Japanese Cuisine

Yan Yan had booked a Japanese restaurant for Tang Qing. Tang Qing has always been a big fan of Japanese food, whether it's udon, sashimi, or sushi - they are all Tang Qing's favorites. All the dishes ordered by Yan Yan were Tang Qing's favorites, including fried shrimp sushi, pork udon, and salmon sashimi.

The restaurant's ambiance shifted as the evening wore on. Dimmed lanterns cast a warm glow, and the scent of grilled fish lingered in the air.

As they sat down, Yan Yan poured Tang Qing a glass of water. " I've made sure to include all of your favorite dishes." He leaned in closer, his voice lowering to a near-whisper. "I've missed you so much, Qingqing. These past five years have been torture without you by my side."

Tang Qing sipped the water, trying to maintain her composure. "Yan Yan, what is the purpose of this dinner? You didn't invite me here to catch up on old times."

Yan's expression turned serious, and he reached across the table to take Tang Qing's hand. "Qingqing, I want you to come back to me. I need you in my life. These past few years have been empty without you."

Tang Qing gently pulled her hand away, her eyes filled with sadness and resignation. "Yan Yan so much has changed since then. We're not the same people we were five years ago. I've moved on with my life, and I don't think I can return to how things were.

Tang Qing sighed deeply. "Yan Yan, I appreciate your feelings, but I'm not the same naive girl you knew back then. You've hurt me deeply, and I'm unsure I can trust you again."

Yan Yan's eyes glistened with unshed tears. "Qingqing, I know I've made mistakes in the past, but I've changed. I've realized how much you mean to me, and I can't bear the thought of living without you. Please, give me one more chance. I'll do anything to prove my love to you."

Tang Qing felt her heartache at Yan Yan's vulnerability. She had never seen him so open and raw before. " Let's just enjoy our dinner for now, okay?"

Yan Yan nodded, a glimmer of hope returning to his eyes. "Alright, Qingqing. I'll be patient. I want you to know that my feelings for you have never wavered, even after all these years."

Yan Yan leaned back, studying Tang Qing. "You've become even more beautiful," he said, his voice low."Qingqing, I'm not sure if you like the dishes I ordered. Here, try this sashimi; it's the most famous one here,"

Yan said as he placed a piece of sashimi in Tang Qing's bowl. The bodyguard, Ah Rong, was extremely surprised, as he had never seen Yan Yan be so attentive to anyone else, not even his family members. It was unknown just how serious Yan Yan's mysophobia was.

In contrast, Special Assistant Zhang seemed much calmer. After all, he had seen more exaggerated things than this.

Faced with the array of delicious Japanese dishes, Tang Qing certainly couldn't resist. However, what Tang Qing wanted most at the moment was to eat quickly and leave as soon as possible.

As they ate, the conversation became more casual, with Yan Yan carefully steering clear of anything that might upset Tang Qing. He seemed genuinely interested in her life.

"Let's eat quickly," Tang Qing said as he tucked into the pork udon.

"Qingqing, how have you been in these years?" Yan Yan's voice sounded again just as Tang Qing was about to take a bite.

"Oh, it's pretty good," Tang Qing replied briefly before focusing on enjoying the udon.

As Yan Yan was about to discuss the topic again, Tang Qing interrupted him, "This is delicious." Tang Qing then used Yan Yan's chopsticks to pick up a piece of pork chop and offer it to him.

Yan Yan had a sensitive stomach and could not eat fried or cold food, but Tang Qing didn't seem aware.

Ah Rong, the bodyguard, wanted to stop Tang Qing but was stopped by Assistant Zhang. 

"No, sir won't listen to you. Remember this lady from now on; she is the person Mr. Zhang values the most," Assistant Zhang reminded Ah Rong. He and Ah Rong stepped outside the private room, giving Tang Qing and Yan Yan privacy.

"This pork chop is delicious," Yan remarked, picking up some more and offering them to Tang Qing before taking some himself.

"No need to pinch it for me, just eat it yourself," Tang Qing said, hoping to avoid further unnecessary interaction.

However, Yan Yan suddenly put down his bowl and chopsticks, his voice becoming colder. "Does Qingqing have to be so estranged from me?"

"It's not a matter of estrangement!" Tang Qing retorted, growing visibly uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Yan persisted, determined to reach the bottom of Tang Qing's apparent distance.

"That's my problem, okay," Tang Qing replied firmly, no longer wanting to engage with Yan Yan's line of questioning. 

The air in the private room thickened as their unspoken emotions hung between them. Tang Qing's heart raced, regretting the moment she had accepted this dinner invitation. She wondered how she could escape this web of intrigue without revealing too much. Yan Yan's cryptic words echoed in her mind, leaving her both intrigued and wary.

Tang Qing's heart clenched. Yan Yan's words hung in the air, a delicate thread connecting them. She had built walls around her past, and now he threatened to breach them. Her gaze met his, and for a moment, vulnerability flickered in his eyes.

Tang Qing thought eating with Yan Yan like this today was an accident and would never happen again. She just wanted to finish the meal and leave immediately without getting further entangled with Yan Yan. Tang Qing's voice wavered as she whispered, "Yan Yan, some secrets are better left buried." But her heart knew—it was already too late for both of them, for Yan Yan, for Tang Qing.