Chapter 14 Love Her, Starting From Understanding Her_1

Despite the extremely uncomfortable and strong taste in his throat and stomach, Yun Mo seriously observed Qiao Xiaon'an. His cold eyes held a level of seriousness they had never bore before. When had he ever given a woman such a direct and intense gaze?

This woman, who seemed somewhat ravenous and acted completely unpretentiously in front of him, not caring about her dining manners, was very genuine. Yet, she was petite and prone to hide her sadness.

The heavy aroma of the hot pot, a mix of spicy and oily, fused into white smoke before their eyes. Yun Mo seemed to be utterly oblivious to the surrounding out-of-place scenery and noise, for he was completely engrossed in observing her, not blinking once.

With a sudden spicy sting in her throat from the small, hot hot peppers, Qiao Xiaon'an coughed twice. When she raised her head to fetch a tissue to wipe her mouth, she noticed his seemingly cold gaze fixed on her.

Feeling slightly uneasy, she queried, "Why are you staring at me like that? I am a simple woman who eats this way, when I can eat, I eat till I'm full. I surely cannot compare to those high-class ladies you know. If you are uncomfortable with my manners, don't bring me out next time."

Yun Mo didn't explain that he wasn't uncomfortable but instead tried a piece of the perfectly cooked duck intestine from the pot.

The strong taste of spices and greasiness was still just as unpleasant to his palate. The odd flavor lingered on his tongue before sliding down his throat. He suppressed his urge to cough and carefully chewed. The taste she liked, though cheap and lacking in refinement, was genuinely good.

Yet, it was exceptionally spicy.

Nevertheless, it didn't stop Yun Mo from continuing to taste this flavor that she liked. It was unheard of for him, to consume such cheap food from a wholesale market, washed crudely with chemicals, solely to understand a woman's preference.

Perhaps because he was sincerely trying the "new food," Qiao Xiaon'an across the table thought he also liked the hot pot, especially given he kept eating the duck intestine, which piqued her curiosity.

"Yun Mutou?"

Yun Mo placed a newly cooked duck intestine into his bowl and raised his head. He had grown accustomed to the name "Yun Mutou" and didn't mind her using it at all.

Inexplicably, he felt not just acceptance, but a certain warmth from it. Being addressed as "Young Yun" here and there by others, they were merely respecting his status rather than his person, it wasn't genuine at all.

The moniker "Yun Mutou," however, was quite endearing. He responded, "Yes?"

"You seem to like the duck intestines. Let me get a plateful for you, just wait."

"..."

Less than a minute later, Qiao Xiaon'an returned with a plate of duck intestines. Even before she could settle down onto the chair, she hurriedly dumped the intestines into the pot. "Wait a moment. We need to cook them for two minutes - not too long, not too short, otherwise they won't taste good."

...

"Alright, you try it."

Qiao Xiaon'an was incredibly enthusiastic. She was not unaware that someone of Yun Mo's stature, sitting calmly with her in such a low-grade restaurant, was a considerable concession on his part. The foodie Qiao Xiaon'an subconsciously also assumed that the allure of the delicious food had a role in winning over the young Yun, so she continued to add more freshly cooked duck intestines into his bowl.

She acted like an eager hostess, fearing that Yun Mo might not get enough to eat.

She prattled on,

"It's tasty, right?"

"The thing about hot pot is, the more you eat, the better it tastes. You must find this taste unique, compared to all the gourmet food you've had."

"Ha, thanks for accompanying me to eat hot pot. Why don't we toast to it? I'll go fetch the drinks."

Looking at the bowl full of duck intestines, the red oil floating on top made it look extremely spicy. Even though Yun Mo didn't usually eat spicy food, he bowed his head, picked up his chopsticks with his slender fingers, and continued eating. "I have to drive, I can't drink."

Qiao Xiaon'an: "I'll just have a little bit, just a bit."

Yun Mo: "Do you drink often?"

Qiao Xiaon'an: "No… I, I just have a bit occasionally."

Yun Mo: "..."

Qiao Xiaon'an: "Uh, that, me being drunk the day before yesterday, I actually just had a bit."

Yun Mo: "..."

Wasn't her explanation akin to drawing more attention to what she wanted to conceal?

But she genuinely only had a little, who knew that she would get drunk after just two glasses? But those were small glasses of Baijiu, small glasses.

Yun Mo's face turned dark. The gloomy expression seemed colder compared to his usual calm demeanor. Just as she was about to stand up and call the waiter for a bottle of strong liquor, his inquiry made her sit down obediently.

Men, they always have this kind of intimidating presence.

Yun Mo continued to eat the duck intestines she had put in his bowl, without raising his head or looking at her. Even though he was eating cheap hot pot, his movements were elegant and gentlemanly, as if he were dining at a royal banquet. "You're not allowed to drink outside from now on."

Qiao Xiaon'an was a common human being, and she often ran into sad things. When she was unhappy, she would either eat or drink a little liquor to get drunk. When she woke up the next day, she would be fine again.

If she couldn't drink, what should she do when she faced unhappy things in the future?

So, she protested on the spot, "You're not planning on controlling me, right? Even though you are legally my husband, you can't restrict my freedom. Can't I, occasionally, have a little drink with Weiwei?"

"Who is Weiwei?"

"My best friend."

"..."

"Just having a little drink with my best friend."

"No."

"Yun Mutou!"

"Eat your food."

Qiao Xiaon'an started to regret marrying Yun Mo so hastily. If her identity as Mrs. Yun meant being bound by all sorts of restrictions, wouldn't she completely lose her freedom?

So, she hung her head, muttering while nibbling at her food. Whatever she was saying, he didn't catch it.

On the drive back after dinner, inside Yun Mo's custom-made Phantom, the comfortable atmosphere was made somewhat awkward by the lingering scent of the hot pot on both their clothes. Despite the windows being open, a puff of hot pot smell would waft in with each flow of the air.

Because of this, once they returned to the villa at Oriental Pearl, Qiao Xiaon'an barely walked into the foyer when Yun Mo, who had walked straight in without even bothering to change his shoes, reminded her with an extremely cold tone, "Go take a shower, then come into my room."

Before Qiao Xiaon'an could decipher the layers of meaning in his words, Yun Mo's tall, sturdy figure had already disappeared into the far depths of the villa, bathed in the dim light. His figure, set against the backdrop of the darkening night and the brightly lit villa, exuded an indescribable chill.