Lu Xi froze for a moment due to his gentle motion, like touching a baby kitten. She felt as if she had been hit with a spell, and she stared blankly at the man.
Was it because the scene was especially romantic? She felt that today, Xie Yizhao seemed even more handsome than usual, with an indescribable charm.
She regained her senses and smiled at him. “Unexpected surprise? Candlelit dinner?”
It felt a bit inconsistent with Xie Yizhao’s usual persona, though…
But that thought only flashed through Lu Xi’s mind. If she said it out loud, it would ruin the atmosphere. She wasn’t that straightforward.
Xie Yichao tugged the corner of his lips into a slight smile, his expression calm, as if tacitly agreeing with her words.
He sat down across from Lu Xi and gestured to the servant standing by.
The servant turned and entered the house, and soon, two waiters in suits and bow ties came out, presenting the appetizers and introducing the dishes and cooking methods with a professional tone.
Lu Xi glanced at the beef tartare in front of her, plated on a white porcelain dish, and then at the handsome young waiter. She raised an eyebrow. “This doesn’t seem like a servant of our family?”
There was no such handsome servant in the house; otherwise, she would have remembered.
Xie Yizhao nodded slightly. “The waiters from that French restaurant.”
Lu Xi was a bit surprised.
She glanced down at the square table, the white tablecloth, candles, flowers… Suddenly, it occurred to her that since the waiters were here, the dishes must have been brought along with the ingredients and utensils, prepared fresh at home.
Xie Yizhao’s indifferent expression told her that was exactly the case.
If he’s going for romance and surprises, he has to go all out. With Xie Yizhao’s way of doing things, there’s no way he’d make a mistake in any step. Since he called the waiters over, he must have also arranged for the restaurant’s chef to cook in the home’s Western kitchen.
Indeed, money can make anything happen. A renowned French restaurant that requires reservations well in advance could just send both the chef and the waiters to their home.
Lu Xi didn’t say anything and focused on her meal.
She had to admit, the restaurant’s fame was well-deserved. Each dish was brought out one after another, and by the time they reached the main course, Lu Xi felt every dish was delicious, and the portions were generous.
She wondered if Xie Yizhao had specially given some instructions.
Suddenly, Lu Xi remembered something and asked, “When did you get back?”
Xie Yizhao glanced at his watch. “About two hours ago.”
Lu Xi blinked slowly, then smiled. “So, this was a spur-of-the-moment decision?” Two hours was enough time for him to prepare all of this.
The man nodded and then looked at Lu Xi’s gentle face, then at the bouquet of flowers on the other side of the table. After a pause, he said, “I picked the flowers this time.”
Lu Xi was stunned for a moment.
She had been too focused on eating and hadn’t really noticed the flowers.
When Xie Yizhao mentioned it, she moved the bouquet in front of her and took a closer look.
It was definitely more beautiful than the one from that day. At first glance, she could only recognize roses, freesias, and calla lilies. The color scheme ranged from cream white to pink, and then faded into light purple, which was very pleasing to the eye and still retained a feminine charm.
“Thank you, I really like it.” Lu Xi leaned in slightly, inhaling the fragrance, which smelled very nice. She narrowed her bright eyes and asked with a smile, “Did you pick every single flower?”
Xie Yichao pressed his lips together and answered honestly, “No, I picked them from the florist’s finished products.”
“I knew it.”
Lu Xi smiled. She wasn’t surprised at all.
If every flower had been personally chosen by Xie Yizhao and was comparable to the work of a florist, she might have suspected he was possessed by someone else’s soul.
Before Xie Yizhao could speak, Lu Xi added, “It’s really beautiful. You have good taste.”
Receiving flowers always put one in a good mood. Since Xie Yizhao had great taste, of course, she had to praise him. In the future, she wouldn’t mind receiving surprises like this often.
Since coming back, she had never swum in the pool at home, and she had never tried having a candlelit dinner by the pool at night. It was surprisingly romantic.
The night was very quiet. The two waiters stood to the side, only speaking when serving dishes or refilling drinks. Sometimes, Lu Xi even forgot they were there.
Tonight, they were drinking a bottle of chilled white wine. Lu Xi drank a little more than half a glass, feeling that it tasted good. She gestured for the waiter to come over.
At that moment, Xie Yizhao suddenly cleared his throat and raised an eyebrow, asking, “Do you still want to drink more?”
Lu Xi glanced at him. “This has a low alcohol content, is it okay?”
The candlelight flickered slightly in Xie Yizhao’s deep eyes, his tone somewhat subtle: “The alcohol content of rice wine is lower.”
Lu Xi : “…”
She couldn’t help but give Xie Yizhao a reproachful glance, her gaze a bit resentful. She then looked again at the bottle of wine, which was very tempting to her, her eyes full of unspoken longing.
It was always like this—the more something was forbidden or required restraint, the more irresistible it became.
Lu Xi was naturally poor at drinking, as the legend went, a single glass and she was done, but she still liked the taste of alcohol. This was truly tormenting.
She didn’t realize, at that moment, that she looked like a cat that wanted to steal some fish but was stopped by its owner, looking pitiful, yet strangely adorable.
Seeing her like this, Xie Yizhao was at a loss for what to do.
The waiter stood to the side, a bit awkward, unsure whether he should pour the wine for the lady. Luckily, at that moment, Xie Yizhao glanced at him and softly said to Lu Xi, “I’ll do it.”
Seeing Xie Yizhao stand up, the waiter understood and tactfully stepped aside.
Lu Xi watched Xie Yizhao with some curiosity until he walked to her side and picked up the wine bottle. It was only then that she realized he was going to pour the wine for her personally.
“Pour a little more.”
Lu Xi felt very relaxed at that moment.
After all, they were at their own home. Even if she drank too much, she could always just drink some hot soup and go to bed.
Xie Yizhao opened the cork and looked at her, his handsome face showing a hint of helplessness. “I remember you said you had something important to do tonight?”
Lu Xi suddenly blinked.
Oh no, she had actually…forgotten to choose a model for the competition!
Xie Yizhao, on the other hand, remembered it so well from just a brief mention on the phone. His memory was really impressive.
No wonder he was someone who could accomplish great things.
She just watched him pour the wine, not blinking an eye. The man only poured a little, filling the glass to about one-fifth, just enough to taste.
Lu Xi stared at him, determined to get a bit more. Her voice softened, “Just a little more.”
Xie Yizhao remained unmoved, asking back, “Just a little?”
“Mm, just a little.”
Xie Yizhao’s gaze softened. He was silent for a moment, then tilted the bottle downward.
But his hand was so steady, it was almost a shame not to use a scalpel. When he said ‘a little,’ it really was just a little. After adding more, it felt like the amount in the glass was still almost the same.
Lu Xi was speechless. Unable to resist, she rolled her eyes at him.
At that moment, the man lightly chuckled, clearly pleased with his own method.
Maybe it was because she had rolled her eyes so dramatically, causing her eyelid to itch a little. Lu Xi couldn’t help but reach up to rub it.
Xie Yizhao furrowed his brows slightly, “Don’t rub your eyes.”
But it was too late.
Her eyes had itched earlier, but now they hurt a little. She lifted her eyelid, “My eyelash fell into my eye.”
Xie Yizhao put down the wine bottle and, with a calm expression, bent down. His deep voice came near her ear: “Don’t move, let me see.”
Lu Xi widened her almond-shaped eyes, and she cooperated by looking directly at Xie Yizhao so he could see clearly.
Her eyelashes were long and thick, naturally curled. At that moment, she tilted her face up, her eyes bright and focused. It was enough to make Xie Yichao’s gaze momentarily freeze.
His breath tightened slightly.
Xie Yichao had excellent vision, and he had passed on those good genes to Xie Heng, who still had great eyesight despite staying up late playing games.
But now, he leaned in closer and closer, as if he couldn’t see clearly, almost… touching her face.
Lu Xi didn’t notice anything. She just found her eyes uncomfortable and, as long as he could quickly remove that annoying eyelash, she didn’t mind if their faces were close.
“Did you see it?” Lu Xi urged.
Xie Yichao looked into her clear, bright eyes, saw his own reflection, and lowered his eyes. With a soft “Hmm,” he quickly reached out and gently touched her lower eyelid, using his fingertip to remove an eyelash.
He didn’t forget to show her, his tone strangely light : “Got it.”
He felt an odd sense of accomplishment inside.
Lu Xi immediately felt better. She blinked, the corner of her mouth lifting into a faint smile. She looked at the man’s hand and instinctively reached out, lightly touching his finger.
The man’s fingertip was much rougher than hers, and Lu Xi’s skin was soft, her fingertips slightly pink.
Lu Xi absentmindedly looked up and met Xie Yizhao’s gaze. He was looking at her hand, somewhat lost in thought.
To be precise, he was looking at the spot where their fingertips met.
Lu Xi froze for a moment, sensing something was off. Her finger twitched, about to withdraw, but Xie Yizhao was quicker, gently pulling her finger into his hand and then holding it.
Her hand was so small.
That thought silently crossed his mind.
Lu Xi, however, couldn’t help but freeze.
What was Xie Yizhao doing?
She looked at him again, this time staring at his face, trying to find some clue. Xie Yizhao was also lowering his gaze to look at her, his eyes holding a kind of deep, indescribable emotion that she couldn’t put into words.
The evening breeze was gentle, the candlelight soft, which made his stern face seem unusually tender.
The air, besides the fragrance of wine, seemed to carry a hint of ambiguity, swirling around them.
It was impossible to ignore.
Lu Xi : “…”
She had just eaten a few bites of dessert—orange soufflé—and the sweet, rich taste hadn’t fully faded from her mouth.
Suddenly, it felt even sweeter.
The waiter by the side could already sense the atmosphere and hesitated, unsure if he should quickly leave.
The host and hostess were here, basking in romance under the moonlight, the atmosphere full of tension. The waiter felt like he’s the unwanted third wheel.
Xie Yizhao lightly clasped his hands together, his eyes focused as he lowered his gaze.
He swallowed, then spoke : “Xiao Xi…”
In that moment, he wasn’t sure what he wanted to say, maybe it was just an impulse, wanting to call her name.
But his voice was drowned out by another, louder voice.
“Ms. Lu? Have you eaten? Why are you swimming at this hour?”
With a loud and carefree shout, Xie Heng made his grand entrance.
Two other boys followed behind him.
Even Lu Xi couldn’t help but freeze for a moment.
She saw the three boys walk out of the house, her fingers twitched, and she pulled away from Xie Yizhao’s grasp.
Xie Yizhao glanced at her and pressed his lips together.
“Dad? What are you doing here?” Xie Heng was surprised to see his Dad here. Hadn’t his Dad gone on a business trip? When did his Dad return?
Xie Yizhao straightened up, raised his eyelids in displeasure, his tone cold, “It’s my own house. Do I need to report to you where I am?”
Xie Heng was momentarily stunned.
What the hell?
Who said his Dad had to report? He was just asking out of curiosity! Why was his Dad acting so weird?
He was taken aback by his Dad’s response, and his tone became a bit sharp: “What’s wrong? I came to invite Ms. Lu to eat, why are you taking it out on me?”
Xie Yizhao : “Can’t you see we’re eating?”
Xie Heng paused.
Oh right, he hadn’t noticed before, when did a table appear by the pool?
They were eating here… Why the secrecy?
The other two boys were quicker to react.
Xu Jiaming understood instantly but didn’t know how to say it, awkwardly clearing his throat, “Don’t disturb Uncle while he’s eating, we’ll step outside.”
Song Siyang noticed Xie Heng was still standing there like a fool and quickly tugged on his sleeve, “Let’s go, Brother Heng, are you dumb? Can’t you see they’re having a candlelight dinner? Hurry up and leave!”
He regretted stepping in the moment he did, but Xie Heng had no social awareness and kept walking in.
It was like they couldn’t stop him.
Xie Heng : “…”
Why were they having a private meal without him?