Chapter Fifty-Three

If Huo Lingtian were to discover that an international superstar—more handsome, more famous, gentle and considerate—had moved into her Xiangshan villa, heh, those two would surely end up fighting over the right to stay by her side at night! Rong Qing delighted secretly in her own imagination, finding the thought increasingly amusing. It wasn’t every day you got to see Young Master Huo suffer a setback.

“Who are you thinking about, looking so happy?” The not-so-innocent question snapped her out of her private amusement. A faint trace of jealousy wafted through the car’s interior.

“Hm, acting really does require emotional investment. I was just getting into character,” Rong Qing quickly tucked away her sparkling smile and straightened her posture, assuming the perfect demeanor of a refined lady. If one didn’t know her true nature, they might easily be deceived by her act.

Aaron chose not to expose her little pretense and instead spoke with a deeper tone, “Have I ever told you that I’m a quarter Chinese? My maternal grandfather was Chinese and ran a modest business back home. When I was a child, I often came to China.”

“Oh?” Rong Qing’s interest piqued. Here was the perfect specimen of East-meets-West—his high-bridged nose and deep blue eyes made him every bit the model of a blond, blue-eyed Frenchman, except for his fluent Mandarin.

“We should visit a farm in the countryside. The beef there is tender and delicious, and the environment is pristine and refreshing,” Aaron suggested.

“You already had this planned, didn’t you?”

Aaron responded with a captivating smile, his blue eyes brimming with affection. “I’ve been looking forward to this day for a long time.”

The farm was vast, more like a large ecological ranch. Various poultry and wild animals roamed free, forming a competitive biosphere where they thrived through survival of the fittest. As a result, the animals, raised under such conditions, were plump and flavorful, truly delectable. The greenhouses were filled with vegetables and fruits from around the world, available for distinguished guests to enjoy. Every day, the farm offered a limited number of reservations, and its produce was shipped globally.

Their table was set in a double-seated open-air restaurant. The transparent floor-to-ceiling windows gave an unobstructed view of the farm. Secluded seats, shielded by artificial hills and flowing water, created a private and intimate space.

Aaron wielded his knife and fork with elegance. Compared to the perfunctory table manners of Western dining, chopsticks seemed far more practical. The succulent beef, simmered to perfection with secret spices, was fragrant and tender. By comparison, French cuisine’s rough, fast-food style paled; Chinese gastronomy was indeed mouthwatering.

Bang! A sudden crash interrupted their meal, halting their conversation. The sharp argument that followed cast a shadow over the restaurant’s tranquil atmosphere.

“Sir, your card has been declined. Please pay in cash,” the staff member said politely.

“Screw you! It’s not declined—your whole family’s accounts are frozen! Can’t you see I have money? Isn’t this cash?” The drunken man fished a few bills from his wallet and waved them arrogantly, having just knocked over the central vase during his struggle.

“Sir, that isn’t enough to cover your bill. And you must also compensate for the broken porcelain vase.”

“Get lost! Let me go, you snobs! When my family rises again, you’ll all regret this! I’m the young master of the Wang family, don’t you know?” The coarse insults made this once-glorious heir look utterly disgraced, like a stray dog, stripped of dignity and composure.

“Excuse me, I’ll be right back.” Rong Qing could stand it no longer. Even if Wang Chenhao’s current plight was of his own making, she couldn’t bear to see him humiliated so. After all, seeing him so wretched reflected poorly on her own past with him. Whether it was charity or pity, she had done all she could.

She circled around to the back hall, paid his bill, and requested that the staff stop giving him a hard time.

“Sir, your bill has been settled. You’re free to leave now.” The sudden change in the staff’s attitude puzzled Wang Chenhao. He hesitated by the door for a few minutes, then strode toward the back hall.

“Qing… Rong Qing, it really is you.” He was so stunned that the haze of alcohol seemed to vanish. He rushed toward her, his face lighting up. “You’re still the only one who cares about me. I was wrong before, but you’ve always been the one I—” His eyes were filled with desperate pleading. In just three months, this once-proud man had become so broken, so defeated.

Rong Qing sidestepped him and replied in a nearly indifferent tone, “We finished a long time ago.” She looked at him coldly. The very same words, spoken from his lips three months earlier, had left her humiliated and stranded. Now, three months later, everything had changed; her heart was different too.

Shame flushed Wang Chenhao’s face as the woman he’d pined for day and night stood before him. His mind clung to wishful thinking. “Qing, I know you still care about me. Let’s be together again. I won’t let you go this time.”

A sharp, scornful laugh sliced through his pretense. “Wang Chenhao, do you really think you’re worthy of me now?” Rong Qing looked him up and down without restraint. His body was hollowed out by drink and dissipation, frail and sickly, his expression vacant. The collapse of his family business had utterly defeated him. Without a father still making money, what else did he have to boast about? Indeed, after spending so much time with Huo Lingtian, her standards had become unyieldingly exacting.

——— End of Section ———

Collect, collect, collect—la la la!