380: Chapter 380 Romantic Encounters?

In the evening, at a high-end Chinese restaurant on the Bund.

The private room was brightly lit, and outside the window was the dazzling night view of the Huangpu River, with the Oriental Pearl Tower shining brilliantly in the night.

Ye Chen sat in a grand armchair, picked up his teacup, and took a slow sip.

To his left sat Yan Qingwu, and to his right sat Yu Xin.

Across the table, the two women's gazes met from time to time, sparks flying.

Ye Chen acted as if he didn't see it.

He came here today to eat, not to stop women from fighting.

Otherwise...

Wouldn't he lose his appetite?

“Mr. Ye, try this.”

Yu Xin picked up the serving chopsticks, grabbed a piece of Braised Pork, and placed it on the plate in front of Ye Chen, her smile as bright as a flower.

“This is the signature dish of this restaurant. It uses black pork belly, slow-simmered for four hours. It's fatty but not greasy, and it melts in your mouth.”

Yan Qingwu glanced over and gave a soft laugh. “Miss Yu certainly knows how to take care of people.”

Yu Xin's smile remained unchanged.

“It's only right. Mr. Ye is my savior; what's wrong with taking care of him a little?”

Yan Qingwu nodded, picked up her chopsticks, and also grabbed a piece of Steamed Shad, placing it on Ye Chen's plate.

“A-Chen, try this. It's very fresh.”

Her tone was so gentle she seemed like a different person.

Hmm...

She had lost her usual competitive demeanor.

The smile on Yu Xin's face stiffened slightly.

A-Chen?

Calling him so intimately?

Hmph!

She's definitely doing it on purpose!

Let's see how long you can keep up this act.

She took a deep breath, picked up her chopsticks, and grabbed a serving of green vegetables.

“Mr. Ye, a balance of meat and vegetables is healthy. These seasonal greens are also very good.”

Not to be outdone, Yan Qingwu grabbed a shrimp.

“A-Chen, Longjing Shrimp—light and refreshing.”

Yu Xin served more.

Yan Qingwu served more.

The two of them went back and forth with their chopsticks, and in the blink of an eye, the food on the plate in front of Ye Chen had piled up into a small mountain.

Ye Chen looked down at the small mountain and fell silent for two seconds.

Then.

He looked up, his gaze landing on the faces of the two women.

“Are you two trying to feed me like a pig?”

Yan Qingwu: “...”

Yu Xin: “...”

The two glanced at each other, then simultaneously looked away, pretending nothing had happened.

Just then.

A series of smacking sounds came from across the table.

Ye Chen turned his head and looked toward the sound.

Then.

He was left completely speechless.

Opposite them, the monk Abstinence from Color was holding a roast chicken, his mouth covered in grease from devouring it.

The roast chicken was golden and oily, its aroma filling the air.

Abstinence from Color gripped a chicken leg in each hand, alternating bites as his teeth tore through the fragrant, crispy skin, making loud smacking sounds.

Juices flowed down the corners of his mouth; he didn't even wipe them, just licked them back into his mouth with his tongue.

That way of eating was truly unrestrained and utterly self-absorbed.

Watching him like this, the corners of Ye Chen's mouth twitched slightly.

“Master.”

Abstinence from Color didn't even look up, his mouth stuffed full as he gave a muffled response.

“Mmm... Benefactor Ye, what is it?”

Ye Chen pointed at the roast chicken in his hand. “You monk, eating meat so joyfully—isn't that a bit much?”

Abstinence from Color finally looked up, his greasy face full of seriousness.

“Amitabha.”

“Benefactor Ye, you are mistaken.”

“This monk is not eating meat; I am delivering this chicken from suffering.”

Ye Chen: “???”

Yan Qingwu: “???”

Yu Xin: “???”

Abstinence from Color explained with a straight face.

“In its past life, this chicken committed sins, so in this life, it has become a dish on a plate.”

“This monk eats it to help it find liberation sooner, to escape the sea of bitterness and be reborn in the Western Paradise.”

“This is great mercy and great merit.”

As he spoke, he tore off another piece of leg meat and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing with great relish.

“You see, being eaten into this monk's stomach is its karmic reward.”

“I chant sutras and pray to Buddha every day. With this chicken in my belly, it can also catch a bit of Buddhist aura. Perhaps in its next life, it can be reincarnated into a better existence.”

“If this isn't delivering it from suffering, then what is?”

Ye Chen: “...”

Yan Qingwu: “...”

Yu Xin: “...”

The three of them looked at each other, momentarily speechless.

This monk's crooked logic was truly something else.

Yu Xin couldn't take it anymore. She slammed her chopsticks onto the table and couldn't help but complain.

“Stinky monk, I shouldn't have listened to my father and brought you along!”

“It's bad enough that you're making a fool of yourself, but you're also sitting here talking such nonsense with a straight face!”

As she spoke, her face turned red all the way to her ears.

She was the eldest miss of the Magic City's Yu Family, after all. Inviting her savior to dinner and bringing a monk was already strange enough.

Yet this monk was clutching a roast chicken, face covered in grease, talking about 'delivering all living beings'?

If word of this got out, where would she, Yu Xin, hide her face?

Hearing this, Abstinence from Color looked up, a profound smile appearing on his greasy face.

“Amitabha.”

“Benefactor Yu, you are mistaken.”

“If you hadn't brought this monk along, you wouldn't even be able to finish this meal.”

Yu Xin froze, looking bewildered. “What do you mean?”

Abstinence from Color didn't answer, simply returning to his chicken, mumbling incoherently with his mouth full.

“Heaven's secrets must not be revealed.”

Yu Xin: “...”

She took several deep breaths, trying hard to suppress the urge to roast him.

Forget it.

Taking this monk seriously would only make her the fool.

Ye Chen sat by the side, watching this scene, and couldn't help but laugh out loud.

This monk, though he talked a lot of nonsense, was actually quite interesting.

He picked up his teacup, just about to take a sip...

Suddenly.

There was a knock on the door of the private room.

Ye Chen's eyebrows twitched slightly. He set down his teacup and looked toward the door.

“Come in.”

The door was pushed open.

A Middle-aged Man in a black suit walked in, bowed slightly to everyone present, a smile on his face.

“Distinguished guests, excuse the interruption.”

“I am the manager of this restaurant, surnamed Zhou.”

“I have come unannounced because a certain guest would like to invite Mr. Ye for a brief chat.”

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow. “Invite me? Who?”

Manager Zhou's smile became even more respectful.

“It is the distinguished guest in the Peony Hall next door.”

“She said you would know once you get there.”

“How interesting.”

Ye Chen set down his teacup and stood up from his chair with a smile. “Then I'll go have a look.”

Yan Qingwu and Yu Xin looked at each other and also stood up at the same time.

Yan Qingwu spoke up directly, “Let's go, we'll go together.”

Although Yu Xin didn't speak, she had already left her seat, clearly having the same intention.

Manager Zhou, however, remained where he was, a look of difficulty appearing on his face.

“This...”

“That guest specifically requested that only Mr. Ye come alone.”

Yan Qingwu's brow furrowed, her expression instantly darkening.

“Inviting only one person?”

“What does that mean?”

“Is she too ashamed to be seen?”

There was a hint of irritation in Yan Qingwu's tone.

A layer of fine sweat broke out on Manager Zhou's forehead, but he still braced himself and said:

“Please calm your anger, miss. That guest indeed gave those instructions...”

“I am merely a messenger; please do not make things difficult for me!”

Yan Qingwu huffed coldly, about to flare up.

A hand lightly rested on her shoulder.

She turned her head and met Ye Chen's calm, steady eyes.

“I'll be right back. You two go ahead and eat.”

Yan Qingwu opened her mouth, wanting to say something.

But remembering that Ye Chen wasn't the type to let himself be taken advantage of, she felt relieved.

She took a deep breath and sat back down in her chair.

“Fine, fine. Just hurry back.”

“If you aren't back in ten minutes, I'll bring people to kick the door down.”

Ye Chen shook his head with a smile and turned to walk toward the door.

Manager Zhou hurried to step aside and bowed as he saw him out.

As soon as he left...

Another smacking sound came from across the table.

Abstinence from Color, holding his half-eaten roast chicken, looked up with a meaningful smile on his greasy face.

“Amitabha.”

“Benefactor Ye's departure... is a stroke of romantic luck.”

As those words fell.

Two pairs of eyes landed squarely on his face.

Both were filled with murderous intent.

The smile on Abstinence from Color's face instantly froze.

He looked at Yan Qingwu, then at Yu Xin, and then at the half-eaten roast chicken in his hand...

A chill rushed from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head.

“Amitabha!”

He hurriedly pressed his palms together, his face full of compassion.

“Ladies, I was just speaking casually! Just speaking casually!”

“Don't take it seriously! Absolutely don't take it seriously!”

Yan Qingwu sneered. “Speaking casually?”

Yu Xin also smiled. “Romantic luck?”

The two said in unison, “Explain yourself.”

The sweat on the monk's forehead poured down like rain.

He suddenly felt that he shouldn't have opened his mouth just now.

How was this romantic luck?

This was clearly his own misfortune!