“Senior Lin, let’s sit over there.”
After arriving at the restaurant, Ye Qingqing was still holding Lin Mo’s arm, her voice gentle. She did not even glance at Su Qianqian and Xiao Jibo behind her.
Lin Mo paused and looked back at Su Qianqian. When their eyes met and he saw the gloom in hers, he was about to speak. But Su Qianqian turned her head away coldly.
Seeing this, Lin Mo shook his head and walked inside with Ye Qingqing.
After sitting down, Lin Mo instinctively reached out to adjust Su Qianqian’s seat. But when he realized Xiao Jibo was still present, he quietly withdrew his hand.
That small movement did not escape Su Qianqian’s notice.
A mocking smile curved at her lips. See? Lin Mo clearly cared about her, yet he insisted on pretending otherwise. This act truly irritated her.
With that thought, Su Qianqian resumed her usual indifference and stopped looking at Lin Mo. She wanted to see how long he could keep up this façade of not caring.
“Sister Qingyue, over here…”
After sitting down, Ye Qingqing waved toward the hall.
Following her gaze, Jiang Qingyue was walking toward them, looking slightly travel-worn. She was dressed in a yoga top and leggings, which highlighted her striking figure perfectly. It seemed she had just come from the gym.
Lin Mo froze in surprise. “Sister Qingyue? Why are you here?”
“I asked Sister Qingyue to come,” Ye Qingqing explained with a smile before Jiang Qingyue could speak.
Jiang Qingyue nodded. After glancing at Su Qianqian, she naturally sat down on Lin Mo’s other side.
After their last meal together, Ye Qingqing had realized Jiang Qingyue was one of them, so the two had exchanged contact information. Even before arriving, Ye Qingqing had already messaged Jiang Qingyue. First, she wanted to celebrate Lin Mo’s good result. Second, seeing that Lin Mo was in low spirits, she wanted Jiang Qingyue to help comfort him.
She had not expected Su Qianqian to suggest dining together.
At this moment, Su Qianqian’s face looked extremely unpleasant. Yet she did not lose her temper. She merely let out a cold laugh.
“Since everyone’s here, let’s order,” she said, flipping through the menu.
Jiang Qingyue glanced at her calmly. “No need. You can order. I’m not hungry. I just came to see Lin Mo.”
Su Qianqian’s hand paused on the menu. Her expression darkened, though she kept her head lowered, hiding her eyes from the others.
“Lin Mo, congratulations on achieving such a great result. This is my gift to you. I heard boys like this, so I bought it. See if you like it.”
Ignoring Su Qianqian, Jiang Qingyue smiled at Lin Mo and took something out of her bag.
It was a car key with a trident-shaped logo.
Lin Mo, who had been quiet, immediately became flustered and waved his hands. “This… Sister Qingyue, I can’t accept this. It’s too expensive.”
“Lin Mo, you know this really isn’t expensive to me. It’s just a small token of my feelings. Would you really refuse me?” Jiang Qingyue pressed her lips together, pretending to be hurt.
“Sister Qingyue, absolutely not. You already gave me clothes last time. And you’ve helped me so much. I haven’t done anything for you. How can I accept this?” Lin Mo insisted.
This was different from before. Previously, they were small items. But this time, Jiang Qingyue was giving him a car. From what Lin Mo knew, even the most common Maserati models cost over one million yuan. Jiang Qingyue would not choose a cheap one, so this car likely cost several million yuan. It was far too valuable.
After a pause, Jiang Qingyue said softly, “Just take it. I don’t need you to do anything for me. I’m doing this willingly…”
Her voice grew softer toward the end, and her cheeks turned slightly red.
Ye Qingqing joined in persuading him. “Yes, Senior Lin. It’s Sister Qingyue’s heartfelt gift. Just accept it, or she’ll be sad.”
Lin Mo hesitated.
Seeing hope, Ye Qingqing winked at Jiang Qingyue and continued, “Senior Lin, you don’t even have a car yet. It’s inconvenient to travel. Just drive it for now. When you make money in the future, you can buy Sister Qingyue one too. That way you’ll be even.”
“Yes, Lin Mo. Just use it for now. Or… do you not like the gift I chose?” Jiang Qingyue lowered her head slightly, looking disappointed.
“No, no, that’s not what I mean,” Lin Mo said quickly.
“Then accept it,” Jiang Qingyue said firmly.
Lin Mo struggled for a moment. “Alright.”
Only then did Jiang Qingyue smile in satisfaction and place the car key back into his hand.
Holding the key, Lin Mo felt mixed emotions. Jiang Qingyue had helped him so much. He did not know how he could ever repay her. He could only work hard and give her a gift in return someday.
While the three chatted warmly, Su Qianqian’s expression had already turned icy. Anger flickered in her eyes as she stared at the car key in Lin Mo’s hand.
At that moment, she realized something was wrong.
Lin Mo might not be acting for her sake. After all, who would spend so much money just to stage a performance? And Jiang Qingyue’s gaze toward Lin Mo had been undeniably gentle. That could not be fake.
It seemed Jiang Qingyue, like Ye Qingqing, liked Lin Mo.
The thought made Su Qianqian feel suffocated. She even regretted coming here. She should have taken Lin Mo home directly.
But now that things had come this far, she could not lower her head. Otherwise, Lin Mo would think she cared about him and regain hope.
At the same time, Xiao Jibo was also staring at the car key. His eyes were filled with greed and jealousy.
“Stop staring. Be careful you don’t fall in and can’t climb out,” Ye Qingqing mocked.
Xiao Jibo withdrew his gaze, shot her a glare, then turned to Su Qianqian with a pitiful look. “Qianqian, I won the championship. Don’t you have a gift for me?”
Su Qianqian snapped out of her thoughts. Her eyes lit up as if remembering something. “Of course. I prepared it long ago.”
Smiling gently, she took out a key from her bag.
It was the key to a villa. Originally, Su Qianqian had planned to give it to Lin Mo after their divorce. After all, he had taken care of her for three years. She would not let him leave empty-handed.
But now… she decided to play along.
Since Lin Mo liked her so much, seeing her give such an expensive gift to Xiao Jibo would surely make him jealous. When that happened, Lin Mo would be the first to lose his composure.
With that thought, Su Qianqian handed the key to Xiao Jibo, a faint smile curling at her lips.
Xiao Jibo’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Qianqian, this… this is really for me?”
“Of course. I prepared it long ago. I just wanted to surprise you,” she said tenderly.
Xiao Jibo was instantly overjoyed. “Thank you, Qianqian. You’re so good to me.”
He hurriedly put the key into his pocket and cast a provocative look at Lin Mo.
Su Qianqian frowned slightly.
When Jiang Qingyue gave Lin Mo a car, he refused repeatedly. But Xiao Jibo accepted the villa without hesitation, as if afraid she might take it back.
That subtle difference made Su Qianqian feel strangely uncomfortable.
Still, she said nothing and maintained her smile.
Then she glanced at Lin Mo lightly, wanting to see his reaction.
However, at this moment, Lin Mo was holding the menu in his hand and did not look at Su Qianqian at all.
Beside him, Jiang Qingyue and Ye Qingqing kept pointing at the dishes on the menu. Their bodies leaned closer and closer, almost pressing against him.
The smile on Su Qianqian’s face vanished instantly.
Watching their intimate gestures, an inexplicable anger rose in her heart. But she knew she could not lose her temper, so she turned her head away and stopped looking at them.
Soon, under Jiang Qingyue and Ye Qingqing’s eager suggestions, Lin Mo finished ordering the dishes.
At that moment, Ye Qingqing suddenly took something out and handed it to Lin Mo. “Here, Senior Lin, this is the key to my villa. Take it.”
“Qingqing, what do you mean?” Lin Mo looked at her in surprise.
Jiang Qingyue also looked at Ye Qingqing strangely.
Across the table, Su Qianqian’s eyes were practically spitting fire. She stared fixedly at Lin Mo, wanting to see whether he would refuse.
“Senior Lin, what are you thinking? Sister Qingyue gave you a car. This is my gift to you—a piano. It’s currently at my house. If you have time, you can go play it. Of course, if you get your own house in the future, you can move it there.”
Seeing that Lin Mo had misunderstood, Ye Qingqing’s pretty face flushed slightly as she hurriedly explained. As she spoke, she did not forget to glance at Su Qianqian.
Lin Mo understood and instinctively wanted to refuse, but Ye Qingqing interrupted him.
“Senior Lin, you didn’t refuse when Sister Qingyue gave you the car. Are you going to refuse me?”
She blinked her large eyes at him, looking especially adorable.
Lin Mo could not help but smile faintly. After a brief pause, he accepted the key.
Seeing this, Su Qianqian let out a cold laugh, her gaze turning even colder.
She had told Lin Mo to stay away from Ye Qingqing. Yet in front of her, he accepted Ye Qingqing’s gift. It was no different from slapping her in the face.
“Heh, it’s just a broken piano. Treating it like some treasure. How ridiculous…” Xiao Jibo sneered, unable to hide his jealousy.
Ye Qingqing looked at him with a half-smile. “A broken piano? That piano could buy the villa that woman gave you. And you call it broken?”
“You…”
Xiao Jibo was left speechless.
To be honest, he had not expected Ye Qingqing to give Lin Mo such an expensive gift. Even Lin Mo himself looked at her in shock. If he had known how valuable the piano was, he would never have accepted it.
“So what if it’s a good piano? With his second-place result, do you think he’ll even get a chance to perform on stage in the future?” Xiao Jibo said mockingly, turning his attack toward Lin Mo.
Ye Qingqing snorted. “What’s wrong with second place? It’s better than your title of first place that exists in name only.”
As she spoke, she cast a meaningful glance at Su Qianqian.
It was clear Ye Qingqing had guessed something, though she did not expose it directly.
Xiao Jibo’s face flushed with anger. He was about to argue when Su Qianqian cut him off. “Enough. Let’s eat.”
She glanced at Lin Mo with slight guilt.
Xiao Jibo glared fiercely at Ye Qingqing, then poured himself a glass of red wine and began eating silently.
“Here, Senior Lin, try this.” Ye Qingqing placed a piece of neatly cut steak onto Lin Mo’s plate with a smile.
Not to be outdone, Jiang Qingyue picked up the wine and filled Lin Mo’s glass. “It’s a happy day. You can drink a little.”
Lin Mo froze.
Ever since his parents passed away, he had never experienced such treatment. He had always been the one taking care of Su Qianqian. He had never known what it felt like to be cared for.
His eyes grew slightly moist.
Su Qianqian watched coldly, then shifted her gaze to Xiao Jibo.
Realizing her look, Xiao Jibo smiled awkwardly. He licked the sauce from his own knife and fork, then used them to cut a piece of steak and place it on Su Qianqian’s plate. “Qianqian, eat.”
Su Qianqian frowned, her face showing clear displeasure.
There were serving utensils on the table, yet he deliberately used his own—and he had just licked them. Su Qianqian, who had a strong aversion to germs, felt even more uncomfortable.
She simply put down her knife and fork and sat there with a dark expression.
“Come on, Senior Lin. To celebrate your successful debut, let’s drink another toast.”
Ye Qingqing raised her glass cheerfully.
By now, Lin Mo’s face was already flushed red. His tolerance for alcohol had never been strong, and he had barely drunk any over the past three years. After just a few sips, the effects were obvious.
Su Qianqian glanced at him and said calmly, “Can’t you see he’s already had too much?”
“What’s that supposed to mean? Are you jealous?” Ye Qingqing asked with a teasing smile.
Su Qianqian laughed coldly. “You’re overthinking. Even if you two kissed, it would have nothing to do with me. I’m just reminding you.”
“Oh? Since you say that, wouldn’t it seem strange if we didn’t kiss?” Ye Qingqing smiled triumphantly.
She set down her glass and cupped Lin Mo’s face with both hands, looking at him with earnest intensity.
Lin Mo sobered instantly and was about to push her away. But Ye Qingqing had already closed her eyes and leaned in.
Just as her lips were about to touch Lin Mo’s—
Crash!
The sharp sound of shattering glass echoed.
Su Qianqian stood there, furious. A broken glass lay scattered at her feet.
“Enough!” she shouted.
Ye Qingqing turned her head with a smile. “What’s wrong? Can’t handle it?”
“Lin Mo, come back with me.”
Su Qianqian ignored Ye Qingqing completely and stared directly at Lin Mo.
“Qianqian, what’s going on?” Lin Mo asked in confusion.
To him, Ye Qingqing had only been joking. He would never have let her actually kiss him. And even if she had, Su Qianqian should not be this angry.
“Lin Mo, don’t forget, we’re not divorced yet. Acting like this in public—have you considered how it affects me?”
Her voice was cold.
“I’m ordering you to come back with me immediately. Otherwise, it will be considered a breach of contract.”
“Qianqian, today is my celebration banquet. Let’s at least finish eating first,” Xiao Jibo said with a forced smile.
Su Qianqian did not even look at him. Her gaze remained fixed on Lin Mo.
Lin Mo shook his head with a bitter smile and finally gave in.
Not wanting to make things harder for him, Ye Qingqing and Jiang Qingyue stood up as well.
The four of them left the restaurant together.