Later, under his coercion and persuasion, Cheng Youyi reluctantly stayed.
As for Wen Zhuo and the black-clad subordinates responsible for watching Cheng Youyi tonight, they were all punished. According to the Gong family’s rules, they would likely be spending a few days in the hospital.
As for Xiao Mang and Shen Ye, they were also scolded and punished. They were now lying in their respective cages, heads drooping, sulking in the corner.
However, Gong Ming did not let Cheng Youyi know about any of this. He was worried that the young girl would once again see him as a villain.
Moreover, she was young and innocent. If she knew others had been punished because of her, she would probably be upset for days.
…
In the dining room, Cheng Youyi was forced to sit beside Gong Ming. She cut the steak on her plate but hadn’t taken a single bite.
She glanced around, her eyes unconsciously drifting toward the man.
When she noticed him sitting upright, elegantly and nobly cutting his steak, she suddenly realized that his refined dignity radiated from his very bones.
She dared not make her peeking too obvious, afraid of drawing his attention.
She had to admit that when he wasn’t being mischievous, he exuded an air of noble restraint, with every gesture carrying an aura of refined asceticism.
If she didn’t know him, Cheng Youyi would never have associated the man before her with the scheming, teasing, and threatening man she knew in private.
However, when her gaze swept over the faintly visible black tattoo on his chest, she couldn’t help but swallow hard.
He wore frameless gold-rimmed glasses, looking every bit the refined and ascetic gentleman, yet why did he have those tattoos on his neck and chest…
It made him seem even more dangerous.
Cheng Youyi found herself lost in studying his physique, completely forgetting about her meal.
“Want to look?” Gong Ming suddenly set down his knife and fork, raising his eyes to meet the girl’s gaze.
!!! Oh no, how embarrassing.
“…” Cheng Youyi froze for a second, her cheeks instantly flushing crimson. She hurriedly lowered her head to hide her embarrassment. “N-no, I wasn’t looking…”
Gong Ming curled his lips. He hadn’t expected that the little thing who had repeatedly claimed to have no interest in him would one day be staring at him in a daze. She was becoming more and more interesting.
“It’s fine. You can look your fill tonight.” The man smiled, elegantly wiping his thin lips with a napkin before rising from his seat and walking over to her.
“Ah…” Cheng Youyi was about to ask if he was finished eating, but before she could speak, she suddenly found herself lifted into the air.
Startled, she immediately wrapped her arms around his neck and asked in confusion, “What are you doing?”
“Taking you back to the room.” Gong Ming calmly uttered four words.
“…”
Cheng Youyi was terrified. She wasn’t a fool; she knew exactly what he meant by ‘back to the room.’ She quickly found an excuse: “I-I haven’t finished eating yet.”
“Want to eat?” Gong Ming raised an eyebrow.
“Huh? Y-yes, I do.” Cheng Youyi was somewhat bewildered.
“Then eat properly and stop looking around.” The man looked at her, adopting a ‘strict father’ tone as he lectured her. “You don’t even eat your meals properly, no wonder you’re so thin.”
Cheng Youyi: “…”
So he was here to lecture her?
“Have the kitchen bring a fresh portion.” The man instructed the servant beside him, then turned to Cheng Youyi and spoke earnestly, “Tell them what you like to eat from now on. You’re not allowed to skip meals.”
Cheng Youyi: “…”
Was he criticizing her for not knowing how to take care of herself?
“Got it,” she mumbled in response. She wasn’t a three-year-old child—even her parents didn’t fuss over her this much.
A moment later, new dishes were brought out.
There was a small bowl of rice, several generously prepared dishes, and a few plates of snacks.
Kung Pao chicken, braised bamboo shoot tips, sweet and sour fish, steamed scallops with garlic, greens, and a bowl of soup.
“If you don’t like Western food, then have Chinese food. Finish your rice—you’re too thin,” the man said earnestly as he handed her chopsticks and served food into her bowl.
“There’s so much, how could I possibly finish it all?” the young girl muttered under her breath as she lowered her head to eat.
The man glanced at her expressionlessly without saying a word.
He ladled a bowl of soup for her: “Drink this before eating.”
“Oh.” The girl obediently drank the soup.
The entire meal left her feeling anxious.
Because this man kept adding food to her plate. If she really stayed here, she would definitely get fat.
Moreover, this man seemed to have a habit of controlling others. She wasn’t his subordinate—why was he even managing how she ate? He was even more old-fashioned than the most rigid traditionalists.
So they really weren’t compatible. If she actually married him, she would definitely be controlled to death.
“Come closer.” Only after seeing she had eaten her fill did the man signal for her to move nearer.
Cheng Youyi, looking slightly confused, shifted a bit closer, blinking her beautiful eyelashes as she waited for him to speak.
Unexpectedly, he simply took a napkin and meticulously wiped the corners of her mouth without any further instructions. She blinked, about to speak, when the man preempted her: “Tomorrow evening, I need to return to the Gong family. The driver will pick you up after school.”
“I… I can just stay in the dorm,” Cheng Youyi weakly refused, expecting him to object. Instead, she saw the man seemingly deep in thought.
“That works too. You can stay one night. I’ll pick you up the day after tomorrow.” Gong Ming thought to himself that since he wouldn’t be back tomorrow night either, letting the young girl stay alone in such a big house might scare her. In that case, it would be better for her to keep company with her classmates in the dorm.
Cheng Youyi: “…”
Still had to go the day after tomorrow—was there any difference from refusing?
At ten in the evening, Gong Ming received a phone call and hurriedly went out. He seemed very busy—not only with matters of the Gong family but also with his own affairs.
Yet even so, he still found time to teach at her school.
After all that, was it just to see her make a fool of herself?
What a strange man.
And! Tonight, he had originally wanted her to go with him.
Fortunately, after she refused, he didn’t force her. Otherwise, she might have been stuck staring into space in some corner again.
At this moment, Cheng Youyi had just finished bathing. Wearing a spaghetti-strap nightgown, she lay sprawled on the bed, chatting with Yu Mengwan.
The room was well-heated, so she dressed lightly. Her fair, slender legs were crossed and resting on the bed, swaying casually.
After updating Yu Mengwan that she was safe and about to put down her phone to rest, she saw a message from Gong Ming pop up on the screen—
【Baby, go to sleep first. Don’t wait for me.】
This made her pause just as she was about to set the phone down.
What a thing to say—she wasn’t planning on waiting for him anyway. Besides, she was going to lock the door tonight. That despicable man wouldn’t get a chance to take advantage of her!
Cheng Youyi simply replied with two words: 【Good night.】
Upon receiving the message, the man’s thin lips pressed together slightly. He lowered his gaze, staring at the screen for a long moment before turning it off and slipping it into his pocket. Then, he pushed open the car door, stepped out, and strode steadily into ‘Nightfall.’
Ever since meeting this little one, his habits had changed. In the past, he would hand his phone to Wen Qing, who would pass it to him promptly whenever someone tried to reach him. He rarely looked at his phone himself.
But lately, he often found himself taking it out to scroll through, especially whenever she replied to his messages. He couldn’t help but read them over and over again.
Even with just two words like “good night,” he wished he could analyze them thoroughly, searching for hidden meanings like “I like you.”
He never imagined that at 29 years old, he would be more naive than a 19-year-old girl, desperately hoping she would say “I like you.”
If that day ever came, he’d probably go crazy with happiness.
Unfortunately, the little girl hadn’t given him that chance yet.