Chapter 147: Hank

Chapter 147: Hank

Yu Meilin got out of the car, carrying an exquisite LV bag.

Li Zian followed from the sidewalk.

As Yu Meilin closed the car door, she paused for a moment, then suddenly turned and looked in Li Zian’s direction.

Li Zian quickly lowered his head, hid behind a tall elderly white man, walked a couple of steps, and then ducked behind a store’s doorpost.

Did she spot him?

Li Zian felt a bit nervous.

He hadn’t intended to follow her; he just happened to run into her here. But if she caught him, he really couldn’t explain whether it was intentional or not.

Yu Meilin looked for a few seconds, then turned back and walked toward the entrance of the Story of Paris restaurant.

Li Zian came out from behind the store’s doorpost and followed her again. At this point, he was only about twenty meters away from Yu Meilin.

A blond, blue-eyed young white man came out from the entrance. He wore a black suit, had a tall and well-proportioned figure, a face that seemed carved by a knife, and a pair of blue eyes. He was incredibly handsome. At first glance, he strongly resembled Leonardo in his younger days, the heartthrob young Leo.

It really was Hank.

Li Zian felt a bit stunned and stopped walking.

Even though he had imagined a scenario of catching them in the act in his mind, seeing Yu Meilin meet her first love still made him feel somewhat ashamed and angry.

He had waited for her for four years. During those four years, he took care of her grandmother in Crescent Moon Village. After four years, he came out of the mountains with her and helped her fight in the business world. He had only one wish: to live a normal married life with her. But she told him she wasn’t ready. So, he got together with Mu Chuntao. If your garage doesn’t park my car, another garage will. Therefore, when he had an affair with Mu Chuntao, he felt more guilty toward Li Xiaomei than toward Yu Meilin. He didn’t even feel sorry for her.

Recently, Yu Meilin had clearly wanted to get back with him. She had hinted at it several times, both openly and subtly. But now, he was the one who wasn’t ready. This also troubled him, as he didn’t know how to face her. Sometimes, when he was eating peaches or snacks with Mu Chuntao, he would inexplicably think of Yu Meilin and feel a bit guilty.

But he never expected that Yu Meilin would secretly meet her first love behind his back. What really shamed and angered him wasn’t the meeting itself, but that it showed Yu Meilin’s recent indications of wanting to reconcile were all fake. While she wanted to get back with him, she was still thinking about her first love in her heart. Wasn’t that just wrong?

Despite his anger, Li Zian reacted quickly. He took out his mobile phone, woke the screen, went straight into camera mode, zoomed in the lens, and took a photo of Yu Meilin and Hank, who had just met.

Yu Meilin stopped walking, and her expression looked a bit strange.

Li Zian sneered to himself, thinking, “So stunned to see your first love, huh? Go ahead, Westerners usually greet with a hug, right? Go hug him.”

If they hugged, he would take a photo and use it as evidence later.

Hank spread his arms, a gentle smile all over his face.

He really did want a hug.

“Hug, go on and hug. Then go check into a hotel, and I’ll catch you. You cheat on me, I cheat on you. Once we’re even, we’ll go our separate ways, and no one owes anyone anything,” Li Zian thought to himself.

But just at that moment, Yu Meilin suddenly turned and walked away.

Li Zian was immediately taken aback.

What was going on?

If this was a normal secret meeting, and the long-lost first love appeared in front of her, as handsome as young Leo, most women would probably excitedly rush forward, throw themselves into their first love’s arms, and pour out their longing.

Maybe there would even be a passionate scene of kissing right on the street.

Yet, Yu Meilin turned and left.

It gave the impression that she didn’t know Hank would be here, that they had just bumped into each other, and she didn’t want to see him.

Hank chased after her and grabbed Yu Meilin’s hand.

Yu Meilin shook off Hank’s hand and snapped, “Don’t touch me!”

From over twenty meters away, with the noisy street sounds, normally he wouldn’t have heard her voice. But Li Zian had just extinguished the sandalwood incense not long ago and was still in the declining phase of the Incense Burning State, so he could still hear what she said.

“Meilin, don’t go. Let’s talk properly,” Hank said.

His Chinese was very standard; after all, he had studied in Huaguo for both middle school and high school.

His voice was also pleasant, with a certain inexplicable magnetism.

Yu Meilin said, “If you wanted to ask me out to eat, you could have called me directly. Why did you use someone else to arrange a meeting here?”

So she really didn’t know it was Hank who asked her out. There must be a third person involved, someone who was friends with both Yu Meilin and Hank.

“I just arrived in Shanghai this morning. I wanted to surprise you, so I didn’t call. I asked Chen Mei to invite you. Don’t blame her; blame me. I just…” Hank showed a bitter smile on his face. “I missed you so much. All these years, I tried to forget you, but I couldn’t.”

Damn it!

Saying such cheesy lines to my wife right in front of me? You’re looking for trouble!

Li Zian was furious, feeling an urge to rush up, slap Hank twice, and then beat him up.

But he restrained himself.

Two reasons kept him calm.

The first reason was that he wanted to see Yu Meilin’s reaction. If Yu Meilin truly loved this first love of hers, wouldn’t such a heartfelt confession from Hank be exactly what she wanted to hear?

Maybe the deep-seated feelings buried in her heart would be awakened all at once by these sweet words, sprouting and growing rapidly.

The second reason was that this restaurant was also where Pan Renlong had arranged to have a meal with him. There might be people Pan Renlong had sent to watch nearby. If he rushed out and hit Hank, Pan Renlong would definitely know he had come early, which would be like alerting the enemy.

These two reasons kept him rooted in place.

Yu Meilin looked straight at Hank.

Li Zian sighed inwardly. “So you really do have him in your heart. With just this one line of cheesy sweet talk, you’re moved, aren’t you?”

But just as he thought this, Yu Meilin said calmly, “Are you finished?”

“Meilin, you…” Hank’s face was full of embarrassment and disappointment.

“If you have nothing else to say, I’m leaving.” Yu Meilin turned to go.

Hank said, “Meilin, what do I need to do for you to forgive me?”

Yu Meilin said, “I’ve already forgotten. Back then, when you were with that woman, I was really hurt, but I’ve moved on. Now I have a husband and a child. You should forget me too. If you had invited me, I would have asked my husband for his opinion. If he was willing, I would bring him along. If he didn’t want to come, I wouldn’t have come here either. You should also forget what should be forgotten. I’m not that naive little girl anymore. There can’t be anything between us again.”

Every word of this reached Li Zian’s ears clearly. His face felt hot.

He felt ashamed of his earlier thoughts and “schemes.”

He thought Yu Meilin was secretly meeting Hank behind his back and would even go to a hotel. He was even prepared to catch them in bed. But he never expected that Yu Meilin wouldn’t even enter the restaurant door and even mentioned him, her husband, right in front of Hank.

“What… is he like?” Hank asked.

Yu Meilin said, “He’s a bit more handsome than you.”

Li Zian couldn’t help but smile.

That was a proud moment.

But she was just telling the truth. Although Hank had some resemblance to the young Leonardo, he wasn’t the real young Leo. And Li Zian was a little more handsome than the young Leo.

When it came to looks, who had the Master ever lost to?

Hank’s expression grew even more awkward, but his voice remained gentle. “Is he good to you?”

Yu Meilin said, “He treats me very well. He’s never let me down. What you did today put me in a difficult position, and I’m very angry. If my husband finds out I came to see you behind his back, what would he think?”

“I’m sorry, I was too selfish. But it’s because I missed you so much. I… apologize to you. Since you’re already here, come in and have something to eat.” Hank made an inviting gesture, looking very gentlemanly.

“Sorry, I have food at home.” After saying this, Yu Meilin turned and walked away.

Hank took a step to follow but then stopped. He glanced back toward the restaurant entrance.

A tall woman with an oval face and a nice figure came out, though she was nowhere near as good-looking as Yu Meilin.

“Meilin, wait.” The woman chased after Yu Meilin while speaking.

This woman was probably the one who had asked Yu Meilin out to eat. Li Zian was seeing her for the first time and didn’t know who she was.

Yu Meilin stopped and didn’t look pleased. “Chen Mei, I considered you a friend. How could you do this to me?”

The woman called Chen Mei put on a smile. “Meilin, Hank wanted to surprise you. I thought you wouldn’t mind. We’ve been good friends for so many years; surely you’re not this angry? If you’re really mad, I’ll drink three penalty drinks later to apologize. Come on, come on, since you’re already here. Hank came all the way from the United States. The three of us haven’t gotten together in a long time. Just come in and sit for a while. Let’s have a good chat and catch up.”

After saying this, Chen Mei reached out to take Yu Meilin’s hand.

Yu Meilin pushed Chen Mei’s hand away and said coldly, “You two catch up. I need to go home to be with my husband and child.”

Chen Mei’s smile immediately froze. “Meilin, you…”

But Yu Meilin didn’t want to say more to Chen Mei. She strode toward her car.

Li Zian worried she might spot him and hid behind a corner on the roadside.

Hank caught up. “Meilin, I really want to talk with you, have a meal. Can’t you even grant me this small request?”

“I’ve already made myself very clear just now. I have nothing more to say.” Yu Meilin quickly reached her car door, pulled it open, and got in.

Soon, the car’s engine started.

Yu Meilin glanced in the rearview mirror again.

Hank looked disappointed. But no matter how thick-skinned he was, he couldn’t rival the hood of a Bentley car. As Yu Meilin drove out, he stepped aside, watching her in the driver’s seat, but Yu Meilin didn’t even glance at him and drove away.

Li Zian didn’t come out from the corner immediately. Instead, he took out that syringe containing the sandalwood incense from behind the corner.

Several minutes had passed, and his Incense Burning State was almost over. When Yu Meilin said her last words to Hank, he could barely hear them clearly. He needed to add some incense for himself and then listen to what Hank and that Chen Mei would say.

He wasn’t angry with Yu Meilin anymore. After all, she hadn’t known it was Hank who asked her out. But Hank had asked out his wife behind his back. This matter couldn’t just be dropped.

And that stupid woman Chen Mei, actually setting a trap for his wife, couldn’t be forgiven either.

Friendships between women really were unreliable.

Mu Chuntao and Yu Meilin were a textbook example of that.