Chapter 19

This little hiccup didn’t affect Xu Yuan’s shopping mood at all. Meng Zhengrong paid for two pairs of flat shoes, one pair of high heels, and a handbag. It was indeed a fruitful shopping trip.

They continued shopping until the late afternoon when the sun began to set. Xu Yuan still felt like she wanted more, which explained why the imperial concubines of the past couldn’t resist receiving offerings of silk fabrics and jewels.

Sitting in the car, Meng Zhengrong checked the time on his phone. “How about we have dinner outside? I know a nice restaurant.”

Xu Yuan had a great time shopping, and since Meng Zhengrong paid for everything today, she didn’t hesitate for long before nodding in agreement. “Sure.”

To her, having a meal outside was no different from eating at home when it came to spending time with him.

Meng Zhengrong took Xu Yuan to a restaurant he used to frequent. It was strategically located, and from their seats, they could see a large part of the city’s night skyline.

The restaurant’s largest initial investor happened to be one of Meng Zhengrong’s good friends. He had been a VIP at this restaurant since its opening. When the manager spotted Meng Zhengrong, he hurriedly led them to the best spot in the restaurant with a panoramic view.

Once seated, Xu Yuan looked around. The tables were spaced out nicely, and sitting here allowed them to enjoy the view outside. It was late afternoon, and the sun had not yet fully set. The remaining sunlight painted the whole restaurant in a beautiful orange glow.

In Xu Yuan’s eyes, the scenery was beautiful, but in Meng Zhengrong’s eyes, Xu Yuan at this moment was a picturesque sight.

She was dressed in a light blue dress with a V-neck design that accentuated her fair neck and graceful collarbone. Her slightly curled long hair hung down casually. Her makeup was subtle, with pinkish lips, and her face seemed filled with collagen, exuding a youthful charm. Meng Zhengrong looked at her and couldn’t help but think that he was no longer young.

A strange question suddenly flashed in his mind: If they walked together, would others think she was his younger sister?

“Did you graduate last year?” Meng Zhengrong couldn’t help but ask this question.

Xu Yuan was momentarily surprised. She had a basic understanding of the original owner’s situation, and indeed, she had graduated last year. So, she nodded.

“When I was your age, I never even thought about getting married,” Meng Zhengrong said without really thinking. He immediately regretted saying it.

Even if he did feel that he wasn’t young anymore, he couldn’t reveal such a world-weary sentiment in front of his wife. Besides, such words could easily make him appear as if he had a very colorful love history when he was young…

As Meng Zhengrong was thinking of how to smoothly change the topic without Xu Yuan noticing, she calmly replied, “Neither did I.”

She had no idea what marriage was back then, and she never thought about spending her life with someone.

Now, she had been given a second chance at life, and becoming someone else was a gain for her. But along with the new life, she also had to shoulder the original owner’s responsibilities and obligations.

Yes, for Xu Yuan, Meng Zhengrong was more of a responsibility than a husband.

At first, Meng Zhengrong didn’t understand Xu Yuan’s intention, but after a few seconds, he realized and chuckled, “… Yeah, you’re still so young.”

The two of them exchanged glances, and Xu Yuan was the first to avert her gaze. Regardless of what they were thinking at this moment, since one was Mr. Meng and the other was Mrs. Meng, they were the most compatible business partners. Their unspoken goal was to make this marriage successful.

On the table, there were two candlelit lamps, and they both ordered steaks. Xu Yuan wasn’t very skilled at cutting, and she didn’t rush. Instead, she watched Meng Zhengrong cut for a while. Then, she pondered for a moment and awkwardly picked up the knife and fork. In no time, she started cutting just fine. She couldn’t help feeling a little pleased with herself, thinking that she was quite clever.

Meng Zhengrong was still contemplating whether to ask about Chen Hao’s situation.

Originally, he didn’t want to inquire about his wife’s past relationships because they were all in the past, and he hadn’t given it much thought. However, the situation is different now. They had run into each other today, and he had at least a bit of curiosity. But then he thought that asking directly might not be a good idea. Would it affect the atmosphere between them?

In the end, as they were eating steak, Meng Zhengrong looked up at Xu Yuan in the candlelight and decided not to ask anything.

Regardless of their current feelings, now that they were husband and wife, respect and trust were what she deserved.

Just then, Xu Yuan’s phone, placed on the table, rang. She glanced at it and saw an unfamiliar number. Instinctively, she reached for the phone to answer the call but accidentally knocked over her wine glass, causing a bit of chaos. Her phone inadvertently went on speakerphone.

The unfamiliar male voice from the other end said, “Xiao Yuan, it’s me.”

Meng Zhengrong and Xu Yuan were both momentarily stunned, looking at each other.

Subsequently, an awkward silence ensued.

Xu Yuan could guess that the caller was probably the original owner’s ex-boyfriend or someone with a romantic history. Otherwise, why would this person behave so strangely?

Meng Zhengrong also remained silent, passing her a tissue, and clasping his hands together on the table.

He was staring at Xu Yuan, wondering what she would do.

Originally, if it were anyone else calling, Xu Yuan would have certainly cancelled the speakerphone. But now…

Very naturally, Xu Yuan pushed her phone in Meng Zhengrong’s direction and said, “It’s me. Is there something you want?”

Meng Zhengrong raised an eyebrow, surprised that Xu Yuan was letting him listen to the call. He hadn’t expected her to keep it on speakerphone.

The caller, Chen Hao, fell into an awkward silence on the other end of the line. He didn’t understand why he had made this call. Truthfully, he had no face left to contact Xu Yuan. Although friends and family didn’t say it out loud, he knew they all looked down on him. When Xu Yuan got married, he breathed a sigh of relief. She had beaten him to it, reducing his guilt. Over time, his friends and family would slowly come to understand and forget.

However, he had never expected to run into Xu Yuan again in this manner.

Chen Hao suddenly realized that he wasn’t as happy as he thought he would be when Xu Yuan treated him as a stranger. Instead, he felt an indescribable discomfort and loss.

Once he returned home, he couldn’t calm down at all. In the end, he gritted his teeth and dialled Xu Yuan’s number.

It wasn’t that he had any intention of trying to win Xu Yuan back. He had indeed developed feelings for someone else. But he couldn’t accept Xu Yuan’s unfamiliar gaze.

Chen Hao thought that even if they couldn’t be lovers, they could at least be friends. He hoped that by calling, he could at least establish a friendly connection with her. Wasn’t that reasonable?

“Uh, is your car, okay? I wanted to call and check on you after the accident, but I was too busy. You are not hurt, are you?”

As soon as he said this, Xu Yuan and Meng Zhengrong both knew who the caller was.

Xu Yuan felt somewhat helpless. How long has it been since the original owner’s accident? It was clear that this call was not for genuine concern. Even if there wasn’t a malicious intent behind it, it certainly wasn’t a sincere show of care. Since Xu Yuan had woken up and become herself, she hadn’t received any calls or inquiries from this person.

Chen Hao knew that what he said was self-defeating and somewhat ridiculous, but he had no choice. He didn’t know what reason he could use to contact Xu Yuan.

For someone like him, Xu Yuan didn’t want to say more than a word. She tilted her head and, upon seeing Meng Zhengrong’s expression, felt a moment of astonishment.

Was it her imagination, or did Meng Zhengrong’s expression at this moment resemble that of the emperor when he was about to get angry? She was really afraid of such an expression.

If it weren’t for the fact that she knew the person in front of her wasn’t the emperor…

However, Xu Yuan didn’t want to talk to someone like that. She calmly pushed her phone in Meng Zhengrong’s direction and said, “Sorry if there’s nothing, I’ll hang up.”

After saying this, Xu Yuan hung up the phone without giving Chen Hao a chance to say anything else.

Seeing Xu Yuan’s attitude, Meng Zhengrong’s expression softened considerably.