Chapter 6

    Stories in the VIP Zone

    Donglu's car came to a complete stop.

    Looking ahead, Li Yin saw the restaurant with an inviting atmosphere that he had described during the ride. It wasn't very big, but the warm lighting inside was easy on the eyes, complementing the brown building and the green trees surrounding it.

    He really knew what she liked.

    Brown paired with green.

    Her favorite...

    Li Yin thought to herself and then looked at the man beside her. She didn't want to admit it, but he had been a good boyfriend in the past. It was no wonder why she had 'chosen' him as a husband because he was so attentive and remembered so many details.

    Until he revealed his true nature and had an affair.

    That was when she saw his true colors...

    Donglu turned and smiled at her once before inviting her to get down from the car with him.

    “I’ve made a VIP reservation just for us, so, madam, please walk with me,” he said half-jokingly before extending his arm to her, mimicking a prince’s gesture inviting a princess to dance.

    Not wanting to make the situation any more awkward since she’d have to spend the next hour dining with him, Li Yin reluctantly took his arm.

    “This place needs a reservation?”

    Li Yin asked out of her business curiosity while surveying the restaurant's business model, deducing from the parked cars that it must be doing quite well.

    “It's new, so it's quite popular. Besides, it’s not very big, and there are only a few private areas. From what I gathered, there are only two private spots, lucky I managed to book one.”

    “Oh... So, we’re still in the honeymoon phase. Everything looks great in the beginning.”

    Li Yin made a comment about the restaurant's initial success, but her words could easily relate to her own romantic life.

    “What’s that?”

    “Nothing, I’m just saying”

    “Alright, let’s head in,” said Donglu as he led her into the restaurant.

    Upon entering, they were warmly welcomed by the staff. After a brief interaction with Donglu, they were escorted to the very private VIP zone, secluded by partitions to keep outsiders at bay.

    “Please make yourselves comfortable and let the staff know if you need help,” said the staff.

    “Thank you.”

    Once the staff left, it was just Li Yin and Donglu.

    Not wanting to meet his gaze, Li Yin instead focused on the menu lying on the table, choosing several dishes, especially the fried ones. It had been a long time since she indulged in such delicious food, as aging required her to focus more on health, involving both exercise and clean eating.

    Sometimes all she had was vegetables…

    Others might manage, but for Li Yin, it was an arduous effort.

    She regretted that in her youth when her metabolism was still good, she wasn’t eager to enjoy those delicious foods. Eventually, she ended up eating clean for the rest of her life, missing out on experiencing this other side of life. But not this time! Now that she was young again and got to dress up nicely, she wanted to indulge in those mouth-watering dishes that pleased her palate.

    Donglu was surprised to see his girlfriend picking out so many dishes. Normally, Li Yin was very careful about her looks, choosing her food meticulously, and in the end, often not eating at all. But today, she was ordering without restraint.

    “Oh... Since when did you start eating so much without worrying about gaining weight?” he teased her playfully.

    Li Yin gave him a sharp look. She had come up with many reasons to allow herself to enjoy these dishes, yet he had to say something about it.

    "What’s with all this question? Just order it," bluntly said Li Yin.

    "You’re being quite cold to me."

    "Well, maybe you should ask questions that actually make sense."

    Their small argument marked the first round of their bickering. Donglu could only offer a dry smile, afraid of making his girlfriend angry again, while inwardly blaming himself for saying something nonsensical. Li Yin was still upset, especially now that she decided to enjoy her meal fully, and he had to tease her about it. Totally unacceptable...

    He then fell silent, trying to behave himself immediately. Li Yin looked at him and almost laughed out loud. Death be her fate... She hardly remembered the times he was afraid of her, as all that filled her mind were moments he had slapped her or screamed at her in front of others. He made her feel embarrassed, wrong, the complete opposite of what he was being now...

    Li Yin sighed, which made Donglu, sitting opposite her, jump as he thought he had done something wrong again.

    "What's wrong, Li Yin?"

    "Just sighing, what’s the big deal?"

    "I'm not overreacting. I'm just afraid I’ve done something wrong again," he said while locking eyes with Li Yin. "If something’s bothering you, you can tell me."

    "Well... I’m curious about what could possibly turn someone like you into a terrible person."

    "What?" Donglu raised his eyebrows in confusion. "What kind of question is that?"

    "Just...to think that you’re a good person now," Li Yin said, drifting into her bitter memories before letting out another sigh.

    Such was the undeniable truth of this world. Time could change everything, including people’s hearts.

    "I mean..."

    "It's okay, you don’t have to say anything. You wouldn’t understand until the time has come," Li Yin said then stood up. "Go ahead and order the food, I need to use the restroom."

    "Okay."

    Li Yin then headed to the restroom. Fortunately, the VIP restroom was separate from the public ones, giving her a chance to be alone. And because the hallway was mirrored, Li Yin couldn’t help but admire her reflection. Just a few hours ago, she was still an old woman... Now, her face was youthful and radiant again.

    "Nothing’s better than this."

    Li Yin was so engrossed in looking at the mirrors around her that she forgot to watch where she was going. She then eventually bumped into someone. That someone had such a solid chest that her head felt dizzy from the impact.

    "Sorry..."

    Li Yin immediately apologized, only to furrow her brows when she saw the person in front of her. The handsome young man before her, she had to admit, was very attractive, to the point that just one smile from him could easily make any woman fall.

    But strangely...

    She felt a vague sense of familiarity, a sense that he was going to be an important figure and a formidable business rival to her in the future.

    "Are you alright?"