Chapter 258 - 184: Lu Fan and Jiang Yixia Confess Their Feelings, It’s On Tonight!

Chapter 258: Chapter 184: Lu Fan and Jiang Yixia Confess Their Feelings, It’s On Tonight!

Jiang Yixia followed Lu Fan into the restaurant, feeling a little apprehensive.

The staff stood in two rows, bowing to Lu Fan and Jiang Yixia as they arrived. "Welcome, Mr. Lu and Miss Jiang, to the Bordonia Western Restaurant."

Even though Jiang Yixia was thirty-seven, she lived a simple, down-to-earth life and had never experienced anything like this.

She couldn’t help but feel a little nervous.

Lu Fan looked at her reassuringly. "Don’t worry. It’s just the two of us for dinner today."

Jiang Yixia was stunned. She frowned and asked, "Don’t tell me you booked out the entire restaurant?"

"Haha, you guessed it," Lu Fan replied.

Jiang Yixia felt a pang of both distress and exasperation.

She said, exasperated, "We’re just getting dinner. Why did you have to book out the whole place?"

"I didn’t want anyone to disturb our conversation," Lu Fan explained. "After all, this is the first time you’ve agreed to go out to eat with me since we reconnected. Plus, we’re going to a movie later. This whole series of date activities has to be arranged perfectly."

Jiang Yixia immediately corrected him. "First of all, we’re only getting dinner because we’re going to a movie afterward. Second, these are not ’date activities’."

"Alright, alright. They’re not date activities." Lu Fan didn’t seem to care what she thought. He simply pulled out a chair for her.

Seeing as things had already come to this, Jiang Yixia decided she might as well make the best of it.

Lu Fan sat across from her. A waiter approached, smiling. "Mr. Lu, Miss Jiang, what can I get for you today? We have our head chef’s recommendations."

Jiang Yixia glanced at the prices on the menu and couldn’t help but gasp. "It’s so expensive."

"Our restaurant’s signature dishes are famous throughout Yangcheng. The price is absolutely worth it," the waiter explained.

Lu Fan just waved his hand with a smile. "Alright, no need to ask her. Just bring us everything on the chef’s recommendation list."

"Of course, Mr. Lu. Right away." The waiter took note and departed immediately.

Hearing this, Jiang Yixia immediately frowned and protested, "There are only two of us! How can we possibly finish all that?"

"It’s fine. Just have a little of everything. There’s a lot here you’ve never tried before." Lu Fan’s heart ached for her. "You’ve had it rough all these years, raising two kids on your own. You’ve suffered. So now, I’m going to make it up to you."

Jiang Yixia said helplessly, "This isn’t the way to ’make it up to me.’ This is just being extravagant and wasteful."

"Actually, I own a stake in this restaurant," Lu Fan explained frankly. "The ingredients don’t cost that much. The high price is mainly for the brand and the high-end atmosphere."

Hearing this, Jiang Yixia finally relaxed a little.

She still wished he hadn’t ordered so many dishes, though.

But once this guy made up his mind, there was no persuading him.

Looking around at the restaurant’s opulent decor, Jiang Yixia felt a pang of regret.

’I should have worn something nicer today.’

She looked down at her outfit, clearly feeling awkward.

It was just her plain, everyday attire.

But then, on second thought, something felt off.

’I’m just going to a movie with Lu Fan, and we just happened to grab a bite to eat.’

’This isn’t a date.’

’So naturally, there’s no need to be dressed to the nines.’

Jiang Yixia forcefully rationalized the situation to herself.

With that, she pushed her regret aside.

Just then, Lu Fan took out his phone and snapped a picture of Jiang Yixia as she was staring into space.

Jiang Yixia snapped out of it, frowning angrily. "Why did you take a picture of me?"

"Because you’re beautiful," Lu Fan said with a smile.

He handed her the phone. "Look at this. Your expression, your aura... If anyone saw this picture, who would ever guess you’re thirty-seven? I swear, you’re ageless."

Hearing this string of compliments, Jiang Yixia retorted, "Your cheesy pickup lines haven’t changed a bit over the years. It’s always the same old moves."

"Hey, if it works, it works," Lu Fan laughed. "Besides, other women don’t want to hear this stuff. They’re more interested in my money. But you’re different. You like it when I say these things."

Jiang Yixia was exasperated. "I most certainly do not."

"I don’t believe you," Lu Fan said bluntly. "Back at our old rental, you used to make me whisper sweet nothings to you every single night before bed. You demanded ten lines, and for every one I was short, we had to... do it once."

Hearing this, Jiang Yixia instantly grew flustered. "Are you insane? You can’t say things like that in a place like this!"

"What’s there to be afraid of?" Lu Fan chuckled. "Look around. See anyone else?"

Jiang Yixia quickly glanced around and then breathed a sigh of relief.

But she couldn’t let his comment slide, retorting, "You’ve got some nerve. You could never come up with ten lines back then. You were always short by three or four."

"Exactly. Which is why we did it three or four times every night," Lu Fan said, wiggling his eyebrows.

It finally dawned on Jiang Yixia. That bastard had been doing it on purpose back then!

Back then, she’d been so smug, thinking she was punishing him by making him put in extra effort.

Turns out, the master hunter had been playing the part of the prey all along.

But remembering the pleasure of those moments, Jiang Yixia couldn’t stop her face from flushing with embarrassment.

To keep Lu Fan from seeing her blush, she stood up and said, "I’m going to the restroom."

Then she beat a hasty retreat.

A staff member led her to the restroom.

She looked at her reflection in the mirror.

’Even though I’m just wearing a simple dress, Lu Fan said I’m as young and beautiful as I was back then.’

’I can’t tell if he’s being sincere or just saying what he thinks I want to hear.’

But as she noticed the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, a wave of anxiety washed over her.

’Logically, a man as rich as Lu Fan is now would never be short on beautiful women.’

’And just like he said, those women are all after his money.’

’He’s rich enough to keep three, four, or even ten of them as mistresses.’

’So why did he have to come back for me?’

’Is it just for fun? Is he just bored?’

For a moment, Jiang Yixia couldn’t figure out Lu Fan’s true intentions.

’Is this the return of the prodigal son, or just a passing whim?’

Until she knew for sure, Jiang Yixia wouldn’t let herself get carried away.

’I won’t let Lu Fan hurt me a second time.’

After composing herself, Jiang Yixia left the restroom.

She was immediately greeted by the sight of a table laden with exquisite dishes.

Lu Fan looked at her and said, "Hurry, hurry, all the food is here! I even cut up a piece of steak for you. Eat it while it’s hot."

Jiang Yixia sat down and took a bite of the steak.

She had to admit, the steak from a high-end restaurant was on another level.

In terms of both texture and tenderness, it was the best steak she’d ever had in her life.

Meanwhile, Lu Fan kept putting more food on her plate.

One moment, he’d pass her a serving of pasta; the next, he was peeling shrimp for her.

While peeling the shrimp, he made a point to say, "This is the Spanish garlic shrimp. It’s really good, give it a try."

As he spoke, he brought the peeled shrimp right to her lips.

Her first instinct was to refuse and tell him to put it in her bowl.

But the scoundrel had no shame and stubbornly held it right there.

Just then, a waiter started walking their way. Left with no other choice, Jiang Yixia had to slightly open her mouth and accept the piece of shrimp.

Only then did Lu Fan nod in satisfaction. "That’s more like it. Is it good?"

Jiang Yixia shot him a glare, but after a couple of chews, she had to admit that the shrimp was delicious.

’Of course, I’ll never admit it tastes good just because he peeled it,’ she thought.

Still, thinking back over the past eighteen years, this was the first time Lu Fan had ever fed her something directly.

Jiang Yixia was clearly in a bit of a daze.

However, she kept her emotions in check and finished the meal.

After leaving the restaurant.

Lu Fan asked, "So, how was dinner? Did you like it?"

Jiang Yixia nodded. "Yes, it was very good."

"See? I’ll bring you here again next time," Lu Fan said with a smile.

But Jiang Yixia said, "If you’re going to book out the whole place again, don’t expect me to come."

With that, she got into the car.

Hearing this, Lu Fan naturally replied, "Alright, alright. I won’t book it out next time."

That’s just how people are sometimes.

Once you do something over-the-top...

...people are much more willing to accept it when you do something a little more normal.

Before long, they arrived at the movie theater.

Chen He went to the front counter and had a brief exchange.

A moment later, a young man in a suit came out of an office. He smiled at Lu Fan and Jiang Yixia. "This way, please. Follow me."

Seeing this, Jiang Yixia had a bad feeling.

And sure enough, when they entered the theater...

...it was completely empty.

Lu Fan led Jiang Yixia to the center seats and they sat down.

Jiang Yixia asked suspiciously, "Don’t tell me you booked this out, too?"

"No, I really didn’t this time," Lu Fan explained. "It just so happens that nobody else came to see this showing."

"I don’t believe you." Jiang Yixia stared at him, interrogating. "I’m giving you one more chance. If you lie to me, I will never speak to you again."

"Okay, fine. I booked it out," Lu Fan said, feigning guilt. "I just thought, since we finally have a chance to watch a movie together, I wanted to minimize the number of irrelevant people around."

Jiang Yixia couldn’t help but protest, "Do you really think it’s right to throw your money around like this?"

"It’s not. I’m deeply critical of my own actions. I hope Miss Jiang can properly discipline me after the movie. Or, if you’re free tonight, we could go to a hotel and have a... thorough discussion..."

Before Lu Fan could finish, Jiang Yixia slapped the back of his hand. Frowning angrily, she warned, "Say one more inappropriate thing and I’ll slap you across the face!"

"No, not the face! It’s my most valuable asset," Lu Fan said, covering his face with a shameless grin. "You know it. My face was your favorite thing about me. Every night, you’d go on and on about how handsome I was."

Jiang Yixia gritted her teeth in anger. This guy was getting more and more audacious.

’How can he just say whatever comes to his mind?’

’Thank goodness no one else is here, or I’d be so embarrassed I’d have to leave on the spot.’

Fortunately, the movie started to play.

Lu Fan hadn’t told her what movie they were going to see.

But Jiang Yixia recognized it.

It was a foreign romance film: *Before Sunrise*.

She used to love watching it back when they lived in their old rental.

’But hasn’t this movie already been out for ages?’

’It’s an old film.’

She looked at Lu Fan and asked, "Are they re-releasing this?"

"I had the theater play it for us. It’s not actually a re-release," Lu Fan explained.

Hearing this, Jiang Yixia understood his intentions.

She didn’t say anything else, simply turning to watch the movie quietly.

Lu Fan, however, was watching her profile. He had to admit, in the dim light of the theater, her face was captivatingly beautiful.

So much so that he was filled with regret.

’Why did I have to cheat on her?’

Just as he was thinking about how he would make it up to her in the future, Jiang Yixia suddenly spoke.

She asked unexpectedly, "In all these years... did you ever think about coming back to find me?"