29 Accompany Me For A Walk

After the waiter had left, the table had descended into an uncomfortable silence. Zhi Ruo's nose scrunched up at the awkwardness. She no longer had the appetite to eat and her stomach knotted in discomfort.

Mo Yan drummed her perfectly manicured nails on the table and whistled in enthusiasm. Her eyes darted around the restaurant, observing it's splendor.

High quality leather upholstered chairs, cutting edge glass tables, simple but gorgeous chandeliers that hung high above the ceiling, complementing the wooden beams. It was a perfect combination of western and Chinese culture. Calligraphic scrolls hung on the creamy white walls with sharp but flowing characters. The tables were atleast 3 feet away from each other which allowed for atleast a little bit privacy, preventing eavesdropper from overhearing private conversations. Of course, the restaurant did not end there.

The second floor housed separate rooms which were seamlessly sealed with wooden partitions similar to traditional Japanese houses, while the third floor was the roof. It allowed a beautiful view of both the river and the horizon. The sun setting on the river was what attracted most of the customers to dine in such an expensive restaurant.

Meanwhile, Mo Chou tried to calm down his racing heartbeat. Being able to dine with Zhi Ruo made his spirits lift up a little bit. He took secret glances at the woman, the beauty marks adorning her round face made him smile so stupidly.

This caught Zhi Ruo's eyes and she unknowingly said, "Stop looking at me with that stupid smile."

It's as if Mo Chou did no hear her words and smiled even wider. "What? I'm not smiling. Who's smiling?"

His ignorance made Zhi Ruo frown. Her eyebrows furrowed as she grew more and more uncomfortable by the second.

Just when she decided to retort him, a ring resounded. "Ah, a call from a friend. Please excuse me."

Mo Yan said to the two of them and excused herself to a corner. The two of them glanced at each other but soon avoided each other's gazes.

Past memories seemed to flood their mind as they remained silent amidst the restaurant's classical music.

Meanwhile in a secluded corner...

"Success! Mother you're really good at this. Maybe you should replace me? After all I'm quite busy with the company these days," Mo Yan happily said, her lips curling up.

"Nonsense! I am old and retired. These kinds of things must be left to the younger ones. As such, please continue to watch over them, Aishen [1]," Chun Fan said on the other side of the phone. Her eyes flashed with delight as she thought of another addition to their small family.

"Yes ma'am!" Mo Yan pointedly said as she hung up the phone. She glanced at the two who once again descended into an awkward silence and sighed.

"But for now... The road is still long. They won't be getting there anytime soon without a mediator acting between them," she whispered before returning.

...

"Why are you here?"

Mo Chou turned his head and looked at her. He sighed softly. "Don't misunderstand. It is truly just a coincidence that we met."

Did she really think that he would stalk her? Well, the truth was not far from it but the likelihood of success wasn't even high. At most, he would only further incur her anger, completely contradicting his goal.

Zhi Ruo, on the other hand, felt a bit embarassed. No matter how angry she was, assuming that he stalked her was just cruel. Now that she thought about it, she really had no reason to be angry. The past was the past. But thinking about how she was so stupid last night made her want to crawl into a hole and die of embarrassment.

"I'm sorry," Zhi Ruo said while shifting uncomfortably in her seat. "That was rude of me."

Seeing her a bit flustered made Mo Chou chuckle. Her habit of being harsh but soft after had never changed. In a way, Mo Chou felt warm seeing her again.

While the table descended into silence, Mo Yan returned. Her eyes darted to the two figures opposite each other and frowned slightly. It seems that her plan did not work.

Time for phase two.

"Oh dear! Secretary Han called and needed me to clarify some things with the investment plans for a new nursing home. I need to leave, will you guys be okay eating together?"

It was all within her plans. She perfectly knew that Zhi Ruo admires her as a senior, while her brother cannot disagree with her. Thus with no choice left, they could only be forced to eat together.

"Sure." Zhi Ruo's voice rang out. Before anyone could react, she then said, "Senior, please take care."

Mo Yan's lips parted slightly in shock. This nonchalant attitude... Has she finally decided to stop being stubborn?

Meanwhile, Mo Chou only raised his eyebrows. This sudden degree of change in personality did not sit with him right. But in truth, Zhi Ruo was tired. The sooner she firmly ended things with him, the quicker the other party will leave her alone.

"Senior...? Is everything okay?"

Mo Yan snapped back into reality and nodded. "Yes, everything's fine. I was just thinking up of plans for the investment. I won't disturb you guys any longer." she waved goodbye and quickly left the table.

With her absence, Mo Chou and Zhi Ruo silently waited for the rest of the dishes to arrive. Zhi Ruo did not immediately resume eating but instead patiently waited for the other. This made Mo Chou happy.

After lunch had ended, Mo Chou insisted on paying the bill, to which Zhi Ruo reluctantly agreed on. Standing in front of the restaurant, the both of them inhaled the fresh air that carried the river's scent.

"Thanks again for paying lunch. See you," Zhi Ruo bade farewell to the man and turned to leave. The both of them no longer owed each other anything.

Mo Chou frowned and grabbed her arm. "Wait a minute."

Zhi Ruo stopped in her tracks. "What?"

The man went silent for a moment before he opened his mouth to speak again. "Accompany me for a walk."

Zhi Ruo frowned, displeased with Mo Chou's persistence. "Why should I?"

"I just want to talk." Mo Chou insisted.

Zhi Ruo scoffed. "Didn't we talk last night? Was that not enough to leave me alone?"

Hearing her disagree, a pang of guilt ran through him. Rather than a conversation, it was more like an argument where they both lost. Nothing got resolved.

"A proper one. No yelling. No sarcastic comebacks. And no excuses. Let us resolve everything from the past decade."

Zhi Ruo fell in silence.

She looked into his eyes and saw determination. A kind of resolve that was fueled with emotions. Was this the right thing to do?

In the end, she could only agree.

"Fine."