Chapter Ten: Dining

“Chu, Chu, look quickly, the goddess is coming out!” Xiaowen shook Chu Muyun’s arm excitedly, shouting. He would never have dared to do this before, but ever since Xiaowen became convinced he’d discovered a huge secret, he’d grown increasingly blatant when discussing the goddess, completely disregarding Chu Muyun’s frosty expression.

Pretending not to be interested in the goddess? Clearly, it was just a facade. Didn’t the boss’s eyes surreptitiously glance over whenever the goddess’s name was mentioned?

Hearing Bai Chenxi’s name, Chu Muyun instinctively looked over: so she came as well, perfect. The sooner they eat, the sooner it’s dealt with.

“My goddess is truly beautiful—her aura is utterly unique, one of a kind,” Xiaowen gushed, showering Bai Chenxi with praise.

Chu Muyun stared at Xiaowen, thinking: I never noticed this kid had vision problems before! Is being a fan really this detrimental to intelligence? His gaze shifted, tinged with sympathy.

Xiaowen, still lost in admiration, suddenly felt a chill and turned his head, only to see Chu Muyun watching him with a strange look.

Caught in the stare, Xiaowen suddenly realized: wait, I was just praising the boss’s girlfriend.

So is the boss jealous? Who’d have thought! Even Chu Muyun could be jealous over something so trivial—it seems the goddess’s charm truly is extraordinary.

Xiaowen’s eyes darted as he launched into another round of flattery: “For someone as outstanding as the goddess, her boyfriend must be handsome and talented—someone as excellent as Chu, of course. No one else could be worthy.”

As soon as he finished, Zhang Kai laughed, “Xiaowen, are you trying to sabotage your goddess? Someone like Chu Muyun barely says a word, stiff as a board—aren’t you afraid he’ll smother your goddess to death?”

Xiaowen broke out in a cold sweat: Brother Kai, I never realized you could be so blunt!

Sure enough, Chu Muyun’s expression darkened further, and he scoffed.

Chu Muyun had originally planned to talk to Bai Chenxi about dinner at the party, but she turned away as soon as she saw him. He asked his grandmother for Bai Chenxi’s WeChat number, but she never accepted his request.

All night, Chu Muyun couldn’t find a chance to speak with Bai Chenxi, so he drove to where she lived.

She had to come home eventually—when she did, he’d take her out for dinner and be done with it. He just wanted the two of them to finish the meal quickly, clarify things, and never see each other again.

Afterward, he’d never see Bai Chenxi again, and he didn’t believe his grandmother could come up with any other tricks.

Bai Chenxi was dropped off at the door by her assistant, about to enter when she heard someone call her name, freezing instantly.

Seeing her motionless, Chu Muyun walked over to call her. Just as he put his hand out, a bag flew at him.

He hurriedly blocked it, “Bai Chenxi, are you out of your mind?”

Hearing his voice, Bai Chenxi stopped, “Chu Muyun, what are you doing here? You scared me—I thought…”

“Thought it was some criminal or monster?”

“Don’t say it…” Seeing Bai Chenxi genuinely frightened put Chu Muyun in a good mood; finally, she’d been humbled.

“What are you doing here? It’s so late—grandpa and grandma must be asleep.”

“I’m here to invite you to dinner.”

“Me?” Bai Chenxi pointed at herself, incredulous.

“Chu Muyun, are you still feverish? Saying such nonsense in the middle of the night!”

Chu Muyun considered himself fairly patient, yet every time he encountered Bai Chenxi, he seemed unable to control his emotions, always on the verge of losing it.

He took a deep breath, trying to stay calm: “I want to thank you for taking care of me when I was sick, so I’m inviting you to dinner.”

“No need. Didn’t you say I was clinging to you for publicity? Aren’t you worried I’ll post photos of us dining together online?” Just thinking about it made Bai Chenxi angry, her tone no softer.

“My grandmother told me to invite you. Otherwise, I wouldn’t bother coming,” Chu Muyun snapped—talking to her always made him angry.

“Oh!” Bai Chenxi didn’t even realize a trace of disappointment had crept into her voice. “Just tell grandma we’ve eaten, then.”

“No!” Chu Muyun refused without hesitation. Seeing Bai Chenxi’s questioning gaze, he explained, “No matter how unwilling I am, I can’t lie to grandma. We have to eat this meal.”

Bai Chenxi rolled her eyes helplessly. “Look at the time—it’s eleven o’clock. Are you out of your mind, wanting to eat dinner now?”

Just as she finished, her stomach rumbled. Her face flushed instantly, and Chu Muyun couldn’t stop laughing.

Bai Chenxi snapped, “What are you laughing at? Didn’t you want dinner? Let’s go!”

Her tone was fierce, but there was a hint of embarrassment and anger. Seeing how flustered she was only made Chu Muyun want to laugh more.

To avoid provoking her further, Chu Muyun forced himself to stop.

About to open the car door, Bai Chenxi suddenly remembered something and said, “Wait for me ten minutes.”

Before Chu Muyun could reply, she dashed into the residential complex.

Chu Muyun waited, but instead of Bai Chenxi, was approached by someone wrapped up tightly, showing only a pair of eyes and a head of voluminous curls, knocking on his car window.

“Why are you wrapped up like a rice dumpling?” Chu Muyun stared at Bai Chenxi as if she were a creature from another world, unable to fathom what she was up to now.

Bai Chenxi retorted, “This isn’t a rice dumpling—it’s a disguise. Isn’t it dinner with the King of Chu? If I don’t disguise myself, I’ll be accused of using you for publicity if we’re photographed.”

“Heh.”

“Hey! What’s that ‘heh’ supposed to mean? Are you mocking my disguise, or convinced I’m using you for hype?”

“I’m laughing at your wasted effort. It’s eleven at night, and I’m not involved in any scandals—paparazzi wouldn’t bother following me this late.” He gave her a look as if she were clueless.

Bai Chenxi eyed him, “King of Chu, your confidence is definitely misplaced.”

Following Chu Muyun into the private room, Bai Chenxi finally took off her mask, letting out a breath. “Impressive, Chu. I thought this late, we’d only find KFC or McDonald’s.”

Chu Muyun sneered at her, “That’s just you. Don’t compare me to yourself.”

“Yes, yes! Who is Chu, after all?” Bai Chenxi, cheered up by the food, didn’t mind his occasional self-importance.

Chu Muyun eyed Bai Chenxi, eating happily, with disdain. “Aren’t actresses supposed to watch their weight? You’re eating so much.”

Bai Chenxi relaxed, “You have no idea. Sister Wang wanted me to look good on the red carpet, so she barely let me eat all day. At the party, I was afraid of my stomach showing, so I didn’t dare eat a single bite.”

The more she spoke, the more aggrieved she felt—and the more eagerly she ate.

A waiter knocked and entered to serve the dishes. Bai Chenxi’s first reaction was to cover her face.

The waiter clearly recognized Chu Muyun, but maintained professional composure, serving the dishes and leaving promptly, though her gaze lingered on Bai Chenxi for a while.

After the waiter left, Chu Muyun chuckled at Bai Chenxi, “Was that really necessary?”

“Of course it was,” Bai Chenxi said, eating as she spoke. “Who knows if she’ll leak something online afterward.”

“No, wait!” Bai Chenxi put down her chopsticks and looked at Chu Muyun.

Chu Muyun raised an eyebrow, signaling her to continue.

“Aren’t you always suspicious of me using you for hype? Why do you seem so unconcerned now?”

What she didn’t say aloud was: With Chu Muyun so indifferent, could he be trying to use me for publicity himself? Though he didn’t seem the type, who knows if he’s two-faced.

Seeing Bai Chenxi lost in thought, Chu Muyun knew she was off on another mental tangent.

“I said those things to remind you not to use me for hype—it’s troublesome to deal with rumors. Even if you really posted something, no one would believe it; they’d just think you were seeking publicity.”

“Tch!” Bai Chenxi rolled her eyes: there it was again, that inexplicable confidence! He really thinks he’s hot stuff.

Leaving the restaurant, Bai Chenxi patted her stomach, “Oops, I ate too much again! How long will it take to work this off? If Sister Wang finds out, I’m doomed.”

“Then why eat so much? You brought it on yourself!” Chu Muyun never missed a chance to tease her.

“I wanted to! I’d rather eat my fill and then work it off later.”

Bai Chenxi’s stubbornness amused Chu Muyun. “Fine, fine! As long as you’re happy. Even if you turn into a pig, you can lose the weight.”

Bai Chenxi sprang up indignantly, “Who are you calling a pig!”

As the two bantered and squabbled, neither noticed a camera in the distance capturing the scene.