Moments later, the waitress served the dishes they had ordered—grilled ribeye steak, medium rare, accompanied by cacio e pepe and seared scallops on the side. The rich aroma of butter and pepper rose softly between them, steam curling upward beneath the warm glow of the lights.
They began to dine in silence, the quiet broken only by the soft clink of knife against plate, echoing faintly through the room.
Just then, Song Meiqi looked up, her gaze lifting to Wang Zi Rui. "So… how is it?" she asked, tilting her head slightly in curiosity. "Is it delicious?" she added.
Zi Rui didn't answer immediately. He took a moment, letting the flavors settle before meeting her gaze. "Not bad," he said finally.
Meiqi lifted the corners of her mouth, glad at his response. "I heard their ribeye steak is famous around here, and… it really is delicious."
Zi Rui nodded and cut another piece of steak, chewing it slowly. Meiqi did the same, and a sudden thought struck her—she had never imagined she'd be dining with one of the most powerful figures in the capital.
A soft chuckle escaped her lips.
Zi Rui, caught off guard, shifted his gaze toward her. "What's so funny?"
Meiqi tilted her head, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "Nothing… it's just that, seeing you eat, you seem more… like an ordinary person."
"What do you mean? I am an ordinary person," he said quietly, his voice calm.
Meiqi shook her head again, amusement in her eyes. "You're the son of the richest man in the country. You're not that simple."
Zi Rui lowered his fork slightly, meeting her gaze steadily. "Then you're not ordinary either," he said. Meiqi blinked, tilting her head in confusion. "Me?"
Zi Rui nodded, his expression unreadable but steady. "Exactly… you're an idol with millions of fans, aren't you?" Meiqi couldn't help but laugh lightly. "Then we're not that simple, then," she said, with no intention of rebutting him.
Moments later, after finishing almost everything on the table, Zi Rui turned to look at Meiqi. An idea struck him. "Ms. Song, how about we… go for a drink?"
Meiqi paused at his words, caught off guard by the sudden invitation, but then nodded. "But… this time, let me decide the place," she said, insisting.
…
Meanwhile, outside Meiqi and Zi Rui's room, a small group had gathered, lingering silently.
"Reservation for Mr. Chen," the head manager of the staff greeted them, his manner respectful as he acknowledged the tall, lean young man in a white long-sleeve shirt leading the group.
The man was Chen Liwei, the first son of the Chen family—the most prominent family in Province A. Liwei followed the head manager as he led them toward their private room, when his sister suddenly grabbed his arm.
Liwei turned, and so did the pretty lady in the slip dress beside him. Two others followed close behind: his sister's boyfriend, Fan Peizhi, and their cousin, Chen Mimi.
"Brother," Chen Xiaoyu, Liwei's sister, whispered, her voice tight with disbelief. "Isn't that… Meiqi?" She pointed toward the two figures just emerging from the other room.
At that moment, Meiqi just adjusted the cap over her head, letting only part of her face be visible for a brief instant.
Liwei's eyes narrowed slightly, and the group exchanged uneasy glances. For a second, no one spoke.
"No…" Liwei's voice cut through the silence. "No way." He repeated the words, his tone clear and certain, though his eyes darkened for a moment—an expression of unease only the lady beside him noticed.
There's no way that woman would come back here, Liwei thought, forcing himself to look forward toward their reserved room.
Seeing her brother's reaction, Xiaoyu bit her lip, forcing herself to believe his words. The rest of the group followed as if nothing had happened, yet the lady in the slip dress couldn't look away from the two figures exiting the restaurant.
She wondered who Xiaoyu had pointed out—enough to make her boyfriend tense.
…
An hour later, Meiqi pulled to a stop near a gentle cliff, a spot where travelers often parked to take in the night view. Below, the valley stretched out, a sea of twinkling city lights that seemed endless. Above them, stars spilled across the sky, while tall trees framed the cliff, giving the place a quiet, secluded feel.
"How is it?" Meiqi asked, lifting her hands slightly to emphasize the view. Zi Rui, following behind her with a bag of canned beer they had picked up at a store, nodded in agreement.
Meiqi smiled and settled onto a bench. "I found this place by accident when I was exploring," she said, glancing at Zi Rui as he sat down beside her.
Then she pointed toward a small village near the sea. "I lived there for a while."
Zi Rui took a sip of his beer and shifted his gaze to where she was pointing. "Ah… so that's where you ran off to," he said, a trace of amusement in his tone.
Meiqi chuckled. "Maybe," she replied, taking a sip of her own beer as the familiar taste filled her mouth. Then she glanced at him, curiosity flickering in her eyes. "You… why are you here… Mr. Wang?"
For a brief moment, Zi Rui simply took another sip. "Work," he said finally.
Meiqi let out a short, exasperated laugh. "Why did I even ask?" she muttered, shaking her head in disappointment.
"Ah…Did I disappoint you?"
"Yeah… you did"