Chapter 208 - 182: Are You Willing to Be With Me?

"I’m not. I’m here for something else."

Huang Lingyu tried to explain, but the woman just giggled. "This must be your boyfriend, huh? He’s so handsome! Are you planning to bring him to the party?"

The woman had clearly misunderstood. Afraid that Yang Hui was getting impatient, Lingyu quickly said, "No, no, we’re just having dinner by ourselves. We’ll get going now."

Watching Yang Hui and Huang Lingyu’s retreating figures, the woman muttered under her breath, "That Fox Spirit really has a way with men. She’s got Director Wang, that old lech, completely wrapped around her finger, and now she’s found such a handsome one on the side."

Inside the small private room, a server poured them some tea. Yang Hui said, "We won’t be needing any service in here. Just charge the service fee as usual."

"Of course. Thank you. Just let me know if you need anything." The server then excused himself.

"Next time you have something going on, just tell me. It’s not like I have anything particularly important to do."

Huang Lingyu murmured her assent, realizing he already knew she had turned down her company dinner to be with him.

"Come here." He patted his thigh, motioning for her to sit on his lap.

The food hadn’t arrived yet, so they were just chatting on the sofa. Hearing his invitation, Huang Lingyu knew exactly what he wanted. The first time was at the KTV, the second was at the movie theater; by now, they had a tacit understanding.

She walked over and straddled his lap. He threaded his fingers into her thick, dark hair and lowered his head. His other hand slipped under the hem of her dress.

Unlike the last two times, her participation was noticeably more enthusiastic. *This* was a real French kiss. The previous two encounters had felt more like he was forcing a kiss on her.

When he finally let her go, her face was flushed crimson. She stood up to adjust her underwear. Yang Hui rang the service bell and asked for the food to be brought in.

"Is it bruised?" Yang Hui asked, noticing she was still adjusting her clothes.

"No. There’s plenty of meat on my butt, it won’t get swollen," she answered matter-of-factly, completely by reflex. Only after the words were out did she realize he was deliberately teasing her.

"Alright, time to eat. If we eat quickly, you might still be able to make it to your colleagues’ dinner. You should go, don’t worry about me."

They had arrived early; it wasn’t even 6:00 PM yet. Her colleagues’ dinner probably wouldn’t be over before 7:00 PM. Huang Lingyu looked at him hesitantly, worried she might spoil his mood.

He was getting to know her personality. He waved a dismissive hand. "When I say it’s fine, it’s fine. I’ll ask you out again in a day or two."

She knew exactly what "asking her out" entailed. After a long pause, she murmured, "Okay." She was discovering that she felt no discomfort at all from Yang Hui’s touch, his caresses and squeezes. In fact, she was even starting to look forward to it.

She didn’t look at her phone while they ate, completely unaware that the colleague she’d just run into was already digging a pit for her in the group chat.

Zhao Yan: You all said Lingyu wasn’t coming to the dinner tonight, that she’s not a team player. But she was clearly planning a surprise for everyone! I just ran into her at the restaurant. Not only did she come, she brought her boyfriend too!

"Seriously? I never heard she had a boyfriend. When did that happen?"

"What are you even saying? A girl that beautiful could have a boyfriend whenever she wants. It’s just a matter of whether she agrees to it or not. If she wanted one, she could have one in a heartbeat."

"Tonight, we definitely have to size him up for her, see if this boyfriend is worthy of her."

Back in his office, Director Wang’s expression soured as he read the messages in the group chat.

’She has a boyfriend? Hmph. So what? I’m only after her because she’s pretty, not like I’m planning to marry her. Still, tonight I’m curious to see what kind of character her boyfriend is.’

He was in his early thirties, a sales director at a car dealership with a monthly salary of 25,000 yuan, and he felt that gave him the right to be arrogant. He tended to look down on everyone. Of course, when someone like him encountered a truly important person, his fawning and bootlicking were second to none.

He posted a message in the group chat:

Director Wang: Everyone, let’s start heading to the restaurant. Sales were great last month, so let’s all have a few drinks. Since Xiaohuang is bringing her boyfriend, it’ll be a perfect time for us all to meet.

Huang Lingyu saw none of this. Whenever she was with Yang Hui, she usually put her phone on silent.

They made small talk, occasionally reminiscing about funny stories from high school and bringing up Teacher Chen. Though Teacher Chen had been Yang Hui’s homeroom teacher, he had also taught math to Huang Lingyu’s class. Discussing his strictness and his skill as an educator, they found some common ground beyond their physical relationship.

He also learned a little about her family. He already knew they had financial difficulties and that Zheng Lei’s family had sponsored her education, but he hadn’t known the full extent of their hardship.

Unlike many who would be ashamed to speak of a poor upbringing, he noticed Huang Lingyu’s expression was incredibly gentle when she spoke of her family. "My father passed away from an illness when I was three," she said. "My mother raised me all on her own."

Her mother was likely a farmer. Yang Hui could guess as much. Her hometown, like his own Yanghe Village, was in the mountains. For farmers there, the meager annual harvest was barely enough to survive on. Families that had someone who could go out to find work might have it a little better.

They talked as they ate. This was probably the most they had ever truly communicated. Their previous meetings had consisted more of physical communication—or perhaps, "oral arguments."

He glanced at the time. It was about right. He called the server over. "I’d like to sign up for a membership card."

Huang Lingyu gave him a strange look. ’Doesn’t he already have a free VIP card?’ she thought. ’Why is he getting another one?’

The server began explaining the restaurant’s membership program. "If you load 5,000, you get an extra 300. If you load 10,000, you get an extra 1,000..." Before he could continue, Yang Hui cut him off.