"I'm sorry, I was really irritable today. I've been abroad for many years, and perhaps influenced by Western culture, I don't hide my emotions. My temper has gotten worse and worse. I've caused you trouble this time, I'm sorry. Please forgive me, will you have dinner with me? Don't be angry with me anymore."
Liu Lan Ying wanted to leave, and Ye Tian Cheng felt it wasn't right to let things get so tense. Even if they had no future interactions, there was no need to offend Xue Shao Yang. Offending such a petty person would surely lead to a lot of trouble later.
"Alright, whatever. I'll leave after dinner."
Liu Lan Ying was still a bit impatient, perhaps not liking the demeanor of high-society individuals, always feeling like they were putting on an act. In reality, Young Master Xue was just that kind of person, unrelated to anything else.
"Eat more, Liu Lan Ying. You used to be quite plump, but now you look too thin. You must eat more; you have no flesh on your face. I prefer girls who have a little bit of flesh; they look healthy. Those who are too thin are like skeletons."
Liu Lan Ying didn't eat much, mainly because facing Young Master Xue's incessant chatter made her lose her appetite. She felt like she had lost her freedom, making it impossible to eat properly.
"What you like isn't important. I'm just like this. I also control my figure. I'll do everything according to my own requirements and won't care about what others think."
Liu Lan Ying was truly cool. Ye Tian Cheng sat by the side, drinking milk tea and not saying much. Although the food wasn't very good, the milk tea was quite delicious, with pearls that tasted especially fragrant and sweet.
"You're quite individualistic. Honestly, choosing me is much better than choosing Ye Tian Cheng. I like this kind of individuality in you. Why don't you consider divorcing Ye Tian Cheng soon? Once you break up with Ye Tian Cheng, you can be with me. I will definitely treat you well, and I will never go back on my promises. Don't worry."
Liu Lan Ying rolled her eyes. "You're overthinking it. Ye Tian Cheng and I are doing well. We can't separate. Don't think too much about it; you're really laughable like this."
She directly rejected a wealthy young man. Ye Tian Cheng hadn't really expected it. Any girl might try to get closer to a rich person. Women like Liu Lan Ying, who are unmoved by money, are rare.
"Oh, there's no rush. I can pursue you slowly. After some time, you'll gradually know that I'll become better and better, and you'll definitely regret not seizing me earlier. I'm a potential stock with great prospects."
Liu Lan Ying couldn't stand it anymore. Originally, eating at such a Michelin restaurant and in such a high-end five-star hotel should have been a very enjoyable experience. However, with Xue Shao Yang's presence, everything became unpleasant and stressful, making it meaningless.
"I'm full. You don't need to see me off. I'm going home with Ye Tian Cheng."
Although Ye Tian Cheng didn't have a car, he had rented one online while he was in the restroom. Xue Shao Yang still wanted to interact more with Liu Lan Ying, but after Ye Tian Cheng got into the car, he didn't even spare a glance at the very wealthy Young Master Xue. Instead, he stepped on the accelerator and drove away in the rented Mercedes.
"I didn't expect you to be so difficult to deal with. Liu Lan Ying, just you wait. There's nothing I want that I can't get. Sooner or later, you'll beg me to marry you."
After the car had disappeared, Xue Shao Yang still felt very indignant. He stomped his foot and uttered a bold declaration.
Ye Tian Cheng drove at high speed, and only when he was sure that guy wouldn't catch up did he slow down.
"It's alright. I didn't embarrass you today. But this car is rented. Remember to remind me to return it tomorrow, otherwise, if the time passes, they'll charge money."
"Got it."
Regardless of whether Ye Tian Cheng's car was rented or not, Liu Lan Ying had taken a liking to Ye Tian Cheng. No matter how good others were, they had nothing to do with Liu Lan Ying. Especially that self-important Xue Shao Ye, who was arrogant and only had a superficial appearance.
"You missed out on Young Master Xue. Aren't you going to regret it?"
"Even if he were a good person, it would be my own fault for missing out. However, I don't think that Xue Shao Yang is a good person. It's fine to miss out on people like him. I've seen through him."
Liu Lan Ying was truly rational. Otherwise, other women would find someone with such a background quite good – an overseas returnee, wealthy, and handsome. But Liu Lan Ying was different, and Ye Tian Cheng had noticed this.
"That Young Master Xue is indeed not a good match for you. He's too pretentious and looks down on everyone. I'm afraid this person might have violent tendencies. If you were with him, you might get beaten up. Such a good girl like you shouldn't be ruined by such a scumbag."
"Alright, it seems Ye Ge and I think alike. We're in sync. Let's not talk about it anymore. How about this, Ye Ge, I'm still a bit hungry. I was consolidating there earlier, listening to the school chatter, and I didn't eat enough. Can you treat me to a hamburger? I want a big hamburger."
Although fast food isn't very healthy, eating anything with the person you like is good. Eating with someone you dislike, listening to them say strange things, even if it were the finest delicacies, wouldn't taste good to Liu Lan Ying. Instead, junk food would be better.
"I haven't eaten enough either. Those dishes were said to be top-quality ingredients, but they weren't, and I still wasn't full. A Michelin restaurant chef, yet they produced such things. I seriously suspect they were fake. A chef with so much accumulated experience and knowledge would surely be able to tell the quality of ingredients directly. A good chef wouldn't deceive people like that."
Ye Tian Cheng was telling the truth. He had eaten quite a lot of good things earlier. The so-called top-grade truffles and caviar were actually counterfeit products, made from who knows what.
"Okay, let's go eat big hamburgers."
This was where Ye Tian Cheng and Liu Lan Ying were compatible. If it were Hou Ming Zhu or Miss Su, those women would never casually eat anything other than high-end restaurants. They wouldn't even touch hamburgers. In Hou Ming Zhu's words, such fast food was for ordinary people.
When fast food was mentioned, they would have a lot of theories, talking about too many carbohydrates and how fried foods accelerate aging. They insisted on eating the freshest ingredients shipped from abroad, and definitely not junk food.
Along the way, Ye Tian Cheng kept thinking about Hou Ming Zhu and Miss Su. When they arrived at the fast-food restaurant and ordered a lot of set meals, Liu Lan Ying ate very happily.
"Ye Ge, this chicken leg is so crispy and fragrant. I've already eaten one. I'll leave this one for you."
Liu Lan Ying's voice was soft and pleasant to hear. Such a gentle woman was irresistible.
"Okay, you eat more too. That egg tart is also very delicious."
The two of them spent less than a hundred yuan at the fast-food restaurant and ate extremely well. Meanwhile, the more than twenty thousand yuan Michelin feast prepared by Xue Shao Yang was difficult for them to swallow. The world is truly magical; sometimes, things cannot be measured by price.
After eating hamburgers, the two of them drove home. Ye Tian Cheng planned to go into the mountains to search for treasures early the next morning, so he went to bed early. However, early the next morning, Xiao Pang arrived again.
"Didn't you just leave? Why are you back again? Are you just going to stay here and not manage company affairs at all!"
"Ye Ge, the hospital has sent a notification. Hou Ming Zhu, my sister-in-law, is about to give birth. You should hurry back and see. You can miss other things, but you must see your own child being born."
Xiao Pang made a valid point. Ye Tian Cheng's relationship with Hou Ming Zhu was already at a breaking point. If he didn't go when the child was born, things would become even more strained, leaving no room for reconciliation. Therefore, he should go and see.
Moreover, Ye Tian Cheng was also very curious about whether his child would be a boy or a girl, what they would look like, and whether a child born with innate true qi would be different from other children.
"Alright, I'll leave immediately."
Liu Lan Ying wasn't intentionally eavesdropping, but she heard their conversation from the side and knew Ye Tian Cheng was going to see Hou Ming Zhu. Although she felt a little jealous, she could still distinguish priorities.
"Ye Ge, you go. I won't go. I'm worried that if I appear, the mother might not want to see me, and it might cause other trouble. I'll wait for you at home obediently."
"Will you be safe here alone?"
"It's okay. I'd like to go with you to see what your child looks like, but I don't think my identity will be welcomed. The mother is the most important now, so let's not anger Miss Hou."
Liu Lan Ying made a valid point. Hou Ming Zhu had always had a bad temper. Seeing Liu Lan Ying would surely make her angry, and Ye Tian Cheng knew this well, so he didn't dare to take any more risks.
"Then lock the door properly tonight. This place is too remote, and I'm worried some bad people might come."
Liu Lan Ying held Ye Tian Cheng's hand, looked into his eyes, and smiled, shaking her head.
"It's fine, I'm not scared at all. If bad people really come, I can fight several of them. Besides, there won't be any bad people here. It's a place where birds don't shit; it's hard to find people, let alone bad people."
Liu Lan Ying had a point. The key was that the place was desolate and uninhabited, making it difficult to encounter anyone. Ye Tian Cheng was in a hurry and couldn't worry about Hou Ming Zhu giving birth anymore. He instructed Liu Lan Ying a few more times and then set off.
"Ye Ge, I can accept this child. I think I need to make it clear to you. I don't care what you think. As long as you're willing to be with me, I don't mind being a stepmother to this child."
Liu Lian Ying said this very seriously. Ye Tian Cheng felt rather guilty and touched. He reached out and touched Liu Lan Ying's face.
"Silly girl, don't talk nonsense. I don't deserve you, let alone taking care of a child. You stay home and protect yourself. I'm leaving. Call me if anything happens."
After Ye Tian Cheng got into the car, even Xiao Pang noticed that Liu Lan Ying was still gazing at him affectionately, reluctant to let Ye Tian Cheng leave.
"Ye Ge, I truly admire you. Any woman is so devoted to you. If even one person treated me like that, I'd be overjoyed."
Xiao Pang had to kowtow to Ye Tian Cheng again. He wasn't a deeply affectionate person, yet every woman was willing to give up everything for him.