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The table was nearly cleared, with only a few dishes left, and Zhou Xiaxia was so full that she couldn't even drink any more juice.
The man across from her watched as she struggled to sip her juice, leaning in to ask, "Are you full?"
Zhou Xiaxia immediately nodded. Seeing him bring it up made her eyes shine with hope; surely they could go home now?
Zhou Yinkun leaned back in his chair, observing the way her bright eyes sparkled as they looked at him. He smiled and said, "Then we should talk about something serious."
Zhou Xiaxia looked at him in confusion.
Zhou Yinkun continued, "You still haven't answered me. Who did you say is a bad person?"
The girl's tentative and expectant expression froze on her face. Her hands were still gripping the juice glass, leaving her momentarily at a loss.
He must have heard her; he had listened to every word she said. Zhou Xiaxia was an honest child and acknowledged what she had said, but admitting it in front of Zhou Yinkun was something she simply... couldn't do. She was unsure of what the consequences would be.
She lowered her head, silent—neither confirming nor denying.
"I think you still haven't had enough to eat," he said playfully.
Zhou Xiaxia suddenly lifted her head.
"Clear this away and bring out the same dishes again," he instructed the hotel manager, but his deep, teasing gaze remained fixed on Zhou Xiaxia. "Exactly the same."
This meant that the dozen or so dishes she had almost finished would be brought back out again. Zhou Xiaxia finally understood why he kept repeating that phrase.
Once you finish eating, you can go home.
But what counted as finished was up to him to decide.
Zhou Xiaxia felt like a little dog that had just realized it had been tricked. She watched helplessly as dish after dish was brought out again, filling the table once more. Her small nose turned red, and tears welled up in her eyes.
Zhou Yinkun watched coldly as the soft-hearted woman in front of him threatened to cry at any moment.
A woman's tears might serve some purpose on occasion, but most of the time, they were the thing he loathed the most. Zhou Xiaxia was hardly even a woman; her tears were those of a child, only serving to further test his patience.
"Eat up, what are you waiting for?" The man leaned back casually with his arms crossed. "Think about how you're going to answer the question while you eat."
His gaze bore down on her, causing a dull ache wherever it landed. She picked up her fork again and started with the curry crab in front of her. The food that had seemed so delicious moments ago now felt difficult to swallow. With each bite, Zhou Xiaxia felt as if her stomach was about to burst.
The girl’s pale neck moved slightly, and Zhou Yinkun knew she had swallowed. Then she took another bite.
Tears dripped onto the plate, making a mess of the food in front of her.
The food was being pushed into her small mouth, mingled with her tears.
After a long pause, she finally spoke. "I'm sorry."
The man across from her remained silent, as if waiting for more.
"I won't say those things about you anymore," she choked out.
"What things?"
Zhou Xiaxia bit her lip, her voice barely above a whisper. "A rotten person."
Zhou Yinkun scoffed softly. "So do you think I am a rotten person?"
Of course she did.
Zhou Xiaxia answered in her heart without hesitation.
"Of course," Zhou Yinkun said, picking up a piece of succulent Crab Leg Meat and placing it on the plate in front of her. "This is what you were thinking, right?"
"Dear niece, you're being dishonest." He tilted his chin, indicating that the Crab Leg Meat was her punishment.
Zhou Xiaxia's fork moved hesitantly, spearing the food and bringing it to her mouth under his watchful gaze. She could barely taste it; mechanically, she swallowed, feeling as if she had just swallowed a stone that landed heavily in her stomach, crashing down on the already full contents and sending pain throughout her entire being.
"Zhou Yinkun is a terrible person," he said with a smile. "Don't be so uncertain. When others ask you, you should honestly say this."
Zhou Xiaxia couldn't tell if there was something wrong with her ears or her mind; she simply couldn't understand what he meant. At that moment, however, she saw Zhou Yinkun serving himself a bowl of Tom Yum Soup.
Her breathing became labored.
In the next second, that clean hand placed the soup in front of her, thoughtfully setting down a white spoon beside it.
Zhou Xiaxia became the center of attention. Others were unaware of her relationship with Zhou Yinkun; they only knew that he was doting on this new woman by his side.
Only the Hotel Manager truly understood the situation. He had heard before that Zhou Yinkun came from a mercenary background and had suffered greatly, employing countless torturous methods. He had thought that he wouldn't be too harsh with women, but seeing this today, even dining could turn into a form of torture.
The girl looked so small; if she truly overstuffed herself like this, it could lead to shock or even death. As the Hotel Manager, he had to be responsible for every guest. Yet there sat that man leisurely while the manager hesitated to approach and intervene.
Zhou Xiaxia looked at Zhou Yinkun pleadingly.
"Now let me ask you, who is Zhou Yinkun?"
The girl's voice trembled as she was unsure if she was answering correctly. "He is... a terrible person."
Then she saw him raise an eyebrow, a smile curling at the corners of his lips. "Correct!"
Zhou Xiaxia sighed in relief, only to hear him say, "As a reward, you get to take a sip."
Her smooth forehead was beaded with cold sweat as the manager timely delivered a soft tissue, believing he could help prevent a girl from literally bursting in the hotel.
“Brother Kun, this dish is too much for the body; it's better to eat in moderation.”
Zhou Yinkun turned his head and smiled, asking, “How about you help her eat then?”
The manager's expression changed instantly, and he hurriedly said, “I’m sorry, Brother Kun, I shouldn’t have spoken. Please don’t take it to heart.”
Zhou Yinkun couldn’t be bothered with him; he found his little niece far more interesting.
His amusement was built on Zhou Xiaxia's discomfort, forcing an innocent child to pick up a spoon and serve herself a tiny amount of soup—so little it was almost invisible. Seizing the moment when Zhou Yinkun glanced at the manager, she quickly drank it down, the meager soup not weighing heavily on her stomach.
To the man’s eyes, this was utterly entertaining.
He stood up and sat down beside her amidst Zhou Xiaxia's terrified gaze, one arm draped over her chair while the other lifted the bowl of soup. Zhou Xiaxia thought he had discovered her trick and was about to splash the hot soup in her face, so she quickly shut her eyes and tensed up.
Up close, one could see her long, thick lashes curling beautifully, just like those of a doll.
Zhou Xiaxia caught a faint whiff of smoke from him and felt the heat of his masculine presence; she nervously shifted slightly away.
“Zhou Xiaxia.”
At that moment, Zhou Yinkun called her name. But after saying it, he fell silent again. Zhou Xiaxia anxiously opened her eyes and turned slightly to meet his dark gaze.
The hot soup was brought to her lips at that moment.
“I... I really can’t drink any more...” Her voice trembled with a hint of tears as she called him “uncle” again.
“Oh, back to ‘uncle’ again,” Zhou Yinkun teased. “Is that sincere?”
Zhou Xiaxia hesitated for a moment before nodding. After all this time, she still had to think twice before lying. In a way, it was quite obedient, even more so than his previous dog.
"So Zhou Yinkun is a bad person, and what about you?"
Zhou Yinkun gently blew on the soup to cool it down.
The aroma of the soup made Zhou Xiaxia feel nauseous. She was drenched in cold sweat, and the air conditioning in the restaurant was strong, causing her clothes to cling tightly to her body, making her extremely uncomfortable.
Zhou Yinkun was a bad person, and she was Zhou Yinkun's niece.
"I... am also a bad person," she replied.
At that moment, A Yao, who hadn’t come up with them, hurried over and handed her phone to Zhou Yinkun, glancing at Zhou Xiaxia. It was puzzling how someone could look so pale after just having a meal.
Seeing Zhou Yinkun place the bowl of soup back on the table allowed her to finally breathe easily. However, he was still right beside her, and Zhou Xiaxia didn’t dare to move at all.
Zhou Yinkun answered the phone. "What made you think of calling me, big brother?"
Zhou Xiaxia turned her head abruptly; it was Dad!
"Oh, that's what you're asking about. Tsk, what do you take me for? What can I do? I'm just bringing your kid out for some good food. Your precious daughter can really eat."
Seeing that it was Zhou Yaohui calling, Zhou Yinkun's expression turned slightly pitiful as he continued, "But she's quite adorable. Can I keep her for a few days?"
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