Chapter 249: Chapter 249

Hua Xiaomo quickly closed the door and stood with her arms crossed, watching the man.

"Did President Qi send you?" Hua Xiaomo continued to ask, her gaze fixed on his astonished expression.

"Miss Hua, you’ve misunderstood. I’m not here as a thief. I’m here on behalf of President Qi to return something to you," Yu Bao said quickly, recalling Qi Longbing’s prior instruction: if he were exposed, he was to return the item to her.

"Return something?" Hua Xiaomo was puzzled. Wasn’t he ordered to steal my cell phone?

But she quickly composed herself and asked, "Return what?"

Yu Bao took out a Butterfly Brooch from his coat pocket and held it up in front of her. "This item... it should be yours, right?"

"Uh..." Hua Xiaomo froze for a moment. She recognized it at a glance—it was the gift from Brother Long! She’d never expected it to have been with Qi Longbing all this time. No wonder she couldn’t find it anywhere! He must have picked it up in that gay bar. But this isn’t just an ordinary brooch; I wonder if that guy knows the secret it holds? Well, whether he knows or not isn’t important now.

Hua Xiaomo stepped forward, took the Butterfly Brooch from Yu Bao’s hand, and said lightly, "Thank you for bringing it to me. This is indeed mine."

"Now that the item has been returned to its owner, my task is complete. I’ll take my leave," Yu Bao said. As he turned towards the door, Hua Xiaomo watched his profile and suddenly spoke, "Mr. Yu, please wait."

Yu Bao stopped, a hint of contemplation in his eyes, but he still asked, "Miss Hua, is there anything else?"

His question made Hua Xiaomo swallow the words she had been about to ask. Instead, she smiled abruptly. "It’s nothing."

Maybe he really did just come to return the brooch, not to steal my phone.

"Hmm. Miss Hua, take care of yourself," Yu Bao managed to reply. He then went downstairs and was about to leave through the main entrance when, suddenly, the doorbell rang. Hua Xiaomo was startled by the sound and immediately rushed to the first-floor hall. She quickly gestured to Yu Bao, then pointed towards a window on the first floor.

Yu Bao nodded, decisively opened another first-floor window, and climbed out, slipping away.

Once Hua Xiaomo saw Yu Bao had gone, she opened the door. Her eyes lit up when she saw the elegant man in a gray windbreaker standing outside.

"Brother Long, what are you doing here?" Hua Xiaomo asked with a smile.

"I just got off my night shift and was grabbing a late-night snack outside, but I ordered too much," Long Shangxuan said as he walked in, carrying a bag filled with takeout containers. "I couldn’t finish it all myself, so I thought of you, Auntie, and you, Xiao Mo. I brought it to share."

Seeing the bag in his hand, Hua Xiaomo felt her heart warm. "Thank you, Brother Long, but my mom’s already asleep on the second floor."

"Auntie’s asleep? Well, then I’ll eat with you!" Long Shangxuan said with a laugh, his phoenix eyes shimmering with a soft and tender light.

"Mm-hmm," Hua Xiaomo nodded happily. She took the bag from his hand and placed it on the coffee table in the dining room. As she opened it to look inside, she exclaimed, "Huh? It looks like there are no chopsticks. Brother Long, wait here, I’ll go to the kitchen and get some for you!"

Hua Xiaomo quickly stood up and headed to the kitchen. Soon, she found two pairs of disposable chopsticks. She also placed the Butterfly Brooch, which she had been holding in her palm, on a kitchen counter.

Before leaving the kitchen, she cast a deliberate glance at the Butterfly Brooch, and a soft glow instantly filled her amber eyes.

Although the camera in the Butterfly Brooch no longer held any real value, it was a gift from Brother Long, and she would definitely treasure it. Of course, that means I can’t let it get greasy or anything while we’re eating.

Hua Xiaomo smiled sweetly. Soon, she stepped out of the kitchen and returned to the dining room.

By then, Long Shangxuan had already taken all the takeout containers out of the bag and placed them on the table. Seeing her emerge with the chopsticks, he offered her a radiant, warm smile.

"Xiao Mo, come and see what Brother Long has brought you," Long Shangxuan said with a smile.

Hua Xiaomo carefully examined the table. "Wow, grilled abalone, grilled scallops, grilled bullfrogs, and so many king prawns!"

She looked at these delicacies one by one, her mouth almost watering. "There are also beer chicken wings and chicken feet! This is fantastic!"

"Oh my, my appetite is definitely gonna be huge now! And crab roe porridge... Brother Long, you really know how to order! These are all my favorites!"

"Then don’t just stand there looking, let’s dig in and finish them off!"

Soon, the two of them began to feast. In that moment, Hua Xiaomo’s heart was filled with a gentle warmth.

To have her boyfriend’s warm and tender company so late at night... what a blissful feeling!

As Hua Xiaomo ate, something came to mind, and she said with a smile, "Brother Long, I already emailed Qi Longbing. We’ve settled things, so he won’t bother me anymore."

Hearing this, Long Shangxuan smiled subtly. "Oh, that’s great!"

"Look at you, slow down! No one’s going to steal it from you!" Long Shangxuan said considerately. He then lifted his hand and gently wiped a crumb from the corner of her mouth with a napkin.

Hua Xiaomo smiled and quietly let him wipe the corner of her mouth. Perhaps it was the environment, or the cozy atmosphere, but they unconsciously moved their chairs closer to each other.

Long Shangxuan looked at her, his hand, still near the corner of her mouth from wiping it, paused. He slowly drew his hand away, his gaze fixed on her beautiful face. Then, he began to lean his own face closer to hers...

Suddenly, Hua Xiaomo’s heart began to pound. But just as she swallowed, she let out a small belch. The sound instantly shattered the charged atmosphere.

She turned her face away with an embarrassed smile. "Brother Long, I’m full."

Long Shangxuan quickly straightened up. The memory of the moment just now brought a faint awkwardness to his handsome face. "Good that you’re full. I’ll take these leftovers to the fridge for you!"

"No, I can get it!" Hua Xiaomo started to say, but Long Shangxuan had already stood up.

"It’s just a small thing, I can do it!"

Long Shangxuan quickly gathered the leftover grilled food from the table into a bag and headed for the kitchen.

Watching his retreating figure enter the kitchen, Hua Xiaomo’s pretty face beamed with a smile. If anyone ever dares to say a bad word about my Brother Long, I’ll definitely fall out with them! There’s no man in this world as perfect as him. He might not be the richest, but his thoughtfulness, his gentleness, his understanding, his talent... He has so many excellent qualities that most people could never hope to match. Thɪs chapter is updatᴇd by 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝⚑𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖⚑𝕟𝕖𝕥