Volume One, Chapter 55: The Sardonic Huo Mingting

Ye Sheng had no intention whatsoever of getting entangled with Huo Mingting.

She sincerely thanked Mr. and Mrs. Li and Mr. and Mrs. Zheng for their help with the trending topic. Mr. Zheng smiled and said, "It should be us thanking Director Ye. Thank you for bringing my son back to life."

The "life" Mr. Zheng referred to was not just physical, but also psychological.

Watching their son tossed about on the mat, they felt a pang in their hearts, but knew he was truly happy. As long as he was well, all their efforts outside had meaning and motivation.

Both parties happened to be free, so they decided to go for a meal together.

Huo Mingting silently followed.

Ye Sheng paused, turned to look at him, and said, "Mr. Huo, you must be busy with work; perhaps you shouldn't join us."

Faced with her clear rejection, Huo Mingting replied coolly, "I'm actually not busy today."

Ye Sheng’s brows tightened slightly. Did he not understand the implied meaning?

Mr. and Mrs. Li watched from the side, secretly amused. Mr. Li smoothed things over, saying, "Then let's all go together."

Li Mo didn’t quite understand, casting a questioning glance at his mother. When Mr. Zheng quietly told him that Mr. Huo and Director Ye were once married, he nearly blurted out: What?

They went to a Chinese restaurant. As they walked toward the private room, Ye Sheng received a call from Huo Lindong.

“Excuse me, I’ll take this call,” Ye Sheng signaled for them to go ahead.

Mr. and Mrs. Li entered first; Huo Mingting and Li Mo waited outside. Mr. Zheng pulled his son inside: this child has no sense.

Huo Mingting heard Ye Sheng call out "Brother," though he didn’t catch the word before it.

Suddenly recalling the "Brother" he’d heard outside the Meishan clinic, Huo Mingting’s gaze darkened: so it was a term of endearment!

“Will you be home for dinner tonight?” Huo Lindong’s magnetic voice came through the receiver.

Ye Sheng replied, “I won’t be home; I have a dinner… Yes, all right.”

After a few words of small talk, she hung up.

Ye Sheng’s lips curved slightly—she liked the feeling of someone waiting at home for her to eat, a sense of steadiness as though her heart was gently lifted.

She turned, and Huo Mingting stood at the door to the private room, looking at her coldly and silently.

…That look, as if she owed him money.

“Did you tell him we’re having dinner together tonight?” Huo Mingting emphasized the word "together."

Ye Sheng looked up calmly, “Why would I?”

Huo Mingting raised his brows, “He doesn’t mind?”

How baffling.

Ye Sheng couldn’t be bothered with him.

“I’d actually like to meet him,” he said in a low, husky voice as they passed each other. “To see what kind of person could take you away from me.”

Ye Sheng suddenly looked up, meeting Huo Mingting’s self-mocking, dark-red gaze, and was momentarily stunned.

Huo Mingting stepped into the private room.

Ye Sheng paused for two seconds before entering.

—

After ordering, the waiter asked if anyone had dietary restrictions. Ye Sheng looked up, “No ginger, please. Thank you.”

Li Mo glanced at her, “You don’t eat ginger? Coincidentally, neither do I.”

“I can eat it, just don’t like it.” If the waiter hadn’t asked, Ye Sheng wouldn’t have mentioned it.

Sometimes, if she accidentally ate some, she’d quietly swallow it, though it always ruined her appetite.

Huo Mingting sat to Ye Sheng’s left, wiping his hands with a wet napkin, and said indifferently, “Since when did you stop eating ginger?”

He’d never noticed her being picky before—was it something she picked up from someone else? Or did she adopt that person’s tastes?

His tone was light, but anyone could hear the awkwardness beneath it.

The Li family quietly looked at Huo Mingting, then at Ye Sheng.

Ye Sheng wiped her hands, her expression even more impassive. “I’ve never liked it. What, Mr. Huo didn’t know?”

Had he ever cared about what she liked or didn’t like?

Now he was being petty and sarcastic.

All bad habits are a matter of being spoiled!