17 Chapter 17: Penthouse: War in Life

After an extremely looooong and mentally taxing 50 minute ride back to her apartment, Miyeon got out of the car exhausted. 'How can a person talk so much?' she thought as she glanced at Lu Minzhe. The man donned a bespoke navy blue suit looking very much like a handsome overbearing CEO from the movies. He appeared to be in a great mood as he followed Miyeon to the elevators as he carried several shopping bags.

Miyeon let Lu Minzhe into her sparsely furnished place that was cluttered with moving boxes and motioned for him to place the groceries on the counter.

"That...Mr.. Minzhe-ge, please make yourself comfortable. You can watch Netflix in the meantime, I use a VPN. I'll call you when dinner is ready." (Miyeon)

Lu Minzhe gave her a soft humm and began to walk around the small 1 bedroom apartment. The place looked like it was barely lived in, there was only a small couch and coffee table in the living room. The dining area is only populated by a white dining table and 2 cushioned dining chairs. There were no plants or wall decorations, only a simple gray area rug underneath the coffee table. The door to Miyeon's bedroom was currently closed but he was certain that it would be bare except for a mattress. Lu Minzhe looked at the young woman cooking in the kitchen and felt his mood turn somber. He didn't pay much attention before but as he looked around her place he began to feel uneasy. 'Why is there such a large difference between the person he has met outside compared to what her living quarters is showing? Did she choose to live this frugally in such a rundown apartment? Is she lacking money? If it's not money troubles then is there something else? What have I done to this girl?' he anxiously pondered.

Since it was already past 8pm, Miyeon opted to make some quick dishes for supper. In less than 30 minutes, she prepared tomato and egg noodles, chinese broccoli with oyster sauce, and some grilled tofu with ginger sesame dipping sauce.

"Minzhe-Ge the food is ready. Mm, I only have water or coffee for drinks. Uhm, actually I think I have some tea leaves here." Miyeon chattered, her natural hospitality coming through.

"Thank you for cooking. They look delicious." Lu Minzhe walked over and looked at the meal on the table. His heart felt warm and had a lump in his throat. He kept his tone lighthearted as he answered but he vowed in his heart to figure out what exactly happened in the past.

"I'm sorry I only know how to make simple dishes." (Miyeon)

"No… I like the taste of home cooking." (Lu Minzhe)

"Do you mind if I turn on the TV?" 'It turns out CEO Lu still knows how to lie to save people's face. Well, it's better than having people complain about the meal.' she thought with a wry smile.

"No. Go ahead." (Lu Minzhe)

** Plays 'The Penthouse: War in Life' **

The two quietly ate as they watched TV. To a casual observer they look like a beautiful married couple having dinner after a long day's work.

'I hope he quickly leaves after eating. I'm so tired. I feel like I just worked a 16 hr day.' thought Miyeon as she stared at the screen.

"So, you like these types of shows?" Lu Minzhe turned to look at Miyeon who was looking fixedly at the TV. He waited a few seconds with no response, so he gave a soft chuckle and tapped her lightly on the arm.

"Oh! Sorry what?" (Miyeon)

"You like these types of shows?" (Lu Minzhe)

"Erm, yes I do." Miyeon admitted touching her nose slightly abashed.

"It's a bit overly dramatic no? The top 1% living in a penthouse. There is romance, adultery, betrayal, revenge, secret identities, and murder. How did they fit all that in one show?" (Lu Minzhe)

"Pfft! Hahaha! It's because it's so outrageous that it's interesting." (Miyeon)

"Really?...Well, I guess it does make me want to see what ridiculous thing will happen next." Lu Minzhe responded as he glanced back at the screen.

"Exactly! It keeps you hooked like that." Miyeon answered as she smiled at him.

There was a few minutes of silence before she spoke again.

"I used to wonder if the lives of the uber-wealthy were truly this chaotic. From what I've seen with Shu Li hmmm…" (Miyeon)

"Are you curious?" Lu Minzhe asked with a smile.

"A little bit." Miyeon admitted.

"Hmm. I would say the depiction is about 75% accurate." Lu Minzhe responded as he keenly peered into her eyes.

"Ahhh…" Miyeon didn't prod further, feeling that Lu Minzhe's gaze was too unnerving.

The rest of their meal was eaten in silence with only the sounds of the telly keeping them company. Sensing that Miyeon no longer wanted to continue the conversation, Lu Minzhe decided to stop inquiring. He was quite happy with the progress of their relationship aware that Miyeon still has strong reservations against him. However, he plans to slowly break down her barriers and get close to her. But first, he needs to have Cheng Yan thoroughly investigate what had happened to Miyeon since that incident. It seems his previous report was too perfunctory.

avataravatar
Next chapter