Lunch

"I'm sorry, that was embarrassing."

It was rare she lost control of her emotions. Even rarer that she didn't hold back. She even felt a little relieved that it was Yang Mu who had been with her.

Yang Mu caressed her head lovingly. "That's okay. I'm happy you got to let it all out."

His hand rubbing the top of her head was comforting. Jiang Shen couldn't help but feel a sense of loss when he had removed it.

"Thank you." Jiang Shen fiddled with her earlobe. "For being here with me."

"You don't have to thank me. I feel honored you're finally opening up to me."

Jiang Shen always made sure to draw a line on her relationships. From family to friends, there had always been that intangible distance.

Xiaobao noticed his presence being ignored and barked loudly. Jiang Shen and Yang Mu's eyes met before laughing out loud.

"Should I take you home now?"

It was currently noon and neither of them have had the chance to eat lunch. Xiaobao started to pull his leash back to the direction of their house when the both of them stood up.

Jiang Shen shook her head. "I don't really want to go home yet."

"Then where will you go? It's lunchtime. Surely you're not thinking of going back to the café?"

He did not want her to go back where she had left, for he feared that she might relapse and cry again. Another reason was that he could not bear to leave her alone so soon.

"Then I won't eat. It's not like i'm hungry anyways."

Her stomach had rumbled, igniting Jiang Shen's embarrassment. The action contradicted her words.

Yang Mu chuckled. "Your stomach is saying otherwise."

"Shut up." she mumbled. "I'll just go to the supermarket to buy something then."

"Do you have enough money to get there?"

"Of course I—" she pulled out her wallet to show him but only a few bills had been left, enough to get her there, but not back.

Yang Mu shook his head. "See? So just stop being stubborn and come to our house. I'm sure my family will be fine with it." /Besides, my brother's been pestering to meet you. Now would be a great chance to shut him up./

"Are you really absolutely one hundred percent sure?"

In contrast, Jiang Shen was fine with it, but it indirectly implied that his family would assume that she was his *girlfriend.* The thought dreaded her.

But her stomach was severely protesting and she was too stubborn to return to her own house. In any case, her family wouldn't care where she was and who she was with, as long as she returned to the house at the end of the day.

"I'm sure. Now come on," Yang Mu had no problem grabbing her hand and pulling her.

"Fine..." Jiang Shen looked down at their clasped hands and smiled. This wasn't so bad, right?

She would deal with the problems later. It's not like she couldn't explain herself when the time comes.

Seeing the Othello Lane filled with huge houses in differing styles, Jiang Shen felt in awe at the amount of land each household occupied.

How much would a piece of land cost? A few hundred thousands? Or probably more?

The modern villa where the Yang family was housed was grand and imposing, not at all inferior to those mansions you often see in the countryside.

"Your house is big."

"My family is well-off."

He worded it in a way that was less offensive. If he said rich, then that would come off as quite arrogant and even condescending, leaving a bad taste in one's mouth.

"That's nice."

Jiang Shen tried not to let her eyes wander when she had been left right in front of the front door. He excused himself to refill his other dogs needs.

She also tried not to peer inside the house, to avoid making a bad impression of a stalker. In the end, her eyes led her to stare at the clear blue sky, not at all aware of her dazed state.

When she heard footsteps getting louder, she assumed it was Yang Mu and turned around, only to be greeted with the sight of a man in his early twenties dressed in casual clothes.

His white polo and black slacks made him look professional, but the clear look of shock on his face couldn't be hidden underneath his thin rimmed glasses.

"Who are—"

She didn't waste time at all and respectfully bowed, as one should when in front of their elders. Despite not being pampered with attention, she was still educated on basic manners and etiquette that a girl like her should know.

"Hello," she said politely. "I am Jiang Shen, a friend of Yang Mu's. Sorry for intruding this hour."

Yang Mingha was shocked, but all the more so excited. He expected Yang Mu to be coming home soon and wanted to come wait at the front door. When he saw a figure standing at the door, he couldn't have expected it to be the person he had been pestering his brother to meet.

It was a pleasant surprise. And what was even more pleasant was that both of their parents were present for lunch.

When he said he wanted to meet her, he didn't expect it within the day. How annoyed must his brother be to invite over this girl?

"Ah yes, hello. Would you like to come in?"

"Would it be okay?"

"Nonsense. You're already here. As hosts, wouldn't it be rude not to let you in?"

/Then why did you ask?/ Jiang Shen inwardly questioned. Of course, it was better left unsaid, as his question was just a matter of etiquette.

She could never understand why rich people were always so indirect with their words. Not at all like her family.

"Then... Please excuse me."

She removed her shoes and walked inside the house decorated lavishly like a modern beach house. Everything was designed to make the room more spacious as light streamed well into the area.

"Our parents are in the dining room. Would you like to join us?"

"Uhm, excuse me but— where is Yang Mu? He invited me here and it would be rude to eat without him."

As expected of a smart lady, Yang Mingha thought. Her presence made him feel assured she was a suitable partner for his brother.