Chapter 368: Chapter 368

Song Qiao lowered her head to look at the white porcelain bowl in front of her without looking at him. After a few seconds of silence, she raised her head to look at the man opposite her and revealed a faint smile as she spoke, "I don’t have much of an appetite today. You can’t force me to eat if I don’t want to, right?"

"Is it that you’re really not hungry, or is it because I am sitting in front of you that you’ve lost your appetite?" The man set down his chopsticks, picked up a napkin to wipe the corners of his mouth, and with a calm gaze from the back of his chair, he watched the woman sitting opposite.

The expression on the man’s face and his tone were devoid of any fluctuations, as if he was stating something completely mundane.

That sentence wasn’t a question, but rather carried a tone of certainty.

Song Qiao was visibly shaken, her hand holding the chopsticks unconsciously started to curl up, and despite gritting her teeth, she spoke, "My lack of appetite has nothing to do with you."

Lu Jingchen didn’t react much to her words; his handsome face regained its composure, and his expression was so indifferent that it was hard to read his emotions. He simply responded lightly, "Alright, whatever I serve you now, you will eat, and you will finish it all."

With that, he picked up his chopsticks ready to help Song Qiao with her food.

Song Qiao pursed her lips as she watched the man across from her, her heart undisturbed, as if she had already expected the man to act this way. Biting her lip, she watched as his chopsticks picked up the delicate and tender fish, but instead of placing it directly into her bowl, he took a new bowl, carefully picked out the fish bones, and only then placed the fish in her bowl.

The table was rectangular, just long enough that he could extend his hand to reach in front of her without needing to stand up.

Song Qiao looked at the fish in her bowl; the bones had been removed, but she still didn’t feel like eating, even less so now.

Lu Jingchen watched her steadily, a smile hanging on his face that didn’t reach his eyes, and his tone indifferent as he said, "Eat; otherwise, I’ll have you finish all the dishes on this table later."

His tone was no longer as calm as before, even carrying a hint of a threat.

Song Qiao suddenly looked up at him, but as she met his lukewarm gaze, she swallowed the words she was about to say and started eating the fish with her chopsticks.

It must be said that the chef in this restaurant made delicious meals – the fish was very fresh and succulent. Song Qiao didn’t usually eat fish, and even in a whole year, she rarely had fish. Not because she didn’t like it, but because she once choked on a fish bone as a child, which left her with a phobia.

That’s why at home, when fish was prepared, she usually just looked at it and rarely touched it. For one thing, picking out the bones was a hassle, and she didn’t like it.

This time, Lu Jingchen was considerate enough to pick the bones out for her.

Just as she finished the fish, another boneless piece appeared in her bowl. Song Qiao lifted her gaze and glanced indifferently at the man across from her, noting he was peeling shrimp for her. His motions were adept; despite the greasiness from the shrimp on his fingers, he appeared unconcerned as he carefully peeled a shrimp for her and placed it in the empty bowl, and then reached for another to continue.

Seeing Lu Jingchen peeling shrimp and picking out fish bones for her, Song Qiao’s mood inexplicably improved.

She knew she was going soft again.

Sometimes she disliked this aspect of her character, easily yielding, which she found quite troublesome.

By the end of the meal, Song Qiao had indeed eaten quite a bit. Lu Jingchen returned from a trip to the restroom and immediately took her hand to head out of the restaurant.

Song Qiao was unaccustomed to Lu Jingchen holding her hand in this manner, after all, such actions, in her mind, were only suited for couples.

Their relationship...simply wasn’t fit for romance.

"President Lu?" Just as they were about to exit the door, a surprised voice came from behind.

Lu Jingchen stopped in his tracks and turned around, and Song Qiao also stopped and turned to see a man in his forties walking towards them. The man was dressed in an expensive suit, which clearly seemed costly, and he wore a designer watch. Upon seeing Lu Jingchen, his face immediately showed a smile as he walked over to them.

Lu Jingchen’s brows lifted slightly, recognizing the man as the president of a company that collaborated with CK Group. He greeted him familiarly, "President Chen, what a coincidence."

Upon seeing that Lu Jingchen still remembered him, President Chen’s smile deepened, and he enthusiastically spoke, "It’s an honor that President Lu still remembers me."

Lu Jingchen smiled back but did not say much, his face from start to finish wore a distant politeness.

President Chen’s gaze fell on Song Qiao, and with a mix of confusion and curiosity, he addressed Lu Jingchen, "President Lu, this lady is...?"

If he remembers correctly, Lu Jingchen has always been free of scandals—there’s even a rumor among the circle that he’s indifferent to women.

When he saw Lu Jingchen earlier, he thought he was seeing things; after all, Lu Jingchen was holding a woman’s hand, and they seemed unusually close.

Especially since there had been no rumors of Lu Jingchen having a girlfriend, let alone a fiancée.

Lu Jingchen’s expression was unchanged as he casually wrapped an arm around Song Qiao’s waist and introduced her without batting an eyelid, "This is my wife, Song Qiao."

The man was taken aback, his gaze shifting between Song Qiao and Lu Jingchen. His lips quivered, but he said nothing.

Lu Jingchen pinched Song Qiao’s waist, signaling her to act. Initially planning to remain silent, she was prompted by his pinch. Grinding her teeth, a slight smile appeared on her face; her every move exuded the grace of a lady of high society as she directly addressed President Chen with a smile, "Hello, President Chen."

President Chen immediately snapped back to reality, nodding his head before speaking to Lu Jingchen, "President Lu, that’s not very noble of you. You got married without letting anyone know. If I hadn’t seen you here today, would you still be hiding your wife away? Mr. He was even talking about matching you up recently. Who would have guessed that you are already married?" Discover more novels at novel·fire.net

With no extra smile on his face, Lu Jingchen still responded, "We just haven’t had the chance to announce it yet. President Chen, we were actually planning to send you the wedding invitation today. The invitation should arrive at your place this afternoon."

"You’re planning a wedding ceremony?" President Chen was also somewhat surprised.

Lu Jingchen nodded and frankly admitted, "On the fifteenth of next month, my wife and I will be holding the wedding. We hope you can attend."

"Sure, of course!" President Chen didn’t decline. After all, considering Lu Jingchen’s status, it was them who aspired to connect with him.

CK Corporation had monopolized a large part of An City’s development. To be able to cooperate with CK Corporation was all advantage and no downside. Moreover... Lu Jingchen was the youngest and most promising man in An City.

Only a fool would oppose Lu Jingchen.

After leaving the restaurant, Song Qiao and Lu Jingchen were sitting in the car, neither of them speaking. The hand he placed on her waist didn’t move away.

Suppressing the urge to fling his hand off, Song Qiao turned to look out of the car window instead.

Now that it’s been made clear, it’s impossible to call off the wedding. If their relationship isn’t splashed across the magazine covers tomorrow, she would be all too grateful—thank heavens and earth.

Lu Jingchen lifted his eyes and looked at her. His gaze was deep as he suddenly pinched her chin, turning her face towards him, his voice low and attractive, "Not happy?"

Song Qiao looked up at him and coolly uttered two words, "Not really."

"You are unhappy," the man insisted, as if he hadn’t heard her response, expressing his certainty.

Song Qiao tugged at the corner of her mouth, revealing a self-mocking smile, and said calmly, "If I’m unhappy, are you planning to coax me into happiness?"

"I’m not good at coaxing," the man maintained his good temper, his intense gaze fixed on her as if he could see right into the depths of her eyes. He parted his lips, continuing, "Or should I give you a kiss to make you happy?"

Song Qiao, "..." What kind of solution is that, a kiss?

Just as Song Qiao was about to refuse, the man’s lips were already sealing hers, kissing her naturally, yet not as forcefully as before, nor like a French kiss. Instead, it was gentle pecks at the corner of her mouth, as if he was truly enamored with her lips.

Song Qiao was caught off guard, instinctively raising her hand to push him away.

However, Lu Jingchen, as if enlightened, immediately grasped both her wrists.

For a moment, even the narrow space within the car was filled with an air of irresistible, ambiguous intimacy.

The man kissed her deeply, without any hesitation, his long fingers pinching her chin, leaving her no room to escape—their breathing audible between them.

Song Qiao was completely overpowered in an instant, largely because the man’s kissing technique was too refined, and this kiss had taken her by surprise, leaving her disoriented and her eyes cloaked in a haze.