"You brat!" Dong Qingqing blushed. "Who wants to lift up their clothes for you?"
Lu Chen realized his slip of the tongue, stuck out his tongue, and fell silent.
Dong Qingqing leaned against the doorway, reluctant to leave. Although she pretended to watch Lu Chen cook, she was actually watching him. Over three months of interaction had given her a strange feeling for this young man, and she often dreamed of him. Some of the things that happened in her dreams made her quite embarrassed.
Lu Chen had practiced martial arts internal energy since childhood. Although his skill wasn't great, his sensitivity was higher than most people. Therefore, he quickly sensed Dong Qingqing's burning gaze and felt it was quite abnormal.
A slow, rumbling heat rose within him, and he suddenly asked, "Qingqing, how long have you and your husband been separated?"
"Why should I tell you?" Dong Qingqing hesitated, but still answered, "Seven or eight months, I guess."
"That long? Wow, then you... then you..." Lu Chen suddenly felt embarrassed to continue.
Dong Qingqing was puzzled: "Then what?"
Lu Chen chuckled, finally his mind racing: "Then you must have quite a need in that area, right?"
"Need? What..." Dong Qingqing was stunned for a moment, then roared, "You brat, I'll tear your mouth apart!" She lunged at him.
Lu Chen quickly grabbed the spatula: "Oops, I'm taking this out of the pan, it's burnt."
In short, both of them ate an awkward dinner; Dong Qingqing's face remained very, very red.
A short while later, Lu Chen received a phone call. It was Liu Li, asking where he was, saying she wanted to talk to him about something, and if he was free, she'd treat him to dinner. Lu Chen couldn't refuse, so he could only agree. Dong Qingqing asked where he was going, and he said, "Hey, the boss said he had something to tell me, I guess it's a raise or a bonus? I'll go out first, Qingqing, enjoy your meal."
"Hey, you haven't even finished your meal..."
Dong Qingqing wanted to stop Lu Chen and tell him to finish eating, but she couldn't bring herself to say it. After he left, she stood there stunned for a long time, unable to bring herself to eat the incredibly delicious food; she had no appetite.
Finally, she slammed her chopsticks down, touched her burning face, and muttered, "Really, asking me something like that, it's outrageous! Sigh, but... why do I feel my heart pounding?"
Liu Li lived in a residential area near the Moon Fang Pastry Shop, and Lu Chen waited for her at the entrance. He had bought a small scooter two months ago, and it was quite comfortable to drive; now he was taking Liu Li to eat.
The lamb was a bit small, and while Liu Li's figure wasn't as voluptuous as Dong Qingqing's, it was still undeniably graceful and alluring. Sitting down, she pressed herself tightly against Lu Chen's body, especially on one shoulder, feeling as if she were being pushed up by a balloon.
Lu Chen thought to himself with a sigh: "Sigh, a high-quality guy like me, wherever I go, I'm surrounded by ladies."
He asked Liu Li what she wanted, but she said they'd talk about it after dinner.
They went to a restaurant of moderate size. Liu Li said their steamed dumplings and hot pot meatballs were quite good. After ordering these two dishes along with other signature dishes, Liu Li ate with great relish. Lu Chen, however, after a few bites, remarked, "Hey, these steamed dumplings are a little undercooked, and these meatballs, although handmade, weren't cooked with the right amount of force..."
Liu Li was surprised: "Xiao Chen, besides making pastries, you can cook too?"
Lu Chen struck a stylish pose: "The man in front of you is a masterpiece crafted by God, don't you think?"
A nearby waiter overheard this and muttered discontentedly, implying it was nonsense. Lu Chen's face darkened: "Call your boss over. I have something important to tell him."
The rather tall, stout restaurant owner arrived. Lu Chen grabbed his arm and whispered in his ear.
The owner's expression initially held a hint of disdain, then surprise, then delight. Finally, beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and his eyes shone with boundless excitement as he nodded repeatedly.
After listening, the restaurant owner quickly went back inside and came out a short while later, stuffing a large red envelope into Lu Chen's hand. It was heavy and thick. Once the owner was gone, Lu Chen opened the envelope and saw at least five thousand yuan inside.
"This is…" Liu Li was stunned.
Lu Chen said seriously, "This is the value of skill. Although I didn't say much, and the essence was only five or six sentences, it's definitely worth this much, if not more."
"Okay, you're a top-notch guy," Liu Li sighed, "Are you implying I should give you a raise?"
While the two were chatting casually, a slight commotion suddenly came from inside the restaurant. Then, Lu Chen heard the clattering of high heels.