Su Man blinked. “…Yes, that’s me.”

“This way, please.” The server led Su Man further inside, and said politely, “Mr. Lu reserved a table by the window. The weather conditions tonight are excellent — you’ll be able to see the stars.”

Su Man lifted her eyes toward the floor-to-ceiling glass windows. Sure enough, a scattering of stars shimmered in the dark beyond, not many, but for a city blanketed by light pollution, even a handful of visible stars was something to be grateful for.

She made a quiet mental note on the restaurant: the environment was refined, the atmosphere comfortable, service acceptable — now it came down to the food.

Lu Yuwen had just finished ordering. He saw Su Man approaching and immediately stood to greet her, smiling. “You look beautiful tonight.”

Su Man couldn’t help smiling back. “As if you haven’t already seen me in this outfit.”

“Tonight is different.” Lu Yuwen studied her carefully and said, “You’re wearing makeup today. Aren’t you?”

Su Man felt a faint rush of embarrassment.

She’d only done a light, subtle face — nothing obvious. She hadn’t expected Lu Yuwen to notice.

“The lighting in here is so dim, and you still caught it…” She sat down a little self-consciously, reaching up without thinking to touch her face. “Your powers of observation are remarkable.”

Lu Yuwen sat down across the table and said with a smile, “But you’re going to be a detective — your powers of observation should be even sharper than mine.”

Su Man thought about it — he had a point — and gave a decisive, earnest nod. “I’ll have to learn from you.”

Lu Yuwen picked up the menu and held it out to her. “I’ve already ordered. Take a look and see if you’d like to add anything.”

“That’s fine.” Su Man sat up straight, composed and serious. “I trust your taste.”

“I ordered the chef’s tasting menu. We’ll try it in a bit — I hope it won’t disappoint us.”

Lu Yuwen picked up his water glass and took a slow, unhurried sip. He was impeccably dressed tonight — suit and tie, a silver tie, and as he moved, his cufflinks caught the light, revealing a glimpse of an expensive metal watch on his wrist. There was something effortlessly distinguished about him, the quiet bearing of someone who had long inhabited the upper echelons of society.

Watching him in this composed, almost lordly manner, Su Man couldn’t help but laugh, and teased, “You look like some mysterious food critic lying in wait to find fault with the chef~”

“Find fault?” Lu Yuwen’s mouth curved, his eyes dropping slightly as he gave a slow shake of his head. “I wouldn’t find fault with the chef. In fact, quite the opposite — if he does well, I intend to reward him.”

Su Man asked curiously, “You’ll tip him?”

Lu Yuwen shook his head with a smile.

Su Man: “Then what kind of reward?”

He glanced left and right, then leaned forward slightly, closing the distance between them. “…Come closer.”

Su Man couldn’t make sense of the mystery he was building, and so she also leaned in a little — and then heard him murmur, very quietly, directly to her:

“I’m thinking… of poaching him…”

Su Man: “…”

She maintained her composure with great dignity, slowly straightened back up, and took a sip of water.

The tips of her ears were faintly warm.

“As long as the chef is exceptional enough, I’m willing to offer higher compensation and better conditions,” Lu Yuwen said with a light smile. “For a businessman like me who is unfamiliar with the local landscape, the most efficient strategy is to headhunt an established team directly. It’s the most cost-effective approach.”

Su Man steadied herself and glanced at him. “If the restaurant manager heard you, he’d throw us both out.”

Lu Yuwen smiled. “You’d protect me, wouldn’t you?”

Su Man gave a quiet cough, remembering the first time they had met, when she’d had him pinned against the wall…

Well. She was sometimes… admittedly a little too aggressive.

She was working on it.

……

The dishes hadn’t arrived yet, so there was nothing to eat — but the atmosphere between them was unhurried and easy.

Su Man began to settle into the quiet, low-lit surroundings, and found herself imagining what it would take for Lu Yuwen to open a restaurant like this himself. The location scouting, the renovation, training the service staff, assembling a skilled kitchen team… None of it would be easy.

He must get very tired, mustn’t he?

—