Wan San burst in, seething with anger, but faced with her gentle smile, he froze. After a moment, he set his bag down and awkwardly tugged at his clothes, suddenly self-conscious.
Uncle Zhang came in carrying a crate of liquor. The moment he saw Wan San, he snapped, “So you still remember to come back!”
Cao Yanhua chuckled—the scolding sounded just like a wife chiding her husband for staying out all night.
But then Uncle Zhang noticed him too.
“Fatty Cao! What am I going to do with you?”
Cao Yanhua lowered his head, muttering to himself, If you don’t know what to say, then don’t say it.
Uncle Zhang turned his eyes to Mu Dai next.
She had slipped her arm through Luo Ren’s and leaned her head against him.
After all, she was the little boss’s daughter—and now had a boyfriend standing beside her. Uncle Zhang kept his face stern but said nothing more to her.
When he looked at Luo Ren, though, his tone softened. Luo Ren was an outsider, after all.
He praised Ping Ting in front of him: “This girl’s such a treasure. I worried she couldn’t handle it, but she listens carefully and learns fast. I even told Old Zheng, if we don’t pay Ping Ting some wages, I’ll feel guilty.”
Then, glancing at Mu Dai, he added pointedly, “Better than some people.”
Mu Dai lifted her chin as if to say, Go ahead and talk—I’ve got a thick skin.
Luo Ren smiled lightly. “Where’s Uncle Zheng?”
“At Phoenix Tower, busy with preparations.” Uncle Zhang suddenly remembered something. “You came back at the perfect time. The grand opening’s just a day or two away.”
Mu Dai pulled Yan Hongsha upstairs to stay with her. Poor Wan San and Cao Yanhua, though, had their bunks moved again by Uncle Zhang—this time shoved into the tiny storage room stacked with wine and supplies.
Luo Ren went to check on Phoenix Tower.
He was surprised—after only a few days, the storefront had been completely redone. For a small restaurant, the renovations were impressive.
More than that, the place had a certain… grace.
A woman’s touch.
Ping Ting hadn’t recovered enough to be planning this. Could it be…
Had Huo Zihong returned?
But when he pushed the door open, he realized he was wrong.
The one sitting at the front desk, head bowed, wasn’t her.
Luo Ren’s brows furrowed.
Inside, the work wasn’t quite finished—packing paper and materials littered the floor. Uncle Zheng stepped out from the back, surprised and pleased. “Little Knife Luo, you’re back! Couldn’t even make a phone call first?”
If Cao Yanhua had been there, he’d surely complain again: Why do all these old men sound like wives scolding their husbands?
Luo Ren, however, said nothing. He just looked at Lian Shu.
Uncle Zheng hurried to introduce them. “This is Miss Lian Shu, our neighbor—she runs the shop across the street. When I was busy with renovations, picking materials and finding crews, she was kind enough to help out a lot. Gave me plenty of advice, too—oh, look here!”
He quickly fetched a sketch from the counter to show Luo Ren. “This is her drawing—the interior layout. Neat and precise. Much better than my half-baked ideas.”
Luo Ren glanced at it. “Not bad.”
Lian Shu smiled. “Most of the items in my store are self-designed. Sketching patterns is just basic training.”
Then she smiled at Uncle Zheng. “If that’s all for now, I’ll head back. Still missing a roll of wallpaper. I’ll go check tomorrow.”
She walked toward the door. Luo Ren watched her go, then suddenly said, “Wait.”
She paused and turned back. Luo Ren grabbed Uncle Zheng’s arm, shoving him toward the exit. “Step outside.”
Uncle Zheng looked baffled, but also faintly understanding.
These two clearly knew each other.
“Little Knife Luo,” he urged, “Miss Lian is helping out of kindness. Be polite to her. Luo—”
He stumbled as Luo Ren pushed him out. The glass door slammed shut behind him, and Luo Ren even slid the lock into place.
Uncle Zheng stared, dumbfounded.
This damned Luo Knife, what the hell is he doing?
He wanted to yell through the glass, but Luo Ren gave him a sharp look and reached for the pull cords.
With a few quick tugs, the bamboo blinds dropped down, cutting off all view from outside.
Uncle Zheng fumed, wanting to kick the freshly painted door—but he couldn’t bring himself to. All he could do was curse silently: That reckless Luo Knife!
Inside, Lian Shu was startled, a little uneasy.
Luo Ren pulled over a chair and sat down in front of her. She was standing, but somehow, the way he looked at her felt like he was the one towering over her.
His face was unreadable. “No one else here now. We’re both adults. Let’s cut the crap and speak plainly. What’s your game?”
Lian Shu forced a smile, uneasy. “What do you mean, ‘what game’?”
“Don’t tell me it’s just pure kindness,” Luo Ren said with a cold smile. “You’ve been asking about me, haven’t you?”
Her scalp tingled. She looked at his face, equal parts annoyed and oddly relieved.
So that was it.
She sighed. “Yeah.”
“And what did you find out?”
“Not much. Just that you’ve got a younger sister figure, Ping Ting, and Uncle Zheng once thought about matchmaking the two of you. But then, turns out you got yourself a girlfriend.”
She tilted her head toward the bar. “That girl over there. I don’t know her well, but I’ve seen her.”
Luo Ren’s brows knit tighter.
Lian Shu actually laughed.
“Relax, Luo Ren,” she said. “I’m just interested in you. Yeah, I noticed you coming into this place before, so I kept an eye out. Later, when Uncle Zheng needed help, I pitched in—for your sake. But I did help. I put in plenty of work here.”
Luo Ren’s voice stayed calm. “Work deserves pay. So what’s your price?”
Her face stiffened, then she forced a smile. “Not even a meal in return?”
He pulled out his wallet. “How much is one meal?”
Her temples throbbed with frustration. She’d told herself not to let him get under her skin—but somehow, with just a few words, he always did.
No. Even if she lost, she wouldn’t lose face.
She drew a deep breath and laughed breezily.
“Come on, Luo Ren. Don’t be such a coward. I’m saying I’m interested in you. I took the chance to ask around, that’s all. I didn’t do anything shady, didn’t try to stir up trouble with your girlfriend. I’m saying it straight out, open and honest. You’re a grown man—what’s there to be afraid of?”
She went to the door, unlatched the lock he’d set. “If that’s all, I’ll be going. I’ve got an appointment with Uncle Zheng tomorrow to pick out wallpaper.”
She stepped outside. A gust of wind blew in, then the glass door rattled shut again, sealing the coolness out.
Luo Ren tugged at his collar, restless and irritable. After a moment, the door shifted again. He thought it was Lian Shu coming back, and his face darkened.
But the door cracked open just a sliver—revealing Mu Dai’s mischievous eyes.
Luo Ren couldn’t help but smile. “Come here.”
She slipped inside, grinning, and threw her arms around him. Tilting her head back, she said, “Uncle Zheng’s tattling on you. Said you dragged a pretty girl inside, locked the door, pulled the blinds. What exactly were you planning to do?”
She looked around, pretending to be serious. “Where’s the pretty girl? Hm? Where is she?”
Luo Ren answered, “Right here, in my arms.”
Sam Williams On TYMIMA Chapter 152