61 Alone?

Midori was eating sweet n' sour pork ribs with a bowl of rice in a nearby family restaurant. The food could not compare to her Aunty Lan'sn but it was not bad. Since it was past lunchtime, and was too early for dinner, only regulars could be found, occupying two other tables.

When she was about to finish her meal, her personal phone rang.

"Mom." she answered after talking a gulp of juice.

"Midori, daijobu desu ka?* Doko imasu ka*?" Aoi Xiu had raised her brow though the other person cannot see it.

"Hai, okaasan. Daijobu desu. Uhmmm...I'm at a restaurant in the city." She did not want to reveal the place since it is of walking distance from Dan's place.

"Alone?"

"Uhm...hai." Midori is not sure on how her mom will react if she gets back together with Dan.

"Why do you have to go out and eat alone? You should've just asked Aunty Lan to cook. Is the food there better than hers?" Aoi Xiu is not buying it. She believes Midori is with Dan.

"Uhm...why are you home so early, Mom?" She tried to change the subject.

"Ask your dam* father."

Midori succesfully diverted the conversation but got worried about her mom's reaction. Something is up. "Mom, I'll call you back. Bye!" She hung up before any reaction could be heard from the other end.

Midori decided to call her dad while walking towards the supermarket.

"Midori? Are you okay? It's fine if you want to take a leave. I'll handle things here."

"Dad, did something happen between you and Mom?" She went straight to the point.

Xiu Jin was stunned. For a moment, he was silent, then he played the innocent card. "It's nothing to be concerned about. You know your mom. She's in a stage wherein a woman gets easily irritated." He chuckled.

Midori was not convinced, but she decided to let her father off, for now. "Okay, Dad. Uhm...I'll be at my friend's place tonight. Could you tell mom for me please? You're still taking, right?" She was being manipulative. She knew her mom would be suspiscious if she told her, so she asked her dad to relay the message. At the same time, this will open the opportunity for her parents to talk out whatever issue they may have. If her father refuses, he will be admitting that he is not talking to his wife. It's killing two birds with one stone!

"Yeah. Or course. I'll tell her. Take care!" The chairman of XCG has just been played by his CEO daughter.

After buying groceries, Midori went back to the penthouse suite. She stocked up the fridge and started cooking dinner.

While she was chopping some shallots, she felt a stare towards her back. She furrowed her brows since Dan should be in the bedroom. She put down the knife.

As she turned around, she was greeted by the toothpaste commercial smile that could close any deal at any day.

She gasped. "Why are you here?"

"It's where I live." He maintains his smile.

Her brows became nearer to each other. "You should be upstairs, resting." She has reached the doorway where he was leaning. She tried to turn him around. "Get back to your bedroom. I'll bring dinner up in a moment, okay?"

Dan fought off her efforts to move him. He was laughing. "But I want to watch you cook."

"I'll let you watch next time. Now let's get you back to bed." She was then trying to drag him away from the kitchen.

"So there will be a next time?" Dan had a teasing look on him.

"Fine. Just go back to your room." Midori glared at him and only went back to the kitchen after he shut his bedroom door.

After some time, she went up with a tray filled with food. She moved the table near the bed and placed the plates and bowls carefully. There were miso soup with soft tofu and wakame, sliced kazunoko, chicken teriyaki, gyudon, tamagoyaki, spinach with black sesame sauce, steamed rice, and on Dan's side, grated daikon with honey.

"Woah! Are you eating for two?" He jokingly remarked.

Midori was irritated. "Just grab your chopsticks and eat."

"Feed me and you won't be just eating for one." His smile became seductive.

Her face showed an 'are you kidding me?' expression. 'Is this the aftermath of telling him that Manta is not his son?' If there were not that much food on the table, her forehead might have been slammed not long ago.