The moment Su Mian heard that, she pulled the Australian lobster out of her mouth and held it out to Xu Qingyun. "Here."
After all, there was only one Australian lobster on the table.
Xu Qingyun gave the saliva-covered lobster a disgusted look.
She forced a smile. "N-no, it's fine. You eat it. A-Zhou will order another one for me."
Lu Zhou didn't think it was a big deal, so he really did order another one.
Soon, the lobster was served.
Xu Qingyun wheedled at Lu Zhou, "Brother Zhou, will you shell it for me?"
Lu Zhou didn't think it was a big deal.
So he shelled the lobster and held the meat to her lips.
Rather than take it with her hand, Xu Qingyun opened her mouth and bit down on the piece of lobster meat.
As she bit it, she took Lu Zhou's fingers into her mouth too, leaving suggestive lipstick marks on them.
Lu Zhou didn't think it was a big deal.
Beside them, Su Mian was already sitting on pins and needles.
She'd thought she was thick-skinned enough.
But this scene still had her scratching her head and ears in embarrassment.
She felt exactly like the husband in a porno who never woke up.
Those two were already blazing like dry kindling beside her.
And she still had to pretend she knew nothing and sit there eating.
Ugh, no, this is too disgusting. I can't eat another bite!
Fine, fine, fine. Let the boss know I surrender!
Su Mian put down her chopsticks. "President Lu, if there's nothing else today, I'll head home to sleep. I have to film the second episode of the dating show tomorrow morning."
Lu Zhou raised an eyebrow and glanced at her. "Are you jealous?"
Su Mian said, "...No. I've already broken up with you."
Lu Zhou said, "I've told you countless times that I've always seen Qingyun as a little sister. Can you stop being so unreasonable?"
A shadow crossed Xu Qingyun's face.
Su Mian said, "..."
She didn't love this scumbag in the slightest. That was why she could shrug off these brainless remarks now.
But the original owner of this body had truly loved Lu Zhou.
How wronged must she have felt whenever she watched Lu Zhou use caring for his little sister as an excuse to carry on ambiguously with this little green tea?
Enough was enough.
If I don't slap him today, this whole trip will have been for nothing.
Su Mian slammed a bowl of rice down in front of him. "President Lu, eat."
Lu Zhou stared straight at her. "I'm not eating, and don't change the subject."
"Not eating, huh?" Su Mian grabbed a flatbread off the table and slapped it hard against his face. "Then have my hand-grabbed pancake!"
Lu Zhou trembled with anger. "Su Mian! Don't think acting so unconventional will get my attention!"
Su Mian was unmoved.
Xu Qingyun, however, was terrified.
Because Su Mian's behavior had clearly caught his attention!
Back when Su Mian had devoted herself wholeheartedly to him, he had never cared this much about her!
Xu Qingyun immediately linked her arm through Lu Zhou's and looked fearfully at Su Mian. "Miss Su is so scary... She won't hit me too, will she...?"
Su Mian peeled the flatbread off Lu Zhou's face and slapped it onto hers. "While I'm at it! I'd really like to peel your skin off and slap it onto his face. One of you is thick-skinned, and the other has no shame."
Lu Zhou gritted his teeth. "Su Mian, don't go too far!"
Xu Qingyun had figured it out: Lu Zhou simply couldn't bear to lay a hand on Su Mian!
So continuing this war of words would do nothing but earn her a few more slaps from Su Mian!
She pitifully pulled the flatbread off her face and took hold of Lu Zhou, playing the understanding one. "It's all right, Brother Zhou. It's all my fault."
She picked up the red wine that had been left to breathe and poured Su Mian a glass.
"Miss Su, I caused this misunderstanding, and I apologize. Brother Zhou and I really are just like siblings."
After pouring the wine, Xu Qingyun looked at the half bottle remaining. "There's still half a bottle of red wine left. Take it home, Miss Su. I know you rarely get to drink wine this good."
Xu Qingyun had already found out that Su Mian had broken up with Lu Zhou over money.
And Lu Zhou despised gold diggers most of all.
She had to keep attacking Su Mian on this point to stir up Lu Zhou's disgust.
Hah. How did this unpresentable thing deserve to compete with her?
Su Mian silently picked up the half bottle of wine. "I don't like drinking. Let your dad have it."
With that, she tilted the bottle and poured it onto the floor from left to right.
It was exactly the gesture used to make an offering to the dead.
Xu Qingyun went pale. "Su Mian, what do you mean by that?"
Su Mian gave her a thumbs-up. "You really did come from abroad. You don't understand our culture! This is a way of showing respect to your dad."
"..." Xu Qingyun had only just played the foreign guest earlier that day. Now she couldn't say anything and was left completely choked.
Figuring neither of them was in the mood to eat anymore, Su Mian said considerately, "President Lu, Miss Xu, if you can't eat, you can leave first."
Lu Zhou felt as though a pair of hands had clenched tightly around his heart.
Once again, he couldn't help thinking of the past.
Whenever he went to see Xu Qingyun, Su Mian had been deeply unwilling. Sometimes she had even thrown a fit, or hidden away to cry silently by herself.
But what was wrong with her now?
She was actually taking the initiative to send him away with Xu Qingyun?
Lu Zhou suddenly grabbed Su Mian's wrist. "Su Mian, have you finished making a scene? There's a limit to my patience!"
Just as Su Mian was about to give him a backhanded slap, the door suddenly opened.
Duan Xuanyu and his grandfather, Duan Hongxu, walked in.
Su Mian froze. "What are you two doing here?"
Duan Hongxu said, "A coincidence. We're eating here too. We heard your voice and came in to check. Sure enough, it's you."
Duan Xuanyu stared straight at Lu Zhou's hand, his gaze growing darker and darker.
He suddenly walked over, yanked Lu Zhou's hand away, and picked up a disinfected towel from nearby, meticulously wiping the spot where Lu Zhou had just touched Su Mian.
Only when he came close did Su Mian catch the faint smell of alcohol on him.
Oh no. Duan Xuanyu couldn't hold his liquor. One cup would get him drunk.
She asked Duan Hongxu, "Did he drink?"
Duan Hongxu said, "No! He only ate one wine-marinated crab!"
It was over. The alcohol in a wine-marinated crab was enough to get him drunk.
And once he was drunk, he was bound to cause trouble.
Sure enough!
The next second, Duan Xuanyu kicked the table over and pulled Su Mian behind him, shielding her.
"Fear not, my empress. With me here, no one shall harm so much as a hair on your head!"
Su Mian said, "..."
She couldn't let Duan Xuanyu actually do anything, either. He didn't know his own strength.
If he beat someone to death, he would have to go to prison.
Su Mian tugged at Duan Xuanyu. "It's fine. There's nothing between him and me. Look at those two. They're the couple. I would never fight another woman over a man."
Lu Zhou stared straight at Su Mian.
Sure enough. She really was breaking up with him because she was jealous of Xu Qingyun.
Duan Xuanyu lowered his head to look at the shameless pair, his anger easing slightly. "Since my empress has pleaded for you, I shall show mercy and bestow upon you a meal-sharing union."
Su Mian glanced at Lu Zhou. "Little Luzi, hurry up and thank His Majesty! Do you want your nine clans exterminated?"
Then she lowered her voice and warned Lu Zhou, "He has a split personality, and one of his personalities is a tyrant. If you don't satisfy him, he'll keep hitting you, over and over and over... Since he's schizophrenic, he won't even have to go to prison for beating you. Hurry up, kneel, and say, 'Thank you, Your Majesty.'"
Lu Zhou said, "Are you worried about me?"
"..." Fuck.
A hopeless love-brain.
He could twist absolutely anything into her liking him.
"Ah, yes, yes, yes. It's for your own good." Su Mian kicked him in the back of the knee, sending him to his knees.
Pressing his head down, she knocked it hard against the floor. "Little Luzi thanks Your Majesty for your boundless grace!"