Chapter 98: Checking In by Phone
Chapter 98: Checking In by Phone
A foreigner was playing the piano in the restaurant, and the sound of the piano was melodious.
A white candle was lit on the table, and the red candlelight shone on Mu Chuntao’s face, making it look more and more like a delicate peach blossom—white with a hint of red, so tender it seemed as if it could be easily bruised.
Black pepper steak, foie gras, and grilled shrimp—all were foods rich in protein.
This was Li Zian’s first time eating Western food, and he felt a bit awkward. But after watching how Mu Chuntao used the knife and fork, he quickly learned how to eat. While his table manners weren’t exactly elegant, they weren’t impolite either. However, as he continued eating, he couldn’t bother with such details anymore, cutting larger and larger pieces of meat. He was simply too hungry and needed to replenish his energy.
Mu Chuntao looked at Li Zian with a smile. “You must be starving, right?”
Li Zian smiled awkwardly and began eating more delicately.
Mu Chuntao said with concern, “Eat as much as you want. You really need to replenish your strength.”
Li Zian nodded and lowered his head to eat, still trying to be deliberately refined.
Mu Chuntao peeled a shrimp and placed it on Li Zian’s plate.
Li Zian smiled at her but couldn’t help imagining how she looked at certain times. He simply couldn’t tell—such an elegant and beautiful woman could become so wild that even he found it hard to handle.
After all, she was a woman skilled in yoga.
“Why are you looking at me?” Mu Chuntao asked.
Li Zian replied with a smile, “Because you’re beautiful.”
Mu Chuntao lowered her voice, “There are still a few Taozi in the room. Should we go back, and you can eat them?”
Li Zian immediately lowered his head, not daring to respond.
His sides still felt sore and empty—how could he dare to engage in such talk?
Taozi might be delicious, but if you eat too much, it becomes unbearable.
Mu Chuntao covered her mouth and laughed.
Li Zian ate the shrimp she had peeled for him, deliberately keeping a low profile and not daring to provoke her.
But Mu Chuntao clearly had no intention of letting Li Zian off the hook. She leaned closer to the table and whispered, “Now I understand why you’re a Master.”
Li Zian coughed dryly, “Why?”
Mu Chuntao said with a grin, “Because you’re big.”
A smile appeared on Li Zian’s face.
No man dislikes hearing such words.
Mu Chuntao whispered, “Don’t get the wrong idea. I meant your appetite is big.”
Li Zian: “…”
Mu Chuntao said with a laugh, “I prepared eight Taozi for you, but you ended up eating ten. Isn’t that a big appetite?”
Li Zian felt annoyed and wanted to lose his temper, but the circumstances didn’t allow it. He still didn’t dare to provoke her. Otherwise, if she dragged him upstairs to eat more Taozi, he would be in trouble.
Perhaps she had teased him enough. Li Zian’s low profile and restraint had satisfied her desire for revenge, and Mu Chuntao finally let him off. “Eat up. After this, it’s time to go home. Yu Meilin has probably already returned from work by now.”
Hearing Yu Meilin’s name, a sudden sense of guilt surfaced in Li Zian’s heart.
His parents had taught him since childhood that a person must first have a clear conscience. What he had done now was equivalent to committing a wrong. Besides, he wasn’t the kind of person who could heartlessly abandon his wife and child. He still had to go back and face Yu Meilin and Li Xiaomei.
“What’s wrong?” Mu Chuntao asked.
A woman’s heart was as fine as a hair, and she was particularly sensitive to emotional changes.
Li Zian smiled, “It’s nothing. Let’s eat.”
“Do you regret it?” Mu Chuntao probed.
Li Zian said, “No, why would I regret it? This afternoon was the happiest time of my life. You are also the best person I’ve ever met. I will remember it and never forget it for the rest of my life.”
Mu Chuntao felt happy in her heart, sweet and warm, but her words remained sharp. “A man’s words are like a ghost’s lies. I don’t believe you.”
Li Zian smiled and said no more.
He wasn’t good at sweet-talking; these were all sincere words from his heart.
“Then why were you unhappy just now? I could feel it. Don’t lie to me,” Mu Chuntao said.
Li Zian replied, “I’ll tell you, but you can’t get upset.”
Mu Chuntao nodded and quietly looked at Li Zian.
Li Zian remained silent for a few seconds before saying, “When you mentioned Yu Meilin just now, I thought of her and Xiaomei. I feel a bit sorry for them.”
Mu Chuntao continued to look at Li Zian quietly without saying a word.
Li Zian felt inexplicably guilty. “Are you angry? You promised you wouldn’t get angry.”
Mu Chuntao burst out laughing.
“What are you laughing at?” Seeing her laugh, Li Zian felt slightly relieved.
Mu Chuntao said with a smile, “You… you’re really cute.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Most men would coax their lovers at a time like this, saying sweet words and making lifelong promises. They would never say they feel sorry for their wives and children. But you told me you feel guilty toward Yu Meilin and Xiaomei.”
Li Zian also quietly looked at Mu Chuntao, observing whether she was angry or not.
Mu Chuntao gave Li Zian a sweet smile. “Why are you looking at me? I’m not angry. Not only am I not angry, but I’m also very happy inside. If you were like those other men, only knowing how to sweet-talk me, saying things like you’ll divorce your wife and abandon your daughter, I would be sad instead. I like you because you’re different from other men. If you said those things to me, it would mean I misjudged you and liked the wrong person.”
Li Zian smiled. Under the candlelight, his face had lines as sharp as a blade, coupled with his tall nose and deep eyes, as if possessing a power that could strike directly into one’s soul—handsome beyond measure.
Mu Chuntao was momentarily dazed by his appearance but still managed to say, “However, it’s not because you’re handsome that I like you. It’s your depth—I like your depth as a person.”
Li Zian nodded honestly, but in his heart, he muttered to himself.
I don’t believe you. A woman’s words are also like a ghost’s lies.
There were no grand vows or sweet words to make her happy, and no demands or promises were made. The “Ten Taozi Incident” that took place at The Peninsula Hotel came to an end just like that. The two did not arrive together, but they returned together.
Mu Chuntao didn’t drive her car this time either. They called a ride-hailing car.
Mu Chuntao was the one who called the car, so Li Zian wouldn’t leave any traces behind.
On the way, Mu Chuntao broke the silence in the car. “Strange, something feels off.”
Li Zian felt a sudden nervousness. “What feels off?”
Mu Chuntao said, “Yu Meilin should be home by now. Why hasn’t she called you to ask where you are or if you need a ride?”
Li Zian smiled bitterly, “Am I that important to her?”
Ding ling ling, ding ling ling…
His mobile phone suddenly rang with an incoming call.
Mu Chuntao’s expression instantly turned tense. “Speak of Cao Cao, and Cao Cao arrives.”
Li Zian took out his phone. The caller ID on the screen showed “Housekeeper.” He froze for a moment, unsure whether to answer or not.
Mu Chuntao said, “Don’t tell her you’re with me.”
In the driver’s seat, the driver couldn’t help but glance at the rearview mirror.
Li Zian swiped to answer the call. “Hello?”
Yu Meilin’s voice came through, “Where did you go?”
Li Zian said, “I went to The Peninsula Hotel.”
Mu Chuntao’s Peach Blossom Face immediately showed surprise.
“Who did you go with?”
“Mu Chuntao.” Li Zian said.
Mu Chuntao reached out to cover Li Zian’s mouth, but it was too late. Li Zian had already spoken her name.
“What were you doing with her at The Peninsula Hotel?” Yu Meilin’s voice was light, and it was hard to tell if she was angry or suspicious.
Li Zian said, “Mr. Wen sent someone to pick up the medicinal plaster, and I went to deliver it. Last time, he helped us a lot. His trusted aide came to invite me for a meal, and it felt rude to refuse, so we had dinner together.”
“Oh, I see. I called to ask if I should save some food for you. Since you already ate, I won’t save any.”
“Is there anything else?”
“What time will you be back? Do you need me to pick you up?”
“I’m already on my way home. No need.”
“Then I’ll wait for you at home. Today, I passed by a clothing store and saw a nice Tang suit. Since you like wearing Tang suits, I bought it for you. Come back and try it on.”
“Okay, you… thank you.” Li Zian said. Suddenly, he felt a little guilty.
“Didn’t you say there’s no need to be so polite between husband and wife? I’m hanging up.” Yu Meilin ended the call.
Li Zian held his mobile phone and seemed lost in thought.
Mu Chuntao seemed to feel like she had survived a close call. She patted her high chest.
The driver glanced up at the rearview mirror again.
Without a doubt, this was the most good-looking pair of cheating lovers he had ever seen.
Mu Chuntao caught her breath. “Didn’t you say you wouldn’t mention me? Why did you bring me up?”
Li Zian said, “When I left, I told the Old Matriarch I was going out for business. Yu Meilin would definitely ask when she got back. If I’m discussing business, you should be there. If I said you weren’t, she would become suspicious.”
“What if she calls Mr. Wen to ask?”
Li Zian said, “She doesn’t have Mr. Wen’s number. Even if she did, she wouldn’t call to ask. If she did, Mr. Wen would definitely call and tell me. Don’t worry, she won’t ask.”
Mu Chuntao pinched Li Zian’s waist. “You don’t know how scared I was just now.”
Li Zian laughed. “I thought you were very brave. How did you become so timid?”
Mu Chuntao gave him a glare. “You bullied me all afternoon, and now you’re making fun of me. I won’t talk to you anymore.”
Li Zian quickly comforted her. “It’s my fault. I won’t make fun of you again, okay?”
Mu Chuntao lifted her face and glanced at Li Zian out of the corner of her eye.
Li Zian was slightly stunned for a moment, then understood what she meant. He leaned over and gave her a quick peck.
The driver looked up at the rearview mirror for the third time.
The woman was easy on the eyes, and the man was too. What kind of Divine Immortal hailed my car?
But even if they were Divine Immortals, they were still cheating Divine Immortals.
Before they knew it, they arrived home. Mu Chuntao opened her door first. Li Zian watched her door close, then entered the passcode, scanned his fingerprint, and went inside.
The living room was empty.
Upstairs, Yu Meilin’s voice could be heard telling a story to Li Xiaomei. Her voice sounded gentle and patient.
Li Zian thought about going upstairs to see them, but he stopped at the foot of the stairs. For a brief moment, he felt a little guilty again. He decided not to go up.
Before he cheated, his mind was full of exciting thoughts, and his body was filled with impulse and strength, as if he could move the Earth with a lever. But after cheating and getting what he wanted, he felt empty.
Maybe all men were like this?
After those few seconds passed, he immediately turned into a Saintly Monk.
Li Zian went back to his room.
A gift box lay on the bed. He opened it and found a brand-new Tang suit inside. Both the style and the fabric were much better than the ones he bought online. It looked like a high-quality item.
This was the first gift he had ever received from Yu Meilin.
Li Zian sighed.
Clothes were not as good as Taozi. Taozi was so much sweeter.