CH 3.1

Chapter 3 – Part 1 out of 2

The temperature in the restaurant was a bit high, so Jiang Tao took off his coat and put it on a seat beside him. Cao An looked over. The little nurse, who only wore a white sweater, had a thinner figure. With her nervous expression, she seemed to have been caught by him and forced to go on the date.

Cao An was very clear about his image in the eyes of outsiders. Since he was born, he didn’t want to bother hiding it. Marriage is a lifetime thing, and one cannot intentionally become another person just to marry a wife.

The waiter brought the food over. “Did you need my help?” he asked.

“No, we will do it ourselves,” Cao An replied.

After refusing the waiter’s offer, Cao An picked up a few slices of meat and put them on the grill. Jiang Tao looked at his hands. With such height and a strong physique, Cao An’s hands were long and big, and his wheat-coloured skin was full of strength. Jiang Tao even doubted that he could easily bend the stainless steel barbecue tongs. Growing up so big, it was the first time Jiang Tao met such a man in real life.

“Are you afraid of me, or are you not good at socializing?” Cao An suddenly raised his eyes and asked Jiang Tao.

Jiang Tao found that the silent Cao An made people restless, and when he spoke, his aura became stronger.

“A little bit,” Jiang Tao replied as she held the glass in both hands and took another sip of lemonade.

“How did Aunt Biao introduce me to you?” Cao An asked.

Jiang Tao deliberated and concluded: “She mentioned your age, education, height, etc., and said that you have a good personality.”

The term ‘extremely rich’ was too vulgar, and ‘I have never been in a relationship because of my stupid mouth’ was a complete lie to cover up his mafia looks.

Jiang Tao nodded in agreement.

Despite being deceived by the head nurse, she believed that the nurse would not introduce a criminal to her.

Cao An flipped over the meat on the grill while his mobile phone screen suddenly lit up. He picked up his phone to answer the call and continued turning his gaze downwards.

Jiang Tao couldn’t hear the voice on the other end and only heard Cao An’s brief response, “Buried?”

“I’ll go over in the afternoon, and I’m going to bury another,” he replied.

Jiang Tao and other diners nearby were left bewildered. What was he burying? Was he really a mafia boss, and hence why he was so audacious to talk about it in public?

The atmosphere in the restaurant grew even quieter, with the sound of diners gulping down their drinks at the diagonally opposite table becoming audible to Jiang Tao.

Cao An set down his phone and served Jiang Tao a few slices of meat, which he had already roasted. Every time he added meat to the grill, he doubled the amount and shared it equally with her once it was cooked, to avoid being too humble.

But Jiang Tao had a small appetite, and when she saw that Cao An was going to give her more meat, she blocked it with her hand and said, “You eat. I’m almost full and I’ll just have porridge next.” Cao An looked at her and asked, “Are you really full?”

Jiang Tao reluctantly met his gaze and said, “Yes, really.”

Cao An no longer insisted and put all the meat on the grill onto his own dinner plate.

Jiang Tao sipped her porridge slowly, smiling and answering Cao An’s questions, but she didn’t bring up any topics herself.

As they started on their fruit, Cao An asked, “I have something to do this afternoon. Where do you live? I’ll take you home.”

Jiang Tao replied, “Don’t worry, I can take a taxi myself. The road isn’t far.”

Cao An insisted, “I’m not in a hurry. I’ll take you home.”

Jiang Tao started to refuse but couldn’t resist the intense and determined look in Cao An’s eyes. She compromised and said, “Okay, please do.”

Taking a bite of her strawberry, Jiang Tao silently encouraged herself to persist for another half-hour before she could finally part with Cao An and relax.

At the restaurant’s entrance, the cashier was waiting. Jiang Tao followed Cao An to check out and nervously suggested, “Shall we split the bill?”

Cao An turned back to her.

Jiang Tao dropped her gaze, so nervous that she was almost trembling.

Cao An replied, “I’ll pay first, and I’ll send you the bill later.”

Jiang Tao breathed a sigh of relief as Cao An paid.

The two restaurant employees behind the cashier were chatting. However, when they saw Cao An, the atmosphere immediately froze. An elementary school student was about to run into the restaurant before his parents. When he looked up and saw Cao An, he froze for a few seconds before retreating and hiding behind his parents.

Cao An didn’t seem to notice this scene.

Jiang Tao, on the other hand, could see it clearly from the side. The people nearby were all afraid of Cao An, and their expressions toward her were much more complicated. She didn’t know what stories they were concocting in their heads.

As they left the restaurant, Jiang Tao walked beside Cao An, biting the bullet.

The shopping mall is full of people everywhere, but no matter where Cao An goes, people automatically give way to her. Almost everyone avoids her fierce gaze and secretly looks at the girl next to the “boss” who looks very good at first glance.

Jiang Tao: …

The atmosphere is getting more and more tense. What should I do?

“Drink milk tea?” Cao An asked, pointing to a milk tea shop ahead.

Jiang Tao: “Okay, okay.”

She didn’t dare to play with her mobile phone in front of Cao An to ease the embarrassment, so it was natural to drink milk tea.

When the two came to the milk tea shop, Cao An’s powerful aura made the small milk tea shop become silent.

Jiang Tao ordered a cup of pomelo fruit tea.

Cao An paid but didn’t order.

Waiter: “It will take about ten minutes.”

Cao An led Jiang Tao to a small table for two people in the store. Jiang Tao sat down, and Cao An sat opposite. Because of the narrow space, his legs had to be separated on both sides of the small table. His knees were actually higher than the tabletop, and his strong upper body seemed to be able to completely cover Jiang Tao.

Jiang Tao felt so small for the first time.

She turned her head and looked at the little milk tea buddies with great interest.

This also gave Cao An an opportunity to look at her.

The little nurse’s skin was very fair with a little baby fat on her cheeks which were flushed and supple.

She is not tall, but her neck is slender, and there is a small black mole in the middle of her side neck behind her right ear.

In Jiang Tao’s peripheral vision, Cao An kept facing her.

This reminded Jiang Tao of her six failed blind dates. Each time the man fell in love with her, but she was not tempted at all.

Jiang Tao was very afraid of Cao An, and even more afraid that Cao An would not be able to accept her rejection.