Local grill place

"Well?" Fei Huangjin's lips were pursed as his eyes focused on the point of contact between Haocheng's hands and Ying Yue's shoulders. He swallowed a growl and turned his frosty eyes to his younger brother instead.

Ying Yue noticed it instantly and stepped away from Fei Haocheng. "I volunteered to help out on his date."

Fei Huangjin's lips thinned. "Date? If you have time to date, you have time to work. Why don't you--"

"Why don't we head over to some place I know for dinner tonight? With Haocheng, of course. Don't forget that he took over your work yesterday." She cut him off with a grin, reaching out to hold his hand in the hopes of pacifying him. The words died from his lips and his eyes travelled to their hands entwined together.

To her, it was a way to stop him from imposing overtime work on Haocheng, but to Fei Huangjin, it was an act of affection of a wife to her husband.

"Mmm." His features softened, like an ice cube melting from the heat of the sun.

This caught the attention of Fei Haocheng, whose mouth was now agape. His sister-in-law was truly awe-inspiring! He had never seen his older brother go from cold to warm in a matter of a few seconds, and all she did was say a few words to the guy. "Oh sister-in-law! What a good idea! Where should we go? I know a good sushi place nearby, or we could get French cuisine at La Merie, or some--"

"I'm sure both of you are used to fine dining but I want to go eat at this local grill place called Taji. It's a little smokey and far from what you're used to. But don't worry, it's my treat." She winked at the two and slipped away.

***

"What is this place?" There was an impassive look on Fei Huangjin's face as he scanned the place they were in. The faint scent of smoke hit his nostrils and his eyebrows furrowed. As the head of the Dragon Club, he'd been to worse places, of course, but that didn't mean he wasn't uncomfortable at where he was right now.

This didn't escape Ying Yue's eyes.

In contrast to him, was his brother beside him, glancing around with sparkling eyes and a look of interest. "So this is Taji. I've heard of this place!"

"You have?" Ying Yue's spirits brightened. She thought both brothers would be trying to run away by now, but unexpectedly, Fei Hoacheng didn't seem the least bit unsettled.

He grinned widely at her. "Oh yes! I eat a lot and I read a lot about food! I can be considered what they usually call a food connoisseur!"

"You mean a gourmet," Fei Huangjin said.

"Eh? That sounds too serious. Like you."

The older brother growled at this, and Fei Haocheng backed up one step, flashing him a sheepish smile.

Ying Yue, who was watching their exchange, patted Haocheng lightly on the back. "I think a gastronome would be a better word for you."

"A gastronome…" Fei Haocheng liked that word.

She turned her head to the direction of one of the servers and raised a hand above her head. "Hey, got a table for me?"

She had been here a lot before she started having a day job. Back then, she'd have dinner here by herself after a rough day of doing spy work. However, she'd been too busy lately. The last time she was here was probably right after she got accepted at Fei International.

The server squinted his eyes at her until recognition was evident in his eyes. "Oh, Ying Yue! Guys, look! Ying Yue's here!" The other servers and some of the kitchen staff came out to wave at her, some giving her a thumbs up.

"Your usual table is empty," he pointed at a small, circular table at the corner, with a grill at the middle and its own exhaust hanging down from the ceiling. It looked like it could only accommodate one person.

Fei Huangjin eyed the table he was pointing at and then shifted back to the server. How did she know the people here? Did she used to date here?

"Can I get a different one this time? I have friends with me," she pointed at the two men beside her, who were starting to look out of place in the very casual restaurant they were in.