Chapter 168

Lin Chenxi smiled faintly at Xia Yuwei. "It's still such a pity, really. But as long as you feel it's right for you, that's what matters."

"Yes, jobs are all about coincidence and opportunity. It was thanks to Jinxi's clever reminder that I realized all roads truly lead to Rome. In fact, there are so many things worth trying. No matter how difficult it is, as long as you're willing to put in the effort, there's always a chance," Xia Yuwei replied to Lin Chenxi. She knew Lin Chenxi was worried about her, but she was even more grateful that, as a friend, he always supported her and respected her every decision. Unlike a certain someone who was arbitrary and self-righteous... Thinking of his madness last night, a chill involuntarily crept into her heart...

"Well. I don't have any objections to your job, it's just that I've heard being in sales is very exhausting..." Lin Chenxi said as he stood up. "Yufan, Yuwei, let's go see what good food there is." Then he turned to Lin Jinxi beside him. "You just arrived, you must be tired, just wait here to eat.――Anything special you'd like? Oysters?"

Lin Jinxi smiled brightly and nodded. Her brother understood her best, after all. Still, her brother seemed to be taking special care of Xia Yuwei and her son. Naturally, she should know how to create opportunities for them.

Xia Yufan had been eager to try everything for a long time. Holding Xia Yuwei's hand, he skipped toward the food section, not forgetting to call back to Lin Chenxi, "Uncle Lin, hurry up..."

The trio went together. Lin Jinxi sat there feeling bored, pulled out her phone, and started playing the Snake game. She never grew tired of this game.

******************************************************************************

Shao Minghan and Lu Yichen parked their car outside the entrance of Ju Xian Lou.

"Are you sure you want to go into a place like this?" Lu Yichen frowned. Just looking through the glass windows, the place was brightly lit with crowds of people bustling about. It didn't look like a dining establishment at all; it was more like a noisy marketplace, complete with open flames and a slight haze of smoke. It wasn't hard to imagine what the environment was like inside. Shao Minghan must have lost his mind to chase a woman to a place like this. Was Baili's receptionist really that gorgeous? How come he had zero recollection of her?

"Yes! Actually, dropping in occasionally to take a look is quite nice.――You're just too picky, my friend. There is so much joy in ordinary people's lives, which you certainly don't understand!" Shao Minghan said cheerfully. He was always filled with curiosity about the unknown. Just like a woman: if she was like a mystery, she would surely succeed in piquing his interest.

"I don't understand," Lu Yichen said expressionlessly. Shao Minghan had already unbuckled his seatbelt, but Lu Yichen showed no intention of getting out of the car. If not for the fact that he and Shao Minghan had a good personal friendship and Shao Minghan had just helped him out today, he would never have gone along with him to go crazy in a place like this. Even though he had a robust constitution, going without sleep for two days and a night wasn't something to be all that happy about. "Why don't you go in by yourself? I'll just drop you off right here."

"Hey, don't be like that. Since we're already here, what's wrong with going in and sitting for a while? I certainly don't want to walk into a place like this all by myself.――Wouldn't that be too weird? Don't forget what you promised me, or are you thinking of going back on your word?" Shao Minghan was merely looking for a companion to help him strike up a casual encounter with a beauty, and that companion happened to be the beauty's superior. With him there, Lin Jinxi would find it harder to refuse to speak with him, right? Besides, he felt he was being kind by trying to relieve Lu Yichen's pressure and unhappiness, seeking a thrill for himself while also finding a bit of life's pleasure for Lu Yichen. Yet this guy didn't seem appreciative at all.

He had once wondered what kind of fun could possibly exist in Lu Yichen's life. Back when they were in school, Lu Yichen used to risk his life doing business administration and financial case studies, traveling everywhere for field research and inspections. He frequently suffered headaches that kept him awake all night, and apart from asking him out for drinks, Shao Minghan had never seen Lu Yichen have any other hobbies or interests. What was even scarier was that at such a young age, Lu Yichen had zero interest in women! He only found out later that it wasn't that he wasn't interested; it was that he was only interested in one woman, and to a "pathological" degree—this was Shao Minghan's personal judgment.

Just think about it: which man would give up an entire forest for a single tree? Especially given Lu Yichen's exceptional background and natural advantages—countless women rushed forward to throw themselves at him, even pressing themselves upon him when he didn't want them. Yet he stubbornly persisted for a woman who no longer existed anywhere except in his memory. And he had persisted for eight years. To some extent, Shao Minghan felt that Lu Yichen wasn't a normal man. Even more tragically, now that he had recovered his memories and found that woman, he seemed even more miserable. Because from beginning to end, the only one who had persisted was him alone.

"I'm afraid I'll throw up if I go in, and that would ruin your appetite," Lu Yichen said calmly. He truly had no intention of going inside. "Consider this me accompanying you to the very end of your pursuit of a woman. I'll stay right here as your driver and wait until you're done."

The moment Shao Minghan heard this, he knew Lu Yichen's chronic mysophobia was acting up again. It was just a meal; did he have to be this repulsed? The taste of living aloof from worldly affairs probably wasn't all that pleasant either. Still, forcing others wasn't his strong suit, nor would it work on Lu Yichen. Shrugging, he got out of the car and went in alone. Although it felt a bit strange, not going in would have been even stranger, right?

******************************************************************************

"Mommy, I want this!"

"Mommy, and that one over there! I want that one too!"

Xia Yufan pulled Xia Yuwei's and Lin Chenxi's hands, skipping happily back and forth through the sea of delicacies. Xia Yuwei held a tray loaded with numerous small plates, each containing a different variety of seafood. Xia Yufan looked at the seafood with such enthusiasm that he was practically drooling, so he wanted a portion of everything. Lin Chenxi had also picked up quite a few plates himself.

Having not seen her son for a long time, Xia Yuwei doted on him to the extreme. As she picked out food, she peeled shrimp from her plate and fed them to Xia Yufan.

"Mmm! This is really good..." Xia Yufan happily chewed on what his mommy handed to him. It had truly been a long time since he had been this happy.

"Yuwei, you really are a 'good' mommy," Lin Chenxi said, sounding partly as if he were scolding her for spoiling the boy, and partly as if he meant it sincerely.