising an eyebrow at her.

Meng Ying smiled but didn’t answer.

Xu Dian walked up the steps, shoved the milk into her hand, and said, “I also think you’re beautiful, and no one can compare to you.”

The sunlight fell on his face.

His eyes behind the glasses carried a casual smile.

Meng Ying bit the straw of the milk bottle and glanced at him.

Back then.

It was this smile that had struck her.

“Don’t disturb us,” she said to Xu Dian, her tone firm. Xu Dian adjusted his shirt collar and said, “I was just passing by.”

He had been very busy these past few days. After saying that, he walked down the steps, greeted Hu Ye, and headed toward the car parked by the roadside. Once in the car, he didn’t leave immediately but lowered his head to type something.

The group watched as Meng Ying held the milk. Today, Mi Xue had also come along, silently staring, her eyes filled with envy.

Mi Xue tugged at Hu Ye’s sleeve. “Go buy me some milk. Look at how far he came just to deliver a bottle of milk. Can you do that?”

Hu Ye: “…Stop shaking me, I need to work!!”

“Can’t you buy it after work? Or, Meng Ying, can you share a sip with her?”

“No!” Mi Xue hit Hu Ye a few times, and Hu Ye laughed, dodging her.

Zhao Yue looked at Meng Ying and said, “I can buy you milk too.”

Meng Ying laughed and said, “Let’s hurry up and act.”

Her phone buzzed, and she opened it to see a message.

Xu Dian: When you’re acting, avoid hugs and kisses.

Xu Dian: I’ll also maintain my integrity for you.

Meng Ying: No need, thanks.

Xu Dian: …

Xu Dian: I’ll ruin it every time I see it.

After saying that, the black car by the roadside started up and sped away, the window half-open. Inside sat a handsome Eastern man with a clenched jaw and a gloomy expression.

Playing the role of a couple with Zhao Yue, Meng Ying found Zhao Yue to be less troublesome than Qiao Qi. He was more reserved and polite, and Meng Ying quite liked this kind of demeanor. She began to learn how to convey emotions through her eyes, which reduced physical contact but elevated the emotional depth. With Zhao Yue being influenced by her, Hu Ye felt that they didn’t even need three days.

Two days would be enough for Zhao Yue to grasp the techniques.

On the other hand, Zhu Min’er, due to Qiao Qi’s teasing, had shifted her affections to Qiao Qi again. However, she didn’t realize that these feelings were still fake and was subtly falling into the trap once more.

Qiao Qi was also quite dedicated, but after acting with Meng Ying, he found himself more drawn to her demeanor. Zhu Min’er’s coquettishness was starting to feel a bit tiresome to him.

Not for any particular reason.

He was quite popular with girls, and many of them loved to act coy around him.

When they returned to the villa that evening, Zhao Yue had changed significantly since the morning.

Hu Ye was very satisfied. While reviewing the footage of Zhu Min’er and Qiao Qi, he fell silent at the sight of Zhu Min’er’s overly coquettish behavior. Behind him, the door quietly opened. Xu Dian, loosening his tie, walked in, his gaze landing on Meng Ying, who was diligently taking notes. He sat down on the sofa, crossing his long legs.

At that moment, Hu Ye let out a breath and chuckled, “Min’er, you’re quite good at acting coy.”

He then turned to Qiao Qi, “Can Meng Ying do that?”

Qiao Qi shrugged and said, “She can, but… she’s not as skilled.”

Meng Ying glanced at Qiao Qi, who deliberately raised his chin, as if challenging her. *You’re just not that good at being coquettish.* Meng Ying smiled, looked away, and continued taking notes.

Seeing that she remained unfazed, Qiao Qi deflated. However, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Xu Dian in the mirror, resting his chin on his hand, his eyes dark and glaring in his direction. Qiao Qi immediately turned his head away.

*Tch.*

When did this guy show up?

The session ended much earlier than yesterday. Meng Ying packed up her notebook and stood up. When she turned around, she noticed Xu Dian was there. His tie was undone, likely due to the heat, hanging loosely on either side of his open collar. With his glasses on, he looked like the epitome of a “gentleman on the outside, rogue on the inside.” Meng Ying headed toward the stairs.

Qiao Qi, Zhu Min’er, and Zhao Yue had already gone downstairs ahead of her. The atmosphere among the three of them was a bit strange, almost like a love triangle.

Meng Ying watched as Zhu Min’er seemed torn between reaching for one and then the other, realizing how dangerous it could be to get too emotionally invested. Behind her, she heard Xu Dian’s footsteps.

He exchanged a few words with Hu Ye, then his phone rang. He answered it with a brief response.

It seemed like there was something urgent he needed to attend to.

He quickened his pace, catching up to Meng Ying and grabbing her wrist. “I’ll take you back. Let’s go by car.”

Meng Ying was startled, but before she could react, he was already pulling her down the steps, causing her to stumble slightly. Once outside, Xu Dian opened the car door and practically shoved her inside.

There was no room for her to argue.

He then got into the driver’s seat, re-tied his tie, and started the car. With a sharp turn, he drove off like he was drifting, speeding all the way to the entrance of Meng Ying’s apartment.

Meng Ying pushed the car door open and got out. Xu Dian stepped out as well, pressing his hand against the door to close it. He leaned down, resting his arm on the car window, and looked at her with a lowered gaze.

His tie was neatly tied now.

It had a hint of gold trim.

Meng Ying raised an eyebrow. “What is it?”

He leaned lazily against the car, asking, “When will I get to hear you act coquettish?”

Meng Ying leaned back leisurely, crossing her arms, and smiled at him. “Isn’t that a bit too much to ask?”

“You’re asking for a chance, but you want me to act coquettish with you? What about you? Will you act coquettish with me?”

Xu Dian’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he clenched his jaw. He leaned in closer, staring intently at her. Her eyes curved like a crescent moon, her hair framing her face, and her skin as pale as snow. Suddenly, his throat felt dry. “Forget about whether I’ll act coquettish or not. If you were to act coquettish with me, I’d give you my life.”

“You should keep it for yourself.”

Xu Dian choked on his words: “…”

At that moment, his phone on the dashboard started ringing incessantly, breaking the silence. Meng Ying leaned over, picked up the phone, and handed it to him.

Xu Dian took the phone, glanced at it, and answered the call.

The car door loosened slightly as Meng Ying pushed it open and stepped out. He moved aside to let her pass. As Meng Ying walked past him, she said, “Goodnight.”

Her fingertips accidentally brushed against his.

Xu Dian reacted instantly, catching her little finger. Meng Ying turned her head, their fingertips touching. Hers were cool, while his were much warmer.

That sensation.

Xu Dian also lowered his gaze, looking at their fingertips. His long fingers moved forward slightly, as if wanting to grasp her hand. But Meng Ying withdrew her hand and said, “Go take care of your business.”

From the voice on the other end of the call.

It was clear that the person on the line was urging him to hurry, sounding extremely anxious.

“I’ll watch you go upstairs,” Xu Dian said, retracting his hand and slipping it into his pocket. The cool touch of her fingertips left him feeling restless.

Meng Ying walked upstairs, and the corner light flicked on as she passed. She didn’t look back, continuing up the stairs. The warmth from his touch lingered on her fingertips. She glanced at her fingers before taking out her keys to unlock the door.

Once inside.

Her phone rang.

She took it out to check.

Xu Dian had sent a voice message: “I might not have time to come see you tomorrow. I’ll have Hu Ye take you to the apartment. Remember to close the balcony and curtains before you sleep. Also, there’s something I’ll need your help with the day after tomorrow.”

Meng Ying also sent a voice message: “What is it?”

Xu Dian: “Accompany me as my plus one to an auction.”

Meng Ying: “What if I don’t agree…”

Xu Dian: “Then I’ll have to go all alone.”

His deep voice carried a hint of sadness. Meng Ying frowned, feeling like it might just be her imagination. She said, “Do all you men use this trick?”

Xu Dian: “What trick?”

His tone was innocent.

Meng Ying didn’t respond.

She typed: What should I wear?

Xu Dian: I’ll have Yan Xing deliver something to you later.

Meng Ying: Alright.

Since arriving here, she hadn’t gone out much. After putting her phone away, Meng Ying went to wash up, then closed the balcony and curtains, turned off the lights, and went to bed. These things couldn’t be taken lightly. However, once she lay down, she found it hard to fall asleep. Tossing and turning, she eventually got up to drink some water before finally drifting off.

Downstairs.

A light blue car pulled up and stopped at the entrance of the apartment. The person inside leaned out to glance at the building, then made a call. “Is this the place, President Xu?”

“Ah, yes, it seems so. Honestly, if it’s too much trouble, why not just have the future boss lady stay with us?” He rambled on a bit, and on the other end of the line, Yan Xing clicked his tongue. “Who knows if President Xu will even succeed in winning her over? Anyway, just stay put. If you’re tired, sleep in the car. Just make sure Miss Meng upstairs is safe.”

“She’s that hard to win over? What kind of beauty is she?” The man couldn’t help but chatter more. “President Xu actually has someone he can’t handle? That’s rare.”

Yan Xing: “He must’ve sinned too much in his past life. I’m hanging up now.”

The next day, Meng Ying woke up with faint dark circles under her eyes. She hadn’t controlled herself when drinking water the night before and ended up making multiple trips to the bathroom in the middle of the night. After washing up, she grabbed her small bag and headed downstairs. As soon as she stepped out, she noticed a flashy light blue car parked nearby.

She didn’t pay it much attention and was about to cross the street when the car door suddenly swung open. A man with a bit of stubble stuck his head out and whistled at her. Meng Ying frowned and glanced at him. When he saw her face, he froze, then quickly stepped out of the car. “Boss lady… I mean, Miss Meng, good morning!”

“Good morning. And you are?” Seeing that he was Chinese, Meng Ying lowered her guard a bit.

“Oh, I’m from Xu Corporation. I’m here on President Xu’s orders to keep watch overnight.”

Meng Ying: “…You’ve worked hard. You don’t need to do that anymore.”

“Hehe, it’s necessary, it’s necessary.”

“Have you eaten breakfast? Let me treat you.” Meng Ying thought for a moment, glancing at the car and the man’s tired face, clearly worn out from staying up all night.

“No, no, thank you so much. I’ll get something to eat once I go back and rest.”

There were no breakfast places nearby, and the nearest supermarket was quite a distance away. Meng Ying hesitated for a moment, then thanked him again before crossing the street.

After she left.

The man seemed to snap out of his daze and immediately called Yan Xing. As soon as the call connected, he blurted out excitedly, “Yan Xing, you wouldn’t believe it! Miss Meng is so beautiful, absolutely stunning! And she even offered to buy me breakfast! Ah, I got too excited and turned her down. What a shame, what a shame.”

“She offered to buy you breakfast?” A deep, hoarse voice came through the phone, carrying a chilling tone.

Jiang Hui froze.

He opened his mouth to say yes, but hesitated for a moment.

Xu Dian snorted coldly. “Get back here! You’re off duty tomorrow night!”

Jiang Hui: “…”

What did I do wrong?

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