Chef Hua
Chapter 220: Episode 134 Do You Wish To_2

Chapter 220: Episode 134 Do You Wish To_2

"That thing is not so scary," his voice came from overhead in a calm manner. Hua Xiaomai let out a soft "oh" and suddenly realized her hand was still in his palm. She tried to pull away but couldn’t break free, so she abruptly raised her head and looked straight into his eyes.

Meng Yuhuai felt thoroughly uncomfortable under her gaze, and his ears even began to feel a bit hot. He turned his head away and cleared his throat, yet he still did not let go of her hand.

Hua Xiaomai really wanted to ask him, "What are you doing?" but then felt that such a question might ruin the atmosphere, so she also just stared at him without saying anything. For a moment, both were at a standstill.

"That..." After a good while, Meng Yuhuai could no longer endure the silence. "Would you like some water?"

"No, thanks." Hua Xiaomai felt like laughing, fought to keep it in, and shook her head quite seriously.

"...I saw you brought back some snacks from the Provincial City, and I thought maybe you were hungry and wanted to eat..."

"Big brother, I ate before I left Lianshun Escort Agency. How could I be hungry now?"

Meng hummed a note of acknowledgment, then fell silent again.

Hua Xiaomai, being much shorter than him, found it strenuous to keep looking up for so long. Unable to bear it, she massaged the back of her neck with her free hand and said helplessly, "If you have something to say, just say it. It really strains my neck to keep looking up at you like this..."

"Then don’t look at me!" Meng Yuhuai swiftly raised his other hand, covering her eyes. It happened so suddenly that Hua Xiaomai was caught off guard, causing her to blink reflexively. Her eyelashes softly brushed across the palm of his hand.

Meng Yuhuai’s ears burned fiercely, and the small patch of skin that her lashes had touched felt like it was about to ignite. He coughed again and finally resumed speaking, rarely stuttering, "You... you work as a chef and probably make good money, but after all, you have to cater to others and may inevitably be aggrieved. Uncle Ke has been good to me, and I’ve saved some money over the years from being an Escort Master; if you... if you want to open a restaurant, or... you can take my money..."

Hua Xiaomai, with her eyes covered, could not see his expression, yet she understood every bit of his intentions. Even though she considered herself a forward-thinking young woman and was not easily embarrassed, her face involuntarily heated up, and something inside her wanted to jump out joyfully.

"Do you think..." She curved her lips and quietly snickered, "Do you think, in our current situation, it’s appropriate for you to bring up money the moment you start talking?"

Meng Yuhuai suddenly let go of the hand covering her eyes, "I didn’t mean that, I meant to say... you... I wanted to tell you..."

Such a composed person was now slightly flustered. Hua Xiaomai couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for him, and she opened her eyelids to sneak a peek at him.

"Tongue-tied," she murmured through clenched teeth, and added, "Alright, alright, don’t distress yourself, I understand what you mean."

"You... do you really understand?" Meng Yuhuai, as if he’d seen a lifeline, perked up, his eyebrows rising, his eyes brightening even more.

"Nonsense, you’re clutching my hand for dear life, your face is as red as a monkey’s butt, and you’re stuttering and stammering; if I still didn’t get it, I’d be a fool," Hua Xiaomai rolled her eyes, inquiringly asking, "Could it really be that I’ve misunderstood?"

"Can’t you hold your tongue just once, daring to say anything and everything?" Meng Yuhuai felt a throbbing in his temples, simultaneously a headache and resignation, and quickly glanced at her face, "Then...would you be willing?"

Hua Xiaomai wanted to tease him, put on a troubled expression, and bit her lip, "For me, it’s not a big deal, but the key lies with my second sister and brother-in-law; they definitely won’t agree. After I spent more time with you, they took me aside for a serious talking-to!"

"Why?" Meng Yuhuai was feeling dizzy at the moment, unable to tell if what she was saying was true or false, and his brow furrowed once again.

If she were to tell the truth, saying it was because Hua’s mother-in-law thought his mother was too fierce and feared her sister would be at a disadvantage, leading to inevitable conflicts, and possibly even causing strife between him and Jing Taihe, then Hua Xiaomai’s eyes moved craftily, and she asserted, "What else could it be? They think you’re too old!"

Meng Yuhuai seemed to realize she was blathering, and he immediately relaxed, "That can’t be true. Taihe and I have grown up together since we were kids; he’s not that kind of person. You don’t need to go back and whisper it to them; I’ll find time myself to talk it through with Taihe."

He paused, as if to confirm something, and then continued, "So you...what do you really think?"

Hua Xiaomai’s lips curved upwards, then just as quickly, the smile disappeared, and she looked up at him earnestly, "Big Brother Meng, I know who is good to me and who isn’t. I also appreciate your feelings... It’s just that at the moment, there are some things I want to do. I want to plant those chilies with my own hands, and I want to try running my own restaurant... If you want to talk to my brother-in-law first, I don’t have the slightest objection, but could we delay the rest...for a while?"

Although it wasn’t a direct acceptance, it wasn’t far off; Meng felt a weight lifted off his shoulders, his heart settled, and he smiled slightly, "That will do."

"Then why haven’t you let go of my hand?" Hua Xiaomai pursed her lips, "Planning to stand here until when?"

Meng Yuhuai did as she said and released her. Hua Xiaomai smiled at him and swiftly took the lead back to Fire Knife Village.

It was getting late, and by this point, even if he returned to the County, he wouldn’t be able to enter the city gates, so Meng Yuhuai decided to stay home for the night. They entered the village from the west side and soon arrived at the doorstep of the Jing Family courtyard.

Lights shone brightly in the hall; Hua’s second mother and Jing Taihe appeared to be still awake, with warm light pouring from the courtyard door, spreading circular halos on the ground.

Hua Xiaomai took the bundle Meng Yuhuai passed to her, turned her head, and said, "Then I..."

"Go in," Meng Yuhuai nodded toward the courtyard with his chin.

Hua Xiaomai smiled at him and just as she was about to step inside, she heard footsteps from inside the house. In the next moment, Hua’s second mother appeared at the door and, with quite some gusto, splashed out a basin of water, then turned her head and let out a startled cry, "Oh my, why have you come back so late?"

(To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to go to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets, monthly tickets, your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please go to m.qidian.com to read.)