Chapter Sixty-Five: The Restaurant of Love

Ye Qian didn’t take Long Fei to the restaurant she had reserved; instead, she brought him back to Dream Garden, which surprised him a little. But her reasoning was quite sound: it was still early, the sky hadn’t darkened yet, and having dinner now would lack any atmosphere. Long Fei wasn’t someone who cared much for ambiance, but he thought about how he hadn’t seen Qi Yufei for several days, so he raised no objections.

Qi Yufei was indeed diligent; she was busy vacuuming the living room, her face bent low as she maneuvered the machine back and forth. Long Fei caught a glimpse of her firm figure, and Ye Qian, quick-eyed, hurriedly blocked him from view, taking the vacuum from Qi Yufei while turning her own back toward Long Fei.

Long Fei didn’t mind at all, staring at Ye Qian’s curves for a while. To be honest, though Ye Qian’s development had been late, her figure was surprisingly well-proportioned; according to Long Fei, all her nutrition seemed to have gone straight to her hips.

Qi Yufei noticed Long Fei’s lascivious gaze and grew a bit annoyed. She coughed a few times, pulling him out of his reverie, then asked him about his days at school before letting the matter rest. Meanwhile, Ye Qian had finished cleaning the hall thoroughly.

Sitting beside Qi Yufei, the latter lovingly stroked her head, saying, “Our little Qian has finally grown up, knows how to help her mom with chores now?”

“Mummy, I’m almost twenty, alright? Stop treating me like a child, will you? I know I used to be naughty and willful, but I’ve thought it over. From today on, I want to start anew, be your obedient daughter.” She glanced at Long Fei, her cheeks flushing slightly. “And I want to be a good, well-behaved student.”

Long Fei found Ye Qian’s words rather nauseating; he’d heard them more than once from her lips, and the repetition just made it increasingly awkward.

“Really? Qian, what’s gotten into you today? This isn’t like you. But honestly, I’ve waited for this day a long time. You have no idea how hard it’s been for me all these years. Now you’re grown, you can help me with the housework. How about this: you cook tonight’s dinner? Let’s celebrate a little?” Qi Yufei teased.

Ye Qian quickly shook her head. “Mummy, you know I don’t know how to cook, but I’ll learn someday.”

“Why not learn today?” Qi Yufei continued, smiling.

Ye Qian glanced at Long Fei, lowering her head shyly, which left Qi Yufei confused. What was with Ye Qian? Why did a single look at Long Fei make her so bashful—could it be...?

Seeing Qi Yufei’s suspicious gaze fixed on him, Long Fei felt utterly wronged. Heaven knows what play Ye Qian was putting on today. At noon she’d openly declared her affection for him, and now, in front of her mother, she acted shy and demure—wasn’t this deliberately inviting misunderstanding?

Seeing Long Fei’s frustrated expression, Qi Yufei grew even more curious. “Qian, are you hiding something from me? You said you’d be my good daughter—no secrets, remember.”

Ye Qian hurriedly replied, “No, no, mummy, you misunderstood. I just meant that tonight I have something to discuss with Long Fei, so we’ll be eating out, not at home.”

Long Fei finally breathed a sigh of relief—why not explain sooner and avoid all this trouble?

“Is it important? Why not talk at home? You’re not asking him to accompany you to some gathering again, are you? You need to worry about your own safety. You’ve been in class all week, you’re tired, so cut down on those activities!” Qi Yufei said, full of concern.

“No, really, there’s something I need to discuss with Long Fei. Isn’t that right?” Ye Qian shot Long Fei a look, and he nodded quickly, though goosebumps rose all over him. He felt that look was somehow seductive, but since he’d never seen such a look from her before, it made him extremely uncomfortable.

“Alright then, Long Fei, you make sure to keep Qian safe. And come back early tonight—don’t go out these next few days. I get so lonely at home, and with you two around, I’ll have some company.” Qi Yufei was reluctant to let them go, but seeing Long Fei’s sincere nod, she agreed.

Ye Qian seemed afraid Qi Yufei might discern something from her expression. Seeing that it was getting late, she quickly dragged Long Fei out, calling, “Mummy, time’s almost up, we’re leaving now—no need to save us dinner!”

Ye Qian had indeed reserved a restaurant in advance.

Love House, located at the intersection of Minxing and Longming Road, wasn’t large but was incredibly popular. By seven o’clock, it was already packed.

Just by its name, it was clear Love House catered to students from nearby universities. More precisely, it was a place for couples to spend time together and nurture their romance. Young people nowadays love romance, and Love House seized upon that, decorating the restaurant with warm and romantic touches. Each table held a fresh bouquet of red roses, heart-shaped chandeliers hung from the ceiling surrounded by wind chimes, and romantic poems adorned the walls. The entire atmosphere was designed to evoke feelings of happiness and sweetness the moment one stepped inside.

Since Love House mainly served local university students, prices weren’t high, though not cheap either—just right, perfectly matching the customers’ expectations. Too expensive, students wouldn’t come; too cheap, it would hurt their pride. This balance was precisely why Love House was so successful.

As Long Fei entered Love House, he couldn’t help but admire Ye Qian’s taste. Still, he wondered if she often brought other boys here for dates, given how familiar she was with the place.

Ye Qian’s reserved spot was by the window, offering a clear view of the nightscape outside. A gentle breeze set the wind chimes ringing, their sound crisp and pleasant. Although the restaurant was crowded, everyone spoke in hushed tones, careful not to break the romantic atmosphere.

When Long Fei looked around with admiration, Ye Qian felt pleased, but seeing the ambiguous suspicion in his eyes, her cheeks reddened. She guessed what he was thinking and whispered, “Why are you looking at me like that?”

Long Fei chuckled quietly, “How many times have you been in love before?”

Ye Qian’s face grew even redder. “What do you mean ‘how many times’? I haven’t even had one boyfriend yet.”

“I don’t believe it,” Long Fei said, curling his lip.

“I really haven’t, why won’t you believe me? It’s infuriating!” Ye Qian grew frustrated.

Long Fei laughed, “If you’ve never dated, how do you know about this place? And that waiter seems familiar with you. Don’t tell me you often bring someone here for dinner, just like tonight.”

“What do you mean ‘just bring someone’? You’re driving me crazy, Long Fei. Let me be clear: I’ve never been in a relationship! As for why I know this place so well—hmph, you guess!” Ye Qian wanted to lash out, but with a quick glance, she restrained herself. She had to maintain her image, be ladylike. Li Yan had said men don’t like women who are too rough.